Comtemporary Jain Legends

Author(s): Atmanandji Maharaj
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram

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04. The Great Scholar Shri Lalan
The year 1857 AD was critical year for India. There were severe conflicts, excitement and transition of powers. The British were strongly determined to establish their power over India on permanent basis while, the Indians, especially in armed forces, had deep dissatisfaction against the British rule.
During this extremely disturbed time, a son child was born to the couple Shri Kapurchandbhai and Monghibai on April 1, 1857 in a small village Kutchh Mandvi in western India. The child did not cry at the time of its birth as other children do. This was quite surprising and the mother Monghibai was very much pleased to see this child of smiling face. The child was named Fatehchand.
The history of Lalan generation is very bright. In 1817, two sons were born in the house of Ravji Thakore in NagarParker. They were named as Lalan and Lakhdhir. The generation was named as Lalan (Lalan Gotra) on the basis of first son Lalan. There have been many brave, charitable and religion personalities in this Gotra and our hero of this narration, Fatehchand was also born of this Gotra.
Childhood and Education:
Fatehchand grew up as the moon in bright half. The father, Kapurchandbhai had to stay at Jamnagar during two-three years of Fatehchand's childhood. As the primary teaching in a village-school was about to be over, the father had to come to Mumbai for business purposes. Hence, Fatehchand studied at Bombay upto non-metric. Even though he failed in matriculation examination, he did continue his studies under the streetlights as the family was poor. Fatehchand studied Sanskrit, Prakrit, English, other European languages, living and non-living elements, various religions, Philosophy, Yoga etc., very deeply. He could understand and remember Shlokas and Mantras-religious and philosophical hymns- very quickly. He was, thus, born in Kutchh, brought up in Saurashtra and studied in Bombay. He was brave and adventurous as the people of Kutchh, ambitions as the people of Saurashtra and sympathetic and broad minded as the people of Mumbai.
Since the family was not so happy financially, Fatehchand had to borrow books from libraries. He had the skill to explain difficult things to others very easily and so he became very successful and famous as a teacher. He had deep study, intricate thinking, simple nature, high culture and company of highly learned personalities. He very shortly became known as Pandit Lalan. Before reaching the age of 25, he had completed study of theosophy and all the Indian scriptures. He was also a great orator. His speeches were full with high thinking and knowledge and hence people were always eager to hear his lectures. He became famous for his speeches all around.
A Religious Shravak:
According to prevailing practice, Fatehchand was married at the age of about 20 to Monghibai, a daughter of Shri Jethabhai Hansraj. Fatehchand was now residing at Lalwadi, Bombay in one room and was working as a teacher. His life was simple, thinking was very high, and behavior was sympathetic. He proved to be an ideal teacher. His father wanted to take him to business
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