Surat: In an extraordinary feat of spiritual scholarship, 95-year-old Jain monk Kulchandrasuriji Maharaj has completed the translation and detailed rewriting of the revered Nishith Granth, one of Jainism’s most significant religious scriptures. The monumental work, spanning over four years, was accomplished despite his advanced age and three brain strokes suffered during the period.Kulchandrasuriji Maharaj began the project at the age of 90 in Palitana, and the work has now been formally completed. The Nishith Granth, which extensively deals with penance, punishment for transgressions and atonement of sins in Jain philosophy, has been rendered into Sanskrit for the first time in nearly 2,400 years since it was originally composed in Prakrit.The monk authored more than one lakh definitions and explanations of 6,703 verses, enriching the original text with detailed interpretations and scholarly insights. The scripture has been translated into Sanskrit along with elaborate commentaries.Born as Kantilal in Pidwada village of Rajasthan to a family of a billionaire textile businessman, Kulchandrasuriji Maharaj renounced worldly life at the age of 35, even as his wife was six months pregnant. Since then, he has devoted his life entirely to spiritual research and scholarship.Calling it a historic moment, Acharya Vijay Padmadarshansuri said, “Nishith Granth is among the most important Jain scriptures, and only an authorised senior monk is permitted to touch it. Written 2,400 years ago, it is now being translated and rewritten in Sanskrit for the first time.”Over the decades, Kulchandrasuriji Maharaj has authored nearly 90 religious and research-based works, earning him recognition as one of the most prolific Jain scholars of modern times. He is proficient in Hindi, Gujarati, English, Marwadi, Sanskrit and Prakrit.The 4,000-page scripture has been compiled into 12 volumes. In a unique religious celebration, each volume will be carried on a separate elephant in a grand procession through the city, allowing devotees to witness and offer prayers to the sacred texts. Twelve elephants will participate in the procession.To commemorate the historic achievement, a five-day religious celebration has been organized in the city for the formal launch of the scripture.
