Satya Vrat Shastri
Encyclopedia
Satya Vrat Shastri (born 29 September 1930) is a highly decorated Sanskrit
scholar, writer, grammarian and poet
from India
. He has written three Mahakavyas
, three Khandakavyas, one Prabandhakavyas and one Patrakavya and five works in critical writing in Sanskrit. His important works are Ramakirtimahakavyam, Brahattaram Bharatam, Sribodhisattvacharitam, Vaidika Vyakarana, Sarmanyadesah Sutram Vibhati, and "Discovery of Sanskrit Treasures" in seven volumes.
He is currently an honorary professor at the Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
, New Delhi
. He was the Head of the Department of Sanskrit and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Delhi
, where he was the Pandit Manmohan Nath Dar Professor of Sanskrit (1970–1995).
During his career he has won many national and international awards, including, the Sahitya Akademi Award
for Sanskrit, given by Sahitya Akademi
, India's National Academy of Letters, in 1968 for his poetry work, Srigurugovindasimhacharitam, then in 2006, he became the first recipient of the Jnanpith award
in Sanskrit language (conferred in 2009 by his disciple and Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
).
, where he studied under, Pandit Shuk Deo Jha and Dr. Siddheshwar Varma.
He received his B.A. Hons. and M.A. in Sanskrit from the Punjab University
, and his Ph.D from the Banaras Hindu University
.
soon after, where for the next the forty years of his teaching career he has held important positions as the Head of the Department of Sanskrit and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts. Satya Vrat Shastri was also the Vice-Chancellor of Shri Jagannath Sanskrit University, Puri
, Orissa
, and a visiting professor at the Chulalongkorn and Silpakorn Universities in Bangkok
, as well as the Northeast Buddhist University, Nongkhai, Thailand, also the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
, the Catholic University, Leuven, Belgium, and the University of Alberta
, Edmonton, Canada
. He also taught Sanskrit to Thailand
's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
[1977-1979].
Satya Vrat Shastri has written many important poetic works in Sanskrit, the most important being his rendition from Royal Thai into Sanskrit, of the Thai version of the Ramayana
, viz., Sri-rama-kirti-maha-kavyam, upon royal request, and with a Forward written by the Princess of Thailand. His current research projects are the Sanskrit inscriptions and Hindu temples in Thailand
, Kalidasa Studies, a critical edition of the Yogavasishtha, the Sanskritic vocabulary of South East Asia, and the Rama
story in South East Asia.
In 2009, he became the only Sanskrit poet to have won the (2006) Jnanpith award
, for his contributions to the enrichment of the language, and conferred by his former disciple, Princess of Thailand
, Maha Chakri Sirindhon.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
scholar, writer, grammarian and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He has written three Mahakavyas
Mahakavya
Mahākāvya , also known as sargabandha, is a genre of Indian epic poetry in classical Sanskrit literature. The genre is characterised by ornate and elaborate descriptions of scenery, love, battles and so on — in short, everything that tests a poet's skill at description...
, three Khandakavyas, one Prabandhakavyas and one Patrakavya and five works in critical writing in Sanskrit. His important works are Ramakirtimahakavyam, Brahattaram Bharatam, Sribodhisattvacharitam, Vaidika Vyakarana, Sarmanyadesah Sutram Vibhati, and "Discovery of Sanskrit Treasures" in seven volumes.
He is currently an honorary professor at the Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate University with approximately 5,500 students and a faculty strength of around 550.-History:...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. He was the Head of the Department of Sanskrit and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
, where he was the Pandit Manmohan Nath Dar Professor of Sanskrit (1970–1995).
During his career he has won many national and international awards, including, the Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
for Sanskrit, given by Sahitya Akademi
Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
, India's National Academy of Letters, in 1968 for his poetry work, Srigurugovindasimhacharitam, then in 2006, he became the first recipient of the Jnanpith award
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
in Sanskrit language (conferred in 2009 by his disciple and Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is the second daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thais commonly refer to her as Phra Thep, meaning "princess angel." Because her title in Thai is the female equivalent of the title held by her brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, she is informally referred...
