Shrimad Rajchandra And Mahatma Gandhi

Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Raj Saubhag Satsang Mandal

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12 Shrimad Rajchandra's Life Sketch
Shrimad had a great fondness for reading At a startlingly young age he read the Pratikraman sutra from the Jain canon, an unparalleled treatise on compassion and forgiveness towards all living beings. These concepts formed an abiding impression on young Shrimad's heart and remained so throughout his life. His innocent, tender mind was drawn firmly toward the Jain scriptures and the Jain concept of renunciation.
He started composing poetry at the age of eight and, within a year he had composed poems on the great Indian epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana (that consisted of five thousand verses). His memory was so powerful that he was able to recall whatever his teacher taught him by listening to it only once. He completed a five-year Gujarati syllabus within two years. His ability to compose poems and his memory retention at such a young age astounded everyone around him.
In the year 1931 VS, an elderly family friend, Amichandbhai, who was fond of Shrimad, died of a snake bite. Shrimad was confused by the concept of death and asked his grandfather to explain what 'death' meant. Unsatisfied with his grandfather's response, he covertly made his way to the crematorium and climbed up high onto a thorn tree on the edge of the crematorium grounds. From his high perch, watched what was being done to the body during the funeral process. He saw the funeral pyre with Amichandbhai's dead body being lit up by his close family members. He could not comprehend these actions and his mind fell into an unprecedented turmoil. Engrossed in deep thought, at these actions and trying to understand what death truly meant, he began to recall his previous incarnations. Without being aware, he had attained Jatismaran Gnan; knowledge of his past lives! This experience of seeing his past lives inspired in him the desire for detachment from worldly attractions and bonds.