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680
The Unknown Pilgrims
of Ācārya Virasāgara and received the new name of Jñānamati. From the moment she jointed the kşullikās, she showed unusual eagerness for study, combined with great fervour in the performance of spiritual exercises. How did Mātāji gain, and so rapidly, a good knowledge of Prākrit, Sanskrit, the doctrine? Was she helped in this by the two successive ācāryās? "Very little" she says, "they scarcely had time enough". By a pandit? Mātāji replies that at Jayapura a pandit did help her for some months in the study of Sanskrit; but, she adds,"I wanted to cover the ground quickly and he did not like that very much, so I continued alone". Since then she has acquired a solid groundwork of knowledge from her svādhyāya. Her predilection is for Sanskrit and it is in Sanskrit poetry that she best conveys her transports of bhakti. Her preferred subjects of study are that philosophy which leads to realisation of the ātman, cosmography and grammar, particularly Sanskrit grammar.
During her time as a kşullikä and as a still youthful äryikā, she passed the căturmāsya in different towns of Rājasthāna, of which she remains very fond, for, she says, "In Rājasthāna people have a fervour, a faith, a persistence like nowhere else." Then, with four other äryikās, Mātāji undertook an immense tour of five years' duration. Starting form Rājasthāna, they set out in the direction of Bangāla, passing successive cãturmäsyas at Kalikata, Haidarābād, Sravana Belgola, Solapura, Sanăvada (Madhya Pradeśa) and, once again, in Rājasthāna. Wherever she passed, Mātāji incited zeal for study and wrote and published books."
Over the years Mātāji has drawn after her several of her own family-members. First, one of her sisters embraced the ascetic life, becoming Aryikā Abhayamali; then another, not having the necessary physical constitution to be admitted to dikṣā, became Brahmacāriņi Malti; next a young brother, Brahmacārin Ravindrakumāra. When all her children were reared, their mother joined the ascetics and is now Āryikā Ratnamati; finally, two other sisters followed their example, Brahmacāriņis Trišală and Madhuri, while the last up to date to follow this path is a niece, Brahmacăriņi Mañju.
With the exception of Āryikā Abhayamati, the members of this family of ascetics remain, for the most part, at Hastināpura. Since 1972, Mātāji has had to stop going on vihāra for a great portion of the
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