Presently – Chairperson, Modern Sanskrit Chair, JRR Sanskrit University, Jaipur
DevarshiKala Nath Shastry was born on 15 July 1936. He is a Sanskrit scholar and was honoured by the President of India in 1988. He is an Indologist and a prolific writer in Sanskrit, Hindi and English, and a well-known linguist, who has contributed to the campaign of evolving technical terminology in Indian languages and ensuring a respectable status for Hindi, the official language of his state and the Indian union.[1]
Academic contribution
He has continued the rich tradition of introducing modern genres and modes of expression in an ancient language like Sanskrit for which his father, the late Kavishiromani Bhatt Mathuranath Shastri, is known in the history of modern Sanskrit literature.[2] He has authored more than two dozen books and edited equal number of books in Sanskrit, Hindi and English and is known for his interliterary translations of monumental works of Philosophy and literature in these languages and also Prakrit, Vraj Bhasha, Rajasthani and other Indian languages.[3]
Literary achievements
He has contributed more than a thousand articles in Hindi and Sanskrit to reputed journals of India and broadcast more than 200 talks, poems, and plays in Sanskrit, Hindi and English. He is a literary historian, critic and commentator. In the history of modern Sanskrit literature he is known as a fiction writer who has introduced a modern idiom in creative Sanskrit writing through his novels, short stories, personal essays, and his books on the 20th century Sanskrit literature. He was the chairman of the Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy (2021) and the Director of Sanskrit Education and Bhasha Vibhag (1976–1994).[4]
After obtaining his post-graduation degree with a 1st Division in English, he taught English Language and literature at the Postgraduate colleges of the University of Rajasthan for eight years, then took over the administration of official language as deputy director and later as Director of Bhasha Vibhag (Directorate of Official Language) of the Government of Rajasthan from which position he retired in 1994.[6][7]
He was also Director of Sanskrit Education, Government of Rajasthan (1991–1993). He served as chairman, Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy (1995–1998) and founder- Chairman of Kavishiromani Bhatt Mathuranath Shastri Sanskrit Chair at the Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Rajasthan Sanskrit University, Jaipur. He is the Chairman of the Modern Sanskrit Chair at the Sanskrit University. He is also an advisor and permanent member of the Rajasthan Government's Hindi Law Committee, and a member of the Kendriya Sanskrit Board, National Book Trust and Sahitya Academy.[8] He is associated in different capacities with dozens of governmental and non-governmental associations, institutions and organisations related with Sanskrit and Hindi. He is also the founder Chairman of the "Manjunath Smriti Sansthan", a trust in the memory of his father, located in Jaipur.[9]
Devarshi Kala Nath Shastry worked as a member of the 2nd Sanskrit Commission of the Government of India (2014-2016).
Major honours and awards
He has been honoured by a large number of institutions, universities, organisations and governments with titles such as 'Mahamahopadhyaya' (in 2008 by Shri LBS Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Deemed University, New Delhi),[10][11] 'Sahitya Mahodadhi' (1993), and 'Sahitya Shiromani' (1999) and awards such as the Lifetime Achievement Award for Sanskrit, Government of Rajasthan, Jaipur 2012; Lifetime Achievement Award for Sanskrit Journalism by Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Sansthan, 2008; Award for Sanskrit by Central Sahitya Academy (2004),[12] Honours by Ministry of Human Resources, Govt. of India (1995 and 1998). He was recognised for his contribution to Sanskrit by none other than the President of India, Dr. K. R. Narayanan, in 1998. He was bestowed with the "Rashtrapati Puraskar" for his contribution to Sanskrit.[13]
Major published works
Works of Panditaraj Jagannath's Poetry :1987: 134pp 22 cm ISBN8185263388
Aakhyanvallari (Story Collection in Sanskrit: Awarded by the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi in 2004)
Sanskrit Sahitya ka Itihas (History of Sanskrit Literature), 2009[15]
Sanskriti ke Vaataayan (Collection of Cultural Essays)
Bhartiya Darshan ka Itihas (Translation of Dasgupta's book in 5 volumes with Ramesh Kumar) Published by the Rajasthan Hindi Granth Academy, Jaipur, 1978, 1988, 1998
Makers of Indian Literature: Bhatt Mathuranath Shastri 'Manjunath', Central Sahitya Academy, New Delhi, 2013[16]
Kavitavallari (collection of poems), Jaipur, 2006[17]
Kathanakvalli (story collection), Jaipur, 1987
Vidvajjanacharitamritam (biographies), New Delhi, 1982[18]
Sanskrit Natyavallari (collection of drama), Jaipur, 1999
Sudheejanvrittam (collection of biographies), Jaipur, 1997
Sanskrit ke Yugpurush: Manjunath, Jaipur, 2004
Jaipur ki Sanskrit Parampara, Jaipur, 2000
Horizons of Sanskrit, Pub. Rajasthan Sanskrit Akademy, Jaipur, 2016.
He has translated a large number of books, research journals, commemorative volumes, in Sanskrit and Hindi, and also books to and from the English, Sanskrit, Prakrit and Rajasthani languages.[21]
He is the chief editor of renowned Sanskrit monthly Bharati.[22]
References
^[1] Inventory of Sanskrit Scholars, Ed. Radha Vallabh Tripathi, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, 2012, ISBN978-93-86111-85-2
