A Guru, A Maa: The Lion Man of Jinshasan Pa. Pu. Acharyasam Panyasji Chandrashekhar Vijayji

“Dekho Dekho Kaun aya, Jinshashan ka Sher aaya!” “Dekho Dekho Kaun aya, Jinshashan ka Sher aaya!” A chant that followed wherever he arrived,

A personality with more than 1000% dedication for Dharma, Yuva and Rashtra Raksha,

We all know the Iron Man of India, but he’s the one person who can be very well defined as the “Lion Man of India!”

A personality who influenced the lives of thousands and thousands of youngsters and drastically changed their lives by becoming a friend, mentor and a guide to them.

A personality with strict discipline for “Saiyam”, “Aacharchust Jeevan” and “Sadhu Jeevan Rakshan” who changed and molded the lives of hundreds and hundreds of Sadhu Bhagwants (Jain Monks) through his fierce and on point Pravachans/ Vachanas (preachings).

A personality who:

• Saved & enriched the lives of thousands of needy people through various affordable housing schemes
• Worked tirelessly until last breath of his life to fight against Animal Cruelty
• Propagate Jivdaya of the highest orders and brought a huge crackdown to the animal slaughter industry and illegal export of livestock with his commendable grip over the Animal Cruelty laws in force and a strong determination to save every possible innocent life.

It hereby gives us pleasure beyond words to introduce a personality (who does not need any introduction) that made Shri Jinshashan, Chaturvidh Shri Sangh and Bharat Maa proud of him – Param Pujya YugPradhan Aacharyasam Panyasji Chandrashekhar Vijayji Maharaj a.k.a “Guru Maa.”

He was referred to as Guru Maa by his disciples and there was a reason for it. He was a Motherly Guru to all. A perfect blend of Shiksha (teachings) and Vatsalya (affection) made him one of the most respectable Sadguru of his times.

 

Early life:

Hailing from a religious, cultured and wealthy family, Guru Maa was born to Shri Kantibhai & Smt. Subhadraben on Fagan Sud 5, Vikram Samvat 1990 (18th February 1934 as per the English calendar) at Irla, Mumbai. His native was Radhanpur, Gujarat. On his birth, Guru Maa’s mother spoke a magical sentence in the ears of the newly born – “Son! Become the lamp of Jinshasan!” His face shone bright like the aura of Indra and hence Guru Maa was named Indravadan by his family.

While his stay at Irla, Gurudev Pa. Pu. Acharya Bhagwant Vijay PremSuri Maharaj Saheb used to visit the mansion of Kantibhai for Prabhu Darshan at his Gruh Jinalay. He once said to Kantibhai “Kanti! I shall take both your kids with me one day!” and this turned true as both the brother and sister took Diksha under countenance of Gurudev later in life.

There was a Pathshala in the ground floor of a Refinery building – Panditji Gordhandas (Borsadwala) Pathshala. Indravadan, having stayed in the Refinery Building in Mumbai, regularly went to the Pathshala and learnt Jain Sutra with the deep meaning of these sutra. This made the foundation of Guru Maa’s life strong and firm.

 

The feeling of Vairagya & Diksha:

The feeling of “Vairagya” started growing strong in Indravadan’s life. While arranging the mixed up pages of a book, Indravadan said to the then Pa. Pu. Panyasji Bhanuvijayji (Pa. Pu. Acharyadev Bhuvanbhanu Suri Maharaj), “I am a dull person who cannot remember a single sutra well.”  Gurudev replied, “You shall surpass me one day!” Father Shri Kantibhai passed away while Indravadan was merely 16 yrs old. Indravadan requested his mother Smt. Subhadraben & his family to permit him to take Diksha and become a Jain Muni. This strong willingness and firm decision moved everyone. The family agreed to his will! Salute to this great mother who agreed to let his son go even after losing her husband. Supreme level of a mother’s sacrifice!

At the young age of 18 years, in a grand event, Indravadan was given Dksha at Byculla, Mumbai on the day of Vaishakh Vad 6, Vikram Samvat 2008 and named Muni Chandrashekhar Vijayji. He became the 11th Disciple (Shishya) of Pa. Pu. Acharyadev Vijay PremSuri Maharaj Saheb.

 

Diksha Jeevan:

After accepting Diksha, Chandrashekhar Vijayji started an amazing journey of his “Sadhana” – a disciplined lifestyle to attain the desired goal. He was completely dedicated to Pa. Pu. Acharyadev Vijay PremSuri Maharaj Saheb and reverenced him with utmost subservience.