).
Education
Prof. Shastri received his early education under his father, a renowned scholar Shri Charu Deva Shastri. Thereafter he moved to VaranasiVaranasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, where he studied under, Pandit Shuk Deo Jha and Dr. Siddheshwar Varma.
He received his B.A. Hons. and M.A. in Sanskrit from the Punjab University
Punjab University
Punjab University may refer to:In India:*Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana*Punjab Technical University*Punjabi University, Patiala*Panjab University, ChandigarhIn Pakistan:*University of the Punjab, Lahore...
, and his Ph.D from the Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
.
Career
He joined the University of DelhiUniversity of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
soon after, where for the next the forty years of his teaching career he has held important positions as the Head of the Department of Sanskrit and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts. Satya Vrat Shastri was also the Vice-Chancellor of Shri Jagannath Sanskrit University, Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, and a visiting professor at the Chulalongkorn and Silpakorn Universities in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, as well as the Northeast Buddhist University, Nongkhai, Thailand, also the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Catholic University, Leuven, Belgium, and the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, Edmonton, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He also taught Sanskrit to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is the second daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thais commonly refer to her as Phra Thep, meaning "princess angel." Because her title in Thai is the female equivalent of the title held by her brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, she is informally referred...
[1977-1979].
Satya Vrat Shastri has written many important poetic works in Sanskrit, the most important being his rendition from Royal Thai into Sanskrit, of the Thai version of the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, viz., Sri-rama-kirti-maha-kavyam, upon royal request, and with a Forward written by the Princess of Thailand. His current research projects are the Sanskrit inscriptions and Hindu temples in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Kalidasa Studies, a critical edition of the Yogavasishtha, the Sanskritic vocabulary of South East Asia, and the Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
story in South East Asia.
In 2009, he became the only Sanskrit poet to have won the (2006) Jnanpith award
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
, for his contributions to the enrichment of the language, and conferred by his former disciple, Princess of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Maha Chakri Sirindhon.
International
- Honour from Royal Nepal Academy, Kathmandu, 1979.
- Medallion of Honour from the Catholic University, Leuven, Belgium, 1985.
- Elected Fellow, International Institute of Indian Studies, Ottawa, Canada.
- Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 1993.
- Honour: “Autorita Academische Italiano Straniere”. The Civil and Academic Authority of Italy for Foreigners, 1994.
- Kalidasa Award from the International Institute of Indian Studies, Ottawa, Canada, 1994.
- Special Award from Centro Pimontese di Studi Sui Medio ed Estremo Oriente (CESMEO), Torino, Italy, 1995.
- Honour from Gaja Madah University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 1995.
- Royal Decoration “Most Admirable Order of the DirekgunabhornOrder of the DirekgunabhornThe Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn was established by King Rama IX on 22 July 1991 to be bestowed upon those who have rendered devotional services to the Kingdom of Thailand....
” from His Majesty the King of Thailand, 1997. - Doctorate Honoris Causa, from the University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania.
- Certificate of Excellence from the Spiru Haret University, Ramnicu-Valeca, Romania, 2001.
- Certificate of Excellence from the Biblioteca Judeteana”Antim Ivireanul” Valeca, Romania, 2001.
- Honour from Mihai Eminescu International Academy, Bucharest, Romania, 2001.
- “Outstanding Teacher and Writer” by Biblioteca Pedagogica Nationala ‘I.C. Petrescu’ and Biblioteca Indiana, Romania 2001
- Golden Prize from CESMEO, International Institute for Advanced Asian Studies, Torino, Italy, 2001.
- Elected Fellow, Accademia di Studi Mediterrani, Academy of Mediterranean Studies, Aggrigento, Italy.
