Apbhramsa of Hemchandracharya

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Kantilal Baldevram Vyas, Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

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informed him that it was 'Bhoja Vyā karana', composed by Bhojadeva of Malvā, and eulogized the vast erudition it evinced. On learning that Gujarat could boast of no such grammatical treatise, Siddharāja showed a keen desire that a similar work be prepared in Gujarat by some Gujarati scholar. At his instance Acarya Hemacandra showed his willingness to undertake this task if the king could extend necessary facilities for its preparation. Siddharāja, thereupon, got for the Acarya several grammatical works from Kashmir and other kingdoms, and on their model Hemacandra prepared his famous grammatical treatise-
P hase T H -which, in its title associates the King's name along with the author's. When the work was completed the occasion was celebrated right royally; the work was taken out in a procession on a caparisoned elephant, with a white ‘chatra' (umbrella) held over it, and also 'câmars' wayed over it. Then it was worshipped -treated as a sacred work of great sanctity and lodged in the royal 'grantha bhandāra'. Siddharāja set scribes to prepare numerous copies of this monumental work, and presented them to the literary circles of various kingdoms of India. Twenty copies were sent to Kashmir alone, which was then a very famous seat of learning.22
Acārya Hemacandra, later on, composed on the model of the HEFTET, his famous 271977127, a historical epic poem serving a dual purpose of extolling the glory of his illustrious patrons Siddharāja and his successor Kumarapāla, and at the same time illustrating, in the text of the mahākāvya, the sūtras of H SP galera. It is in two parts--the first one describes the history of Siddharāja, illustrating simultaneously the Sanskrit section of FACEHO (378777 2-1); the other one illustrates the Prakrit section -378777 <- and deals with Kumārapāla and his reign-particularly his meritorious works.
22 cf. Dr. B. J. Sandesara, 'Literary circle of Malātmātya Vastupā'a', Singhi
Series, No. 33, 1953; p. 11.