Development And Impact Of Jainism In India And Abroad

Author(s): Gunvant Barvalia
Publisher: Arham Spiritual Center

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JAIN RELIGION IN NORTH GUJARAT & SAURASTRA
With the consent and in the presence of Chaturvidh Sangh, and with the cooperation of Udayan mantri of Karnavati (Ahmadabad), the dixa ceremony of this 9 years old child was performed with great pomp in the year 1098 A.D. He was named as Somchandra. His body was was glittering like gold and shining like a moon. So he was called as "Hemchandra" (hem means gold and Chandra means moon ).
By the time he was 21 years of age, he studied all scriptures very deeply. He became " Acarya" in the year 1110 A.D. (v.s. 1166 ). He started creating literature and also doing social service. A noted scholar Acarya Shri Devchandrasuri, who was the disciple of Acarya Shri Abhayadevsuri, was his i.e. Hemchandracarya's dixaguru and sikhshaguru.
King Siddharaj Jaysingh,who was then the ruler of Gujarat, had very close association. with Acaraya Shri Hemchandracarya. After Malav victory, to contest with Bhojvyakaran, at the request of King Siddharaj Jaysingh, Hemchandraacarya wrote a separate grammar for Gujarat, and named it as SIDDHHEMSABDANUSHASAN'. As a mark of great for this work, the well decorated volume of is was kept on an elephant, and a procession was taken round the city. Such a high order of appreciation was given to AcaryaHemchandracarya.
After the death of Siddharay Jaysingh, Kumarpal was crowned as the king of Patan. According to the information available, Acarya Hemchandrasuri came to Patan from Ahmedabad during the ruling period of Kumarpal. He was accorded a warm welcome by Udayan (He was the minister of Kumarpal ).As a result of a strong influence of Hemchandraacarya, IN 18 PROVINCES FOR 14 YEARS PROHIBITION WAS PUT ON KILLILG OF ANIMALS (PASUVADH ). He tried to eradicate all the vices from Gujarat. Kumarpal adopted 12 vows (vrats which are meant for householders for the up lift of soul). Jain religion became the religion of the state. All other religions also flourished too. Kedar and Somnath also flourished. Kumarpal called on the services of 70 writers and got the granths of Hemchandracarya written. He created 21 big Library ( Gyan Bhandars). Jain literature was created in all the fields of knowledge. He died at the age of 84. HE HAS BEEN GREATLY HONORED BY AFFIXING HIS NAME TO THE UNIVERSITY in Gujarat. He was an extraordinary person and is rightly called KALIKAL SARVGNA.
SHRIMAD RAJCHANDRA: a great philosophar of 20th Century
His original name: Raychandbhai Ravjibhai Mehta. His mother's name was Devaben. He was born at a village Vavania,near Morbi (Saurastra), on 9 Nov. 1867, Sunday, Kartik Sud 15. His grandfather was a follower of Vaishnav sect, following Lord Krishna. His mother was from Jain family.
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It is said that he remembered his past life, because he had Jati Smaran Gyan. Right from the childhood, he showed manifestation and demonstrations of his excellent intellectual and spiritual acquisitions.
Mahatama Gadhiji had his acquaintance for about ten years. Gandhiji had accepted him as his spiritual Guru.
In addition to pose litle rather Shrimad Rajchandra has composed many poems, which are very popular and are being recited by his followers everyday. His works "Atma Siddhi Sastra" is
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