Gandhi And Jainism

Author(s): Shugan C Jain
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 41

satellite townships of Modhera like Mandal, Adalaj, Gobha also prefixes their town name like Mandaliya Modha, Adalja Modha, GobhvaModha. The residents who lived on right (dakshinbhag) of townships are called Dasha and those living on left flank (Vāmabhāga) are called Visha. While Dasha Modhas are essentially in business. A sub-sect of Visha Modhas is called as "GOWBHUJA". Reference is made in Rāmāyaṇa that during fight between Viswamitra and Vashishta muni - On Order of Vashishta muni Sabala cow created an army from her arms to defend herself & Ashram of Vashishta muni and the descendents of these soldiers are also referred to as 'Gowbhuja! Visha Modhas are in Land & Jewellery Business. In the past century, many folks from the Modha community have migrated to countries such as East Africa, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Fiji and the gulf countries. While most Modhas remained Siva/Mātāupāsaka, some of them became Vaishnava Hindus and remaining Jains. Margeret Chatterjee, Gandhi and the Challenges of Religious Plurality (New Delhi, Chicago:Promilla& Co Publishers, 2005), p.19. "Those who converted to Jainism, a Sramana tradition in which, in respecting all forms of all, could not for that reason, engage in agriculture, were all committed to a critique of caste and dislike brahamanical ways, those who engaged in trading tended to be attracted to Jainism, and Gandhi was of this community, Vaishyas." Nagindas Sanghavi, The Agony of Arrival: Gandhi, the South Africa years; Rupa & Co Delhi 2006 Dada Bhagwan (November 7, 1908 - January 2, 1988), born Ambalal Muljibhai Patel was a spiritual leader and the founder of the Akram Vignan movement was born in Tarsali, Gujarat India; and raised in the Gujarati village of Bhadran byVaishnav parents Muljibhai and Javerba Patel. A.M. Patel credited his mother for instilling within him an early appreciation of the values of nonviolence, empathy, self-less generosity, and spiritual penance. He was also influenced by the writings of Shrimad Rajchandra (spiritual guru Mahatma Gandhi and a Jain). He married a local village girl named Hiraba and was a contractor by profession. He
Pg. 18 Gandhi & Jainism