{{Short description|Indian critic and lexicographer (1898–1968)}} {{Infobox writer | name = Vishwanath Bhatt | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1898|3|20}} | birth_place = Umarala, Bhavnagar State, British India | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1968|11|27|1898|3|20}} | death_place = | occupation = Literary critic, lexicographer }}

'''Vishwanath Maganlal Bhatt''' (20 March 1898 – 27 November 1968) was a Gujarati literary critic and lexicographer from Gujarat, India. He had published 22 works. He was awarded the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 1935.

==Biography== Bhatt was born on 20 March 1898 in Umarala, Bhavnagar State of British India. He completed his matriculation in 1916 and graduated in 1920 with Sanskrit and English as his major subjects.<ref name="GSP">{{Cite web|title=સવિશેષ પરિચય: વિશ્વનાથ ભટ્ટ, ગુજરાતી સાહિત્ય પરિષદ - Vishwanath Bhatt, Gujarati Sahitya Parishad|url=https://gujaratisahityaparishad.com/prakashan/sarjako/savishesh/Savishesh-Vishwanath-Bhatt.html|website=gujaratisahityaparishad.com|language=gu|access-date=20 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="AGSI2">{{cite book|last=Brahmabhatt|first=Prasad|title=અર્વાચીન ગુજરાતી સાહિત્યનો ઈતિહાસ (ગાંધીયુગ અને અનુગાંધી યુગ)|publisher=Parshwa Publication|year=2007|location=Ahmedabad|pages=181–183|language=gu|script-title=gu:Arvachin Gujarati Sahityano Itihas (Gandhiyug Ane Anugandhi Yug)|trans-title=History of Modern Gujarati Literature (Gandhi Era & Post-Gandhi Era)}}{{ISBN missing|date=September 2019}}</ref> He wanted to study post graduation but under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi's Non-cooperation Movement. He left the studies to join the movement.<ref name="DB">{{Cite web|url=https://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/news/MGUJ-AHM-HMU-MAT-latest-ahmedabad-news-020002-1297612-NOR.html|title=સિદ્ધાંતનિષ્ઠ વિવેચક: વિશ્વનાથ ભટ્ટ (1898-1968)|date=2018-03-20|website=divyabhaskar|access-date=2020-04-21}}</ref> He married Savitri.<ref name="WWIL">{{Cite book|last=Akademi|first=Sahitya|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=56PWDwAAQBAJ&q=Vishwanath+Bhatt+Gujarati+critic&pg=PA42|title=Who's Who Of Indian Writers|publisher=Dalcassian Publishing Company|language=en}}</ref>

Bhatt worked as a teacher in various schools at Umreth, Bharuch, and Ahmedabad during 1920–26. Later he joined the Gujarat Vidyapith as part of a team working on the Gujarati spelling dictionary, ''Jodani Kosh''. Next year, he moved to Gondal to work on ''Bhagavadgomandal''. He again worked as a teacher during 1930–39. He also worked as a professor of Gujarati at S.L.U. College for Women and L. D. Arts College during 1944–45 and 1947–48 respectively.<ref name="GSP"/><ref name="AGSI2" />

