________________
22
of a sage. But Deva-Vimala Gani (DV), being a gifted, Poet, has written an ornate classical epic on HV. The poem contains 17 Sargas and 2789 verses. Thus the first condition of the composition of a Mahā Kāvya viz division into Sargas is fulfilled.
After paying respects to Tirthankara Pārśva, the poet paints a glowing picture of Gujarat, its rivers, towns and country side. To him Gujarat with the Sara. svati flowing over it is like god Siva with the Ganga flowing over him. The river Sarasvati greets young couples by waving lotus-flowers with a warmy hand swanvoice (1.49). The Picture of the happy pasteral life in Gujarat (1.59-64) is still covetable. One feels with the poet that goddess Laksmi decided to abide permanently in Gujarat (I. 61).
The descriptions of towns-another characteristic of a Mahākāvya-are graphic with beautiful similes and Utpreksās. For example the description of Prahladanapura or modern Palanpur (I.69-74), Śrīkarī or 'modern Sikri near Fatehpur (U.P.) in Canto X 63 ff. The jou rney of the hero from Gujarat to Fatehpur appears like the triumphal march of a victorious king. As far the description of a person, the poet describes Akbar (X. 12 ff) like a hero from Hindu mythology. But it will be a matter of opinion whether all the parts of the body of a female deity-sasana devata-be described so romantically because Acarya Hemcandra Suri described Lord Mahavira and others in so many details in the Trisastiśalākāpurusa-carita. His descriptions of various seasons in I. 85-92 and elsewhere (another condition of a Mahākāvya ) are charming. But the poet is
