The Chhattisgarh government has declared a half-day state of mourning following the demise of Jain Muni Acharya Vidhyasagar Ji Maharaj. The last rites of Acharya Shri 108 Vidhyasagar Ji Maharaj was performed in Rajnandgaon.
Vidhyasagar Maharaj breathed his last on Sunday at Chandragiri Teerth in Dongargarh in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district after undertaking ‘sallekhna’. Sallekhna is a Jain religious practice involving voluntary fasting unto death for spiritual purification, a statement from the teerth said, as quoted by the news agency PTI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on the demise of Jain muni Acharya Vidhyasagar Ji Maharaj.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the countless devotees of Acharya Shri 108 Vidhyasagar Ji Maharaj Ji. 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,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Acharya Vidhyasar was the most renowned saint in the Digambar Jain community.
Born on October 10, 1946, in Karnataka’s Sadalga, he embraced spirituality at a very young age. He was initiated as a Digambara monk by Acharya Gyansagar Ji Maharaj and was elevated to the status of Acharya in the year 1972.
He had a good command over languages such as Sanskrit, Prakrit, and other languages. He authored several insightful commentaries, poems, and spiritual treatises.
Among the widely regarded works within the Jain community are Niranjana Shataka, Bhavana Shataka, Parishah Jaya Shataka, Suniti Shataka, and Shramana Shataka.
