Laghurajswami Biography

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 25

Lallujiswämi. Once he asked the latter to go upstairs. As both of them went up, Dhärashibhäi closed the door and reverently falling at Lallujiswämi's feet he said, “I had been to Rajkot a couple of days before passing away of Shrimad in 1901. That time he had said that Ambälälbhäi, Saubhägyabhäi and you had gained Self-enlightenment during his lifetime. That time I took those words as news. During the three years since his departure I could make out that those words were uttered for my benefit. Since passing away of the Graceful Lord you are my resort. If he had told you something about me, please command me in that respect. Now I am old; what else can be more pitiable than my dying without the right perception? I entreat you to have grace upon me." So saying he laid his head at the feet of Lallujiswami with tears in the eyes.
Lallujiswämi gently raised his head and said, "You are aware of what the Graceful Lord has said in his letters and of the pursuit to be resorted to." Dhärashibhai then made out that he needed to endeavor for being more worthy. Out of impatience, however, he repeatedly urged to confer grace upon him. Thereupon Lallujiswami told him about Smaran-Mantra that the Graceful Lord had asked him to give to liberation-seekers. Dhärashibhäi thanked him for the same and had started resorting to the Mantra.
At the end of monsoon Lallujiswämi went to Bhavnagar and from there to Khambhät. There he contacted Ambälälbhäi. Since there was the epidemic of plague in Khambhat, it was thought that both of them should go to Vatäman for a few days and ponder over the teaching of Graceful Lord. Accordingly Lallujiswami went to Vataman along with other monks. They received the message that Ambälälbhäi would reach there on a particular day. Meanwhile, however, Ambälälbhäi got infected with plague. Within 15 days of monks' reaching Vataman it was learnt that he had left the body.
Meanwhile 'Shrimad Rajchandra' volume was compiled but was not published. When it was published by Param Shrut Prabhävak Mandal in 1904, a copy was sent to Lallujiswämi. Since then he used to have it with him. Earlier he used to read and contemplate over the copies of Shrimad's letters received from Ambälälbhäi. He was now pleased to have almost all the letters of Shrimad in the said volume.
While moving towards Idar Lallujiswämi passed the monsoon of 1905 in Vadäli. The people there initially looked at his Sthänakwäsi guise with derision. Since, however, he used to regularly go to temple and perform worship, the people started coming to him and felt pleased with his impartial talks. Mädhavji Rewäji Sheth came in close contact with him; thereby that family became devoted to him. Akhechand and others also, who had initially opposed him, were impressed by his wholesome contact. That continued to increase and was retained during their lifetime. After the end of that monsoon Lallujiswämi moved around the sacred land of Idar and passed the monsoon of 1906 in Kherälu.
During 1901 a monk named Ratnaräjshri was coming from Märwäd to Gujarat. He had heard that Shrimad was Selfrealized and he wanted to gain the realization by coming in contact with him. While he was still on the way, he heard about Shrimad's passing away. So he went back to Märwäd. He had come in contact with many learned Digambars and had studied their books. He had a high level of Kshayopasham (Destruction cum pacification of Karmas) and could give impressive discourses. As such, many intelligent truth-seekers used to come in his contact. He also had the inclination to come in contact with the followers of Shrimad, if possible. During the monsoon of 1906 he had been in Palanpur. That time one liberation-seeker, who had come in contact with Lallujiswami at Kherälu, went to Pälanpur to see Ratnaräjshri. He told him about Shrimad as well as Lallujiswämi and said that the latter had led him on the right path. While praising him he said that Lallujiswämi was highly respectable, worshipful, blessed, extraordinary being like a monk of the fourth era, and was worth contacting. Ratnaräjshri was mesmerized by that description as was Haribhadrasuri in ancient time, and was induced to contact Lallujiswami after the end of monsoon.
Shwetambars and Sthänakwäsis of Kherälu had been at odds since long. By virtue of Lallujiswämi's impartial teaching during the monsoon the sensible people on both the sides happened to meet each other. Moreover, the liberation-seekers from Viramgäm, Ahmedabad, Dhandhukä, Vatäman etc. used to come to see Lallujiswämi. If they wanted to distribute presents to the community, they covered the people of both the sects. The local people gladly accepted the same and if they organized Swämivätsalya (community dinner), they also covered both the sects. Lallujiswämi's teaching had thus led to the unity and loss of conflict between them.
After completing the monsoon at Kherälu Lallujiswäi and Mohanlälji proceeded towards the pilgrim place of