His Swadhyay, Vaiyavacch & Sadhana were achieving new heights every passing day under the guidance of Pujya Gurudev and other accompanying Sadhu Bhagwants. One of the Sadhu Bhagwants, then Pa. Pu. Muni Hemchandra Vijayji, was suffering from an ailment and was admitted to H. N. Harkishan Hospital. He lost 20 kgs of weight and had developed a disinterest towards food. At this point, Guru Maa was deputed to take care of this Mahatma. With his amazing Vaiyavacch skills, he helped the Sadhu Bhagwant recover and gain the lost weight. Pa. Pu. Acharyadev Hemchandra Suriji becomes emotional even today while recollecting this incident. This was the level of Vaiyavacch that Guru Maa had developed for all the Sadhu Bhagwants.

 

It was Vikram Samvat 2009 – Magsar Vad 6, the 210th day of Diksha Jeevan of Guru Maa. With the intent to make Gurudev Premsuriji Maharaj happy, Guru Maa learned 210 new Gathas and created a great record which was also noted by many leading magazines of that time. Arguably, his greatest quality was his devotion to his Guru Maharaj Ji – the great Dada Gurudev Pujya Shri Prem Surishwarji Maharaj Saheb. Guru Maa treated every single word of Dada Gurudev as a command. Guru Maa felt the presence of him in all the testing and hard times and this was because of his “Shraddha”(unconditional belief) on him. He attributed all of his success to his beloved Guru whom he served till the very end not only as a disciple but as a devoted son. Guru Maa even learned about medicines and injections just so that there was no delay if his Guru needed any medical help. Isn’t it rare to find such an accomplished disciple (shishya) like Guru Maa who didn’t allow any ego or ambition to come in the way of serving his Guru? No wonder people felt that Maharaj Ji was showering his blessings and protecting Guru Maa even from heaven.

Guru Maa had written a commentary of 1000 full-scape pages on the first 82 Shlokas of Jivasmas Granth. This is even preserved today. His reading and learning went on for 16 hours a day during the first 16 years of his Sadhana period! Guru Maa didn’t eat any sweets, fruits or farsan during these years of his Sadhana period!

Establishment of the “Veer Sainik Dal”:

Along with blood, Shasan Seva & Shasan Raksha flowed in Guru Maa’s veins. He was always ready to face any and every challenge that came in the way of Jinshasan & Bharat (India). What better than to tap the young souls and put their energies to work in the right direction? With this intent, he formally established and announced a “Veer Sainik Dal” during chaturmas in Jamnagar in Vikram Samvat 2028. The activities of Veer Sainik Dal began to spread so fast that around 100 branches of it were opened across Gujarat, Rajasthan & Maharashtra. It was noteworthy that approx 5000 youngsters, with a strong determination to do something for Jinshasan, became members of this Dal.

Do something today that your future self will thank you for. We cannot thank Guru Maa enough for establishing Veer Sainik Dal. The reason being that the Veer Sainiks from this Dal successfully executed numerous works of Shasan Seva, Shasan Prabhavan, Shasan Raksha, Sanskruti Raksha and Animal Welfare across India and are working tirelessly even today when we write this blog. We owe a lot to the Veer Sainik Dal for its valuable contribution to Shri Sangh and JinShasan. Be it drought or famine, scorching heat or freezing cold, these Veer Sainiks stand in the forefront to help both humans and animals. Kit distribution, arranging fodder for cattle, relief work during floods, open agitations against animal abuse – illegal slaughterhouses, live animal export and fighting against the Meat Export lobby; Guru Maa and the Veer Sainik Dal, influenced by  Guru Maa’s teachings have been on the frontline.

You visit any drought hit area of India, especially Gujarat or Maharashtra and you will find locals agreeing of receiving support from Guru Maa’s Veer Sainik Dal/ Vardhaman Sanskar Dham.

 

Establishment of the Premsurishwarji Sanskrit Pathshala:

 

In Vikram Samvat 2049, Guru Maa established the Premsurishwarji Sanskrit Pathshala with the intent to mould and prepare sharp and knowledgeable  Panditjis that could not just teach the Jain Shravaks/Shravikas but also Sadhu & Sadhviji Bhagwants. It has successfully produced some of the finest Panditjis and is continuing with its endeavor even today.

 

Tapovan & Vardhaman Sanskar Dham:

To protect values and culture within the most vulnerable group i.e the youth, there was a need felt to provide them with the right guidance and an appropriate environment at home & at the school. The key to success is to focus on goals, not obstacles. It was a challenge to reach the young minds right at their roots. But Guru Maa never took up anything easy and this too was not an exception.

