Bannanje Govindacharya

Shri Bannanje Govindacharya (Kannada:ಬನ್ನಂಜೆ ಗೋವಿಂದಾಚಾರ್ಯ ) is one of the foremost vedic scholars in the world today . He hails from Bannanje locality of Udupi in Karnataka, India. He was born in 1936. He is in particular one of the greatest experts on the "Madhva Tathwa Shastras" or Madhva philosophy. He is best known for his "pravachanas" or discourses which are very popular among Kannadigas all over the world. Though his "pravachanas" (discourses)have made him a household name among Kannadigas his contributions to vedic scholarship also extend to voluminous writing. He is the author of numerous translations and commentaries both in Sanskrit and Kannada of the Vedic texts. His literary achievements also include his translation and commentaries of the complete texts of Shri Madhwacharya.

Early life

He started his study of the vedic texts and scriptures under his father "Tarkakesari" S. Narayanacharya and His Holiness Shri Vidyamanya Tirtha Swamiji of Palimaru Matha. But the person who shaped Bannanje's future was the late Shri Vidyasamudra Tirtha Swamiji of Kaniyooru matha.

His works

Shri Bannanje Govindacharya has many contributions to Vedic scholarship to his name. He has authored numerous commentaries, translations and original works on the subject. He has also contributed hundreds of articles in magazines and journals. He also travels all over India and around the world giving discourses in Indian philosophy and Hindu scriptures.

Publications edited

Works of Madhwa : This monumental work is a painstakingly crafted reconstruction of the complete commentary on Madhwa's works by Shri Hrishikesha Tirtha, a direct disciple of Shri Madhwacharya of the 13th CE. It comprises 2000 pages in five volumes complete with footnotes and colophons. Two other works of Shri Madhwacharya, "Thithinirnaya" and "Nyasa Paddhathi" which were unknown were discovered and included in this work.A great work

Translation of major Sanskrit works into Kannada

Apart from the Vedic texts, Shri Bannanje has also translated several other Sanskrit works into Kannada. These include,

* "Bana Bhattana kadambari" - A translation of Bana Bhatta's novel
* Kalidasa's Shakuntala
* "Shudraka's Mrichakatika
* Bhavabhuti's Uttaramacharita
* Mahashweta's Sanskrit stories
* Several Sanskrit poems.

hort commentaries in Sanskrit

* "Anandamala" of shri trivikramarya dasa
* "Vayu Stuti" of Shri Trivikrama Pandita
* "Vishnu Stuti" of Shri Trivikrama Pandita
* "Chaturdashastotra" – different stotras in Sanskrit
* "Raghavendra stotra "
* "Jayathirtha stuti
* "vada ratnavali" of Shri Vishudasacharya
* A philosophical dialectic in Sanskrit
* Short commentaries for six upanishads with commentaries of Trivikramarya Dasa

Detailed commentaries in Sanskrit

Some of Bannanje's detailed commentaries in Sanskrit include,

* "Teeka"(critique) on Mahabharata Tatparya (yamaka bharatha) by Shri Madhwacharya
* "Teeka" on Shri Sumadhwavijaya of Narayana Pandita
* "Tippani" on bhagavata tatparya by shri madhwacharya

Translation of sanskrit to kannada

* "Purusha sukta"
* "Shri sukta"
* "Shiva stuti", "Narashimha stuti"
* "Talavakaropanishad" ("Kenopanishad")
* "Krishnamritamaharnava" of Shri Madhwacharya
* "Tantra sara sangraha" of Shri Madhwacharya
* "Sangraha Ramayana" of Shri Narayana Panditacharya
* "Madhwa Ramayana"
* "Parashara kanda para tattva" (Kannada rendering of Shri Vishu Purana)
* "Prameya nava malika" of Shri Narayana Panditacharya
* "Anu Madhwa Charita" & "Sampradaya paddhati"
* "Mangalashtaka" of Shri Rajarajeshwara "yati"
* "Yajneeya mantropanishat" ("Ishavasya")
* Bhagavad Gita
* "Ananda Thirthara Bhakti Geetegalu" (Kannada rendering of Shri Madhwacharya's Sanskrit devotional songs)

Other contributions

Apart from his voluminous writing, Bannanje has also contributed more than 800 articles on various important issues are published in different books, journals and magazines. He also served as the editor at Udayavani early in his life.He has written book on life of Shree Madhwa acharya called Acharya Madhva: Baduku-Bareha published by RastraKavi Govinda Pai Samshodhana Kendra,Udupi.

