Proof Commemorative Issue 125th Birth Anniversary Of Srimat Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj

Commemorative issue

Shrimad Rajchandra – 150th Anniversary

Obverse

Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar, denomination below.

Lettering:
भारत INDIA
सत्यमेव जयते
₹10

Translation: Truth alone triumphs

Reverse

Portrait of Shrimad Rajchandra

Lettering:
श्रीमद राजचंद्र Shrimad Rajchandra
150 वीं जयंती 150th Birth Anniversary
1867-1901

Edge

Plain

Comments

Over 150 years ago, Shrimad Rajchandraji, a self-realised saint, a reformer of Jainism, and a remarkable poet-philosopher of the late 19th century, scaled great spiritual heights and demystified the path to self-discovery. On the radiant full moon night of Kartik Purnima, V.S. 1924 (9th November 1867), the port town of Vavania, Gujarat, was blessed with the arrival of Raichand. At the age of seven, after encountering the death of an acquaintance, Raichand climbed a babul tree near the crematorium to know the meaning of death. Witnessing the body burning on the funeral pyre, He slipped into the attainment of Jatismaranjnan – a recollection of hundreds of past lives. Between 13 to 16 years, He mastered the six principle Indian philosophies in His quest for truth. He possessed Avdhanshakti an extraordinary power of retention, in which one can remember and perform many tasks simultaneously, without error. In 1890 at the age of 23, Shrimadji attained shuddh samyak darshan (self-realisation). Amid the bustling demands of worldly affairs, He revelled in the untainted bliss of the self. On Aso Vad Ekam in 1896, at the fall of dusk in Nadiad, He composed the glorious 142 verses of Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra – His magnum opus and the essence of all scriptures. At the threshold of complete renunciation, Shrimadji contracted a severe illness from which He never recovered. Abiding as ever in the blissful self, He left His mortal body on Chaitra Vad 5, V.S. 1957 (9th April 1901). His works and relationship inspired Mahatma Gandhi, who called him his “guide and helper” and his “refuge in moments of spiritual crisis” in his autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth. Honoured as Yugpurush, He gave the world a rich heritage that continues to guide generations of seekers in a short span of 34 years. His life and works are an invitation to turn within and discover the eternal truths.