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HEMCHANDRACHARYA
VINOD KAPASHI "Hemchandra is a remarkable figure in the history of Sanskrit literature, a conspicuous personality in the social and political history of Gujarat and one of the greatest apostles of the Jain church. Like every other great man, he was moulded by as well as the moulder of his times" (R.C.Parikh.)
Hemchandracharya was the pioneer of Prakrit and Gujarati grammar. The study of the history of the Solanki-era would be incomplete without Hemchandra. He kindled the light of Gurjar-civilization, putting Gujarat at the forefront of literary tradition. He advocated the principles of non-violence, love and high moral values. The reigns of two great kings Siddharaj and Kumarpal bear witness to this larger than life personality. To think Hemchandra was just a Jain monk would be a great mistake. He is not merely one of the greatest Jain monks of Gujarat, he is one of the greatest monks and literary personalities of the whole of India. His literary works include many subjects in both the Sanskrit and Prakrit languages, to say therefore that Hemchandra was a Gujarati is also incorrect. Afterall, today's Gujarati language did not exist in Hemchandra's time. He devised the grammer of Prakrit and his works included such subjects as poetry, stories, ethics and logic . He also compiled dictionaries and lexicones.
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