Gujarat Nu Pratham Itihas Kavya - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Gujarat nu Pratham Itihas Kavya," in English:

The article, "Gujarat nu Pratham Itihas Kavya" (Gujarat's First Historical Epic), by Prof. Jayant K. Thaker, delves into the significance of Jain Acharya Shri Hemchandrasuri's Dvyashraya Mahakavya as the first historical epic of Gujarat.

Historical Context and the Evolution of History Writing:

The author begins by addressing the common criticism that ancient India lacked a strong historical perspective. He explains that ancient writings often encompassed mythological and legendary narratives, leading to extensive works like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Character biographies were rare, as divine or miraculous lives were prioritized. Only from the 7th-century Harshacharita of Banabhatta can some historical elements be discerned, with the word 'Durjan' appearing for the first time there.

Following contact with Muslims, from the 10th century Vikram era onwards, more substantive historical accounts began to be composed. Among Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Apabhramsha works with scattered historical material, Kalhana's 12th-century Rajatarangini from Kashmir is highlighted for its objective portrayal, including the king's faults, unlike mere eulogies. The 11th-century poet Bilhana's Karn Sundari, featuring the father of Gujarat's famous King Siddharaja Jayasinh, Karnadev Solanki, also contains historical elements within its poetic narrative.

The Significance of the Chalukyas and Dvyashraya Mahakavya:

Gujarat holds a point of pride in the abundance of historical material available for the Chalukya dynasty, which ruled for approximately 300 years, a longer period than any other Indian royal dynasty. This is acknowledged by scholars like Dr. Bühler.

The article emphasizes the preeminent position of the great Jain Acharya Shri Hemchandrasuri, a contemporary of Gujarat's great kings Siddharaja Jayasinh and Kumarapal, and recipient of the title "Kalikalasarvajna" (Omniscient of the Kali Age). He was instrumental in Gujarat's historical narrative.

At the inspiration of "Nath of Gujarat," Siddharaja Jayasinh, Hemchandrasuri composed the new Sanskrit-Prakrit grammar Siddha-Hema-Shabdānushasana. This grammar, with its eight chapters, each divided into four parts, concludes each of the thirty-two parts with a eulogistic verse. These verses sequentially list eighteen kings of Gujarat, from Mulraj, the founder of the Chalukya dynasty, to his contemporary and disciple, Kumarapal.

To provide examples for the grammar's rules in the same sequence, Hemchandrasuri composed the Sanskrit-Prakrit Dvyashraya Mahakavya. This epic, through its 32 verses, attempts to weave the history of Gujarat from Mulraj (VS 998-1053) to Kumarapal (VS 1199-1229). It is suggested that this work might have aimed to rival Bhatti's grammatical epic Ravanavadha or Bhattikavya. Regardless, it stands as the first work to systematically present 230 years of Gujarat's history, making it immensely valuable.

The Origin of the Name "Gujarat" and the Solanki Era:

The article also sheds light on the origin of the name "Gujarat." When Mulraj became the ruler of Patan, the region was known as "Sarasvatmandal." The area around Shrimāl-Bhinmal in Rajputana, from where Mulraj originated, was then called "Gurjaratra – Gujara – Gurjaraghera." After Mulraj, the Gurjara ruler, became the king of Sarasvatmandal, the region of the Gurjara king came to be known as "Gurjaradesh – Gujarat." Thus, the region received the name "Gujarat" during Mulraj's time. The Solanki era, particularly the reigns of Siddharaja and Kumarapal, is considered the most important period in Gujarat's history, as it reached the zenith of prosperity. The Dvyashraya Mahakavya, chronicling this era, therefore holds unparalleled significance for Gujarat's history.

Structure and Content of the Dvyashraya Mahakavya:

The epic, comprising twenty-eight cantos, is named Dvyashraya (meaning "having two supports") due to its dual focus on history and grammar. The first twenty cantos, in Sanskrit, narrate the history from the career of Mulraj Solanki to the reign of Kumarapal. The latter part, comprising eight cantos in Prakrit, completes the unfinished story of Kumarapal. The Sanskrit portion is also referred to as "Vaidurya-varolli-kīrtana" and the Prakrit portion as "Kumārapālit."

