The Venerable Life Of Acharya Tulsi – A Mural Painting [3] – IMPORTANT ABHIYANS

A regular evening prayer in Terapanth[33] sect was, initiated by Acharya[1] Tulsi[34][3], has been shown: ‘Om[20] jai jai tribhuvan …’. A dark patch in the sky suggests evening time with associated images, namely the sky, the moon, a star, an owl on a tree, and a village girl waiting for her cattle to return home.

In the nether part of the panel a life-span motif is shown through the depiction of the stages of life: childhood, adulthood and old age. The relevance of the motif is in its emphasis that no stage in life should be wasted.

Acharya[1] Tulsi[34][3]’s first and important pada-yatra was towards Delhi[6] in 1950. So, India Gate, Qutub Minar has been painted just to suggest his destination.

He went to Rashtrapati Bhavan[24] to meet the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad[22][23] and talked about the importance of Anuvrat[4] (small vows), which can change the spirit of the era (Badle yug ki dhara anuvraton ke dwara). It was a fruitful meeting.

Next, Acharya[1] Tulsi[34][3], extending his field of work, introduces a new campaign: ‘Shad-Abhiyan’,a Six Point Move in life, painted here symbolically in a ‘Shad-Chakra’ in a lotus (symbol of purity) with an inner eye placed in the centre. The campaign in English translation reads as follows: unity of feeling; purity of election; unity of sects; honesty in business; uplift of the Dalit; and temperance for all. The campaign, ensconced in a rectangle, has respective symbols on the left and time reference on the right. I have taken an artist’s freedom to draw an elephant and a ringing bell below the rectangle only to suggest, the huge impact the campaign had during (1949-1961) and after. The flag and the garland on the right side of the lotus are suggestive of the victorious campaign.

Way back in 1946 Adarsh Sahitya Sangha[26] was established in Sardarshahar[28]. In the year 1955 editing of Jain Treatise was started in Maharashtra[14]Acharya[1] Tulsi[34][3] is shown in standing posture holding the old book ‘Dasvealiyam suttam’, the first line of which ‘Dhammo[7] mangal mukkittham’ is boldly painted in original Prakrit[21] language. Then there is Muni[18] Nathmal[19] (Acharya[1] Mahapragya[13][2] as he is known now) holding the newly edited copy of ‘Dasvaikalika Sutra[31][5]’ with its first line boldly painted in Hindi (dharma[8] hi utkrishta mangal hai). Between them is drawn a saffron circle atop which is the picture of ‘Shrutadevi’ without whose blessings no such wisdom comes. The circle includes a four-faced conch shell as if it were announcing a noble work. The waves in dark- blue suggest the length of the time taken in editing the treatises 1955 onward, though the editing is still being continued under the supervision of Acharya[1] Mahapragya[13][2]. A light blue diamond shape has ‘Om[20]’ written in its different four scripts.

One will notice the front portion of a house, skirting the panel- Ladnun[12] Seva[29] Kendra[10][30] estd. in 1857 (meant only for old sadhvis[25]), completed its centenary. There is another centre, Parmarthika Sikshan Sansthan[27] established in 1949. In this section of the panel we find a ‘mumukshu sister’ in namaskara mudra[16]. Her vision goes beyond the panel 3 to meet another ‘mumukshu sister’ (Kala[9]) in panel 4. Above it we can see a verse of a song which says ‘Sanyamamay Jivan Ho’. A five-angled star stands for five senses and the moon for our mind to restrain the senses and the mind from going astray. This verse is 50-year-old but is still popular and relevant.

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