________________
TULSI-PRAJNA
Acarya, and Muni Nathmala (Mahaprajna's previous name) was appointed as Nikaya pramukh (Chief Secretary) and later on as Yuvacarya (the success or designate). Having pleased by his dedication, enthusiasm, modesty and erudition, the Venerable Acarya Sri Tulsi installed him at the precious post of the tenth Acarya of Terapantha Dharmasamgha-a progressive sect of Swetambara jains, was established by the Revered Shri Bhikkhu Swami.
96
Acarya Mahaprajna has an extra ordinary and all-pervading genius and complete knowledge. He is a great philosopher extemporaneous poet, dedicated friar and an efficient exponent of the ideology of Pujya Gurudeva Ganadhipati Sri Tulsi. He is renowned as an extempore poet, because his mind and wisdom is efficient to compose poetry spontaneously at any time on any subject. There are many pieces of extempore-poetry, collected in Atulātulă, published by Adarsha Sahitya Sangh. They reveal his poetic ability. Churu His extemporaneous poetries are very lucid, attractive and full of spontaneous emotions. He is a master of awadhana vidya, i. e. science of attention.
The terue Mahaprajna is found delineated in Dhammapada (a precious work of the Buddhism) mentioned as below:
vitatanho anādāno
niruttipada kovido, akkharāṇaṁ sannipatam
Jñña pubbaparāṇi ca, sa be antimaśāriro
mahāpāñño ti vuccai."
i.e. A person who is free from craving and attachment, skilled in the knowledge of the significance of terms, who knows the grouping of letters and their sequence, and who has lived his last body is called Mahaprajna or a man of great wisdom.
The characteristics of the term Mahaprajna as mentioned in the said aphorism may be elaborated as under:
i Vitatanho-The vitatanho consists of to terms. viz, vita and taṇha. The vita means free, less etc. The tenha derives from the Sanskrit trişna, of winch means thirst, longing, craving, avarice, desire greed etc. The trişņā or craving is an eminent cause of all evils. The author of Dhammapada said:
Jain Education International
tanhaya jayati soko
taphāya jayati bhayam, taṇhāya vippmuttassa
natthi soko kuto bhayam.5
i.e, From craving springs grief, from craving springs fear, for
For Private & Personal Use Only
$
www.jainelibrary.org