Lord Mahavira and His Teachings

Author(s): Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi
Publisher: Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi

Page 15

Lord Mahavira and His Teachings
worldly life at Radhanpur in V.S. 1943. This dedicated soul started his austere life with the seriousness which foreshadowed a great religious life. He strove to realise the ideal of his Guru, which expressed itself for the betterment of the society and removal of illiteracy. He started launching new educational institutions and the help of many social reformers readily overflowed.
ORTHODOXY DISTURBED Acharya Shri Vijayavallabhasuri travelled widely all over the country; and this urged him to concentrate his work on the projects which helped the masses to live a healthier and better life by the removal of social and religious evils and spread of the spirit of religious toleration. But how could a Jaina Sadhu, devoted to study and spread of religion, undertake social projects—was the parrot like echo from the dovecotes of the orthodoxy. It became his unfortunate lot to be the most misunderstood individual inspite of his loftier ideals. This trend of thought attracted the attention of the people of all faiths in the country. Undaunted and unperturbed, he strove to build up more institutions, societies and educational organizations which helped to alleviate the burden of the masses and uplift the society in all respects. ... .
His religious discourses carried always a message of enlightening the public with the gospel of swadeshi, non-violence, and education. His popularity in the Pimjab grew proverbial, which earnied for him the title of "Punjab Kesari". Time's winged chariot moyed on for nearly a score of years during which period he