Vigour of the Penance
Chapter -24
Achharya Shanti Sagar Ji was a great ascetic and a detached saint engaged in penances. The vigour of his penance was as grand as the great Himalaya, and the earnestness as profound as an ocean.
He was a born saint.
The ascetic lives in a state of pure, detached and very simple straightforward nature. He always remains in meditation for the well-being of his soul remaining indifferent from the storms of moha (worldly attachments). He keeps himself aloof from the fruits of penance. Supernatural power of the ascetics, engaged in penance is reflected in their speech.
The power and effect of the penance of Achharya Shri have already been expounded in previous memoirs, but hundreds of incidents are appended with the vigour of his penance. He never used the fruits of his penance for himself.
This incident is of a merchant of a village, Vedni. He spent enormous wealth on the treatment of his headache but all was in vain. Once he humbly narrated his sufferings and distress sitting at the feet of Achharya Shri.
Saints are always compassionate by nature. Out of compassionate disposition, Achharya Shri touched his ‘PichhV (a bundle of peacock’s tail feathers, an equipment of moderation of Jain Saints) on the head of the merchant. The miracle of the personality of Achharya Shri was evident. Within moments his headache was completely cured as if it had never been there. Ascetics have vast feelings of compassion towards the whole universe.
This ocean of compassion\affection was filled with sympathetic disposition towards each and every being just as a mother has affection for her son. The second incident relates to Tilak Chand Gandhi of Faltón. A snake bit his son. Shri Gandhi thought of the only recourse of saving the life of his ten year old son. He very confidently brought his son to Achharya Shri. Achharya Shri looked at the boy attentively and said, “Don’t worry, he will be alright.” Such was the miraculous effect of these words of Achharya Shri that after some time the boy was completely cured.
The third incident is related to a leper of Naslapur. He approached Achharya Shri and began to entreat him. In those days, leprosy was regarded as an incurable disease and because of the “Papodaya ” (ripening of previous sins), a leper was looked down with an eye of disgrace in the society. Achharya Shri asked him to follow a vow of celibacy and told him- “Observe it for the whole life; you would be cured within six months.” These eternal words of Achharya Shri became his medicine. The man recovered steadily.
The fourth incident is related to a patient of epilepsy. He was a Jain-bhai. He was very much distressed with the anguish of this disease. He could any time fall and breathe his last. He engaged himself in the services of Achharya Shri and prayed for his recovery at times.
One day when Achharya Shri was to depart to other place, that man fell at the feet of Achharya Shri and repeated his request. Achharya Shri blessed him and said, “You should worship the ‘Jina’ and you will be cured within no time.” What can be said of the auspicious words of Achharya Shri? Was it magic or incantation that the man soon recovered of that epileptic disease?
Seth Gendamal Ji, the chief organizer of Shri Sammed Shikhar Ji Pilgrimage, narrated his experience that the “punya ” of Achharya Shri was great and excellent. Villagers of Bagad Province are usually very wicked by nature but the journey of that place remained smooth (i.e. free from any trouble or obstruction). Though many possibilities of terrible turmoil occurred but, because of the punya-pratap (splendour of virtue) of Achharya advent of sunrise.
Frequently, there were such natural occasions when it would rain just ahead of the congregation, and Achharya Shri could continue his journey peacefully. The golden pinnacle of the temple of Achharya Shri’s penance was seen at Kunthalgiri, where he spent 36 days of his ‘Samadhi ’ (trance) period.
He used to give a glimpse of his face to thousands of people (devotees) every day and while bestowing his blessings on them, it appeared as if an apparent “Samosarari’ was being held there. His penance is an auspicious record of a Digambar Jain Muni. Observing about eleven types of vows, he observed 9938 fasts in his life-time that are enumerated separately in an appendix.
The radiance of his body, sanctified by “Ratnatriya ” three jewels of Samyaktava (right belief), Samyak Gyan (right knowledge) and Samyak Charitra (right conduct), extremely glowed during these fasts.