Vagish Shastri
{{Short description|Indian grammarian and linguist (1935–2022)}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Vagish Shastri
| image = Shastri ji.jpg
| image_size = 170px
| caption =
| birth_name = Bhagirath Prasad Tripathi
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1935|07|15}}
| birth_place = Khurai, Central Provinces and Berar, British India
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|5|11|1935|7|15|df=y}}
| death_place = Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| occupation = Sanskrit grammarian, linguist, yogi.
| spouse = Rekha Tripathi
}}
Vagish Shastri (born Bhagirath Prasad Tripathi; 15 July 1935 – 11 May 2022) was an Indian scholar specializing in Sanskrit grammar, linguistics, and tantra, also working in yoga. In 2018, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri for his contributions to literature and education.{{cite web |title=Padma Awardees 2018 |url=https://padmaawards.gov.in/PDFs/padma2018list.pdf |website=Padmaawards.gov.in}}{{cite news |title=Government announces recipients of 2018 Padma awards {{!}} India News – Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/government-announces-recipients-of-2018-padma-awards/articleshow/62653257.cms |work=The Times of India |language=en}}
Biography
Vagish Shastri was born in Khurai, a town in the Madhya Pradesh region of India, in 1934. He received early education in Khurai, Vrindavan, and Benaras (now Varanasi). In 1959, he earned a master's degree in Vyākaraṇa Āchārya (Master of Sanskrit Grammar) and began his career as a Sanskrit educator at Tikmani Sanskrit Grammar College in Varanasi. In 1964, he earned his PhD (Vidyāvāridhi) in Grammar and Historical Linguistics. He received a German diploma in 1966 and a D.Litt. (Vāchaspati) in 1969 from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. In 1970, he became Director and Professor of the Research Institute at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, VaranasiDanielle Tramard, A Le royaume de la connaissance, Beneras ville sainte retour aux sources dela tradition sanscrite, Le Monde, 28 October 1995, Paris and held that position for three decades.{{Cite web |title="In Tantra there are no castes, no gender" – Interview with Vagish Shastry {{!}} Wild Yogi – Independent online magazine |url=https://wildyogi.info/en/articles/tantra-there-are-no-castes-no-gender-interview-vagish-shastry |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=wildyogi.info}}
Contributions
Shastri began writing essays at the age of 19. His research and essays on Sanskrit grammar, linguistics, and tantric philosophy have been featured in national and international journals.
He served as secretary-president at the fifth World Sanskrit conference and was chief editor of the Sarasvati Bhavana Granthamala. He also edited over 300 manuscripts, which were later published as books. Additionally, he was the chief editor of the Sanskrit journal Sarasvati Susama. His writings covered grammatical and philological research, drama, history, poetry, satire, historical research, and metaphysics.{{Cite book |last=Sharma |first=B. D. |url=https://www.google.com.ua/books/edition/Holistic_Health_Healing_and_Astroscience/Lpm9VxRPHXcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Vagish+Shastri+books&pg=PA147&printsec=frontcover |title=Holistic Health Healing and Astrosciences |date=2003 |publisher=B. Jain Publishers |isbn=978-81-8056-304-1 |language=en}}
Honors and awards
- Padma Shri (2018)–awarded by Ram Nath Kovind
- Senior Research Fellowship (1964–67) – University Grants Commission
- Kālidasa Award (1966–67) – Highest literary Award, Uttar Pradesh
- Honored 6 times by Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Academy (1968, 1971, 1981, 1985, 1995 and 1996)
- Mahāmahopādhyāya, Śri Kashi Pandit Parishad (1982)
- Bāņa Bhaţţ Award, Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Academy (1990)
- Veda-Vedānga Award, Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy, (1994)
- Anusansdhan Puraskāra (Research Award) – Utkal Pāti trust (1995)
- Swami Vishnu Tirth Sammāna (Spiritual writing Award) – Indore (2002)
- Special Award – Govt. of Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Sansthan (2005)
- Certificate of Honour for Sanskrit (2013) – awarded by the President of India{{cite news | title=Mukherjee presents Certificate of Honor, Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman to scholars on I-Day | work=Business Standard | url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/mukherjee-presents-certificate-of-honor-maharshi-badrayan-vyas-samman-to-scholars-on-i-day-113081500958_1.html | date=15 August 2013 | access-date=19 August 2013}}
- Sauhard Samman – Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan, Lucknow (2014)
- Yash Bharati Samman – Highest Honour of U. P. Govt, Government of Uttar Pradesh (2015)
- Vishva Bharati Samman (2013) – Highest Honour in Sanskrit Work, by U. P. Sanskrit Samsthan, Lucknow
- Mahakavi Kalidas Sanskrit Vrati Samman (2016) – Highest Honour in Sanskrit Work, by Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Nagpur
- Rashtriya Chatrasal Samman (2017) – by Bundeli Sahitya Parishad, Bhopal
- Sanskrit Sadhana Samman – "Maharshi Ved Vyas Samman 2017" (2017) – by Delhi Sanskrit Academy, New Delhi
- Honorary D.Litt., Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi (2018)
External links
- [http://www.vagyoga.co.in: Official Site]
- {{YouTube|F-C-ZZKbZ_w}}
- [http://www.VAGISHSHASTRI.COM Photos of Vagish Shastri in Banares, February 1996]
- [http://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/IDJ095/ Autobiography of the VagYogi: The Life of Kundalini Experiences]
- [http://www.bagchee.com/books.php?id=32364 "Vagyoga: Kundalini Meditation: Spiritual Experiences of Meditators" by Vagish Shastri (in English)]
- [http://www.bagchee.com/books.php?id=41299 "Shakti, Shiva and Yoga" by Vagish Shastri (in English)]
- [http://www.vagyoga.com/en/thevagyogi.htm Vagyoga Association Europe]
References
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{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Literature & Education}}
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Category:20th-century Indian educators
Category:Writers from Varanasi
Category:People from Sagar district
Category:Indian Sanskrit scholars
Category:Scholars from Varanasi
Category:20th-century Indian linguists
Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature and education