Chamu Krishna Shastry

Last updated

Chamu Krishna Shastry
C.M. Krishna Shastry.jpg
Born (1956-01-23) 23 January 1956 (age 68)
Nationality Indian
CitizenshipIndian
Alma mater Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati
OccupationSanskrit language activist.
Years active1981present
Known forRevival of Sanskrit
Title
MovementSpeak Samskritam Movement (1981)
Board member ofChairman, High Powered Committee for the Promotion of Indian Languages, Ministry of Education (India), Government of India, [1]
Member of Constitution of Mission High Level committee (MHLC) of Indian Knowledge System (IKS).
SpouseSarita Shastry [2]
ChildrenChamu Shiva Shastry [3]
Parent
  • Chamu Ishwara Shastry [4] (father)
Awards Padmashri (2017)

Chamu Krishna Shastry [5] (born 23 January 1956) is an Indian Educationist who has been working for the revival of the Sanskrit language. He is the trustee and Secretary of Samskrit Promotion Foundation. He is also the co-founder of Samskrita Bharati. Now he is spearheading a movement to teach Sanskrit Through Sanskrit On 25 January 2017, Government of India announced "Padma Shri" award in the category Literature and education for his contribution towards the promotion of Sanskrit. [6]

Contents

Early life

Shastry was born on 23 January 1956 in Kedila village near Mangalore (Bantwal taluk). [4] He learnt Sanskrit from the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha at Tirupati. [3] [7] As a teenaged Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker Shastry was imprisoned during the Emergency. Alone in his cell, he took to reading biographies. In the writings of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Swami Vivekananda he learnt how Sanskrit could unlock scientific, mathematical and medical knowledge buried in ancient Sanskrit texts. [8]

Career

Speak Samskrit movement

Krishna Shastry, along with some of his friends, went on to start the ‘Speak Samskrit’ Movement in 1981 from Bangalore. [3] His method of teaching Sanskrit is to let the student learn it in the same language rather than through another language by translation. [9] Learning Sanskrit can be a forbidding exercise because it is being taught through translation. To make it easier for the students, Shastry's method is not to learn the language through grammar, but to teach Sanskrit as it is spoken. [10] Students thus do not have to wrestle with the nuances of an arcane syntactics. It's then easier to master the language, so much so that even semi-literate people can opt for the course.

Samskrita Bharati

The movement eventually evolved into the not-for-profit organisation Samskrita Bharati, a voluntary body committed to the cause of Sanskrit. [3] Shastry's efforts led to the development of the very popular "Ten-day Sanskrit Speaking Course" of Samskrita Bharati. He has inspired a dedicated work force for Sanskrit across the country which is leading the propagation work at various states. Samskrita Bharati and Shastry have been implementing the 10 day course through a network of 250 full-time workers and 5,000 [10] Sanskrit Bharati volunteers. It also helps that the course is offered for free. [11] Samskrita Bharati has enabled nearly one crore people to learn and converse in Sanskrit the language, one lakh of whom have decided to use Sanskrit at home in true ancient style. [11]

Shastry's efforts have also led many universities and colleges to adopt the communicative teaching method for Sanskrit. In the US, SAFL (Samskrit as a Foreign Language) is a popular course among the children of Indian origin. Samskrita Bharati is active all over India and in 13 countries including USA, Canada, UK and the UAE. [3] The organisation is also credited with the revival of Sanskrit in Gujarat [12]

A few unique experiments like "Samskrit Homes" and "Samskrit mother tongue Children" are popular. "Saraswati Seva" is a project through which hundreds of books from other Indian and foreign Languages are translated into Sanskrit. To promote young authors and modern books in Sanskrit he has organised events such as "Samskrit Book Fair", and "Sahityotsava".[ citation needed ]

Vision

Shastry sees Sanskrit as being India's lingua franca. [12] He says, "Till now Samskrit has only been seen from a spiritual or religious perspective; it is high time Samskrit is approached from a scientific point of view as well." [3] He opines that Sanskrit would be a unifying factor in India. [13]

Shastry believes in taking Sanskrit to the under-privileged. He echoes Dr. Ambedkar's support [14] for Sanskrit as a platform for enabling social upliftment and equality. [2]

