Prof. Krishnacharya
Thammannacharya Pandurangi passed away on 21 April, 2017 at a ripe age of 89 years of active teaching, research and
writing. Born in 1918 at Tumminakatti,
Haveri District in a family of Sanskrit scholars. He graduated from Maharaja
Sanskrit College, Mysuru, later MA from Department of Oriental Studies, Annamalai
University, later BA & MA., from
Benares Hindu University and also Meemamsa Shiromani with distinction. KT
Pandurangi was a student of the stalwarts like Prof. Kuppuswamy Shastry and his
mentor, Dr BNK Sharma at Annamalai
Uniuversity, inspired by him to unearth rare Manuscripts on various topics in
Sanskrit, edit them, translate into Kannada & English since 1945.
He taught at
Government Colleges at Karnatak College,
Dharwad ( 1948). Kolar,
Government College, Bangalore and few
other places and started the PG Department of Sanskrit in Bengaluru University
(1968). Meanwhile, he had written several research papers on Indian Philosophy,
published in Journals and Book from. He
was Director of Gandhian Studies, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore. He retired
as Prof & HOD of Sanskrit, Bangalore University in 1979.
His language was simple, easily understood by students at Undergraduate level. He was head of Text Book Committees of Karnatak, Bangalore & Mysore Universities. Prof Pandurangi was a prolific writer, poet and critic of Classical Sanskrit literature, Meemamsa, Vedanta, particularly Madhwa philosophy and Vedic literature. As an incessant researcher and writer, he brought out several Books on Madhwa Philosophy once he took over a Director of Dvaita Vedanta Research Institute, Bengaluru by encouragement from Sri N. Narasimha Rau, well-known bureaucrat who served during maharajas of Mysore as adviser, and later Administrator of Bangalore City Corporation. This Institution got linked with Rashtreeya Sanskrit Vidyapitha, New Delhi as a Research Institute, which had a small Office at RR Choultry on KR Road, shifted to Uttaradi Matha Complex, as several Manuscripts were available in the Matha library.
He was instrumental
for formation of Sanskrit University at Bangalore to promote Studies &
Research in this language, making them reachable to those who knew little of
it, but curious to learn. Prof. Pandurangi was an adviser to Government of
India’s HRD for few years, on matters related to Research in Sanskrit language.
He encouraged several of his students to do research on rare manuscripts of
various genres, not only Madhwa Philosophy. Personally he brought out several
books & booklets in English & Kannada, collection of Sanskrit Poems
composed by him and others.
As Pro-chancellor of
Poornaprajna Vidyapitha, started by Sri Vishvesha Teertha Swamiji of Udupi
Pejawar Matha at Bangalore, he guided innumerable youngsters to conduct
research on various Shastra Texts, including those on Vedic rituals, Vedic
Grammar, Logic, Etymology, Epistemology and Scriptures. He was awarded
President of India’s Sanskrit Scholar award- 1989.
I
had several occasions to meet him, take his guidance and a couple of Sanskrit Programmes over Bangaluru
Doordarshan in 1990s. He passed away
peacefully at his Bangalore Jayanagar Residence, on 21st April,
2017, leaving hundreds of students, researchers and admirers. May his soul rest
in peace.
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