He died on 27 November 1968.<ref name="AGSI2" />

==Works== Bhatt is known for his contribution to the field of criticism in Gujarati literature. He was a critic of the Romantic School. His works were favorably inclined to the Western literary theory and criticism.<ref name="Jhaveri1978">{{cite book|last=Jhaveri|first=Mansukhlal Maganlal|author-link=Mansukhlal Jhaveri|title=History of Gujarati Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DA0RAAAAMAAJ|year=1978|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|location=New Delhi|page=179|oclc=639128528}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303370418|title=Ramnarayan V. Pathak's Literary Criticism in Translation|last=Gosai|first=Manisha|date=2020-04-21|website=www.researchgate.net|access-date=2020-04-21}}</ref> He believed that a critic is superior to the writer.<ref name="DB"/> A literary controversy between Vishwanath Bhatt and Ramnarayan Pathak about ''Criticism is Creation'' had attracted wide attention in those years.<ref name="Broker">{{cite book|last=Broker|first=Gulabdas|url=https://gazetteers.maharashtra.gov.in/cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/Language%20and%20Literature/chapter_4.pdf|title=Maharashtra Gazetteers: Language and Literature|publisher=Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Maharashtra State|year=1971|series=Maharashtra State Gazetteers|location=Mumbai|pages=380|chapter=Chapter 4: Gujarati|author-link=Gulabdas Broker}}</ref> The three well known critics of Gujarati literature are popularly known as three V's of Gujarati literature – Vishnuprasad Trivedi, Vijayray Vaidya and Vishwanath Bhatt.<ref name="Broker" />

He had published 22 books.<ref name="WWIL" />

=== Criticism === His works include:<ref name="AGSI2" />

* ''Sahitya Samiksha'' (1937) * ''Vivechan Mukur'' (1939) * ''Nikash Rekha'' (1945) * ''Pooja Ane Pariksha'' (1962) * ''Sitara-shiksha'' (1967)

He is known for analyzing the art of critic and make its value known in the Gujarati literary sphere. He was of the opinion that, beyond analyzing, critiquing is art with creativity. He pressed these thoughts with few takers.<ref name="GSP" /><ref name="AGSI2" />

His articles ''Sausthavapriya Ane Kautukpriya'', ''Shil ane Sahitya'' etc. discuss the principles of critiquing. He has written articles analyzing creations of Dalpatram, Ramanlal Desai, and Jhaverchand Meghani. Under his articles ''Pandityugnu Mahakavya'', ''Rastarangini'' ane ''Narmadnu Kavya Mandir,'' he has critiqued the writings of Govardhanram Tripathi, Damodar Botadkar and Narmad.<ref name="AGSI2" />

''Sahityano Swadhyay - Purvardh'' (1963) is his book explaining principles in literature based on ''An Introduction to the Study of literature'' by William Henry Hudson. The second half of the book was not published.<ref name="GSP" /><ref name="AGSI2" />

;Edited works

His edited works are:<ref name="AGSI2" />

*''Gadya Navneet'' (1926) *''Narmadnu Mandir - Gadyavibhag'' (1928) *''Paribhashik Shabdakosh'' (1930–32) *''Narmadnu Mandir - Padyavibhag'' (1938) *''Nibandhmala'' (1940)

;Biography * ''Veer Narmad'' (1933)<ref name="AGSI2" />

; Translations

He translated novellas of Leo Tolstoy with Anantrai Raval.<ref name="Anantrai Raval, Gujarati Sahitya Parishad">{{cite web | title=સવિશેષ પરિચય: અનંતરાય રાવળ, ગુજરાતી સાહિત્ય પરિષદ | website=Anantrai Raval, Gujarati Sahitya Parishad | url=https://www.gujaratisahityaparishad.com/prakashan/sarjako/savishesh/Savishesh-Anantrai-Raval.html | language=gu | access-date=26 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="AGSI2" />

* ''Avum Kem Sujhyu?'' (1928) * ''Premno Dambh'' (1930) * ''Kathavali'' 1-2 (1932, 1935) * ''Navo Avatar'' 1-2-3 (1932, 1933, 1934) * ''Lagnasukh'' (1936)

== Recognition == Bhatt was awarded the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 1935.<ref name="GSP" /><ref name="AGSI2" />

==See also== * List of Gujarati-language writers

==References== {{reflist}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatt, Vishwanath}} Category:1898 births Category:1968 deaths Category:Gujarati-language Indian writers Category:People from Bhavnagar district Category:Indian lexicographers Category:Indian literary critics Category:Indian editors Category:20th-century Indian biographers Category:Indian translators Category:Recipients of the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak Category:20th-century Indian translators Category:20th-century lexicographers Category:Literary critics from British India