Acknowledgements

This research work is the result of enthusiastic and spontaneous cooperation of several persons without whose help and assistance, the completion of this thesis would have not only been difficult but impossible.

Although it is impossible to recall each and everyone of those whose support and contribution has helped me in completing this work yet I shall be failing in my duty if I do not mention a few of them.

At the outset, I would like to express my profoundest sense of gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Kamal Mehta, Professor and Head, Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies, Rajkot. It was his continuous guidance and valuable inputs which helped define the direction of the study.

I am grateful to Professor Avdhesh Kumar Singhji for his valuable suggestions. I also thank Dr. Jaydipsinh Dodiya, Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee and Dr. Ravisinh Zala, faculties of the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies for their academic support.

I am deeply indebted to Mahakavi Goswami Hariraiji, without his guidance and support this work would not have been possible.

I find no words to thank Prof. Amruta P. Patel, Principal, Uma Arts and Nathiba Mahila Commerce College, Gandhinagar and Prof. Devendra Nath Pandey, Faculty Dean, Shree Somnath Sanskrit University, Veraval, for their kindness in reading the translation and suggesting valuable corrections and improvements. I also thank my teacher Dr. J. V. Dave Sir, for his constant encouragement and proper guidance.

My sincerest thanks to my kind and obliging friends and colleagues Dr. Arunendrasingh Rathore, Principal, Gujarat Arts and Science College, Ahmedabad, Dr. Sangita P. Ghate, Principal, Umiya Arts and Commerce Girls College Sola, Ahmedabad and Prof. Gayatri K. Bhatt, Head, Department of English, Kotak Science College, Rajkot for their valuable suggestions in completing this work.

I also thank Dr. N. L. Pandya, Faculty Dean, Shree Somnath Sanskrit University, Veraval, Prof. Pankaj Raval, Faculty Dean, Prof. Bhavprakash Gandhi, Prof. Lalit Patel, Shri Jatin Bhatt and Shri Amit Soni for their cooperation.

I am indebted to the various libraries that have provided me enough material pertaining to this research work. I am particularly thankful to the librarian and other members of the staff of the Central library of Saurashtra University, Rajkot, Library of the Dept. of English & CLS, Saurashtra University Rajkot and Library of Shree Somnath Sanskrit University Veraval.

I would like to acknowledge the ideological and inspirational role played by my mother and father Shri Laxman N. Jani, who prompted me into believing that learning must never stop. I would be failing in my duty if I don't acknowledge with gratitude the help and inspiration I have received from my father-in-law, my maternal uncles, my sisters and my brother.

I am very much grateful to my wife and my twin sons who bore patiently all sorts of inconveniences during this spell. They were with me whenever required with total devotion and involvement and also have been constant source of inspiration. I am also thankful to them as they helped me in typing this matter.

Last but not the least I would wish to thank all my friends and well wishers who helped me in one way or the other.

Pankaj L. Jani