Rooted in the ancient wisdom of Jainism, one of the oldest religions of the world, is the timeless path to eternal peace and bliss. More than 2,500 years ago, Jain philosophy was passed on through the genius of one of the greatest spiritual teachers of all time – Lord Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankar. Ever since, several enlightened souls have carried forward His glorious legacy.
In the late 19th century, over 150 years ago, a supreme devotee of the dispassionate Lords, a divine seer, and a self-realised saint, scaled extraordinary spiritual heights and demystified the path to self-discovery – Shrimad Rajchandraji, fondly known as Param Krupalu Dev. An upholder and uplifter of the universal path, Shrimadji dispelled the prevalent darkness of delusion, and rediscovered the deepest mysteries of human existence.
Shrimadji was a revolutionary visionary who laid the foundations of spirituality for a new era, an enlightened alchemist who lived in the supreme state of soul consciousness, and a lyrical prodigy who inked the path of liberation in His powerful writings. In a short span of 33 years, He paved the passage to complete purity, and bequeathed the world an invaluable inheritance for the future.
The crown jewel of His philosophical literature, His magnum opus, is the 142-verse poetic masterpiece – Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra. Composed by Shrimadji in a single sitting of about one and a half hours, when He was merely 28 years old, the treatise is a staggering accomplishment, an encyclopedia of spiritual knowledge, the nucleus of all sacred scriptures, and the heart of the inner path.
A blend of doctrine and devotion, logic and love, spiritual science and the art of self-realisation, deep insights have been skillfully woven. As the composition evolves, its expression and exposition become piercingly profound, and yet are elucidated in simple, sublime language. Shrimadji flows sequentially, like a stream unsullied, effortlessly penetrating the reader within.
Marking the 125th year of this monumental epic, ardent devotee of Shrimadji, enlightened Master, acclaimed author, and founder ofShrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur – Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, expounded on Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra through a nine-month journey of illuminating discourses in English.
Pujya Gurudevshri has brought a unique potency and universal appeal to the text by authoring a concise and complete commentary in English. Stemming from His experience of the self, and having plumbed the depths of this quintessential scripture, Pujya Gurudevshri’s infinite devotion to Shrimadji and His ceaseless compassion have manifested in the form of this book.
This elixir of life is a humble and selfless offering by Pujya Gurudevshri, a painstaking labour of love to spread the treasure of Shrimadji’s teachings. But this journey had begun 23 years ago, when He was conferred the PhD degree for His extensive research treatise on Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra. The heartfelt and scholarly exposition of over 3,000 pages was released as a four-volume text in Gujarati, and yet Pujya Gurudevshri had said, “I have only stopped, not finished.”