Samskrit Promotion Foundation

Krishna shastry has helped to start the Samskrit Promotion Foundation , which is an institution in developing Sanskrit Tutorials for students and in producing various new course materials for "Sanskrit for Special Purposes" [15] a not for profit trust, that aims to "popularise Samskrit" in India again and among other objectives leverage Samskrit as an "effective tool" to socially and economically "empower the weaker sections" of the society. The trustees include eminent citizens like former Chief Justice of India R. C. Lahoti, for Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami, Justice Rama Jois, S. Gurumurthy, among others. Shastry is a key trustee and secretary [2] of this trust. [16]

Influencing policy

Shastry spends most of his time on teacher training, workshops, making of learning material and discussing Sanskrit education with policy makers. He believes that not just Sanskrit as language, but modern subjects like chemistry, maths, history etc. should also be taught through Sanskrit. [3]

He was also a member of the Central Government constituted Sanskrit Committee that developed the "Road Map for the Development of Sanskrit – Ten Year Perspective Plan" document in 2016. [17]

Others

His extensive experience in education and teaching methods has led to his being on the Board of Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan [2] and many other universities.

Shastry is a much renowned speaker and he is highly regarded for his fluent and fiery oratory in Sanskrit. [17] He believes in the dictum of the Bhagavad Gita to work towards a goal without expectations and has taken a personal vow of not accepting honors and awards.[ citation needed ] He is a prolific writer and has written a dozen books and numerous articles in Sanskrit.[ citation needed ]

Books

He has authored 13 books in the Sanskrit language.

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mani Madhava Chakyar</span> Indian actor (1899–1990)

Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar (15 February 1899 – 14 January 1990) was a celebrated master performance artist and Sanskrit scholar from Kerala, India, considered to be the greatest Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam artist and authority of modern times. He was considered as the authority of Abhinaya and Nātyaśāstra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samskrita Bharati</span>

Samskrita Bharati is a non-profit organisation working to revive Sanskrit. Sanskrit was a pan-Indian language in the Vedic and classical period but lost its place to its derivative regional dialects in modern India. Samskrita Bharati has its headquarters in New Delhi. According to their own figures, repeated often in their promotional literature, by 1998, 2.9 million people had attended the conversation camps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satya Vrat Shastri</span> Indian Sanskrit scholar (1930–2021)

Satya Vrat Shastri was an Indian Sanskrit scholar, writer, grammarian and poet. He wrote 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.

Sanskrit revival is a resurgence of interest in and use of the Sanskrit language, both in India and in Western countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and in many European countries.

Shastri or Shastry is a Brahmin surname. The word shastri translates to 'scholar'. It is derived from Sanskrit and means one who is proficient in the Shastras. Notable people with the surname include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kala Nath Shastry</span> Indian literatteur (born 1936)

Devarshi Kala 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.

Dr. H. R. Vishwasa is a Sanskrit scholar residing in Mangalore, India. He won a Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize in 2010 for translating S. L. Bhyrappa's Kannada novel Aavarana into Sanskrit.

Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra is a Sanskrit author, poet, lyricist, playwright and a former Vice-Chancellor of the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naheed Abidi</span> Indian scholar of Sanskrit and writer

Naheed Abidi is an Indian scholar of Sanskrit and writer. In 2014, she was honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her contributions to the field of literature by the Government of India.

Deviprasad Dwivedi is an Indian writer and teacher, known for his scholarship in Sanskrit literature. The Government of India honoured Sharma in 2011, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of the Padma Shri and followed it up with Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, in 2017.

Ramaranjan Mukherji (1928–2010) was an Indian writer, academician, Indologist and a former chancellor of Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, known for his scholarship in Sanskrit literature. He was honored by the Government of India, in 2010, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.

Navaneetham Padmanabha Seshadri, popularly known as N. P. Sheshadri, was an Indian musicologist, scholar, administrator and the founder secretary of National Cultural Organization. He was known for his services for the promotion of Indian culture and heritage. Seshadri was honored by the Government of India, in 2002, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Mathew</span> Indian Malayalam actor

Mathew Mullasseril Alex, popularly known as Dr. M. M. Alex was an Indian actor and a Human Life Scientist. He was known for starring in blockbuster Malayalam films, Rajavinte Makan (1986) and Thoovanathumbikal (1987) A career actor turned scientist, Alex had produced more than 220 documentaries and digitisations on World Peace, Religion, Tourism, Health Systems and Human Rights. He was also the founder of Vedik India Society and The Institute of Ancient Integrative Therapies Research. He also served as the jury member for the National Film Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Sanskrit University</span> Central university in Andhra Pradesh, India

