Mahamahopadhyaya Brahmairt Pandit. Tata Subbaraya Sastrlar. Head Pandit of His Highness the Maharaja's Sanskrit College.
Vizianagaram, has asked me to write an introduction to his "Guruprasada" an advanced work on Sanskrit Grammar in which he has ably defended the views of Nagojibhatta against whom recent writers have levelled their criticisms. Knowing my incompetency to write an introduction to such a learned work, I begged the Pandit to excuse me from taking up the task which only specialists in Sanskrit Grammar may reasonably undertake. But owing to his repeated requests I have at last agreed to put on paper what I know of him and his general Scholarship which if the reader pleases, he may call an introduction.
Before I proceed further, I may mention a few facts regarding the Pandit's early life and education. He was born in 1867 in a village called Ontitati Agraharam about two miles from Vizianagaram. He was the second son of his parents. His father's name was Surya narayanavadhani and that of his mother Somadevi, His father was styled Avadhani which means that he mastered a Veda, this being the title given to those who have completed their Study of any one of the three Vedas, Rik, Yajus or Saman. He received elementary education in his vernacular at a school in his own village. While pursuing Vedic studies with his father, he learnt Smårtam from him before his initiation (Upanayanam). He began to learn Sanskrit with a Brahman of the village and being perhaps dissatisfied with him, betook himself as a private student to Pandit Bulusu Subbayyasastri, a teacher in the Maharaja's. Sanskrit Pathasala in this town and finished his kavyas under him. He was in the habit of going to him daily from his village. When he was twelve years old, he began his Vyakarana studies with Pandits Rudrabhatla Bucchi Lacchanna Sastri and Rama Sastri and finished them when he was twenty. It appears that while he was still a student, he taught Sanskrit Grammar to several young men. Under the same teachers, he studied also Alankarasastra. When he was twenty-two, he began his study of Nyayasastra and continued it with some interruptions at intervals till he was thirty-two. During this period he studied Sutrabhasya with Pandit Kolluru Kamasastri, one of the distinguished Sanskrit Scholars whom Maharaja Sir Ananda Gajapati Raj gathered round him.
My acquaintance with the Pandit began when he was appointed a teacher in the Maharaja's Girls' School under my management. While he was connected with that institution, I had opportunities of seeing his teaching and was struck with it. He gave up his post after a short period so that he might have more time at his disposal for his Nyaya Studies. He was subsequently employed as a teacher in the Pathasala
In 1890 he appeared for the Urlam Examination in Vyakarua and came out the first among the successful candidates. Some time afterwards, with a view to select the best man for an examinership in Vyakarana the authorities of the Urlam Examinations appointed a committee of distinguished scholars presided over by Mahamahopadhyaya Paravastu Rangachariar of Vizagapatam and instituted what is generally called Sastrardha between two parties, one party representing the pandits of the Godavary and Krishna Districts and the other those of the Vizagapatam District. The Committee selected Pandit Tata Subbaraya Sastriar as he was the best of those who entered the lists. He was subsequently appointed an examiner in connection with the Vizianagaram Samsthanam Examinations.
As proposals for placing the Sanskrit College under me were being considered by the Vizinagaram Samasthanam authorities, I got him to explain to me a disticult Sanskrit Drama with a view to see in what capacity I might utilise his services should the institution be placed under me. As I was very favourably impressed with his knowledge of Sanskrit literature, he was appointed Head Pandit of it when I took over charge as Principal of the institution in the early part of 1900. With his assistance, I reorganised the Pathasala on new lines and got it affiliated to the Government Sanskrit College at Benares as the Oriental Titles Examinations were not yet instituted by the Madras University, Vizianagaram, then became the centre of the Benares Sanskrit Examinations and under his able superintendence the students of the Pathasala gained distinction in almost every subject in which they presented themselves for those examinations. This went on for some years and then the Pathasala had to sever its connection with the Benares College for reasons which need not be stated here.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
Astrology (112)
Ayurveda (102)
Gita (70)
Hinduism (1240)
History (141)
Language & Literature (1622)
Learn Sanskrit (26)
Mahabharata (28)
Performing Art (63)
Philosophy (413)
Puranas (121)
Ramayana (50)
Sanskrit Grammar (243)
Sanskrit Text Book (33)
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist