Comtemporary Jain Legends

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

Page 47

Shrimad Rajchandra, though, attained the Absolute Bliss but he was interested to be on the unending path to the eternal truth. It was necessary for him to be detached from this world and family for peaceful treading on this path and he started to stay in lonely places out-side Mumbai for more and more time. By loneliness, he could increase and strengthen his detachment with worldly affairs; he could study scriptures deeply and could think of the Absolute in more meaningful ways. His efforts can be divided in two parts. In the first stage, there were many obstacles on his way and hence his progress was also very slow. Even then he continued his activities as vigorously as possible. He stayed in loneliness in the following places with a view to strengthen virtues, restraint and detachment with worldly affairs:
Last Efforts and Demise: (V.S. 1952 to 1957): These were the years of his rigorous prayers. Attachment with outward and inward longings became weaker and he could be free from almost all bondages to a great extent. He continued his studies, thinking and reminiscing and started avoiding food, clothes, circumstances, contacts, bodily feelings so that total restraint can be adopted later on. In the forests of Uttarsanda, at Idar and at Kavitha he stayed in loneliness. His devotees have said much about this. He never allowed anybody to stay with him at night, he did not use mattress, and he used only one cloth and took only one type of food. He did not use footwear, he suffered bites of mosquitoes etc peacefully and stayed in lonely forests for meditation and silence. He used to stay out of Mumbai continuously for more than six months for the company of saints and to be more and more detached with the world. He did not even correspond with others except for doing well of others and that too very briefly. He left his business in 1899 and asked for the consent of his mother to adopt Dixa-life, but in the next year only his body did not cooperate with him and he died in 1901. During his life of loneliness he stayed mainly at:
Charotar region: Kavitha, Anand, Nadiad, Uttarsanda, Vaso, Kheda, Ralaj, Vadva and Khambhat.
• Saurashtra region: Sayla, Morbi, Vavaniya, Rajkot, Wadhwan, Viramgam
• Other regions: Idar, Ahmedabad, Naroda, Dharampur etc. Even after attaining omniscience in 1891, he continued to be in efforts to gain power of self until he died in 1901.
His Group of Disciples: As many bees come to flowers because of their sweet smell, in the same way many persons were attracted to him because of his power of soul. They respected him with honors, devotion and dedication: -
Shri Sobhagbhai: Almost one-fourth part of Shrimad Rajchandra's correspondence is written about this gentleman. He was simple in behavior and serious in devotion. He was ardent devotee of Shrimad Rajchandra.