Comtemporary Jain Legends

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

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07. Param Tattvagna Shrimad Rajchandraji Introduction: Shrimad Rajchandraji is an exceptional personality of the 20th century twentieth). He was a great philosopher and thinker. He was an incarnation of knowledge, a gentleman of the highest virtue and lamppost for many. He was extra-ordinary great not only for Jains but also for the whole of modern world. Mahatma Gandhi said for him: Shrimad Rajchandra held an astonishing personality. His writings came from his experience of life. One who read thought and followed his writings could easily reach the doors of salvation. One who wanted to be free from self-agony, wanted to know his duties and wanted to get real happiness in his life must read his books even if he was ardent Hindu or follower of any other religion. Kakasaheb Kalelkar said, "Shrimad Rajchandra was a great experimentalist. He has been a living example of experimentally proved achievements of ultimate position. He had attained total self-control and therefore, we can see exceptional strength and vigor in his creations.
Birth: Shrimad Rajchandraji was born on the auspicious day of November 9th, 1867 the Diwali Day of Gods of the month of Kartik, at Vavaniya village of Morbi states in Saurashtra of Gujarat. His grandfather was Panchabhai Mehta. He had come to Vavaniya from the nearby village Manekpara and started the business of shipping and money lending. Ravjibhai and Devaba were his parents. This was a devotional and serviceable couple and two events were known about them. One was of an old commission agent and the other was of a saint-Fakir. The couple had served these two persons with body, mind and money with total devotion and sincerely they had given blessings to this couple that they would have a great and victorious son. Shrimad Rajchandra was born after sometime of these incidents. In the Jain community of Gujarat the day of Gods' Diwali. The birthday of Shrimad Rajchandra was celebrated as the birthday of Shri Hemchandracharya who was said to know everything about Kalikal-Kali Kaal Sarvagna and as the day of beginning of the pilgrim-tour at Palitana. The child was named as Laxminandan at the time of his birth but at his age of four, it was changed as Raychand or Rajchandra. He was by this two name of Rajchandra.
Childhood: Rajchandra got impressions of Vaishnav religion-a sect of Hindu religion from the birth because his grandfather was a devotee of Lord Krishna. On the other hand, his mother Devaba had come from Jain impressions. The child Rajchandra was, thus, brought up under combined impressions of Jainism and Vaishnavism. Rajchandra was deeply interested in reading and when he read hymns of Pratikraman in Jainism, he was drawn by the feelings of kindness to animals and the discipline coming out in begging for pardon in Paryushan days. He was drawn towards Jain hymns more and more. The Jain atmosphere gives more importance to knowledge, renunciation and detachment from worldly affairs. In these days of his childhood, one important incident took place: In 1875, Shri Aminchandbhai died of serpent-bite. At this time, young Rajchandra asked his grandfather as to what did it mean by death. The loving grandfather said, "The soul from his body has gone out and now he will not be able to speak or
age, renunciatio more and more begging for pa