The article then provides a summary of the epic's content:

Canto 1: Describes the capital city, Anahilapataka (Patan), King Mulraj, the prosperity of his subjects, and his popularity.
Cantos 2-5: Detail Mulraj's victory over Graharipu, the oppressive ruler of Saurashtra, mentioning many kings from both sides. Graharipu is spared after his wife pleads for his life, while his friend Lakṣarāja of Kutch is killed in battle.
Canto 6: Mentions unique gifts received by Mulraj from kings of distant lands like Anga, Vindhya, Padu, Sindhu, Vanavasi, Shurjachal (Devgiri), Kolhapur, Kambi, Kuru, and Panchala. It then describes the victory of Prince Chamundraj over an elephant with forbidden characteristics sent by the ruler of Lata.
Canto 7: Relates the journey of Chamundraj towards Kashi and his son Vallabhraj's expedition against the king of Malwa. However, Vallabhraj dies of smallpox on the way, and the army returns concealing the news.
Canto 7 (continued): Describes the marriage of Vallabhraj's brother Durlabhraj (VS 1066-1078) with Durlabhadevi, the sister of the king of Marwar (Nar), and his victorious battles with other kings on this occasion.
Canto 8: Details the glorious and ethical reign of Bhimdeva I (Bhimraj) (VS 1078-1120), son of Durlabhraj's younger brother Nagraj, and his victory over the valiant Sindhuraj Hammuk in battle.
Canto 9: After his victory in Sindhu, Bhimdeva turns towards Chedi (Central India). However, the Chedi king makes peace by sending a golden canopy and other gifts to the Malva king Bhoja, who had defeated Karnataka, Gujarat, and Chedi.
Canto 10: Following the powerful Bhim, his son Kṣemarāja declines the throne, leading to the accession of Karna I (VS 1120-1150). This canto also beautifully depicts the love marriage of Karna with Mayanaladevi (Minaldevi), daughter of Jayakesi of Chandrapur in the south.
Canto 11: Goddess Lakshmi, pleased with Karna's penance, bestows him with prosperity and a boon for a son. In canto 11, Jayasinh, the "Nath of Gujarat" (VS 1150-1198), ascends the throne.
Canto 12: Jayasinh battles and defeats the demon-king (actually a Bhil king) Barbaraka, who was harassing Brahmins in Shriśthala (Siddhpur), making him his servant and appointing him as the protector of Shriśthala. The poet also introduces the miracles of this Bhil king, known in folklore as "Babra Bhut."
Canto 13: Describes an interesting incident where Maharaja Jayasinh, like Vikram, disguised himself at night to understand the joys, sorrows, and thoughts of his subjects. Hearing a woman's sorrowful cry one night, he investigated and learned about a Naga prince, Ratnachuda, who had wagered his wife in a debate. Due to a mistake, he lost her to his opponent, Daman. Daman, who had miraculously shown the flowers of a creeper blooming in winter, demanded a unique condition for her release: the Naga must bring him a "Ushā" (a type of jewel or possibly ice from the Himalayas) during the winter season. Ratnachuda sought help from Jayasinh as he himself could not fulfill the condition. The story then intricately details the plight of the Naga couple and how Jayasinh, by a clever act involving a betel tree and a well infested with poisonous insects, retrieves the Ushā and rescues the Naga couple. This narrative is seen as a mythological representation of Gujarat's historical connection with the Naga people.
Canto 14: Describes a miraculous event where King Jayasinh defeats the renowned Yogini Kalika, who attempted to burn his effigy through magical means. He then achieves a glorious victory over the art-loving king Yashovarma of Malwa.
Canto 15: Jayasinh obtains "golden potency" (suvarnasiddhi) through the grace of Lord Somnath and becomes "Siddharaja." He also repaired the route to Kedarnath, built the Rudramahala and Jain monasteries in Shriśthala, the Sahasralinga Lake and various temples in Patan, and founded Simhapura (Shihor) in Saurashtra.
Cantos 16-18: Begin the story of Kumarapal, detailing his victory over Ajayraj of Sapadalaksha (Ajmer).
Canto 19: Kumarapal marries Jahlana, daughter of Arṇoraja of Anahila (Anhilwad), and his Brahmin general Kaka (immortalized in Munshi's novels) defeats Ballala of Avanti. This canto also mentions other kings from both sides.
Canto 20: Details Kumarapal's famous moral resolution, which still has an impact on Gujarat. On Amalaka Ekadashi, moved by witnessing the suffering of animals being sold to butchers, the Maharaja forbade the use of alcohol, gambling, adultery, meat consumption, and lying. He also provided grain for three years to those who would be economically affected by these prohibitions, ensuring strict adherence to his decree. Furthermore, hearing a woman's cry one night, he discovered she was about to commit suicide as her entire property would revert to the state upon her husband and son's death, leaving her destitute. The compassionate king reassured her, promising that the state would not seize her property, and immediately waived the state's right over escheat property.

