The most revered Ganini GyanMati Mataji

The most revered “Ganini Aryika Ratna Gyanmati Mataji”
The most revered “Ganini Aryika Ratna Gyanmati Mataji” has completed a span of half century of her perceivance which is a highly remarkable and glorifing event and accomplishment in the annals of Digamber Jain Aryika Sangh. She has put her feet on the terrain of spiritual advancement through a unique fusion of knowledge and renunciation. The name of revered Mataji stands on the top of the ladder of such influential and inspiring ladies. Not to say of fifty years even a century is a small and little span of time for a life given to worldly pleasures and enjoyment but on the other hand a span of half century marked by abandonment, abstinence and penance is a rare and highly amazing achievement which only a truly noble and spiritually elevated soul can aspire to achieve. In the prime of her youth beaming with energy and in the shadow of a dreamy world of worldly pleasure and enjoyment, it is indeed not only difficult but rather almost impossible to turn a blind eye towards this scenario and in its place to choose or to adopt the difficult path of knowledge and renunciation. It is certainly not a child’s play but on the other hand an extremely difficult, thorn ridden, daunting and formidable task.

The revered Mataji has successfully completed this unusual task with remarkable ease and with a ever smiling face. Her renunciation of worldly pleasures is certainly not the result or out come of an escapist approach towards life nor the same has been imposed upon her by some external force or outside agency, neither it is a decision which is being infulenced by the force of emotional upsurge nor it is a tool or via media to acquire fame and glory. The seeds or renunciation of worldly pleasure came to be instilled in the mental make up of ‘Maina’ in the beginning of her childhood when she was merely seven or eight years of age. Her mother revered Mohini took the vow or observing Brahm Charya on each ‘Ashtami and Chaturdashi’ and in doing so she was influenced by the reading of ‘पद्मनंदिपंचविंशतिका’ but her unique and illustrious daughter became a ‘Brahmcharini’ by reading the same religious text. In the young age this line of the dramaAklank Nikalank’ ‘प्रक्षालनाद्धि पंकस्य दूरादस्पर्शनं वरं’ the realization dawned upon her that it is better not to put one’s feet in the mud instead of washing them after doing so. This revealation delved deep into the psyche and touched innermost part of her heartland.

“Not an easy task to abandon and enter into the realm of sainthood”
It was certainly not an easy task to abandon and severe one’s ties from a large and extremely loving family and at the same time to enter into the realm of sainthood which in the parlance of Jain religion and Philosophy is known by the term ‘Aryika’. The Social opposition to her move was also stiff and severe but ‘Maina’ who is an epitome and personification of firm and steadfast resolve over came all these hurdles and obstructions. The ties or the bond of filial love and the highly absurd and uncalled for comments of the so called leaders of the Jain Community failed to deter or detract her from following and treading her lonely path of wordly renunciation. She began to put her feet firmly on the thorny and difficult path of the renunciation of all worldly possessions and pleasures. The blessings of elderly saints and mentors provided her solace and further helped her in chasing her lonely and difficult furrow and this turned her personage in ‘Veermati’ and ‘Gyanmati’. Once the spiritual voyage and odyssey which she began in the year 1953 which within a short span of time i.e. in the year 1956, she attained the unique, rare and astonishing distinction of becoming an ‘Aryika’ which is considered to be the highest Seat of penance which a lady saint can hope or aspire to achieve in this sphere. In the golden period of last fifty years the revered Mataji with her rigorous penance, firm and resolute sense of abstinence from all pleasures and at the same time she has been able to climb dizzy and unknown and unexplored heights of deep learning. A part from here many and distinguished achievements in the field of spiritual elevation, she at the same time is endowed with a very highly agile and sharp intellect, farsightedness, deep thinking and an eternal and unquenching quest for constant endeavour which has left its marks in the diversified spheres and walks of life. The indomitable and strong will power, her capacity to guide numerous works of lasting and enduring value which are meant to benefit the world at large have become possible due to the out standing and rare personage of revered Mataji and her name and fame shall ever remain engraved in the golden letters in the pages of contemporary history.

“Ganini Aryika Ratna Gyanmati Mataji multifarious and diversified activities towards the propagation of Jain religion”
It is indeed extremely difficult and virtually an extremely formidable and daunting task to pendown or to keep a record of her multifarious and diversified activities in the realm or her service towards the propagation of Jain religion and her singular and matchless contribution in the development of many Jain centres of pilgrimage to name a few (Hastinapur, Kundalpur, Ayodhya, Mangitungi, Allahabad, Rajgrihi, Kaushambi).

But they can only be called the tip of the iceberg of the mammoth and gigantic task, which she has under taken to perform. The tail of her out standing, rare and amazing achievements do not come to an end here. She has taken upon her-self the task of translating antiquated and ancient religious Jain texts from Sanskrit to Hindi, she has written original Jain texts, to remove widely spread misgiving and doubts about Jainism, to arrange different seminars or conferences and to promote ‘Rath Pravartan’ these are some of the modes and means which she has adopted to promote and propagate Jain religion. It is most cherished goal of her life. In order to achieve here aims and objectives she has established many organizations to name a few ‘Akhil Bhartiya Jain Mahila Sanghtan’. Tirthanakar Rishabhdeva Jain Vidva Mahasangh, Trilok Shodha Sansthan’ these remarkable and notable acts are rightly called in her context (परोपकाराय सतांविभूतय:) which literally mean that the glory and accomplishments of noble persons is meant for the welfare of the humanity at large. This saying applies with full force in the context of revered Mataji. The feet of Mataji are so strongly rooted in the ground of renunciation and penance that no physical, mental and social obstacle can deter her or distract her from the path of rigorous spiritual penance and discipline which she has set for herself. At times severe and even incurable deceases tried to attack her physical self but with the help of her strong and indomitable will to live, her deep and abiding faith in the concept of Dharma, they failed to make any impact upon her. The Himalaya height and the depth of the ocean which are interwoven in the unique personality of revered Mataji. It is rather not only difficult but at the same time nearly impossible to find adequate and suitable words to eulogize and enumerate her numerous qualities of head and heart. On the occasion of the celebration of Deeksha Golden Jubilee Year and on this highly auspicious and momentous event of this celebration, I Fervently pray to Lord Mahaveera that in his munificence and benevolence He may grant strength and fortitude to the revered Mataji so that it may enable her to pursue the path of perseverance without interruption and at the same time, we may continue to get another opportunity and privilege to celeberate her (Amrit Mahotsavasa) ones again in the years to come.

Written By-Dr. Km. Malti Jain, Mainpuri