M.M. T. Ganapati Shastri, who brought Bhasa to lime light.

 T. GANAPATI SASTRI

 Bhasa, the great Sanskrit playwright was known only by name till  Dr. Mahamahopadhyaya T. Ganapati Sastri (1860–1926), a renowned Sanskrit scholar, discovered the manuscripts of his 13 Sanskrit plays, in a remote village in Kerala.  Dr Shastri had very humble beginnings in Tharuvai, ( Taruvagraharam) in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu.  He belonged to the celebrated family of Appayya Deekshitar, a reknowned scholar of 16^th Century.

Ganapati Shastri,  son of Ramasubba Iyer  left the native town for further education and livelihood, to nearby city of Maharajas,Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram) in his 16th year.  

Birth Place

Located on the banks of Tamraparani river, about 10kms from Palayamkottai, Taruvai village has its own  interesting history.

According to an  Inscription on the walls of the Shiva  temple, scripted in Tamil and Grantham, the village temple was given as a grant by king Sundara Pandyan(1216-1239) about AD 350 acres of land. The temple was built by the said King with Vaazha Vallabha Pandeeswarar as the main deity (Shiva) and his consorts Akhilandeswari(Devi).

The Inscription also indicates this village was known as Koopaka Raya Nallur. It is understood from the Inscription that the village was granted to the king's cheftain Koopakarayan.

The inscription also indicates that rice and milk were supplied from his temple to the Gangaikondan village temple in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu.

 Early Career As A Scholar

In 1903, His Highness Sri Moolam Thirunal appointed Dr. T. Ganapathy Sastri, on looking at his mastery over the Sanskrit language. He was  then Principal of Sanskrit College. He was provided with a   Scribe to  help him to publish the manuscripts under the royal collection.

Next year the first of the Trivandrum series, "Daivam" with Purushakara commentary was published. Though "Bhaktimanjari", the book of hymns composed by His Highness Swati Thirunal, eulogizing the family  deity, Lord  Sri Padmanabha, was printed first, the King wanted the book to be combined along with, "Syanandurapuravarnana prabandha", a realistic portrayal of the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram.

  In the year 1908, the Sanskrit  department came into Independent existence with Dr.T.Ganapathi Sastri as the Head at Lakshmi Vilasam Bungalow,  with an aim to publish not only the royal collections, but also with the view of bringing into light those manuscripts  in the private libraries of ancient  scholarly families.

The department was proud in celebrating its centenary. It is really noteworthy here that Mahamahopadhyaya Dr.T.Ganapathy Sastri, was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Tubingen University, Germany for his edition of Bhasa plays for the first time.

Ganapati Sastri was the Principal of the Sanskrit College at Trivandrum, as well as the first Head of the Manuscripts Library of the University of Kerala. He contributed extensively to research and writings in Sanskrit, and is best known for his discovery of the lost plays of Bhasa in 1912, in a small village written in Malayalam Script.  He later edited and published these plays, for which he was awarded a Doctorate in Sanskrit from the University of Tubingen. 

In January 1922, the then Prince of Wales, Edward presented a gold medal to Ganapati Sastri for “literary eminence in Sanskrit”. For all these achievements and more, he was given the title of Mahamahopadhyaya by the Government of India.  

Discovery of Bhasa Plays

While touring Kerala State, searching for Sanskrit manuscripts, Dr Ganapati Shastri came across a palm-leaf codex in Malayalam in a village near Trivandrum.

 Although they carried no name of the author,  he deduced based on internal evidence  like that of Rajasekhara of 9^th century who quotes Bhasa’s Svapna Natakam, that they were all written  by the same author, and concluded that they were the lost plays of Bhasa. This produced a sensation in the scholarly world, and Ganapati Sastri's work was widely applauded. This has been considered "the most important event in the twentieth century Sanskrit literary scholarship".

Last Days

He was involved in bringing to light several other Sanskrit works as well. He discovered and edited the Trivandrum edition of the Arthaśāstra , much before than the Mysore ORI Edition. in 1924–25, with a Sanskrit commentary by himself.

He pointed out that the name of the author was more likely Kauṭalya, which has since been supported by other scholars.

He also wrote Bharatanuvarnanam, a history of India.

