After scoring 99.99 percentile in Class XII exams, this lad has decided to become a Jain monk

Varshil Shah will be renouncing the world and pursuing asceticism as his course in life His parents have encouraged his decision despite their son achieving 99.99 percentile and having a bright future ahead Varshil will be attaining diksha in Surat on Thursday, June 8  

Varshil Shah, an Ahmedabad-based lad has ranked in the  99.99 percentile in his Class XII examinations and you would think he would be overjoyed. He is, but not for scoring this high a percentile. He is happy because he will be renouncing the material world and becoming a Jain monk. He will be attaining diksha soon.

Varshil belongs to a Jain family and it is the religious environment in his house which led him to take up this decision. His parents are satisfied and have encouraged Varshil’s decision. The teenager from Ahmedabad in Gujarat will take diksha – a religious ceremony that marks the initiation of Jain monks and nuns — on June 8, as mentioned by his  uncle.

Now many would think that Varshil was under some family pressure to do so. Interestingly, it was during his studies and his preparations that he came to understand and get a clearer picture of the path ahead.

In an interview to the Times of India, he mentioned that  "It was Kalyan Ratnavijaysuri Maharaj, my guru, who motivated me on this path.” The man who he calls Guru is 32 years old and had taken diksha himself at the same age as Varshil. Interacting with him, Varshil understood the nuances of Jainism and resolved to become an ascetic. He also added that the material world doesn't provide the long-lasting happiness that millions seek. He has expressed his feelings in a letter explaining why he has decided to take diksha and become a Jain monk. 

TOI got access to the letter, which said, "I always wanted to live a good life in peace and happiness but that happiness should have come without me harassing anyone. No one should get hurt by me and I should get endless happiness. I witnessed in Uttarayan how people enjoyed when they got to cut the kites of others. I saw in Diwali people derived happiness at the cost of sleep of birds and animals."

"Business for some means filling their coffers even if they had to fleece others. To get material luxuries, they are destroying others and giving pain to their wife, parents, brothers, sisters and other family members," he further explains.

"I noticed money has become paramount for many in the society. Such people believe that 'win they must all time and defeat others.' They prosper and 'live by killing others.' This trend in society has been worrying me. How is this happiness when you cause pain to others? Can't we get real happiness without paining others?" he asks.

"I was in search of answers to these questions when I got to know about Jain diksha. The most important thing about diksha is don't hurt any living creature. I heard Shree Kalyanratna Vijayji Maharaj and became aware about internal divinity," he says.

Shah will be taking diksha in Surat in the presence of monks and Shree Kalyanratna Vijayji Maharaj. Varshil was among the toppers when the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board announced the results on May 27. 

The family, like Varshil, do not like the limelight and believe in simple living standards. Followers of Jainism, his parents were not surprised by Varshil's decision. His father- Jigarbhai- is an income tax official, but has raised his two children Varshil and his elder sister Jainini with simplicity. Their household does not even have a fridge or a TV and they restrict the usage of electricity because they believe that many acquatic animals are killed in the process of power generation. 

Varshil's uncle, speaking to the Hindustan Times said, "A peaceful mind ranks way above hard work for Varshil. Before the school year began in 2016, he met a group of Jain monks who helped him concentrate and score high. He came in contact with Surat-based Munni Shri Kalyan Ratna Vijayji three years ago. He was only waiting to complete his school before taking Diksha."

Good performance runs in the family as even his sister, who was pursuing a career in chartered accountancy before abandoning it, had also scored in the 99.99th percentile in 2011.