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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Anandghan
| image = Anandghan.jpg
| caption = Idol in library of Lodhadham near Mumbai, Maharashtra
| religion = [[Jainism]]
| sect = [[Śvētāmbara]]
| official_name =
| birth_name = Labhanand
| birth_date = 17th century CE
| birth_place =[[Rajputana]] (now [[Rajasthan]], India)
| death_date = 17th century CE
| death_place = Possibly [[Merta City|Medata]], Rajputana
| initiation_name = Labhavijay
| initiator =
| initiation_place =
| initiation_date =
}}
{{Jainism}}
'''Anandghan''' was a 17th-century [[Jain monk]], mystical poet and hymnist. Though very little is known about his life, his collection of hymns about philosophy, devotion and spirituality in vernacular languages are popular and still sung in [[Jain temple]]s.

==Life==
There is no historical information available about life of Anandghan. The majority of information is based in hagiographies and [[oral history]].<ref name=bf>{{cite book|author1=Imre Bangha|author2=Richard Fynes|title=It’s a City-showman’s Show!: Transcendental Songs of Anandghan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8s4zQr6uH1wC|date=15 May 2013|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-81-8475-985-3|pages=x–xxxi}}</ref><ref name="Bandopadhyay1994">{{cite book|author=Manohar Bandopadhyay|title=Lives And Works Of Great Hindi Poets|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1OZjAAAAMAAJ|date=1 September 1994|publisher=B. R. Publ.|isbn=978-81-7018-786-8|page=68}}</ref><ref name=jp>{{cite web|url=http://www.jainpedia.org/themes/principles/sects/svetambara/anandghan.html|title=Anandghan|publisher=Institute of Jainology - Jainpedia|first=Nalini|last=Balbir|access-date=16 September 2014}}</ref>

He was born in [[Rajputana]] (now [[Rajasthan]], India). His dates differs according to sources. Generally 1603 or 1604 is accepted but he could have born before 1624 according to some estimation.<ref group=note>Bangha and Fynes 2013: xxvii–xxx</ref><ref name=bf/><ref name=jp/> His childhood name was Labhanand. He was initiated as Jain monk and named Labhavijay.<ref name="Malabari1882">{{cite book|author=Behramji Malabari|author-link=Behramji Malabari|title=Gujarat and the Gujaratis: Pictures of Men and Manners Taken from Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lyd8jPbN218C&pg=PA189|year=1882|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-0651-7|page=189}}</ref> He might belonged to [[Tapa Gaccha]] branch of [[Murtipujaka]] [[Svetambara]] Jainism but Jain monastic hierarchy does not mention him. He might have lived as ascetic not associated with any organized ascetic branches. He stayed in the area of present-day north [[Gujarat]] and [[Rajasthan]] in India. Legends associate him with [[Mount Abu]] and [[Jodhpur]]. He is associated with [[Yashovijay]] also and said to have met him. He could have died in [[Merta City|Medata]] in Rajasthan as a hall is dedicated to him is there. His death dates varies according to sources. Generally accepted dates are 1673 or 1674 but could have died before 1694.<ref group=note>Bangha and Fynes 2013: xxvii–xxx</ref><ref name=bf/><ref name=jp/><ref name="Datta1987">{{cite book|author=Amaresh Datta|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ObFCT5_taSgC&pg=PA163|year=1987|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1803-1|page=163}}</ref><ref name="McGregor1984">{{cite book|author=Ronald Stuart McGregor|title=Hindi literature from its beginnings to the nineteenth century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DIJjAAAAMAAJ|year=1984|publisher=Harrassowitz|page=204}}</ref><ref name="Trivedī1987">{{cite book|author=Jeṭhālāla Nārāyaṇa Trivedī|title=Love Poems & Lyrics from Gujarati|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vnJjAAAAMAAJ|year=1987|publisher=Gurjar Grantha Ratna Karyalaya|page=67}}</ref>

