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Hemachandra kindled the light of Gurjar-civilisation, putting Gujarat at the forefront of non-violence, love and high moral values. The reigns of two great kings Siddharaj and Kumarapal bear witness to this larger-than-life personality. To think Hemachandra 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. Hemachandra's book on yoga is also famous. Yoga-Shastra describes all aspects of Patanjali and Jain Yoga systems. It explains Jain codes of conduct as well. He also produced different lexicons. One book lists plants and herbs. His book on logic Praman Mimmasa and Anya yog vyavchhed Dwatrinshika are also famous. Desi Nam Mala lists archaic words and is a valuable source for all linguists. Examples given in this book also depict the life of common people during this period.
Hemachandra was a true monk, renouncing everything from childhood. As a true devotee of the Tirthankaras, he composed beautiful poems in Sanskrit language. These compositions show that he was a poet of very high caliber and at the same time he was a monk who possessed the highest virtues. Many scholars were outwitted by his immense knowledge. He had performed a few yogic miracles too. Once he had asked that a table be placed on top of another table, then a third table on top of the second and so on until seven tables were laid in a column. Acarya sat on the seventh and highest table. He sat in a yogic posture and then asked that these tables be removed one after the other. All seven tables were removed, and people saw that Acharya was seated in the air. His sitting position and height were not affected! Hemachandracharya knew about his death six months before the actual end. He had finished all his works. He died at the age of 84 in A.D. 1173.
Vinod Kapashi has written several books on Jainism and is president of Mahavira Foundation.
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