National Sanskrit University, earlier known as Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha is a central university in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Padma Shri V. R. Gowrishankar is an Indian religious administrator, social worker and former chief executive officer and administrator of Sringeri Sharada Peetham. He was replaced on 12/02/2024 by P.A Murali He is credited with expanding the activities of the Sringeri Math into education and social service. His efforts are reported behind the establishment of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham Temple and community center in Houston, Texas in 2013. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of India, the Padma Shri, in 2008, for his contributions to society. He has constantly given money for charity to help poor people. V.R Gowrishankar landed in controversy for Sanctioning the Sanskrit studies in Columbia University but due to huge pressure from Indic Sanskrit Scholars, Dr Subramaniam Swamy, Dr Rajiv Malhotra the project was shelved off causing embarrassment to the prestigious institution as well for the administration.

World Sanskrit Day, also known as Vishva-Samskrita-Dinam, is an annual event focused around the ancient Indian language Sanskrit that incorporates lectures about the language and is aimed to promote its revival and maintenance. It is celebrated on Shraavana Poornima, that is the full moon day of the Shraavana month in the Hindu calendar. This generally corresponds with the month of August in the Gregorian calendar. The Sanskrit organisation Samskrita Bharati is involved in promoting the day.

Maharshi Valmiki Sanskrit University (MVSU) is a university established in 2018 by the Government of Haryana at Mundri village of Kaithal district of India. It is 12 km east of Kaithal, 111 km from the state capital Chandigarh, 145 km from Hisar, and 164 km from the NCR New Delhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. T. Pandurangi</span> Indian scholar

Krishnacharya Tamanacharya Pandurangi, also known by the pen name Viswamangala, was an Indian Sanskrit scholar and a notable Indologist. Pandurangi was unique among contemporary Sanskrit scholars, being simultaneously at home among both traditional and modern systems of education. In 1989, the Government of India honoured him with the Rashtrapati Award for his contributions to literature and research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vishwamurti Shastri</span> Sanskrit scholar

Vishwamurti Shastri is a Sanskrit scholar with knowledge of Vedic literature and related subjects. He served as a principal of Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Jammu. He was appointed to Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) in 2019. He is director of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Gurukul, Katra. He also serves as the chairman of J&K Dharmarth Trust Advisory Committee.

Rutger Kortenhorst is a teacher of Sanskrit in John Scottus Senior School in Dublin, Ireland. John Scottus School is a private school which has been teaching Sanskrit as a compulsory subject since its inception in 1986. In 2022, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri award for his dedicated work to propagate the Sanskrit language in Ireland.

References

  1. "Constitution of High Powered Committee for the Promotion of Indian Languages" (PDF). Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Subrahmanya, Sudhee (10 February 2017). "With a vision for Sanskrit". The Hindu. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Unni, Aparna (4 August 2012). "A classic case of Chamu Sastry". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Revolutionary educationists get Padma Shri". The Hindu. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  5. "vijayavani, ನಾಡಿನ 9 ಸಾಧಕರಿಗೆ ಪದ್ಮ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ಕಿರೀಟ, 26.01.2017". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  6. "PadmaAwards-2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2017.
  7. Fishman, Joshua; Garcia, Ofelia (1 January 2010). Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity:The Success-Failure Continuum in Language and Ethnic Identity Efforts (Volume 2): The Success-Failure Continuum in Language and Ethnic Identity Efforts (|). Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN   9780195392456.
  8. Mahurkar, Uday. "The Right Word". India Today. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  9. "A man's bid to revive deva vani, Sanskrit". Daily News and Analysis . 4 June 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  10. 1 2 Venkatraman, Vijaysree (5 July 2007). "Sanskrit echoes around the world". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN   0882-7729 . Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  11. 1 2 Mahurkar, Uday. "The Right Word". India Today. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  12. 1 2 India Today International. Living Media India Limited. 1 January 1999.
  13. India Today. Thomson Living Media India Limited. 1 January 2000.
  14. Manohar Joshi, Murli (25 April 2016). "Ambedkar wanted Sanskrit as national language: Murli Manohar". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  15. "Learn Samskrit Online".
  16. 1 2 "Padma award winners from Karnataka are an eclectic mix". The Hindu. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  17. 1 2 "Sanskrit will flourish despite Prejudices of Left, Libtards: Chamu Krishna Shastry". THe Hindu Business Line. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2018.