==Works==
His language is mix of vernacular languages like [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]] and [[Braj language|Braj]]. It follows Rajasthani style of diction but is written in medieval Gujarati. It was the time when [[Bhakti movement]] was at peak and majority of devotional poets of time wrote in such vernacular languages. His works are focused [[bhakti]] (devotion) as well as internal spirituality.<ref name=bf/><ref name=jp/><ref name="Datta1987"/>

''Anandghan Chauvisi'' is the philosophical treatises which supposed to contain twenty four hymns but contains twenty two. Other two hymns were later added by others. Each verse is dedicated to one of twenty four Jain [[tirthankara]]s. The legend tells that he composed these hymns in Mount Abu during his meet with Yashovijay who memorised them.<ref name=bf/><ref name=jp/><ref name="Malabari1882"/><ref name="Datta1987"/><ref name="Cort2009">{{cite book|author=John Cort|title=Framing the Jina: Narratives of Icons and Idols in Jain History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MDBpq23-0QoC&pg=PA102|date=16 November 2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-973957-8|pages=102–}}</ref>

''Anandghan Bahattari'' is the anthology of hymns which differs in a number of hymns according to different manuscripts. This anthology was formed by 1775 and was transmitted orally as well as the written manuscripts. It contains ''pada'' (verses) with different [[raga]]s. Some of these verses drawn from other poets like [[Kabir]], [[Surdas]], [[Banarasidas]] and others.<ref name=bf/><ref name=jp/><ref name="Datta1987"/>

==Legacy ==
[[Yashovijay]], the philosopher Jain monk, was influenced by him. He wrote commentary on ''Chauvisi'' and also wrote eight verse ''Ashtapadi'' dedicated to him.<ref name=jp/><ref name="YagnikSheth2011">{{cite book|author1=Achyut Yagnik|author2=Suchitra Sheth|title=Ahmedabad: From Royal city to Megacity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ivMAUx6Hdl8C&pg=PT52|date=2 February 2011|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-81-8475-473-5|page=52}}</ref><ref name="Dundas2002">{{cite book|author=Paul Dundas|title=The Jains|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jt6-YXE2aUwC&pg=PA238|year=2002|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-26606-2|page=238}}</ref>

His hymns are still popular in followers of Jainism as well as non-Jains because they are nonsectarian in nature and put emphasis on internal spirituality. They are sung in Jain temples. They are found in religious hymn collections especially in the collection of [[Digambara]] hymns even though he is associated with Svetambara sects. A religious camp organized by [[Shrimad Rajchandra]] Mission of [[Rakesh Jhaveri]] in 2006 at Dharampur, Gujarat had lectures on ''Chauvisi''. [[Mahatma Gandhi]] included his hymn, "One may say Rama, Rahman, Krishna or Shiva, then" in ''Ashram Bhajanavali'', his prayer book.<ref name=jp/>

A Gujarai play ''Apoorav Khela'' (2012) based on his life was produced by Dhanvant Shah and directed by [[Manoj Shah]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.gujaratimidday.com/entertainment/television/gujarati-natak-apurav-khela|title=નવું નાટક : આજે ઓપન થાય છે : અપૂરવ ખેલા|date=2012-04-01|work=Gujarati Midday|access-date=2018-08-22|language=gu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822213832/http://www.gujaratimidday.com/entertainment/television/gujarati-natak-apurav-khela|archive-date=22 August 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|author1=Imre Bangha|author2=Richard Fynes|title=It’s a City-showman’s Show!: Transcendental Songs of Anandghan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8s4zQr6uH1wC|date=15 May 2013|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-81-8475-985-3}}

==Notes and references==
===Note===
{{Reflist|group=note}}

===References ===
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.jainpedia.org/themes/principles/sects/svetambara/anandghan.html Anandghan on Jainpedia]

{{Jain Gurus}}
{{Jainism topics}}

[[Category:Jain philosophy]]
[[Category:17th-century Indian philosophers]]
[[Category:Indian male philosophers]]
[[Category:17th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Indian Jain monks]]
[[Category:17th-century Indian Jains]]
[[Category:17th-century Jain monks]]
[[Category:17th-century Indian monks]]
[[Category:Śvētāmbara monks]]

Anandghan - Revision history

CleanupBot at 07:12, 11 December 2022