Introduction

Kshullak Ganeshprasad Varni (1874 – 5 December 1961) was one of the fundamental figures of the modern Indian Digambar intellectual tradition, during 20th century. He represents a renaissance in the declining trend of education of teachings of Jains. He was the founder of several schools and institutions of advanced learning including the Syadvad Mahavidyalaya in Varanasi in 1905, and the Satark-Sudhataringini Digambar Jain Pathshala, now the Ganesh Digambar Jain Sanskrit Vidyalaya in Sagar. Pandit Phoolchandra Shahstri established Shri Ganesh Varni Digambar Granthmala and later on Shri Ganesh Varni Digambar Jain Sansthan in Varanasi in his name to further the cause championed by Varniji of imbibing, preserving, and spreading the core knowledge of Jainism to all.

His Life

तुम ही गुरू हो, तुम ही रस्ता बताने वाले
भारत वसुधा पर, धर्म को समझाने वाले

पूजा कैसे मैं करू, ये तुमने सिखाया है
हिंसा में सुख है नहीं, तुम्ही ने बताया है

अनेक किस्से कथा, तुमने जो बतायीं हैं
उनको ही सुन करके, मन सम बन पाया है

धर्म मार्ग तुमने, ही हमको बताया है
इस पथ पर चलना, मेरे भविष्य में समाया है

आशीष चाहता हूं गुरूवर, तुम दृष्टी मुझ पर पङ जाये
मुझ पामर के जीवन में, पूर्ण निरमलता आ जाये

The great Digambar Jain spiritual saint Ganesh Prasad Ji Varni was born to Shri Hira Lal and Smt.  Ujyari Devi in a middle class family of Asati community Vaishnavite tradition in village Hansera in district Lalitpur (U.P.). Having religious leanings from his very childhood, he used to visit the Jain temple near his house in Mandawra.  Influenced by the sermons at the Jain temple, at the very young age of 10 years, during his yajnopavita ceremony, he had an argument with the priest and his mother and he took a vow to take meals before sunset throughout his life and became a virtual follower of Jainism.  He passed the middle examination at the age of 15.  As there were no facilities for further studies in Mandawra, he could not pursue higher education.

His religious inclination and simple hearted nature was visible. In fact, inspired by him, his school teacher gave up smoking driven by his religious nature, and opposition to smoking.

He married at the age of 18 soon after his father’s demise who had deep faith in Namokar Mantra (basic mantra of Jains).  He impressed upon young Ganesh Prasad to continue a strong faith in Jainism while counting his last breaths. Born in Hindu family, having deep faith in Jainism though had it’s repercussions and he had to bear the separation of his wife and mother due to the strong belief in Jainism. After the death of his father, Ganesh Prasad Ji worked as a teacher in various village schools.  In due course of time, he came in contact with a religious minded lady Chiranjibai Simra through Karorelal Bhaiji, a spiritual man of Jatara.  She developed much affection for him and treated him like her son.  She took the responsibility for arranging his further religious education and his spiritual development.  She expired in 1926.

Much eager to develop knowledge of Jainism, he studied at Jaipur, Khurja, Bombay, Mathura, Varanasi, and other places with great difficulty.  Because of poverty, he had to starve sometimes and even face humiliation.  Whenever he got small money or clothes, he shared those with other needy people or donated them wholly at the cost of personal physical discomfort. His simplicity and devotion to learning impressed Pandit Panna Lal Backliwal and Baba Gurdayal at Bombay from where he passed Ratnakarand-Shravakachar and Katantra-panchsanndhiki examinations with merit, and by doing so he virtually inaugurated the Bombay Parikshalaya. There he also met Gopaldas Baraiya. Invited by Baraiyaji, he studied Nyayadipika and Sarvarthsiddhi after he had a thorough study of Nyaya (logic) and Vyakaran (grammar) at Khurja.  In those days the number of learned Jain Pandits was very small and the handful Brahamin scholars practically had monopoly over knowledge of literature, Tarka-Nyaya and grammar and were reluctant to easily impart education to non-Brahmins.   In such circumstances, Varniji got education from Pandit  Ambadas Shastri at Kashi and thereafter from learned teachers at Chakauti and Navadweep, and completed his Nyayacharya.

Varniji was once travelling by bus from Sagar to Drongiri, and had a ticket of the front seat.  Asked by the driver to vacate his seat to accommodate a Police Inspector, he developed disliking for such dependency, and vowed not to travel by motor-car, train etc.  for the rest of his life.

