आचार्य भिक्षु की जीवन-कथा : जन्म से दीक्षा तक (The Life Story of Acharya Bhikshu: From Birth to Diksha)

This is the story of a bright and extraordinary child who made his birthplace special through his actions. That child was Bhikhu, who later became the founder of the Terapanth sect and became famous as Acharya Bhikshu.

The story begins in a small village called Kantalia in the Jodhpur state of Rajasthan. A respected man named Shah Balluji lived there with his wife Lachhadde. They had a son named Holoji. Sadly, his mother passed away when he was still young. Later, Balluji remarried Deepaji. With her arrival, happiness returned to the home. Holoji once again received a mother’s love, and the family became stable.

As time passed, a new joy came into their lives. On the auspicious day of Ashadh Shukla Trayodashi (V.S. 1783 / 1726 AD), Deepaji gave birth to a radiant child. The whole house filled with happiness. The child was named Bhikhan, lovingly called Bhikhu.

From childhood, he was very intelligent. His parents felt proud of him. During pregnancy, Deepaji had seen a dream of a lion. In Jain tradition, this is considered a very auspicious sign, indicating the birth of a great soul. Because of this, both parents believed their son would grow up to do something great.

And just like the dream, Bhikhanji’s personality developed. From a young age, he had a sharp mind and quick understanding. He learned business early and started helping his father. Because of his wisdom, he was respected in society. At the same time, his interest in spirituality slowly grew, as he stayed connected with saints.

Seeing that Bhikhu was handling business well, his father arranged his marriage with a virtuous and graceful girl named Sugani Bai. She truly lived up to her name and was full of good qualities.

Sugani Bai was also spiritual in nature. Their thoughts matched well, and their married life was peaceful and balanced.

After some time, they were blessed with a daughter. Around the same period, Bhikhanji’s father passed away. Losing his father at a young age and seeing his mother alone deeply affected him. This turned his mind more towards spirituality. Slowly, vairagya began to grow within him. He started feeling that worldly life, or sansar, was temporary.

He decided to take diksha. His wife Sugani Bai fully supported him. She too had a feeling of vairagya. When Bhikhanji shared his decision, she also resolved to take diksha with him. Both of them made a strong vow to follow complete brahmacharya and to do upvas, or fasting, on alternate days until diksha.

At that time, Bhikhanji was only 25 years old, and Sugani Bai was even younger. Such a strict vow at a young age was not easy, but their determination was very strong.

They began their sadhana. But destiny had something else planned. During this time, Sugani Bai suddenly passed away. This was a very painful moment for Bhikhanji, but he did not leave his path. Instead, he understood the truth of life, that everything is temporary. His vairagya became even deeper. Still, he wanted to test himself fully before taking diksha.

He knew that diksha meant a life of discipline and hardship. He was not someone who made decisions in haste. To test himself, he began intense tapasya. He walked long distances barefoot, stayed hungry and thirsty, and trained his body to endure difficulties. Once, he even drank very bitter water made from soaked ker fruit, just to test whether he could remain steady in tough conditions. Despite the bitterness, he accepted it calmly.

While he was deeply engaged in sadhana, proposals for his second marriage started coming. At that time, remarriage was common. People thought he was young and capable, so he should marry again. But no one understood his inner state. They believed his silence was due to his wife’s death, while in reality, he had already chosen the path of tyag and vairagya.

He rejected all proposals and showed that he had control over his senses.

Along with his spiritual efforts, Bhikhanji was searching for a true guru. His father followed the Jain Shwetambar tradition, so he first explored that path, but he did not feel satisfied. He met many monks from different sects, but still could not find the right guide.

Finally, he came in contact with Acharya Rughunathji of the Sthanakvasi tradition. Bhikhanji was deeply impressed by his knowledge, and the Acharya was equally impressed by Bhikhanji’s sincerity and truthfulness.

It was decided that Bhikhanji would take diksha from Acharya Rughunathji.

However, his mother Deepaji’s permission was necessary, and she clearly refused. For her, this was very difficult, because her son was her only support. This became a great test for Bhikhanji, his inner calling on one side, and his mother’s love, or moh, on the other.

When she did not agree even after much persuasion, Acharya Rughunathji himself 

went to her and said: “Your dream will not go in vain. This child will become a sadhu and roar like a lion.” Hearing this, Deepaji finally agreed and gave her permission.

After receiving his mother’s blessings, Bhikhanji began preparing for diksha. He had already arranged his daughter’s marriage. He closed his business and made proper arrangements for his mother so she would not face any difficulty after he left. He gave her land, property, and also one thousand rupees in cash.

Today, one thousand rupees may seem small, but about 250 years ago, it was a very large amount. Things were very cheap in those days. Records show that around that time, 20 seers of wheat cost only 12 annas, lentils cost one rupee, and ghee was available for just two and a half annas. This shows how valuable one thousand rupees was.

In this way, Bhikhanji passed the first great test of his life. He gave up attachment, or moh, wealth, and worldly comforts.

Finally, he took diksha from Acharya Rughunathji and stepped onto the path of tyag, sadhana, and the journey towards moksha.

🙏जय जिनेंद्र🙏