Mansukhlal Jhaveri

Mansukhlal Maganlal Jhaveri (1907–1981) was a Gujarati language poet, critic, and literary historian of the Gandhian era. He was deeply interested in classical Sanskrit poetry and authored History of Gujarati Literature. Jhaveri had several pen-names including Devaki Ayodhya, Punarvasu, Madilant, Samintiyajak, and Siddhartha.

Works

His first poetry collection, Chandradut (1929), is an adaptation of Meghadūta by Kālidāsa, written in Mandakranta meter. His other poetry collections are Phooldol (1933), Aaradhana (1939), Abhisar (1947), Anubhuti (1956) and Doomo Ogalyo (1975), which contain rhythmic poems about love, nature and God.

According to the Encyclopedia of Indian Literature, Jhaveri was a critic of the first order in the poet-critic tradition of Gujarati literature. He deeply studied Eastern and Western concepts of literary criticism and published several books of critical articles and reviews including Thoda Vivechan Lekho (1944), Paryeshana (1952), Kavyavimarsha (1962), Abhigam (1966), Govardhanram (1967), Nhanalal (1967), Kanaiylal Munshi (1970), Umashankar Joshi (1971), Gujarati Sahityabhasha (1972), Balwantrai Thakor (1976), Aapno Kavita Vaibhav Vol. 1 and 2 (1974, 1975), Drishtikon (1978), Gandhiyug Nu Sahitya (1978) and Umashankar Joshi – Natyakar (1979). In Aapno Kavita Vaibhav, he presented an anthology of Gujarati poetry from 1850 to 1973.

Jhaveri wrote History of Gujarati Literature (1978), in English. In collaboration with other writers, he wrote a history of Gujarati literature in Gujarati: Gujarati Sahityanu Rekhadarshan (1953).

Some of his works, including Gujarati Bhasha: Vyakaran ane Lekhan (1946), Bhasha Parichay Part 1 to 4 (1951 to 1957) and Vakapriththakaran ane Suddhalekhan (1965), are based on Gujarati grammar and language. Dashamskandha (1942), Mari Shrestha Vartao (1952), Navi Kavita (1952; with others), Gujarati Tunki Varta (1960), Dayaram (1960) and Aapna Urmikavyo (1976) are the compilations he edited.

Jhaveri translated Kalidasa's Abhijnanshakuntalam into Gujarati as Smritibramsha athva Shapit Shakuntala (1928). He also translated Shakespeare's Hamlet and Othello into Gujarati.