He took the brahmcharya vrata (celibacy), i.e. 7 pratima (A higher stage in Jainism of the process of gradual renunciation to achieve Moksh (freedom)) from Baba Gokuldas and thus came to be called a Varni. Subsequently in 1944, he took 10th pratima; and in 1947 became a Kshullak, and out of regard was, thereafter, known as Baba Varni.  He had great love for the country and travelled extensively throughout the country for religious and ethical preaching.  He donated his only wearing apparel, the Chadar, at a public meeting held in support of the Azad Hind Fauz (Army) at Jabalpur in 1945.  It was immediately auctioned for Rs.  3000/- for raising the funds for the army. 

Acharya Vinoba Bhave had immense regard and admiration for him.  Maa Anandmayi of Bengal paid him a visit at Varanasi and expressed profound respect for him as a spiritual and ethical Muni. Late President Dr.  Rajendra Prasad also met him and paid his respect.

At the age of 87, revered Varniji undertook his Samadhi-maran (death by self-control) on 5th December, 1961 as a Muni, and was known as 108 Ganeshkirtiji, at Udasin Ashram. Esri, which was established with his inspiration.

He pursued a life of renunciation and led extremely simple and ascetic life dedicating himself absolutely to the propagation of Jain religion and ethics.

His Work

Realising the difficulties in higher religious education to Jains, Varniji strongly felt the necessity of establishing a good Jain educational institution. He received a donation of one rupee from someone. One rupee used to have 64 paise in those days. He used this money to buy sixty-four postcards, and sent them to some potential Jain donors.  With the assistance of prominent Jain philanthropists like Babu Devkumar of Arrah, Seth Hira Manek Chand of Bombay etc. established the famous Syadwad Mahavidyalaya at Varanasi in 1905 which was inaugurated by Seth Manek Chand, J.P.  of Bombay. Baba Bhagirath Varni acted as superintendent (supervisor) of the institution. Ganesh Varni himslef became the first student of this Vidyalaya. Although Ganeshprasad was a founder of the Syadvad Mahavidyalaya, he accepted the rules imposed by Bhagirath Varni. A number of influential Jain scholars including Pandit ji have been alumni of this institution. 

He played a prominent part in getting incorporated the Jainology studies in the syllabus of Banaras Hindu University with the help of Pandit Motilal Nehru.  

Later with the encouragement of Balchand Savalnavis, and the support of Kandya, Malaiya, and other families and Singhai Kundanlal etc., he helped to establish the ‘Satark-Sudhataringini Jain Pathshala’ which is now known as ‘Ganesh Digambara Jain Sanskrit Vidyalaya’ in Sagar.

Besides the two institutions described above, he helped in setting up many other educational institutions. Some of these institutions are:

• Shri Kund Kund Jain (PG) College, Khatauli, 1926.
• Jain Higher Secondary School, Sagar.
• Mahavir Jain Sanskrit Uchchatar Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Lalitpur, 1917.
• Varni Jain Inter College, Lalitpur.
• Shri Ganesh Prasad Varni Snatak Mahavidyalaya, Ghuwara.
• Varni Jain Gurukul, Jabalpur.
• Shri Parshvanath Brahmacharya Ashram Jain Gurukul, Khurai, 1944.
• Pathshalas at Baruasagar, Dronagiri.

After inspiring and helping to establish these institutions, he moved on, and left them to local volunteers to administer with full autonomy. 

Great humanistic and religious preacher, Varniji was extremely kind-hearted and a missionary in true sense.  

His two volume autobiography ‘Meri Jevan Gatha’ published by ‘Shri Ganesh Varni Digambar Jain Sansthan, Varanasi’ has become a major source of information on Jain society of his time. It has a fluid and very readable style. It is considered to be the first Auto-biography written in Hindi. Recordings of his lectures on Samayasar have been rediscovered and published in book form by Sansthan (Samaysar (Prakrit – Hindi) By Acharya Kund Kund, Hindi Exposition by Kshullak Ganeshprasad Varni, Shri Ganesh Varni Digamber Jain Sansthan, Varanasi; Ist edition 1969, 470 pages).

Sources

• https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/गणेशप्रसाद_वर्णी
• “Progressive Jains” authored by Mr.  Satish Kumar Jain