Pujyashri Saubhagyabhai (1823–1896) born in

Sayla Sayla is a sub-district of Surendranagar district, Gujarat, India. Villages in Sayla See also * Sayla city * Juna Jashapar * Chotila Chotila is a Hindu temple town and Taluka headquarters of Chotila Taluka, Surendranagar distri ...

, Saurashtra was one of the foremost devotees of

Shrimad Rajchandra Shrimad Rajchandra (11 November 1867 – 9 April 1901) was a Jain poet, mystic, philosopher, scholar and reformer. Born in Vavaniya, a village near Morbi, he claimed to have recollection of his past lives at the age of seven. He performed ' ...

. Saubhagyabhai was 67 years old when he first met Shrimad. Though Shrimad was 44 years younger than him, he declared Shrimad as his Guru and is considered as Shrimad Rajchandra's divine soulmate. The great scripture,

Atmasiddhi ''Atma Siddhi'' Shastra ( gu, આત્મસિદ્ધિ) is a spiritual treatise in verse, composed in Gujarati by the nineteenth century Jain saint, philosopher poet Shrimad Rajchandra (1867–1901). Atma according to Jainism means "s ...

Shastra was composed by Shrimad Rajchandra upon the request of Saubhagyabhai in 1896.

Life

Saubhagyabhai was born in the Sheth family to his father Lallubhai and mother Laalmaa. Due to family feuds, they shifted from Limbdi to

. Lallubhai used to serve saints with great devotion. Saubhagbhai married Ratanba and they had two sons, Manilal and Trambak, and six daughters, Diwaliba, Zaverba, Pashiba, Chhabalba, Chanchalba and Paarvatiba. In 1889 Saubhagyabhai went to meet Shrimad Rajchandra who welcomed him by greeting him by his name. Shrimad then asked him to open the safe which contained the reason why Saubhagyabhai had come to meet Shrimad. To test Shrimad’s knowledge further he asked Shrimad which direction the door of his house in Sayla faced. Shrimad answered correctly, which immensely astounded Saubhagyabhai. Convinced that Shrimad was an enlightened saint, He prostrated himself three times before Shrimad. In 1896 Saubhagyabhai requested Shrimad Rajchandra to put up the subject matter of the letter on 6 fundamental truths of the soul in a poetry form, as it would be difficult to memorise the letter. Hence at this suggestion, Shrimad composed the 142 verse poetry in Gujarati called '' Atmasiddhi Shastra''. According to the legend, when Saubhagyabha requested Shrimad, it was already night time. Shrimad composed and wrote down the verses—all 142 verses within 90 minutes. Saubhagyabhai was able to attain a state of unprecedented Samadhi. On Thursday, Jeth Vad 10 of 1896, Saubhagyabhai left his mortal body.

Legacy

Shri Raj Saubhag ashram has been named after Saubhagyabhai. The guiding philosophy of the ashram revolves around dedication and devotion to the enlightened spiritual master.

References

{{Reflist 1823 births 1896 deaths 19th-century Indian Jains People from Surendranagar district