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A Journey of Ahimsa marital relationship is a greater evil. But of all the evils, violence - killing a living organism - is the worst. Therefore, give up violence and professionals, who depend on it, will get free foodgrains for three years from the state's granary." He stopped the practice of offering animal sacrifice to goddess Kantakeshwari. Under his proclamation, known as Amari Proclamation, he closed down slaughter houses and put a stop to animal torture. The fact that, by and large, the people of Gujarat are non-violent and show love for animals is due, in large measure, to the deeds of king Kumarpal under the inspiration of Hemchandracharya.
During the period of Sheth Jagdusha, 108 buffaloes were sacrificed to propitiate the goddess. Jagdusha found the practice abhorrent and he placed himself on the first step leading to the temple and his son on the second step, for sacrifice instead of the buffaloes to see whether the goddess would be in rage or not. The goddess was not and his belief in non-violence triumphed. He fed the people of Gujarat, Sindh, Mewar, Delhi and Kandhar during three successive droughts. About 5 lakh people were fed daily in the 115 relief camps set up by him. He distributed enormous amount of grains among the people and roughly spent around Rs. 4 crore. The contemporay kings called him 'the saviour of people'. He was not only generous, but full of compassion which is the other name for nonviolence.
Sheth Motisha, born in 1838, set up a cattle shed in Mumbai for stray animals, cows, dogs, oxen, goats, sheep and birds who were kept there for treatment and were fed. Stray dogs were killed, but he set up kennels for them where they were taken care of.
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