Le Miserabla Urfe Patit Pavan

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Le Miserable urfe Patit Pavan" by Victor Hugo, edited by Gopaldas Patel, published by Vishva Sahitya Academy, based on the provided pages:

Title: Le Miserable urfe Patit Pavan (Les Misérables, also known as The Redeemed Sinner)

Author: Victor Hugo (Original work), Gopaldas Patel (Editor/Summarizer)

Publisher: Vishva Sahitya Academy

Context: This Gujarati translation and abridged version of Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables" is presented as the first publication of the "Vishva Sahitya Academy." The Academy was founded with the inspiration of Shri Maganbhai Prabhudas Desai, a Gandhian thinker and national educator, to make world literature accessible to Gujarati readers. The Academy aims to release one such "fragrant flower" every month, presented as a concise, illustrated summary of great world literature. This particular book is a selection from Shri Maganbhai Desai's monthly magazine "Shikshan ane Sahitya" (Education and Literature). The text emphasizes the enduring relevance of such books as long as ignorance and poverty persist on Earth, quoting Victor Hugo's sentiment.

Editor's Introduction (Maganbhai Desai): Maganbhai Desai praises Gopaldas Patel's effort in creating an abridged, child-friendly summary of Hugo's masterpiece. He highlights that the story appeals to all ages and is endlessly readable. Desai connects the novel's themes to contemporary issues, emphasizing that individuals are more valuable than possessions and that human love and heart's nature cannot be easily changed by laws. He views poverty not as a crime but as a betrayal of human love and the heart's dharma, finding great satisfaction in the story's portrayal of loyalty to this love-ethic.

Kaka Kalelkar's Foreword: Kaka Kalelkar reflects on the novel's significant place in world literature and its relevance to celebrating the centenary of the novel and its author. He introduces the concept of a "sacred figure" (mangalmurti) in every novel, alongside the hero and heroine. He identifies the Bishop in Les Misérables as such a figure, whose forgiving generosity profoundly impacts the protagonist, Jean Valjean, and whose influence permeates the entire narrative. He draws parallels to similar figures in Indian literature like Lord Krishna, Vyasa, and Vidura in the Mahabharata, and Valmiki in the Ramayana. Kalelkar poses the question of what is truly supreme in life: strict legal justice or boundless human generosity, forgiveness, and love. He points to the police officer Javert as an embodiment of strict adherence to law, whose eventual defeat by generosity leads to his suicide, highlighting both his devotion to his duty and the failure of his rigid worldview. He congratulates Gopaldas Patel for bringing this "universally acclaimed novel" to Gujarati readers.

The Narrative Summary (as presented in the pages):

The provided pages offer a summary of the initial parts of the story, focusing on Jean Valjean's initial struggles and encounters after his release from prison.

• Chapter 1: The Wandering Traveler (હડધૂત મુસાફર):

  • Jean Valjean, a paroled convict identified by his yellow passport, arrives in a town.
  • He is refused lodging at an inn due to his disheveled appearance and reputation, despite having money.
  • He is also turned away from other establishments, including the jailer's house, which humorously tells him to commit a crime to be admitted.
  • He is met with suspicion and hostility from villagers, some of whom throw stones at him.
  • He finally seeks shelter at a small dwelling on the edge of town, where he is also met with fear and aggression from the owner who mistakes him for a dangerous fugitive.
  • He then finds a small, seemingly abandoned hut in a field.

• Chapter 2: The Bishop's Guest (બિશપનો મહેમાન):

  • Jean Valjean, seeking shelter and warmth, enters a church and finds a resting place on a stone bench.
  • An elderly woman from the bishop's residence finds him and, despite his lack of money, suggests he try the bishop's house as their door is always open.
  • The Bishop of Digne, Monseigneur Myriel, arrives and, upon learning of Valjean's plight and homelessness, immediately offers him lodging and food in his own palace.
  • The Bishop's charitable nature is highlighted. He swaps his palace for the modest hospital building and offers shelter to the sick.
  • His budgeting of his income prioritizes charitable causes over personal expenses.
  • He has no locks on his doors, believing a priest's door should always be open.
  • Valjean, after being treated with kindness, sees the bishop's silver cutlery and candlesticks stored in a cupboard.
  • Later that night, Valjean steals the silver.
  • The next morning, the bishop, along with the police, finds Valjean. Instead of accusing him, the bishop miraculously covers for Valjean by stating he gave the silver to Valjean himself, asking Valjean to use it to become an honest man.
  • The bishop also gives Valjean the silver candlesticks, urging him to sell them for his redemption.
  • This act of profound forgiveness and mercy profoundly impacts Valjean.

• Chapter 3: The Last Spark (છેલ્લી ચિનગારી):

  • The summary indicates Jean Valjean, changed by the bishop's act, leaves the city of Digne.
  • He encounters a young boy named Petit Gervais who drops a franc coin. Valjean, in a moment of weakness, keeps the coin, but is immediately overcome with remorse.
  • He finds the boy and returns the coin, an act that signifies the beginning of his moral transformation.

• Chapter 4: Parisian Birds (પેરીસનાં પંખીડાં):

  • This section introduces Fantine and her tragic circumstances in Paris.
  • Fantine, an orphan, moves to Paris at a young age and survives by working menial jobs and engaging in relationships for survival and love.
  • She has a child with a young student who abandons her.
  • Fantine's life becomes a struggle to provide for her daughter, Cosette, whom she eventually leaves with the Thénardiers, a callous innkeeper couple, for a sum of money, with the promise of returning to collect her.

• Chapter 5: Mother and Daughter (મા-દીકરી):

  • This chapter details the harsh reality of Cosette's upbringing with the Thénardiers, who exploit and abuse her, treating her as a servant.
  • Fantine, meanwhile, falls into deeper poverty and degradation in Paris, desperately trying to earn money to send to the Thénardiers for Cosette's upkeep.
  • The chapter highlights the Thénardiers' cruelty and greed, and Fantine's despair.

• Chapters 6-21: The subsequent chapter titles suggest a progression of the narrative, introducing new characters and plotlines, including:

  • Fantine's further downfall and hardship.
  • The story of Marius, a young student who is the grandson of a royalist figure.
  • The intertwining of Marius's life with the lives of other characters, including Eponine, the Thénardiers' daughter.
  • The Parisian uprising of 1832, where various characters are caught in the turmoil.
  • The narrative likely follows Jean Valjean's attempts to live a new life while evading Javert, his past crimes, and his continuous efforts to protect and provide for Cosette, as well as Marius's journey towards understanding his heritage and participating in the revolution.

Overall Theme: The summary points to the core themes of "Les Misérables": redemption, social injustice, poverty, love, sacrifice, and the struggle between law and mercy. It showcases how individuals, through profound acts of kindness and forgiveness, can be transformed and how societal conditions can lead to immense suffering. The abridged version aims to convey these powerful messages to a Gujarati audience.