Renowned Jain seer Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj died on Sunday morning at Chandragiri Teerth in Chhattisgarh’s Dongargarh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his condolences on the demise of the prominent Jain seer.

“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,” Modi wrote on X.

The prime minister said that he has had the honour of receiving blessings from Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj for years. “I can never forget my visit to the Chandragiri Jain Mandir in Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh late last year. That time, I had spent time with Acharya Shri 108 Vidhyasagar Ji Maharaj Ji and also received his blessings.”

Who was Jain muni Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj?

• Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj was the most renowned saint in the Digambar Jain community.
• He was widely recognised for his outstanding scholarly pursuits and profound spiritual wisdom.
• Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj was born on October 10, 1946, in Karnataka’s Sadalga. He embraced spirituality from a young age.
• At the age of 22 in 1968, Acharya Shri Vidhyasagar Maharaj was initiated as a Digambara monk by Acharya Gyansagar Ji Maharaj. In 1972, he was elevated to the Acharya status in 1972.
• Throughout his life, Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj remained profoundly engaged in the study and application of Jain scriptures and philosophy.
• He was also known for his command over Sanskrit, Prakrit, and other languages. He authored several insightful commentaries, poems, and spiritual treatises.
• Some of his widely recognised work within the Jain community includes as Niranjana Shataka, Bhavana Shataka, Parishah Jaya Shataka, Suniti Shataka, and Shramana Shataka.
• He also led campaigns to promote Hindi and make the justice delivery system in any state in its official language.