Hemchandracharyas Literary Accomplishment

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

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Hemchandracharya's Literary Accomplishment
of it. Numerous copies of his books were got prepared by scribes and those copies were displayed in numerous literaries of India. That is why some manuscripts written in his own life-time are awailable even today. Copies of these books continued to be made during the long period of nine hundred years that followed.
Today there is hardly any library which does not contain a copy of one or another books of Hemchandracharya.
Before studying Hemchandracharya's books it is necessary to know his aim of writing the book. How could this renouncing monk ever think of making a name as a poet? As this super monk was above the desire fro name, fame or wealth, so he was without aspiration for scholarship and display of knowledge. Hemchandracharya's aim was to make a complete and substantial co-ordination of different subjects so as to make if easily comprehensible to lovers of learning. He organized what was not organized. He corrected the mistakes where he found them. He put in black and whit what used to pass by word of mouth. He co-ordinated what was there in the books. He extracted the Vedic thoughts. Thus instead of aiming at becoming a famous poet by writing poetry or being proud of learning by writing serious books, Hemchandracharya inspired by the love of learning, applied all his ability to create literature for people. Where possible, he gave
Hemchandracharya's Literary Accomplishment 0 9 independent ideas or original thinking too. Without knowing this aim the reader may accuse Kalikalsarvagna of plagiarism from older books. The continues reading and teaching of his books during the last eight or nine centuries proves the success of his acedemic efforts. In ancient history or prior ro Hemchandracharya there hardly was a rare genuis sucha s Hemchandracharya who continuously wrote scientific and learned books on numerous various subjects. Regarding the darkness of ignorance removed by his light of knowledge Somaprabhacharya says
फलुप्तं व्याकरणं नवं विरचित छंदो नवं द्वायाश्रयालंकारौ प्रथितौ नवौ प्रकटितं श्रीयोगशास्त्रं नवम् । तर्क सज्जनितो नवो जिनवरादिनां चरित्रं नवंबद्धां येन न केन केन विधिना मोहः कृतो दूरतः ।।
"He gave a new grammar and a new prosody. He expanded dvashraya epic and poetics and published them. He gave a new philosophy of yoga. He gave birth to a new logic. He wrote a new books of lives of Jinavaras. How has Hemchandracharya not removed darkness?
Libraries contain numerous books of Kalikalsarvagna Hemchandracharya. The reference mede by the writer himself at the end of some of the books help to ascertain the reliablility of the books. Later on one comes acros the reference of