A Mahamahopadhyaya from Mylapore

BR Haran
Mahamahopadhyaya is a great honour conferred on well-learned scholars, who associate themselves to the noble profession of ‘teaching’ in their respective subjects or areas of interest.

This coveted award is bestowed on great pandits, who have come up with sincere devotion, spirited hard work and a never dying insatiable quest for knowledge. It was divine and blissful to interact with one such great scholar from Mylapore Dr R Krishnamurthi Sastri, a Sanskrit teacher par excellence for over forty with immense knowledge of the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Ithihasas and all Dharma Sastras, was conferred Mahama-hopadhyaya.

The Tirupati based University, ‘Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha’, which celebrated its 12th convocation, conferred on him the title recently. Hailing from a traditionally scholarly family and born to S Rajagopala Ghanapatigal and Vaalaambal at Mullaivasal in Thanjavur District, Krishnamurthi Sastri started his quest for knowledge at a very early age.

He learnt Krishna Yajur Veda under his father through the age-old tradition of Gurukula and since then there has been no looking back in his illustrious career. His academic excellence in Sanskrit and Hindi has been proved many times in Sanskrit promoting institutions like Kanchi Mutt, TTD, Madras Sanskrit College, University of Madras and Hindi Prachar Sabha.

Dr Sastri’s career as a Sanskrit Teacher started at Vaideeswara Oriental School in Mettur Dam, Salem District in 1966. After a stint of seven years there, he served as a Lecturer of Vedanta in Madras Sanskrit College for one year and then became the Vice Principal of S V Vidya Kendra, Tirumala, where he served for two years from 1974 to 1976.

Then he served as Professor of Vedanta at Madras Sanskrit Colllege between 1976 and 1999 and became its principal serving between 1999 and 2003. At present he is serving as Academic Council Member in Lal Bahadur Sastri Sanskrit Vidyapeet, Delhi; Jt. Secretary, The Sanskrit Academy, Chennai; Member, Research Admission committee, Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha and Expert Committee Member, Sarasvati Mahal Library, Thanjavur.

When asked about the titles and honours that he has won so far, he said, ‘I have been honoured by a few institutions with some titles but feel shy listing them’.

However the list is endless and to name a few, he was honoured with the title Veda Bhashya Ratnam by Kanchi Sankara Mutt, Vedanta Visarada by His holiness Sankaracharya of Sringeri, Veda Sastra Parangata by Samskrita Sahitya Parishad, Trichy, Meemamsa Siromani by University of Madras, Veda Bhashya Vidwan by TTD, Tirumala and Vedabhashya Ratnakara by Jeer Azhagiya singar of Ahobila Mutt.

Krishnamurthi Sastri has authored and published many monographs and books like Veda and its relevance in today’s life, Samkshepa Dharma Sastram, Yajusha Mantra Ratnakaram, Krishna Yajur Veda (both in Grantha and Devanagari lipi) and a critical edition of Alankara-stava by Vinukonda Venkatarama Deivagna.

On invitations he has participated in and presided over a number of conferences, seminars and Vidwat Sadas and presented and published numerous articles relating to Veda & Vedanta and its relevance to modern times.

He has been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting Veda-bhashya Sabha and Advaita Sabha at Kanchi Mutt every year and he also founded the ‘Heritage India Educational Trust’ with the blessings of Kanchi Paramacharya in the early eighties mainly to publish Krishna Yajur Veda in Granta-lipi, which has already gone into four prints benefiting a large number of students.

Dr Sastri’s wife Prema Krishnamurthi, who has stood behind her husband supporting all his endeavours, is also a great intellectual. She conducts classes for Patshala students and addresses neighbourhood gatherings regularly on the religious and cultural aspects of Sanatana Dharma.

She participates in service activities, which focus on Hindhu Dharma. Their son Ramasubramaniam is a Professor of Astronmomy and Astro-Physics in IIT, Mumbai. He has travelled to places in India and abroad to render intellectual discourses on India’s Vedic Heritage and how it is far ahead of the western world. This humble family from Mylapore is a role model for others to follow.

Source: http://www.newstodaynet.com/newsindex.php?section=12&catid=21&id=14750