 Dr M. M.  T. Ganapati Shastri passed away peacefully at his daughter’s house in the year 1926, in Chennai. His descendents are spread over the globe now. I am indebted to his great grandson & Great grand daughter for most of the above information on this great scholar.

Teachers' Day

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Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

 Today happens to be  the Teachers' Day to commemorate the birth day of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a Teacher par excellence and Statesman. He has left us a legacy of dedicated Teachers, who are still there some where, hidden and unnoticed. 

EARLY DAYS 

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 at the temple town,  Tirutani, Madras in a poor Brahmin family. As his father was poor Radhakrishnan supported most of his education through scholarships. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan had his early education at Gowdie School, Tiruvallur and then went to the Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati for his high school. He joined the Voorhee's College in Vellore and later switched to the Madras Christian College. He chose Philosophy as his major subject and did his B.A. and M.A. in it.

 IDEAL TEACHER 

After completing his M.A., Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, accepted an Assistant Lectureship at the Madras Presidency College in 1909. In college, he mastered the classics of Hindu philosophy, namely the Upanishads, Bhagvad Gita, Brahmasutra, and commentaries of Sankara, Ramunuja and Madhava. He also acquainted himself with Buddhist and Jain philosophy and philosophies of Western thinkers such as Plato, Plotinus, Kant, Bradley, and Bergson.

In 1918, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was selected as Professor of Philosophy by the University of Mysore. In 1921, Radhakrishnan was nominated as Professor of Philosophy at the Calcutta University, 1921. In 1923, Dr. Radhakrishnan's book "Indian Philosophy" was published. The book was hailed as a "philosophical classic and a literary masterpiece."

A MESSIAH OF INDIAN THOUGHT

In 1931, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected Vice Chancellor of the Andhra Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was  invited to Oxford University, to deliver a series of  lectures on Hindu philosophy. He used his lectures as a platform to further India's cause for freedom. He also argued that Western philosophers, despite all claims to objectivity, were biased by theological influences from their wider culture. He showed that Indian philosophy, once translated into standard academic jargon, is worthy of being called philosophy by Western standards. He thus placed Indian Philosophy on  the world map.  Radhakrishnan became the Vice Chancellor of the Benaras Hindu University. In 1946, he was appointed as Ambassador to UNESCO. After Independence Dr. Radhakrishnan was requested to Chair the University Education Commission in 1948. The Radhakrishnan Committee's suggestions helped mould the education system for India's needs.

In 1949, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was appointed ambassador to the Soviet Union. He helped laid the foundation for a strong relationship with Soviet Union.  STATESMAN IN SERVICE OF THE NATION  Dr S. Radhakrishnan was elected the First   Vice-President of India in 1952. He was honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1954. After serving two terms as Vice-President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected President of India in 1962. During his tenure as President,  India had to face war with   China and Pakistan. As President he helped see India through those trying years safely. He retired as President in 1967 and settled in Madras. He spent his time in writing Books on Indian Philosophy and lecturing.

I had a rare opportunity to visit Dr Radhakrishnan  in 1973 in his home,  at Chennai, a couple of years before his demise. He was unable to speak to us. Tears of joy rolled down from his eyes as we told him that we are fro Mysore University, which he loved very much. He was also happy to learn that we were from the PG departments of Sanskrit  and  Philosophy. Unfortunately,  due to his failing health, he was advised not to try speaking, by his daughter-in-law, Dr Janaki, who looked after him in his last days. 

His face was lit up with happiness to pass a message to us who were students of his second generation students. Our Professors always used to recall or quote Dr Radhakrishnan' message in his mannerisms, ease in teaching a dry Subject like Philosophy, three hours at a stretch.  He was a fountain of energy, known for his sense of humour, good countenance, Punctuality and love for exhaustive reading.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan passed away in Chennai after a prolonged illness,  on April 17, 1975. 

His Birth Day is remembered for ever as Teachers Day, the best way to remember a man who had a passion for Teaching. Today's Teachers who are well paid,  much more than Professors of that generation. Most of them are not much bothered to inculcate good habits, mannerisms, love for Reading, Passion for Knowledge in their Students. They put the blame on the media for their distraction, and  keep aside most of the values  and Commitment he stood for. It is a tragedy indeed.