Jain Journal 1969 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 32

Acarya Vijaya Premasurisvara and His
Contribution to Karmavada
MUNI GUNARATNAVIJAYA
Acarya Premasurisvara Maharaj, who breathed his last on 22nd May, 1968, dedicated his life to propound the karma doctrine. He organised a vast scheme to produce descriptive literature on the combination and annihilation of karma extending to four lakh verses in Sanskrit, to be published in seventeen volumes. Below we give a short life-sketch of the late Acarya along with a gist of his celebrated karma doctrine, as written by one of his disciples and associates in this great scheme.-Editor)
Acarya Vijaya Premasurisvara Maharaj was born at Nandia, a small village in Sirohi District in Rajasthan on the full-moon night of Phalguna of Vikrama Samvat 1940 (A.D. 1884). Premchand was the name given to the new born child. The name of his father was Bhagavan and that of his mother Kankubai. They were the followers of Jainism.
Premchand was of sharp intellect and religious bent of mind. At that time there was no school in his village and so he received his primary education from a private tutor. Thereafter he went to Vyara in the Surat District and got himself employed in some business. But this life was not destined for him. So he was fed up shortly with the mundane life and resolved to renounce the world to become a Jaina monk. And this he did at the first opportunity. At the age of sixteen he left his home and walked on foot thirtysix miles to go to Surat. From there he went to Siddhagiri (Palitana) by train. There he met Sri Danavijaya Maharaj, a disciple in the line of Sri Atmaramji Maharaj. Premchand was initiated to Jaina monkhood along with four others at Palitana in the year 1901 A.D. From hence Premchand was known as Premavijaya.
In those days Sanskrit scholars were scarcely found in Gujarat. So he had to work hard for mastering the language. But in a short time by his perseverance he was able to master the language.