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i ill K 71. IS i.fs 3/■v/nmuv/ /■\\J)n i r\v \vi. \;n t. < u.. v ■■ \»a :N ; A VAHKTAN PAAN1 JHAVERQ-IAND . MPGHANI • ’ JL_Jj i'WiM'i' ■ \ m INDIAN CLASSICS V AT r BT I CHANDRAKANT MEHTA L m. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Public.Resource.Org https://archive.org/details/indianclassicsguOOmahe INDIAN CLASSICS —GUJARATI DR. CHANDRAKANT MEHTA Translation PALLAVI MARU PUBLICATIONS DIVISION MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING GOVERNMENT OF INDIA First Print : 2005 (Saka 1927) ISBN: 81-230-1120-2 A&C-ENG-OP-OI 6-2005-06 © Publications Division Price : Rs. 90.00 Published by The Director, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, Patiala House, New Delhi-110 001 Website: http://www.publicationsdivision.nic.in e-mail: [email protected] (or) [email protected] Editing : Kalpana Palkhiwala Cover Design : Asha Saxena Sales Emporia (Publications Division): • Patiala House, Tilak Marg, New Delhi-110 001 (Ph. 23386096) • 1st Floor, Soochna Bhavan, C.G.O. Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 (Ph. 24365610) • Hall No. 196, Old Secretariat, Delhi-110054 (Ph. 23890205) • Commerce House, Currimbhoy Road, Ballard Pier, Mumbai-400038 (Ph. 22610081) • 8, Esplanade East, Kolkata-700069 (Ph. 22488030) • Block No. 4, First Floor, Gruhakalpa Complex, M.J. 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PUBLISHER'S NOTE A Classic, they say, is a book which people praise but do not read. The book is praised because it is supposed to embody the best of human thought. The present series. Classics of India is designed to bring out the best in Indian thought in a form which makes these great books readable. Our plan is to request eminent litterateures in every major Indian language to identify and select the classics of their language (we admit that there may be some difference of opinion in the selection but than no selection can ever be foolproof) and then retell the contents in simple language. We have also requested them to give reasons why the particular work has been regarded as a classic and tell us something about the author also. According to the plan, we propose to publish the work first in the language from which the classics have been identified and then to have these translated in all major Indian languages. This way we hope to make available the contents of all the classics of all Indian languages for everyone, irrespective of his/her mother- tongue. The present selection, compilation and abbreviation of the Classics in Gujarati has been accomplished by Dr. Chandrakant Mehta. We hope the readers will welcome our effort and find it useful. Dr. Om Prakash Kejariwal PREFACE Bharat is a multilingual country and a person having knowledge of one language is hardly aware of the great works from other languages. In order to create the awareness in a reader, the Publications Division of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India planned to publish brief compilations of fictions of distinction, from different languages and translate them in various Indian languages. I was allotted the work to compile selected literary creations from Gujarati language. I have selected 15 novels, which include a play titled "Koi Ek Phool Nu Naaam To Fo" (Do Take Name of a Flower) which was selected and produced among other plays of Indian languages on Delhi Doordarshan. Here I have selected only fifteen out of the distinct creations, after all the best cannot be too many. The fiction's selection is done after viewing from different angles, e.g. Saraswatichandra is a social novel written during the end part of 19th century, while Paralysis represents later period of 20th century and gives us the glimpse of the modern society. There are historical novels like "Gujarat No Naath" (The Ruler of Gujarat), Janamteep (Life Imprisonment) are included here while existentialists story like Amruta is also there. The fictions from novelists like Kundanika Kapadia and Minal Dikshit too have found place. Shivakumar Joshi's Sonal Chaaya (Golden Shadow) is based on a diary with a style of its own, is selected. Thus the variety along with the view to give representation to last two eras, is kept in mind. I have included even a novel based on mythological subject, "Madhava Kyaanya Nathi" (Madhava is to be Found no Where). I am extremely thankful to the officers and especially to Ms. Kalpana Palkhiwala of the Publications Division for entrusting this compilation work to me. Chandrakant Mehta