Jain Muni Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj Passes Away After Undertaking ‘Sallekhna’

Rajnandgaon: Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj, one of the prominent seers of Digambara sect of Jainism, passed away at Chandragiri Teerth in Chhattisgarh’s Dongargarh in the early hours of Sunday. He was 77.

“Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj attained Samadhi through ‘Sallekhna’ at Chandragiri Teerth at 2:35 am,” according to an official statement by teerth.

It further said that Maharaj had been staying on the teerth in Dongargarh for the last six months and was unwell from the last few days. “For the last three days, he was observing Sallekhna, a religious practice of voluntarily fasting unto death. According to Jainism, it is a vow taken for spiritual purification,” it added.

A procession will be taken out at 1 pm on Sunday for people to pay tribute to the departed seer and the final rites will be held in Chandragiri Teerth, reports said.

Born on October 10, 1946, in Karnataka’s Sadalga, Maharaj embraced spirituality from a young age. He gained widespread recognition for his exceptional scholarly endeavours and deep spiritual insight. At the age of 22, he received initiation as a Digambara monk from Acharya Gyansagar Ji Maharaj. Vidyasagar Maharaj attained the status of Acharya in 1972.

He was also known for his mastery of Sanskrit, Prakrit, and various other languages. Among his widely acclaimed contributions to the Jain community are works such as Niranjana Shataka, Bhavana Shataka, Parishah Jaya Shataka, Suniti Shataka, and Shramana Shataka. He also spearheaded initiatives to advocate for promotion of Hindi and ensure that the justice delivery system in every state operates in its official language.

“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,” Prime Minister Modi wrote on X.

His valuable efforts for spiritual awakening among the people will always be remembered… My meeting with him last year at Chandragiri Jain Temple in Chhattisgarh will be unforgettable for me,” he added.