Jaybhikhkhu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jaybhikhkhu
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Young Jaybhikhkhu
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| Born | Balabhai Virchand Desai 26 June 1908 Vinchhiya, Saurashtra, British India |
| Died | 24 December 1969 (aged 61) Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India |
| Pen name | Jaybhikhkhu, Veerkumar, Bhikshu Saylakar |
| Occupation | Novelist, essayist, biographer, children's writer |
| Language | Gujarati |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Spouse |
Vijayabahen
(m. 1930) |
| Children | Kumarpal Desai |
Balabhai Virchand Desai, known by his pen name Jaybhikhkhu, was a famous writer from Gujarat, India. He wrote in the Gujarati language. He was well-known for his historical novels, short stories, plays, and essays. He also wrote many books for children.
Contents
About Jaybhikhkhu
Jaybhikhkhu was born on June 26, 1908, in a village called Vinchhiya in Saurashtra. His parents were Virchand Khemchandbhai Desai and Parvatibahen. His family came from a place called Sayla. His father worked as an administrator for different states.
Sadly, his mother passed away when he was only four years old. Because of this, he spent his childhood living with his maternal uncle.
His Education and Learning
Jaybhikhkhu went to primary school in Botad and Varsoda. He then continued his studies in Ahmedabad. Later, he joined an institute in Vile Parle, Bombay. This institute was founded by Vijaydharma Suri.
As the institute moved, he also moved to different cities like Kashi, Agra, and finally Shivapuri in Gwalior state. For about eight or nine years, he studied many subjects. He learned Sanskrit, Hindi, Gujarati, and English literature. He also studied Jain philosophy and the art of poetry. He earned special degrees in Sanskrit and philosophy during this time.
What Inspired Him
Jaybhikhkhu grew up in a religious family, which influenced him greatly. His studies in Jain philosophy and poetry also shaped his ideas. He was very impressed by a famous Gujarati novel called Saraswatichandra by Govardhanram Tripathi.
He decided to live his life by four important rules:
- He would never work a regular job.
- He would not take any property from his father.
- He would not give his son any property.
- He would earn his living only through writing.
Jaybhikhkhu passed away on December 24, 1969, in Ahmedabad.
His Writings
Jaybhikhkhu was a very busy writer. He wrote many different types of books. He was a novelist, short story writer, playwright, and biographer. He also wrote for children and worked as a journalist.
He wrote over 300 books in total! This includes 20 novels, 21 collections of short stories, 7 plays, and 66 short biographies. One of his novels, Prembhakta Kavi Jaydev, was even made into a Gujarati film called Geetgovind.
Jaybhikhkhu also wrote popular articles for newspapers. He had columns like "Int Ane Imarat" in Gujarat Samachar. He also wrote for children's weeklies like Zagmag.
Some of His Books
Jaybhikhkhu wrote many novels, often about historical events. Some of his novels include:
- Bhagyavidhata (1935)
- Kamavijeta Sthulibhadra (1941)
- Prembhakta Kavi Jaydev (1945)
- Vikramaditya Hemu (1944)
- Dilhishwar (1951)
He also wrote many short story collections, such as:
- Madare Vatan (1950)
- Yadavasthali (1952)
- Matinu Attar (1963)
- Upavan (1944)
His plays include:
- Rasiyo Valam (1955)
- Panna Dai (1955)
- Geetgovind No Gayak (1952)
His Writing Style
Jaybhikhkhu wrote in a modern time, but his choice of topics and writing style were similar to older writers. His education in Jain schools and his travels through forests and natural places greatly influenced his writing.
He often chose religious and historical topics. He was one of the first writers to take stories from Jain religious texts and make them into novels. He focused on the human side of these stories, not just the religious parts.
His writing was often fast-paced and full of vivid descriptions. He used many metaphors, which are figures of speech that compare two different things. This came from his study of Sanskrit literature. His historical novels show how creative he was. His short stories were simple and focused on the plot, like older styles of storytelling.
For teens, he wrote stories that were exciting and full of adventure. He also wrote animal fables, which are stories with animals as characters that teach a moral lesson. He got ideas for these fables from Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist literature.
His Legacy
A road in the Paldi area of Ahmedabad is named after him. It is called Jaybhikhkhu Road.
To honor his memory, the Shri Jaybhikhkhu Sahitya Trust was created. This trust publishes his books, organizes talks, gives scholarships to students, and presents the Jaybhikhkhu Award to other writers.
His Family and Names
Jaybhikhkhu married Vijayabahen on May 13, 1930. She was the daughter of a businessman from Ranpur. Their son, Kumarpal Desai, also became a writer.
When he was a child, people fondly called Jaybhikhkhu "Bhikhalal." His official name was Balabhai. Jaybhikhkhu used several different pen names during his career.
- He first published a biography of his teacher, Vijayadharma Suri, in 1929. He used the pen name Bhikshu Saylakar. This name came from his childhood name, Bhikhalal, and his hometown, Sayla.
- Another pen name he used was Veerkumar.
- He created his most famous pen name, Jaybhikhkhu, by combining his wife's name, Vijaya, with his childhood name, Bhikhalal.
