Honorific-Prefix: | Ganini Pramukha Aryika Shri |
Religion: | Jainism |
Sect: | Digambara |
Birth Name: | Maina |
Birth Date: | 1934 10, df=yes |
Birth Place: | Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh |
Father: | Chotteylal |
Mother: | Mohini Devi |
Initiator: | Acharya Deshbhushan |
Initiation Place: | Barabanki |
Initiation Date: | 2 October 1952 (Sharad Purnima) |
Initiation Rank: | Brahamcharini |
Initiation Date2: | 1953 (Chait Krishna ekam) |
Initiation Rank2: | Chullika |
Disciples: | Aryika Chandanamti |
Website: | http://jambudweep.org/ |
Free Label: | Initiation as Aryika |
Free Text: | 1956 (Baisakh Krishan dooj) |
Gyanmati Mataji is an Indian Jain religious guru Aryika (nun) from India. She is known for being a prolific author and the construction of several Jain temples including the Jambudweep temple complex at Hastinapur, Uttar Pradesh, Ayodya Jain and the Statue of Ahimsa at Mangi Tungi in Maharashtra.
Gyanmati was born as Maina on 22 October 1934 in Tikait Nagar in Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh, in a Jain family of Mohini Devi and Chotelal. She was influenced by Padmanandi Panchvinshatika, an ancient Jain scripture gifted by her grandparents on the marriage of her mother. On 2 October 1952, on the day of Sharad Purnima, she was initiated as a Brahmacharini at Barabanki district by the Digambara Jain acharya Deshbhushan.
Since her early childhood, Gyanmati started learning Sanskrit with Katantra style of linguistics or lipi generally referred as Aindra School of Grammar. She continued to research and explore with some of the Jain literature like Gommatsar, Ashtasahasri, Tattvartha Vartika (Rajvartika), Moolachar, Triloksar, Samayasāra etc. and soon expertise in Hindi, Sanskrit, Prakrit, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati etc. Deeply into research and learning she frequently consulted senior most Acharyas, Scholars and Jain monks.
Gyanmati practiced her skills with writing 1008 Mantras of "Sahastranam" which improved her ability. She is considered as the first Kshullika or a Jain Sadhvi in history to translate and author several Jain literature, scriptures and manuscripts. translated Nyaya-Ashtasahasri a renowned Sanskrit scripture, into Hindi in the year 1969 . Since then, she had written and composed more than 450 different publications ranging from auspicious quotes and thoughts to books and volumes. She has written and published 200 major books including the first two available in both Hindi and Sanskrit translations. She has also composed the Sanskrit Teeka (commentary) of the Sutras in form of sixteen books of Shatkhandagam Grantha. She has composed a modern Rite for the Five Merus.
On the instructions of Shantisagar, she was elevated as to the rank of Aryika by Veersagar on Vaishakh Krishna Dooj of 1956 at Madhorajpura in Rajasthan.