Monk and Monarch

Author(s): Vidyavijay
Publisher: Deepchand Banthia

Page 36

11
Twelve years after he was made a Suri, his teacher Vijaydansuri left his temporal body on the 12th day, bright half, Vaishakh, A. D. 1566. Thereafter Hirvijaysuri became the head of the whole community (Sangha ) at Patan.
We have already shown that in the 16th century there was complete anarchy all over Gujarat. Consequently the local governors molested the people in all manners. There was no law, and the governors tyrranised the people in any manner they liked. Even Hirvijaysuri was molested very often even without any offence. We shall narrate here some incidents of this molestation.
Once Hirvijaysuri came to Khambhat. A rich merchant named Ratnapal Dosi lived there. He had a wife named Thakan. They had a three years old son named Ramji, who was suffering from a terrible disease. Ratnapal once told Suri that if his son got well he would hand him over to the Suri for initiation.
After some days the Suri went away from Khambhat. The boy was gradually cured of all disease. When the boy was eight years old, the Suri once again came to Khambhat and asked for the initiation of the boy. But Ratnapal and his family did not like the idea and began to raise objections. The Suri did not press the point. This Ramji had a sister named Aja. Her father-in-law named Hardas went to Shitabkhan, 2 the then governor of Khambhat, and said "Hirvijaysuri wishes to make a small boy of eight years a Sadhu. He should be stopped." The governor soon issued a warrant to arrest the Suri. The Suri, therefore, had to hide himself in a secret place for twentythree days.
In A. D. 1574 when Hirvijaysuri was in Borsad, Jagmal Rishi, a pupil of Karna Rishi, came to him with a complaint that his Guru did not give him the sacred book. The Suri told him that perhaps he was not fit for it. But the pupil was obstinate, and therefore he was put out of the Order. Jagmal went to Petlad and told true and false stories about the Suri to the governor. The governor became angry and sent some soldiers to arrest the Suri. This time also the Suri successfully concealed himself, and the soldiers had to return empty-handed. The Shravakas of that place bribed the soldiers and pursuaded them not to molest the Suri. The soldiers then put