He found himself at the centre of a storm two years ago when invited for an address to the Haryana assembly in August 2016.
Chandigarh: Tarun Sagar, a widely respected Jain monk, passed away in Delhi in the small hours of Saturday. He was 51 and suffering from jaundice.
“He was not keeping well and was earlier admitted to a private hospital in Vaishali. A few days ago, he decided to come to the Radhapuri Temple in Krishna Nagar, where he died around 3.18 am Saturday,” said a senior official of the Bhartiya Jain Milan, a Jain organisation.
The monk had opted for ‘Santhara’ – the toughest of Jain rituals, where one chooses to fast unto death.
The official said the monk’s last rites will be carried out at the Tarun Sagar Dham in Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh.
Tarun maharaj was possibly best known for his ‘kadwe pravachan (bitter discourse)’.
“I started speaking to people in soft tones, the way it was expected of me. But after ten years of addressing a handful of people who would get bored and sleepy, I decided to deploy another strategy,” he said on a TV show last year.
“I spoke harshly, as if I am rebuking the listeners. And they listened. After some initial objection within the Jain world, what I was doing was accepted,” he added.
In his lectures, subsequently compiled in books of the same name, he offered comments critical of religion, Indian politics, society and human relationships, inviting a host of controversies.
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The monk of the Digambar Jain school of Jainism found himself at the centre of a storm two years ago when invited for an address to the Haryana assembly in August 2016. In his address, he said politicians were most in need of his kadwe pravachan.
Digambar Jain monks shun clothes by principle, and singer-composer Vishal Dadlani kicked up a row when he sought to question a religious leader’s address to politicians by mocking the fact that Tarun maharaj didn’t have clothes on.
He slammed the address as “absurd nonsense”, which led to a severe backlash that eventually forced Dadlani to quit his brief political brush through the Aam Aadmi Party.
‘Krantikari muni’
Born in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, he left home at the age of 13 for the ascetic’s life, starting his lectures at 26.
Known as the “kraantikari muni”, Tarun maharaj was known to take on his own sect too. “Free Mahavira from temples,” he said about the founder of the Jain dharma.
Over the years, he gained thousands of listeners for his talks, which also dwelt on topics such as India’s sports performance, Pakistan, and girl education.
He is also credited with giving the public a peek at the otherwise reclusive life of Digambar Jain munis. In accordance with the sect’s traditions, he did not use any vehicles, walked to every place and ate food only once a day.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who condoled his death.
“Deeply pained by the untimely demise of Muni Tarun Sagar Ji Maharaj. We will always remember him for his rich ideals, compassion and contribution to society. His noble teachings will continue inspiring people,” Modi tweeted.
Home minister Rajnath Singh said the monk’s death had left him “shocked”. “I offer my tributes to his feet,” he added.
The Congress tweeted, “Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Jain Muni Tarun Sagar ji Maharaj earlier today. His teachings and principles will continue to guide us on the right path.”