Teacher of Humanity

Author(s): C S Mallinath
Publisher: Pulchandji Ved

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In order to revive the study of Jainism and to propagate it continuously, he opened at Mandal in Gujarat, in the year 1909, a school on a small 'scale and called it the Yashorijaya Jaina Pathashala, after the name of the great Jain polygraph of the 17th century. But it appeared to him that the Pathashala could not prosper at Mandal. So he decided to remove it to a famous and more central place, and selected for it Benares—the traditional seat of Brahmanic learning, the heart of Hinduism. The way to Benares was long, hard and difficult; Jainism was unknown in that place and the people there were hostile to the Jains. All those to whom he expressed his idea dissuaded him and earnestly besought him to desist, but nothing could shake our Dharma Vijaya's determination. One day he started on his march to Benares with six monks and a dozen pupils, and with no other conveyance but his bare feet and his walking staff, no other luggage but the wooden bowl in his hand, and the bundle of manuscripts on his shoulder. Passing through Rajgadh, Ujjain, Maksiji, Sajapur, Gunaki-Chhawani, Sipri, Jhansi, Kalpi and Cawnpur he reached Benares on the day of Akshayatrity a of Vaisakha in 1903. As had been expected, Dharma Vijaya had in the beginning strong opposition from the Brahmins who called the foreign monks mlechchhas and nastikas. But our hero was indifferent to all kinds of hostility. He went on