Acharya Shanti Dev, Sanskrit poet and the author of 'Bodhicharyavatar' a classic of Mahayana Buddhism was born in 687 A.D. in the royal family of Gujarat. His father was king Kushala Varman and mother Vajrayogini. On his father's dath Shanti Dev, who was then known as Shanti Varman, became heir to the throne. But a few days before his coronation, Bodhisatva Manjushri appeared before him in a dream and beckoned him to follow the path of Dharma. On waking up, Shanti Dev left the place quietly. After travelling for 21 days, he reached Nalanda and studied the Buddhist scriptures, mastering Sanskrit and Pali.

It is said that he started writing poems in Sanskrit. The scholars i the University challenged him to write philosophical work in verse. Shanti Dev's reply was the 'Bodhicharyavatar', his masterpiece, which describes the various stages in the life of a Bodhisatva, who need not necessarily be a monk or even a celibate. The esential quality to develop is the Bodhichitta, the Mind of Enlightenment, which has a single goal - to enter the stream and become a Spiritual Son of the Buddha/ The sorrows of this world become blessings in the spiritual path.

Translated into major world language, 'Bodhicharyavatar' is recited daily by millions of monks and laymen, professing Mahayana Buddhism in the Himalayan border states of India rom Ladakh and H.P. in north-West to Arunachal Pradesh in the North-East, as also in Magolia and China. The Bodhicharyavatar in 10 Chapters containing 913 verses achieves a unique quality of perfection both as Sanskrit poetry and as a philosophical treatise, elucidating the Madhyamika system of Buddhist philosophy, whose chief exponent was the celebrated Acharya Nagarjuna. 'Siksha Samuchaya' weaves over one hundred Sutras around 27 verses and is a complementary work to 'Bodhicharyavatar'. It is said that Shanti Dev defeated many scholars of eminence in debates and composed other works, namely, 'Shiksha amuchaya', a compedium of Mahayana Snskrit Sutras in Sanskrit, and 'Sutra Samuchaya'.

Not only was he a great saint and scholar, he was also a great benefactor of the poor and the lowely, and an apostile of peace and goodwill. At the time of a famine in Gujarat, he is said to have worked as a social worker and provided food to thousands of starving persons. On another occasion, h intrvened to prevent a bloody quarell between to factions. He is said to have realised and deckared fs "Everything is like space". He passed away at the age of 78.

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