Hemchandracharyas Literary Accomplishment

Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Jaibhikkhu Sahitya Trust

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2 Hemchandracharya's Literary Accomplishment
Piterson wonders at his life's achievement, and calls him the ocean of knowledge', Paying tribute to his personality of deep wisdom. Pandit Bachardas Doshi calls him a 'living dictionary. In view of his equal regard for all religions and multi-faceted-anekant) vision Muni Punyavijayji called him the embodiment of the science of syadvad. The first-rank literary artists. Such as Shree Kanaiyalal Munshi and Dhumketu also pay tribute to Hemchandracharya's literary accomplishment. Shree Kanaiyalal Munshi calls Hemchandracharya to be the greatest of Gujarat's master of literature and the torch-bearing awakener of Gujarat's selfconsciousness. In his biographer 'Dhumketu' respects, him as a great man of any age. Some describe Hemchandracharya as a follower of Siddhasen Divakar and Arya Suhasti. In view of his literary accomplishment some others call him the second Patanjali, Panini, Mammat, Pingalacharya Bhatti and Amarsinha introducess him as a lexicographer. Different epithets have been used for him to describe his achievements in various fields. Ultimately all these epithets have been assimilated in this one epithet - "Kalikalsarvagna.' But Diwan Bahadur Krishnalal M. Zaveri says that if a higher epither that 'Kalikalsarvagna' were used, there would be no exaggeration. His personality that permeates through the fields
Hemchandracharya's Literary Accomplishment 3 of literature, society, nation, culture and saintliness is matchless. By virtue of his self-control, literary accomplishment and asceticism he crossed the narrow barriers of sectarianism and led great savants and honourable teachers of Gujarat. To the ruler and the ruled he explained, the duties of the subjects, the duties of the ruler and duties in war basides duties of life. Though a renouncer he had worldly wisdom. In fact he was a scholar who possessed worldly wisdom. Not only a bookish scholar, he developed self-comsciousness of the people of Gujarat. Without caring for rank of dignity he struggled throughout his life to provide a basis of learning to the cultural life of Gujarat. He imparted culture to the King and people of Gujarat. He was un unettached monk, as adept politician acting according to his times as a journeyman on the unheard path of deep spiritualism. One wonders when he made all his achievements in life and how he did so many inspiring activities of public life while observing the rules of a monk's life. How would he have planted aand grown in the soil of Gujarat the plant of the conception of non-violence enshrined in the stone inscreptions of Ashok. It is difficult to find in the history of Gujarat of Middle Ages another perosn who did such Herculean and lasting work in so many different fields for as many as seven decades. It is due to his versatile