________________
SHREEATMARAMI 18
I ALGUNS MANS
FROM VIEW POINT
[ By Vinaychand Gulabchand Shah-Bhavnagar ]
Jainacharya Shri Atmaram Centenary celebrations are very significant and point to the fact that he was a great man of his age in our community and his life is full of lessons for us. Let us deal with the major incidents and salient factors which go to prove his greatness.
As a man-He observed from his birth perfect celebacy which is generally found in the case of saints. All worldly anxieties were given up and renunciation was adopted with a willing heart. His love for all beings-specially for all human beings left the borders of narrow-mindedness and extended to every body who came into his contact, irrespective of caste, creed or colour. People of all castes were attracted by him and listened to his sermons with great attention and regard. His eloquent style of speaking and dominating personality backed by a sternly pure character produced lustre round his face and draw many people towards him as his great devotees No time was wasted in idle talks. All his life he passed in doing service to the community by writing useful works, giving sermons, collecting manuscripts, studying scriptures and sacred books, installing images in temples newly erected at places where there was none, teaching his desciples and doing all he could for the uplift & betterment of the society for which he dedicated his life.
As a literary man-During Vikram twentieth century there were a very few authors who contributed to the Jaina literature. Shri Atmaramji as a result of his studies desired to impart the knowledge he obtained
.: 168 :
( Shree Atmarawji
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
