Harivallabh Bhayani

Harivallabh Bhayani Biography

Dr. Harivallabh Bhayani was famous literary critic from Gujarat. He was a scholar, linguistic, writer and translator too, belonging to Gujarati language. Te hi no divasah (1998) is his autobiography work. His work - Rachna Samrachna earned him Gujarati Sahitya Academy award for the year 1981. He was also a recipient of Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak for the year 1963. He was the co-founder of Anusandhan, a journal featuring Jain literary works. He received honorary fellowship of the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London in 1993. He passed away in 2000.

Harivallabh was born on 26 May 1917 in Mahuva of Bhavnagar district, Gujarat. He lost both his parents at a young age. He was raised by his grandmother. He completed his graduation in Sanskrit from Samaldas College, Bhavnagar in 1939. Later he completed his Master’s and PhD in Sanskrit language. He received his PhD in 1951 after completion of his thesis on a classic literary work - Paumachariya. Since 1945 he served as a teacher of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan for next 20 years before he moved to Ahmedabad. He served as professor of linguistics at Gujarat University for next 10 years and took voluntary retirement in 1975. Since then he dedicated his full time for research and translation works.  He settled in Ahmedabad.

He was a great scholar of Sanskrit and Gujarati languages. He has given significant contributions in research in the ancient works in Sanskrit and Priakrit, and also enriched the Gujarati language by several original works he wrote. He is also known of his pioneering work in linguistics, and has dedicated more than 50 years in the field of research and writing. Old Jain writings are written in Prakrit and Apbhramsa languages and Bhayani’s researches included both these languages as well.

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Updated: July 09, 2016