________________ Introduction is learning and the like of the author, no definite information is available beyond the name of his preceptor, which he himself has mentioned. It is likely that he lived somewhere in Northern Gujarat as the manuscripts found in Gujarat appear to be written almost at his time, the book itself not being such an epoch-making production or the author not being such a stupendous personality, as could make it possible to have manuscript copies all over India in a very short period in those days of difficult communication. The close connection with Gujarat and Marwar of the Tapagaccha to which Hemavimala belonged, would further go to corroborate the inference of Northern Gujarat being the place of residence of the author. The story of the book is itself very very old, almost mythological, and therefore it cannot furnish any internal evidence regarding the date or the whereabouts of the author. There are no such prominent digressions or narrations as can easily furnish any definite data. Almost all names of places and personalities are mythological. Some, that can be said to be historical such as Rajagriha and the like, pertain to a very ancient period of history and are of no avail for fixing the date.
