Comtemporary Jain Legends

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

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18. A Great Sympathizer Shri Motilal Kapadia
Childhood and Learning:
Shri Motilal Kapadia was born in December 7th 1879 at Bhavnagar (Gujarat). He has dedicated whole of his life in all the activities for the uplift and development of Jain community. He studied upto B.A. at Bhavnagar and then came to Mumbai to study further for LL.B. He passed the examination for solicitor in 1910 and then started a firm under the name of "Motichand and Devidas" with the help of his friend Devidas Desai. The well-known personality of Jain community Shri Kunvarji Kapadia was his uncle. Shri Motilal gained deep religious inspiration from him and took much interest in the study of Jain scriptures.
Social and National Activities:
He became very much famous as a professional solicitor. All his colleagues loved him. He did various activities in public life. There was not a single activity of Jain community in which Motilal had not contributed liberally. His name will be ever remembered with Shri Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya and Shri Jain Shwetambar Moortipujak conference started in Jain society. With a view to provide residential accommodation to Jain students studying in the colleges at Mimbai, he established Shri Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya in 1916 AD. He was secretary of this institution from the very beginning. He was the main personality connected with this Vidyalaya. He had collected money by moving door to door for the development of this Vidyalaya and he was constantly thinking for its further and further development. This institution developed very fast and it holds many branches at several places in India today. Shri Motilal Kapadia worked for about 34 for this Vidyalaya and its development is solely due to the hard efforts of Shri Motilal Kapadia.
In the same way, he has worked hard against many difficulties to establish and continue. Shri Jain Shwetambar Moortipujak Conference. He had deep feelings for this Conference and he remained an important person in the development of this conference.
There was change in his thinking with the changing time. He had deep faith in Jain religion. He was working with co-operation and compromise on disputed matters. He mattered much for concrete work rather than long-time thinking. He hardly displeased anyone and worked with affection with all types of men in all sorts of religions and social activities. He took care of old persons and joined hands with new people. He helped in all good works without much consideration of caste, creed, community, religion or region. His thinking was very high and his public activities were also aimed for the good of the common people.
Thirst for Knowledge and Service to Literature:
As he was busy with various social and religious works, so also he was engaged in reading and writing. His field of reading was very wide. He took exceptional interest in the study of Jain literature. He used to read many periodicals on various subjects. He was turned to writing since his student life. He wrote many articles in Jain Dharm Prakash and then he wrote many books which were published very soon and read with interest by all. Major portion of his writings is of critical nature on the books of famous Jain Acharyas. These are quite exhaustive and explain the philosophical matters in simple and acceptable language. He was turned to spiritual books from the very beginning and he wrote very much to create the feelings of detachment towards worldly affairs. His first critical book was on Adhyatma KalpaDrum of Shri Mooni Sunder Soori and it was published in 1909. This book earned applause from all corners of Jain community. Then the first part of AnandGhan Padya Ratnavali was published. Shri Motilalji has given detailed criticism and discussion on the fifth poems of Shri AnandGhanji in this heave book. He translated the whole of Upamiti Bhav Prapanch Katha; the
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