Comtemporary Jain Legends

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

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Jugalkishore now desired to state some independent business. In those days, the activities of a pleader were very attractive because there was very good earning in that business. He studied for that and passed the qualifying examination. He started pleadings at Saharanpur. There were very few persons in this business in those days and therefore there was attractive earning. Common man was not able to pay the fees of regular pleaders and therefore, they preferred to engage Mukhtar-a stage little lower than regular pleader. Hence Jugalkishore started to work as Mukhtar and shifted to Devband in 1905 AD excepting that he would be able to work well at Devband. Here started practicing as Mukhtar but alongwith this business of practicing in law, he took up social activities. It was believed that the one who can speak untruth skillfully and create effective plots would only be a successful Mukhtar. But Jugalkishore's trend was quite otherwise. He never adopted falsehood in his work and therefore he was respected as a Mukhtar of very high status. Such a Mukhtar can be hardly one among one lac. His clients were totally free from all worries after entrusting their cases to Jugalkishore. Jugalkishore continued to give time for literary creation alongwith his business as a Mukhtar. He was reading and thinking on ancient Indian culture all the while even when he remained busy with his obligations as Mukhtar. He could earn very good money and prestige in very short time and was known very well around the region.
Experiences of Family Life:
His family life was simple, happy and peaceful. He had good co-operation of his wife who always acquiring religious knowledge and it was with her help that Jugalkishore could progress so much in all directions.
The couple had a beautiful daughter named Sanmatikumari born in 1899. She was very much clever in learning but this deeply loved daughter passed away at her age of only eight years after suffering from plague. Jugalkishore was deeply pained of losing her.
They had another daughter in 1917 AD and she was named as Vidhyavati. This child was also very beautiful and virtuous. As she was hardly of three months, Jugalkishore suffered a deep shock. On March 15 1918, his wife suddenly died of pneumonia after 25 years of married life. Pandit Jugalkishore had now to bear the additional responsibility of bringing out this child-girl and therefore he engaged a governess for her. Difficulties usually come in battalion. As Jugalkishore had not yet come out of the pains of his wife's unexpected death, his daughter Vidhyavati also passed away on 28 January 1920 of some disease. This was the day, which is taken to be the last in the family-line of Pandit Jugalkishore. All ambitions and hopes of life were lost and Pandit Jugalkishore was extremely under agony for quite a long time. But what was the way out? Jugalkishore was very much thoughtful, godly-minded, believer in truth and good deeds. He decided to face what may come. He doubted his activities for creating new literature so that he may be able to keep his personal pains away at least for that much time. It was perhaps God's desire that he was free from family-bondages so that he may take up literary activities more vigorously.
Pandit Jugalkishore:
A journalist, an editor: Pandit Jugalkishore working as a journalist and an editor reveal his all-round ability in the field of literature, which justifies his nickname of YugVeer. It is the foremost duty of a journalist to preserve truth in creating literature and this is evident from the life and literature of Pandit Jugalkishore. Pandit Jugalkishore has presented his original and natural thoughts before the society in a very logical and convincing way without any fear of favor from any side. Panditji's life as a journalist had begun from first day of July 1907 when he had accepted the position of an editor of Jain Gazette, which was official publication of Jain Conference. His style of editorship can be divided in three parts:
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