Pt. Bechardas Jivraj Doshi
Eminent scholar Pt. Bechardas was born in 1889 at Vallabhipur. At the age of 10 he lost his father and his mother brought him up by doing hard labour for livelihood. At the age of 13 he joined Jain Pathshala at Mandal and later studied at Palitana and Mahesan. In 1906, he joined Yashovijay Jain Pathshala and alongwith further study of Sanskrit and Prakrit started editing Yashovijay Jain Granthamala. The texts on Nyaya and Vyakaran published by it were included in the course of Calcutta Sanskrit College from where he passed Nyaya- tirtha in 1913 and Vyakarantirtha in 1914. Thereafter he want to Ceylon and studied Pali language and Buddhism.
In 1915, at Ahmedabad he made plan for translation of Jain Agams and started expressing his views about it. Inspite of strong opposition he edited-translated and published Bhagwati Agam. For his revolutionary steps he lost his service and was expelled from Jain Sangh. Undettered, he stood firm to his enlightened convictions. In 1921, he joined ‘Puratatwa Mandir’ established by Gandhiji and alongwith Pt. Sukhlal Sanghvi edited with commentary ‘Sanmati Tarka’—a comparative study of all thoughts of Indian philosophy.
Thereafter he translated in Gujarati several other Agams.
At Gandhiji’s Dandi March, he edited ‘Nav Jivan’ and suffered jail for 9 months. After coming out from jail he could not enter the territory under British rule till 1936. He could come back to Gujarat on formation of Congress Govt. All those years he passed under much financial difficulties.
On establishment of L.D. Arts College at Ahmedabad he joined it as Lecturer of Prakrit and since retirement from there he is Hon. Sanshodhak scholar in L.D. Institute of Indo- logy, Ahmedabad.
In 1963, he received Certificate of Honour from Central Govt, as a distinguished scholar of Sanskrit and is receiving annual pension of Rs. 3000/-. Pt. Bechardas Doshi has written more than 30 books. He has been felicitated and awarded a cash prize of Rs. 2500/- by Vir Nirwan Bharati in 1974.