National
- Sahitya Akademi AwardSahitya Akademi AwardSahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
, 1968 for Srigurugovindasimhacharitam (Poetry). - Honour from Sahitya Kala Parishad, Delhi Administration, Delhi, 1974.
- Honour from Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Board, 1974.
- U.G.C. National Lecturer, 1983.
- President of India Certificate of Honour, 1985.
- Shiromani Sanskrit Sahityakar Award, Govt. of Punjab, 1985.
- Visista Sanskrit Sahitya Puraskara, Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Academy, 1988.
- Gita Rana Puraskara, IX International Gita Conference, Delhi, 1991.
- Sanskrit Seva Sammana, Delhi Sanskrit Akademi, Delhi, 1992.
- Sanskrit Sahitya Paraskara, Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad, Kolkata, 1992.
- Indira Baharey Gold Medal, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune, 1992.
- Pandit Jagannatha Sanskrit Padya-racana Puraskara, Delhi Sanskrit Akademi, Delhi, 1993.
- Kalidasa Puraskara, Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Academy, Lucknow, 1994.
- Pandita Kshama Row Puraskara, Row Dayal Trust, Mumbai, 1994.
- Vagbhusana title, Vanmaya-vimarsa, Delhi, 1994.
- Devavani-ratna Sammana, Devavani Parishad, New Delhi, 1994.
- First All India Sammana, Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy, Jaipur, 1995.
- Vachaspati Puraskara, K.K. Birla Foundation, New Delhi, 1995.
- Dayawati Modi Vishwa Sanskriti Sammana, Modi Kala Kala Bharati, New Delhi, 1995.
- Shastra-chudamani Award, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, 1996.
- Manasa Sammana, Tulasi Manasa Pratishthana, Madhya Pradesh andTulasi Academy, Bhopal, 1997.
- All India Kalidasa Puraskara, Madhya Pradesh Sanskrit Academy, Bhopal, 1997.
- Honour from the Govt. of Maharashtra, 1998.
- Degree of Mahamahopadhyaya, Honoris Causa, Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapitha, Tirupati, 1999.
- Padma ShriPadma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
, Govt. of India, 1999. - Honour from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 1999.
- Honour from Delhi Sanskrit Akademi, Delhi, 1999.
- Degree of Vidyavachaspati, Honoris Causa, Gurukul Mahavidyalaya, Jwalapur, Hardwar, 1999.
- Honour from Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Naval Kishore Kankar Seva Parishsad, Jaipur, 1999.
- Kalidasa Sammana, Kalidasa Samaroha, Ujjain, 2000.
- Title of Veda-shastra-visharada, Swami Vishvesh Tirtha, Adhokshaja Mutt, Udupi, Karnataka, 2002.
- Shrivani Alankarana, Ramakrishna Jaidayal Dalmiya Trust, Delhi, 2002.
- Degree of Vidyamartanda (D.Litt.), Honoris Causa, Gurukul Kangri University, Hardwar, 2002.
- Mahakavi Kalidasa Sanskrit Jivanavrati Rashtriya Sammana, Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya, Nagpur, 2002.
- Honour from All India Oriental Conference, 43rd Session, Puri, 2003.
- Shrimati Chandrawati Joshi Sanskrit Bhasha Puraskara, Jnana Kalyana Datavya Nyasa, New Delhi, 2003.
- Vedanga Puraskara, Maharshi Sandipani Vedavidya Pratishthan, Ujjain, 2003.
- Acharya Umasvami Puraskara, Kundakunda Bharati, New Delhi, 2003.
- First International Himadri Uttaranchal Sanskrit Sammana, Uttaranchal Sanskrit Academy, Hardwar, 2004
- Dr. Shashibhanu Vidyalankar Rashtriya Puraskara, Dr. Shashibhanu Vidyalankar Dharmartha Trust, Hardwar, 2006.
- Jnanpith Award, Bharatiya Jnanpith, New Delhi, 2006.
- Degree of Vachaspati (D.Litt.), Honoris Causa, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, New Delhi, 2007.
