PM Modi condoles Jain monk Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj's death. Who was he?

The 77-year-old Jain seer had quit intake of food and liquids as part of the Jain religious practice, the sallekana, which involves voluntary fasting unto death, and he passed away at 2.35 am this morning. According to Jainism, sallekhana is a vow taken for spiritual purification, said the statement issued by the Chandragiri teerth in Chhattisgarh.

Calling the death of the great saint an "irreparable loss" for the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his thoughts and prayers are with the countless devotees of Acharya Shri 108 Vidhyasagar Ji Maharaj Ji.

Praising the seer, PM Modi said that he will be remembered by the coming generations for his invaluable contributions to society, especially his efforts towards spiritual awakening among people, his work towards poverty alleviation, healthcare, education and more.

“I had the honour of receiving his blessings for years. I can never forget my visit to the Chandragiri Jain Mandir in Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh late last year. That time, I had spent time with Acharya Shri 108 Vidhyasagar Ji Maharaj Ji and also received his blessings,” he recalled in his tweet on social media platform, X.

PM Modi had met the Maharaj ahead of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections last year and took his blessings, when he had visited Dongargarh, a popular pilgrimage spot.

So, who was Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj?

The saint was widely recognised for his exemplary scholarly pursuits, deep spiritual wisdom and tapasya. He has penned 700 Haiku poems, and the epic Hindu poem Mukamati. This poem has been included in the syllabus of Hindi MA programmes at various institutions. It has also been translated into English by Lal Chandra Jain and several researchers have studied his works for masters and doctoral degrees

He was known for his long hours in meditation. While he was born in Karnataka and took diksha (undertook spiritual discipline) in Rajasthan, he generally spent his time in the Bundelkhand region, where he is credited with bringing about change in educational and religious activities.

His life

Vidyasagar Maharaj was born on October 10, 1946, in Karnataka's Sadalga and was attracted to spirituality from a young age. He was initiated at the age of 22 in 1968 as a Digambara monk by Acharya Gyansagar Ji Maharaj.

In 1972, he was elevated to the Acharya status. He took food once a day and slept on the floor or a wooden platform without any mattress or pillow. As a Digambar monk, he was provided a raised wooden seat withough any padding for his discourses.

He was visited by prominent politicians. In 1999, then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee paid a visit to Acharya Shree during his visit to Gomatgiri Indore.

Study of Jain scriptures and philosophy

Throughout his life, Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj was deeply engaged in the study and application of Jain scriptures and philosophy.

An author

A Sanskrit and Prakrit scholar, he knew several languages including Hindi and Kannada. He has authored many commentaries, and spiritual treatises that are considered to be insightful.Some of his widely appreciated works include Niranjana Shataka, Bhavana Shataka, Parishah Jaya Shataka, Suniti Shataka and Shramana Shataka.

Staunch supporter of Hindi

He was a staunch supporter of Hindi and led campaigns to promote the language.

Biography and documentary

His disciple wrote his biography Ātmānveśhī , which was translated into English as In Quest of the Self and was published by Bharatiya Jnanpith

A documentary titled Vidyoday was made in 2018, directed by Vidhi Kasliwal. The film Vidyoday had its first international screening at the Harrow Safari Cinema in London.