Comtemporary Jain Legends

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

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10. Maha Tapasvi Acharya Shri ShantiSagarji Maharaj
Introduction:
India is a land of Saints, highly learned persons, mendicants, monks and exceptionally intelligent individuals. The spiritual heritage of India is world-famous. In our heritage, a great person was born before 115 years ago who had extraordinary power of character. He up-held Jain Darshan (outlook) by various good deeds. He also worked for establishing the views expressed in Jain scriptures. The traditions of Digambar Jains were being wiped out very quickly since many years and there was hardly a saint or mendicant to work and speak for Lord Mahavir and Kundkund. Shri ShantiSagar was born in this age in a small village of south India. He adopted Mooni-Dixa and contributed very much to uphold, strengthen and establish the traditions of Digambar traditions. He revived the character and some beliefs of Digambar Jain sect and that is why he is remembered and respected as the great saints of old age.
Birth and Childhood:
He was born in the family of warriors in (1871 AD) at Belgul village, some four miles away from Bhojgaon. Shrimati Satyavati (Satyabhama), the wife of Shri Bhimgonda was his mother. The child was born at the home of his maternal-father. His name was kept as Satgonda. Bhattarak Jinsen and many other great men were born in this caste and at present it was the fourth Jain generation wherein the child Satgonda was born. Belgul village is in Belgaum District of South India. Shri Satgonda was one of the five children in the family two elder brothers, two younger brothers and one sister. The whole family was well cultured.
Young Satgonda was healthy and brave from his childhood. No one could defeat him in hand-to hand fighting. He could easily carry a bag full of one quintal of rice. He was clever and intelligent and therefore loved by all. By nature, he was peace loving. He never quarreled with any one. He spoke little but sweet. From the very childhood, he was reserved detached from homely affairs and took active part in religious celebrations and rites. He used to go to temple with his mother everyday. He was much interested in meditation and study of scriptures. He used to wear simple clothes of Khadi (hand-woven cotton clothes.) Mother always advised him and taught good things. He was, thus, invested with all virtues from his childhood. The family was happy, prosperous and will all things of worldly pleasures. Every member of the family was devoted to Lord Jinendra. The child Satgonda had extra-ordinary power of memory and many people knew it. The father gave him the virtues of being serious and determined. The child revealed the qualities of great man from the very beginning and it was hoped that in future, he would be a great man. He could attract all people because of his loving behavior. Just as Mahatma Gandhi and Chhatrapati Shivaji were given high virtues by their parents, so was Satgonda invested with outstanding virtues by his parents.
He studied as he could in his village Bhojgaon and then turned to attain spiritual knowledge of detached great men and saints. He was in constant efforts to learn as much as possible from his own experiences of life because this knowledge is really true and piercing. Ordinarily, great men learn from their own experiences and mould their life in their own and independent way. Satgonda could get good knowledge from the company of saints and self-study.
Detachment, Life-Long Celibacy and Study of Scriptures:
According to prevailing custom of those days, Satgonda was married at the age of only nine years with a girl of six years of age but as it might have been destined, the girl died within six months of marriage. He was then pressed for second marriage when he was of the matured age of 18 but he clearly declined and observed complete, clear and holy celibacy for the whole of his life. He wanted
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