- Life Time Achievement Award Vidyaratna, Purbanchal Academy of Oriental Studies, Kolkata, 2008.
- Elected General President, All India Oriental Conference, 45th Session, Tirupati, 2008.
- Sardar Patel Award, Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel Foundation, New Delhi, 2008.
- D. Litt. Degree Honoris Causa, Deccan College, Pune, 2009.
Academic Writings
- Essays on Indology, Meharchand Lacchmandas, 1963,
- The RamayanaRamayanaThe Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
- A Linguistic Study ( with a Foreword by Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee and an Introduction by Dr. Siddheshwar Varma, Munshiram Manoharlal, Delhi 1964, - Vaidika Vyakarana (Hindi translation of A.A.Macdonell's "A Vedic GrammarVedic Sanskrit grammarVedic Sanskrit grammar is the oldest attested full case and tense system grammar of a language from the Indo-European language family.Comparing with Classical Sanskrit, Vedic Sanskrit had a subjunctive absent in Panini's grammar and generally believed to have disappeared by then at least in common...
for Students", Motilal Banarasidass, Delhi 1971, - Studies in Sanskrit and Indian Culture in Thailand, Parimal Prakashan, Delhi 1982,
- Kalidasa in Modern Sanskrit Literature, Eastern Book Linkers, Delhi, 1991
- Subhasitasahasri (Thousand Pearls from Sanskrit Literature),Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, 1998
- Studies in the Language and the Poetry of the Yogavasistha (In the Press).
Literary writings
- Brhattaram Bharatam ( A Kavya in Sanskrit ) Sarasvati SusamaSarasvati SusamaSārasvati Susamā established in 1942 and published quarterly, the Sārasvati Susamā has long been considered the premier journal of Sanskrit ..-Origin:...
, Journal of the Sampurnanand Sanskrit UniversitySampurnanand Sanskrit UniversitySampurnanand Sanskrit University is an institution of higher learning in Asian learning, Sanskrit allied areas, etc. that is located in Benares , Uttar Pradesh, India.- History :...
, Varanasi, Vol. XII, No. 1, Samvat 2014 - Sribodhisattvacaritam (A Kavya in Sanskrit), First Ed. Self Publication, Delhi, Samvat 2017 (A.D. 1960) pages iv+ 120, Second Ed. Meharchand Lacchmandas, Delhi 1974,
- Srigurugovindasimhacaritam (A KavyaKavyaKavya refers to the Sanskrit literary style used by Indian court poets flourishing from the first half of the seventh century AD. This literary style is characterised by abundant usage of figures of speech, metaphors, similes, and hyperbole to create its emotional effects...
in Sanskrit) (With a Foreword by Dr. V.Raghavan), First Ed. Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, Patiala, 1967, Second Ed. Sahitya Bhandar, Meerut, 1984, - Sarmanyadesah Sutaram Vibhati (A Kavya in Sanskrit), Akhil Bharatiya Sanskrit Parishad, Lucknow, 1976
- Indira Gandhi-caritam (A Kavya in Sansktir), Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan, Delhi, 1976,
- Thaidesavilasam (A Kavya in Sanskrit) (With a Foreword by Prof. Visudh Busyakul), Easten Book Linkers, Delhi 1979
- Sriramakirtimahakavyam (A Kavya in Sanskrit) ( with a foreword by Her Royal Highness Maha Chakri SirindhornMaha Chakri SirindhornPrincess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is the second daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thais commonly refer to her as Phra Thep, meaning "princess angel." Because her title in Thai is the female equivalent of the title held by her brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, she is informally referred...
, the Princess of Thailand), Moolamall Sachdev and Amarnath Sachdeva Foundations, Bangkok, First Ed. 1990, Second Ed. 1991, Third Ed. 1995. - Patrakavyam (A Kavya in Sanskrit), Eastern Book Linkers, Delhi 1994
- New Experiments in Kalidasa (Plays), Eastern Book Linkers, Delhi 1994