The Sanskrit Dvyashraya Mahakavya concludes with blessings for the popular king Kumarapal, who initiated social reform in the medieval period, renovated Kedarpṛasad and the Somnath temple, and established Kumarapal-eshvara in Gurjarpur-Patan according to a divine vision, and also built temples for Parshvanath. The concluding verses offer blessings to Kumarapal as "Chaulukya-chudamani" (crest jewel of the Chalukyas) to be long-lived and victorious, and to free the earth from debt.

Prakrit Dvyashraya Mahakavya:

The Prakrit Dvyashraya Mahakavya completes Kumarapal's story. The first five and the first half of the sixth canto describe Patan, the king and subjects' prosperity, the grandeur of temples and processions, and the king's generosity and devotion. The latter half of the sixth canto details Kumarapal's victory over Mallikarjuna in Konkan and his dominion over Mathura, Chedi, Dasharna, Kanyakubja, Magadha, Gada, Sindhu, Srinagar, Telingana, Kanchi, and other regions.

Canto 6 mentions the king of Jangal's praise, leading a sleeping Kumarapal to contemplate his duty in the seventh canto. In the eighth canto, at his request, Goddess Shri Saraswati imparts religious teachings.

The extent of Gujarat's influence across distant regions is evident from the poetic descriptions. The article quotes a verse from Hemchandracharya's Trishashthi-Shalaka-Purush-Charitra, which predicts Kumarapal's dominion extending to the Turk border in the north, the Ganges in the east, the Vindhya mountains in the south, and the ocean in the west. The use of the future tense here is explained as a prophecy attributed to Lord Mahavira.

Omissions and Interpretations:

The article notes that while Dvyashraya presents many historical events confirmed by other records and inscriptions, it omits certain significant episodes. These include:

Mulraj's relationship with the Chahmanas and his defeat by Vigraharaja of Shakambhari (Ajmer).
Bhoja of Malwa's defeat of Bhima.
Bhimadeva's defeat by Anhila of Naḍol.
Mahmud Ghaznavi's famous invasion of Somnath during Bhima's reign.
Karna's defeat by the kings of Malwa and Shakambhari.
Kumarapal's prolonged wanderings during Siddharaja's reign.

The author suggests that these omissions might be due to the poet's intention to avoid events that would cast a slur on the dynasty he was chronicling and the patron king who inspired the work.

Debate on Mahmud of Ghazni's Invasion:

The article touches upon the debate regarding Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion of Somnath. The Gujarati translation of the Sanskrit Dvyashraya published in 1893, translated by Maniṣal Nabhubhai Trivedi, speculates that the Muslim accounts of the invasion might be fabricated. However, the author refutes this, citing evidence like the renovation of the Somnath temple by Kumarapal under the supervision of the Pasupatacharya Bhaṭṭa Bhaspati, which mentions Bhimadeva building a stone temple. The logic is that this stone temple could have been built after Mahmud destroyed the earlier wooden temple. The article also cites Al-Beruni (Mahmud's contemporary) and Śrī Jinaprabhasuri (early 14th century) who mention the destruction of Somnath. Furthermore, a verse from Dhanpal, a contemporary poet, clearly states that Sriśrimāl, Anhilwad, Chandravati, Sorath, Delvada, and Someswar (Somnath) were broken, but not Śrīsaccheri (Śrī Sāchor). Hemchandracharya's omission is attributed to the reasons mentioned earlier. The defeat of Mahmud's retreating army by Delhi's King Vajadeva, with the cooperation of Bhima and other kings, and the recapture of Thaneshwar, is also mentioned. The description of Bhima's victory over Sindhuraj Hammuka in the eighth canto of Dvyashraya is seen as possibly referring to this collective victory.