Another notable contribution of his is to the Indian and Kannada film industries. He served as the expert consultant for G V Iyer's movies on "Adi Shankaracharya", Shri Madhwacharya, Sri Ramanujacharya and the Bhagavad Gita. He also wrote the scripts for the Adi Shankaracharya and Madhwacharya movies. "Adi Shankaracharya" incidentally was the first ever Sanskrit movie.

Preservation of manuscripts

In 2005-2006, Professor P.R. Mukund (a disciple of Sri Bannanje) along with his colleague Dr. Roger Easton from the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and Dr. Keith Knox of the Boeing Corporation in Hawaii, undertook the painstaking process of imaging and preserving the original "Sarvamoola Granthas" authored by Madhvacharya himself. Knox and Easton had earlier imaged fragments of the Dead Sea scrolls and are on the imaging team for the Archimedes Palimpsest project. Bannanje suggested this task as a project of enormous importance and is using the images in his studies of the manuscript. [ [http://taraprakashana.org/index_files/na_msnbc.htm News Article-msnbc ] ] [ [http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/296162/Digital%20life%20for%20ancient%20text.htm Digital life for ancient text - News - The Engineer - [News: engineering news, engineering info, latest technology, manufacturing news, manufacturing info, automotive news, aerospace news, materials news, research & development ] ]

Recognition and honours

Bannanje has won numerous awards and various titles have been conferred on him by esteemed institutions. Some of these include

* The state award conferred by the Government of Karnataka for his meritorious service and scholarship in Vedic literature and philosophy.
* "Vidya Vachaspati - by Shri Admar Mutt swamiji, Udupi
* "Pratibhambudhi" - conferred on him by Puttige Mutt and Palimar Mutt swamijis
* "Shastra savyasachi" - a title conferred by "Akhila Bharata Madhwa Maha Mandala", Bengalooru
* "Shri Krishanugraha Prashasthi" - an award presented by Pejavara Mutt swamiji
* "Sahitya sarvabhouma" - saraswata maha vishwa vidyalaya, Bengalooru
* "Samshodhana Vichakshana" : by shri admar & shri palimar mutt
* "Pandita Ratna" : by palimar mutt swamiji
* "Pandita shiromani" - by Pratibha Ranga, Shivamogga
* "Pandita Ratna" : by Dwarakanath swamji of Partagali Gokarna Mutt
* "Vidya Ratnakara" - title conferred by Shri Palimar Mutt swamiji
* The Academy of General Education, Manipal presented him a fellowship for the meritorious service and scholarship in Indian religion and philosophy.

Conferences attended

* Participated in World Conference on Religion & Peace, Princeton, USA in 1979.
* Participated in World Sanskrit Conference in Delhi in 1980’s.
* Was president to "Sanskrit Parishat" of South Canara.
* Served as President of All India Madhwa Sammelanna in Chennai in 1995.
* Served as President of the Sahitya Sammelanna in Udupi in 2001.
* Participated in number of poetic symposiums and debates.

ee also

* [http://www.AnandaMala.org AnandaMala (Exclusive Website on Shri Bannanje and IshaVasya Prathistana, containing his lectures, articles, poems and much more)]
* Dvaita
* Ashta Mathas of Udupi

References

* [http://www.wie.org/j17/bannanje.asp?page=2 Bannanje Govindacharya Interview, 'Is the Ego an Illusion?']
* [http://www.vnn.org/world/WD9901/WD28-2924.html VNN World - Interview With Sri Bannanje Govindacharya]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20060523220830/http://www.madhva.net/Bannanje/default.asp madhva.net - shrI Bannanje Govindacharya]

External links

* [http://www.AnandaMala.org/ ANANDAMALA (Exclusive Website on Shri Bannanje and IshaVasya Prathistana, containing his lectures, articles, poems and much more )]
* [http://www.taraprakashana.org/downloads/Madhva_philosophy.zip Bannanje on Madhvacharya and "Tattva-vada"]
* [http://www.jnanadoota.org/html/jnanavani/bannanje2.htm A lecture series on the Mandukopanishat]
* [http://www.cis.rit.edu/people/faculty/easton/manuscripts-India-2006.html Guru Govindaacharya - Prof. Easton writes about his interactions with Bannanje during the imaging of the Sarvamoola Granthas]