To provide the right environment for the youth to gain values and morals in their education and right from the early schooling days, Guru Maa conceptualized the idea of Tapovan – a school that would imbibe values in the regular subjects taught at the school. This displayed the exemplary and far-sighted vision of Guru Maa that was much ahead of his time. Today, when we see Tapovan Vidyalay and Vardhaman Sanskar Dham operating at various places across India, we feel more than proud and thankful for those timely steps that Guru Maa took. This not just ensured the inculcation of the right “Sanskars” (values) amongst the young minds, but also prevented many “Yuvan”(younsters) to not lose their track by opting for a wrong lifestyle choice ahead in their lives. What a perfect balance of production and preservation simultaneously. He preached relentlessly to both, Jains and Non-Jains alike in his daily sermons about protecting the culture and values on which Dharma exists, on which the Society exists and thus on which the nation exists. He truly was a pioneer of valuable and priceless contributions to Dharma & Rashtra.

His roar for the nation:

Some people look for a beautiful place; others make it! Same was the case with Guru Maa.

Guru Maa’s visionary & insightful thoughts and his deep study of the impact of western culture on the communities, religions and the nation were unmatched. He always dreamt for a self reliant, world leader and compassionate Bharat and acted whole-heartedly in making it one.  The nation would not remain a flourishing nation unless the values and culture or its “Sanskriti” is preserved and protected from the consumerist and materialistic cultures. Guru Maa realized that the future of not only Jains but all Indians needs to be protected from these cultural onslaughts. Lakhs of people from Jain and other communities that were thriving just a few decades ago in few countries like Pakistan no longer exist there. Their temples lie in ruins or are re-used by locals for other purposes. Hence preserving the cultural and spiritual ideologies of the Indian nation which encourages tolerance, mutual respect and love were important for sustaining not only Jains but all Indians alike. Guru Maa was a pioneer who made people aware of these cultural encroachment and wrote in his books extensively about it. Of all the books that he wrote, many books specifically were focused on the glory of ancient India, various conspiracies against India & Indians, how India was looted in terms of wealth and prosperity and that how India can recover from the damages borne in the past. Patriotism was something that Guru Maa thought and fought for right through his last breath.

 

Prabhavak Pravachankaar/ A supreme orator:

His preachings and daily sermons (pravachans) had the might to create a revolution; a revolution of Shashan Seva, a revolution of Shashan Raksha, a revolution of Rashtra Raksha. No auditorium, ground or hall was spacious enough to accommodate the audience who came to listen to him and his powerpack thoughts. An audience of 5,000 was very common during his Pravachan. Grounds had to be reserved with tokens distributed in advance to attend his “life-changing” sessions. Guru Maa delivered speeches with sheer passion and the energy could fill every single person with enthusiasm, determination and strong commitment towards Dharma & Rashtra. Once Gacchadhipati Pujyapad BhuvanBhanu Surishwarji Maharaj praised him by saying “Chandrashekhar! your sermons are so passionate and fierce that they can even wake up the dead”. The best part about his oration was that it not just attracted the Jains, but it equally pulled the interest of other communities. Guru Maa’s tireless efforts bore fruits and lakhs of Jain youth were inspired to live a life filled with righteousness and values. His pravachans on Mahabharat & Bhagwad Gita at Antarikshji(Jain Tirth) are even praised today. If you randomly pick up a Jain Yuvan between the age group of 30 to 60 years today and ask him about his inspiration in life, atleast 5 out of 10, if not more, would say “Param Pujya Acharyasam Panyas Pravar Chandrashekhar Vijayji Maharaj!!!”

Many national leaders and eminent personalities from politics and social service background respected Guru Maa for his vision for the nation. One of these personalities is the then Chief Minister of Gujarat and the present Prime Minister of India: Shri Narendrabhai Modi. He met Guru Maa on various occasions and exchanged ideas on various topics. While speaking about Guru Maa and his oration skills, the PM once said “There was once a time in Gujarat when no young man, be it a Jain or a Non-Jain, could resist standing up after listening to Guru Maa!!!” Such was the pravachan prabhavakta(oration skills) of Guru Maa.

 

 

Guru Maa’s Selflessness:

Guru Maa’s selflessness was unbelievable. Throughout his life he refused the most coveted title of an “Aacharya”. There are numerous examples where Guru Maa selflessly sent coveted eligible mumukshus (prospective disciples) to other sadhus and sects. Once such a prospect, after training for 3 long years under Guru Maa suddenly told him that his family wanted him to become a disciple of his uncle, who was a monk, rather than Guru Maa. Guru Maa immediately wrote a letter agreeing with the same and sent the mumukshu to his uncle for taking Diksha!