Other Historical Points and the Author's Perspective:

The article also mentions that events like the popular tales of Ranadevi and Jasama might have been omitted for similar reasons. However, the description of the victory over Malwa is supported by the epithet "Avantisthana" found in inscriptions, and an inscription from Dohad (VS 1196) clearly states that "Shri Jayasinghdev is the king in Gurjaramandal, who imprisoned the rulers of Saurashtra and Malwa."

The founding of Simhapura (Shihor) near Shatrunjaya mountain in Saurashtra by Jayasinh is also mentioned. It is speculated that the Simhasamvat was initiated around this time, possibly in memory of Siddharaja's victory in Saurashtra. The victory of Siddharaja over Khangar is also clearly mentioned in Vijayansuri's Revantagiri-Rasu.

The establishment of the city of Karnavati (modern Ahmedabad) by Karnadeva, who built the Kochharba Devi temple, Karnasagar lake, and Karneshwar Mahadev temple for Ashabhil of Ashapalli village, is also not found in Dvyashraya.

The article discusses Hemchandracharya's omission of Jayasinh's victory over Arṇoraja of Shakambhari, suggesting that perhaps Arṇoraja later married his daughter Kanchanadevi to Siddharaja. It also notes that unlike other victories, Siddharaja did not adopt an epithet for this victory, leading some to believe it was a minor victory or an establishment of ministerial authority. However, Mulraj's defeat of Dharanivarah of Abu is unaccounted for, which is significant as it brought the Abu region under Gujarat's rule. The lack of chronological order in the genealogies is considered a major flaw from a historical perspective.

However, the author emphasizes that Hemchandracharya's primary aim was not solely to write history but to compose a Mahakavya, incorporating necessary poetic descriptions and providing examples for his grammar rules. The historical accounts presented by Hemchandracharya are considered highly reliable due to his influence, eyewitness accounts, and access to state records. The presence of miracles and embellishments is natural in poetry. The ambitious Siddharaja, emulating Vikram, might have also encouraged the propagation of wondrous tales about himself, such as those involving yoginis. The article points out that the "demon" Barbaraka in Dvyashraya becomes "Babra Bhut" (a great ghost) within a century, as evidenced by Someshvara's Kirtikaumudi, which states that Siddharaja subdued this great ghost in the cremation ground. The epithet "Vartana" applied to Siddharaja in copper plates suggests the significance of this event. Bhimdeva II's epithet "Maminavasiddhana" suggests that within just 50 years, Jayasinh Siddharaja became an exemplary king of the Chalukya dynasty.

The article concludes by reiterating that the historical events in Dvyashraya are not fabricated. On the contrary, numerous inscriptions and copper plates corroborate Hemchandracharya's accounts. The Chalukyan genealogy in Dvyashraya also aligns with these records. The author posits that the omissions might be due to a lack of stronger evidence beyond oral traditions. He praises Hemchandracharya as a true historian for his discerning selection of historical events, comparing them critically and avoiding unsupported details. While a poet might have altered facts for dramatic effect (e.g., depicting Vallabhraj's victory rather than his death on the way), Hemchandracharya's restraint in adhering to facts is commendable. The article also highlights the epic's contribution to understanding the social conditions and culture of Gujarat during that period.

In essence, the article argues that it is not an exaggeration to consider Acharya Shri Hemachandra as Gujarat's first historian and Dvyashraya Mahakavya as Gujarat's first historical epic, given their profound influence on the cultural and political history of India and the meticulous, albeit artistically presented, historical narrative provided by the work.