Ganeshprasad Varni

Kshullak Ganeshprasad Varni (Hindi:पूज्य 105 श्री गणेश प्रसाद वर्णी, Gujarati: શ્રી ૧૦૫ ક્ષુલ્લક ગણેશપ્રસાદ વર્ણી Kannada:ಶ್ರೀ ೧೦೫ ಕ್ಷುಲ್ಲಕ ಗಣೆಶಪ್ರಸಾದ ವರ್ಣೀ; 29 September 1874 – 5 September 1961) was one of the foundational figures of the modern Indian Digambara intellectual tradition during the early 20th century. He used to live in a Jain neighbourhood and visit the Jain temple near his house in Mandawara. Influenced by lectures there, at the age of ten, he took a vow to take meals before sunset throughout his life. During his yajnopavita ceremony, he had an argument with the priest and his mother, and declared that he will be a Jain henceforth. He passed the middle examination at the age of fifteen years. He did not have any aptitude for shop-keeping, his father's profession, and became a school teacher. She developed much affection for him and treated him like her son. She supported his desire of obtaining advanced religious education spiritual development.

He also helped in establishing various institutions. After inspiring and helping establish these institutions, he left the administration to local volunteers, without bothering to remain in control, and moved on. Some of these institutions are:

Swadvada Mahavidyalaya Banares, 1905. Ganesh Digamber Jain Sanskrit Vidyalaya (Satark-Sudhataringini), 1911. Sri Kund Kund Jain (P-G) College, Khatauli, 1926. Digambar Jain Udasin Ashram, Isri,

As a result of the establishment of these institutions, the Bundelkhand started producing highly regarded Jain scholars such that Bundelkhand is now regarded to be a bastion of Jain learning.

Spiritual Passage He led a simple and aesthetic life and dedicated himself to the study and teaching of Jain philosophy. He gradually adopted a life of renunciation. At Kundalpur, he took the brahmacharya vrata (celibacy), i.e. 7th pratima from Baba Gokuldas and thus came to be called a Varni in 1913. In 1936, he gave up travelling by buses or trains. He took 10th pratima in 1944, and became a kshullak in 1947. He travelled extensively in India. He had donated his only wearing apparel, the Chadar, at a public meeting held in connection with Azad Hind Army at Jabalpur in 1945. It was immediately auctioned for Rs. 3000/- for raising the funds for the army.

At the age of 87, sensing his impending end, he retired to Isri Udasin Ashram, near Sammet Shikhar which he had himself helped establish. He took the vows of a Jain Muni with the name Muni 108 Ganeshkirti. He died in his final meditation (Samadhi-maran) on 5 December 1961.

Works His two-volume autobiography Meri Jevan Gatha