To support the idea of Tirth Raksha, Guru Maa stayed at Antarikshiji Jain Tirth for over 3 chaturmas, without even caring for his popularity in big Jain communities. Imagine spending Chaturmas at a place with almost no Jains as against having the opportunity to append Chaturmas at a place with thousands of Jains. But his firm resolve of Tirth Raksha made him choose the first, the difficult option. No ego at all!

What a selfless and loving Guru he was. Once during a cold winter night,  Guru Maa saw one of his disciples shivering in the cold. He immediately gave away his blanket and other warm coverings and himself sat through the cold during the whole night bearing the cold. Thousands of such examples simply astonish us with his overwhelming selflessness.

Actions speak louder than words:

Guru Maa’s life had always been dedicated to the welfare and upliftment of  Shri Sangh. Be it Sadhu-Sadhvi-Shravak-Shravika, Guru Maa always had an action plan ready that was in the best interest of the Chaturvidh Shri Sangh. He had a special place for the Nation and was ready to die for protecting the Nation from enemies, both internal & external. His unparalleled work in saving the Cattles and animals is praised even today. Your limitation is nothing but only your imagination. Guru Maa knew this mantra well and he never set any limitations for himself.

They say “Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.” But here, Guru Maa did it!

Here is a glimpse of some extraordinary work Guru Maa did during his life:

1. During the earthquake of 26th January 2001, Guru Maa speedily walked down from Tapovan to Paldi, Ahmedabad. After his speech, a fund of 5 crores got collected immediately that was utilized towards Earthquake Relief.
2. During the Chaturmas of Vikram Samvat 2050, Guru Maa played a vital role in passing of the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Law across the State of Gujarat through the then Chief Minister Hon. Chimanbhai Patel. This move saved thousands and thousands of cattle from Cruel killing.
3. A trap was being set in the name of celebrating 2500 years of Prabhu Mahavir Swami Nirvan Kalyanak at the national level. He exposed the malafide intentions behind this and ensured that nothing of the wrong sort happened during this celebration.
4. He gave more than 20,000 Bhav Alochana (granting suitable compensations to repenting people).
5. He trained hundreds of Yuvans who went for Paryushan Aradhana (where Sadhu-Sadhviji Maharaj could not reach)
6. He ensured the shutting of 56,000 slaughterhouses under the 5-year scheme; something PETA should do but could not do till now!
7. He pulled down the movie posters that showed Tirthankar Bhagwan in a bad state in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. A great example of Dharma Raksha.
8. He opposed Meat Export and made numerous representations against their implementation. This showed the level of compassion he held towards every living being!
9. He strongly opposed the modernization and expansion of Deonar Abattoir that could kill 14,000 animals a day instead of the existing 4,000. This means 10,000 more slaughters a day that could lead to 36,50,000 additional animal killings. He created a 27 member committee that fought against this expansion. It was going to be hard, but hard never meant impossible! To everyone’s surprise, the BMC pulled back the decision of expansion, and Guru Maa thus played a major role in saving 36,50,000 animals annually!!!
10. Guru Maa authored more than 300 books on various topics and has become a guide to thousands of people through his books.

 

End of an era – End of a Yug:

Guru Maa suffered from a disease during the final years of his life. On the day of Vikram Samvat 2067, Shravan Sud 10, 08-08-2011, in the presence of Chaturvidh Shri Sangh at Ambavadi Upashray, Ahmedabad, Guru Maa breathed his last at 12:40 pm and left us all. An era came to an end. Throughout his life, he refused the most coveted title of an “Aacharya”.  On Vikram Samvat 2069, Kartak Vad 14, there was a gathering on account of an event under the guidance of Pa. Pu. Gacchadhipati Shrimad Vijay Jayghosh Surishwarji Maharaj. He said, “There have been many Aacharyas in the past, but the contribution of Pu. Panyasji Chandrashekhar Maharaj to Shri Sangh & JinShashan was unmatchable.” He was like a Yugpradhan Acharya (leader of age) and with the unanimous consent of Shraman Samuday, Guru Maa was conferred with the title of YugPradhan Acharyasam posthumously.

 

Centuries shall come & go but history will forever remember this Yugpradhan who lived a life full of meaning. The hidden meaning of Compassion, Jivdaya, Shashan Seva, Shashan Raksha, Yuva Utkarsh, Rashtra Heet, Rashtra Seva & Sanskruti Raksha.

Few pages can never do justice to a personality like Guru Maa. It might have been a childish attempt to put his life in words, but we hope this could ignite a flame of Shasan Seva and Rashtra Seva within you and if already ignited, shall turn it powerful! To end it, it would not be a hyperbole to call Guru Maa a lion! Why? Because

He roared with his thoughts!

He roared with his words!

Moreover, he roared the loudest with his on-field realistic actions!