Hemchandracharyas Literary Accomplishment

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

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Hemchandracharya's Literary Accomplishment
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4. Hemchandracharya's Literary Accomplishment O___ genius and magnificent personality that this golden age of cultural history of Gujarat is called 'Hemayuga'. Hemchandracharya firmly laid the foundation of non-violence and the doctrine of anekanta (Multi-faceted truth), the chief twain bases of the cultural life of Gujarat. In the modern age Gandhiji experimented upon them in all fields of life and carried on Hemchandracharya's life's mission.
Astonishing is the variety of subjects in Hemchandracharya's literarature. He scientifically wrote learned books on a number of subjects - poetry, logic, dictionary, philosophy of yoga, poetics, prosody, history, puranas and grammer. These books also reveal that he knew mantra (incantalions), tantra (mysticism), architecture, medical science, astrology, the science of war, botany, palmistry, chemistry etc. Looking to his whole literary output one feels that a single person in his life time cannot produce such valuable and viluminous literature unless he has profound thoughtfulness, matchless creative ability and a genious for vital nattative and descriptive power. His literary works generally reveal his deep learning, clear thinking and the style of writing which allows striking and comprehensive of the subject
His pen has contributed to Prakrit, Apabhransha and Deshya literatures besides Sanskrit. His Prakrit grammer has been esteemed as an unprecedented and matchless book on the subject in the whole of Indian literature. It contains the grammer of all verieties of the Prakrit language. He has written extensive commentaries on his own works. He, for the first time, introduced the touching quality of folk-literature by citing numerous quotation from the literature which is no more extend. To his followers he set an example of the well-planned style of presenting a deep subject in an easily comprehensible manner. In reflective literature written in clear language and elegant style this characteristic is specially note-worthy. 'Siddhahem Shabdanushashan', 'Dvashraya' or 'Trisasthisalakapurushacharita' and such great books are hall-marks of his genius. But such small hyman of Thirtytwo verses as Anyayogavyavachchheda Dvatrinshika' reveal the grandeur of his genius, Hemchandracharya thus showered the water of knowledge on the dry land of Gujarat. It is very fortunate that he sprinkled the seed of the Gujarati language which was yet to come into existence with the water of the contemporaneous Gujarati language and enriched it with knowledge, scholarship and scriptures. There are proofs to show that Gruhsen, the kixng of the Maitrak dynasty wrote in all