Sadhvi Gunaratna Shreeji Maharaj Creates History By Completing 458 Days Of Fasting And Died
Have you ever heard of Gunaratna Samvatsar Tapascharya?
Gunaratna Samvatsar is well-known as the biggest Tapascharya ever undertaken in the entire Jain religion. During this, a person does not eat the food for 377 days and intake is done only for 72 days in the form of beverages like fruit juices. Coming to the reports, the last person who practiced this was a Jain sadhu, Hansratna Vijayji Maharaj Saheb.
He created history by breaking 423 days of fasting done over a period of 494 days. According to the Jain gurus, it is said that such a feat has been achieved after 2,500 years. Such fasting is a form of penance called ‘Gunaratna Samvatsar Tap’. Usually, such a religious practice involves 407 fasts over 480 days.
After him, Sadhvi Gunaratna Shreeji Maharaj, 57, became the first Sadhvi to take this initiative. After Lord Mahavir, Muni Hansratnavijayji Maharaj and two Shravakis have performed this recitation, Sadhvi survived 458 days of the fast and took her Samadhi on December 29, 2017, at 7:30 am.
Shreeji Maharaj is from Gautampura, Madhya Pradesh. She entered Deeksha when she was 17 years old and Acharya Abhayuday Sagar Maharaj gave her the initiation. She lived the life of a Sadhvi for 40 years. Apart from Sadhvi, 23 of her family members also have accepted Deeksha including her parents and brother. They only intake fruit juice or moong on the days they eat.
Not all can achieve this feat. Many have tried to do it but in vain. Whereas, Sadhvi took the decision for a pilgrimage area which is being constructed in 15 acres. Out of this, the temple of Bhaktaamar mandir is of 45 thousand square feet. In the temple, the idol of Dada Adinath is installed in the original form.
But Sadhvi Gunaratna Shreeji will forever be remembered for being this resistance that she survived all the consequences in these 458 days of her fasting under the biggest Tapasya of Gunaratna Samvatsar. She fasted for more than 15 months and lost weight gradually.
Due to this, the resistance to infections decreased and the same way, her willpower, and natural adjustment helped to do it. She said her mentality continued to grow with Guru’s grace.
Before she passed away, Sadhvi Gunaratna Shreeji had said that everyone lived because of eating, but there are seldom people who live by sacrificing. She decided to live like a Sadhvi at an early age because according to her religious austerity is best for well-being and welfare of humans.