Baldev Upadhyaya

Pandit Baldev Upadhyaya (पण्डित बलदेव उपाध्याय, 1899-1999) was a renowned Hindi, Sanskrit scholar, literary historian, essayist and critic. He penned numerous books, collections of essays and a historical outline of Sanskrit literature. He is the first person who has presented Sanskrit literature in DEVNAGRI Hindi Language , as earlier all books related to Sanskrit litratures were being written in sanskrit.

Life sketch

Acharya Ji was born on 10 October 1899 in a highly religious Hindu family of Village Sonbarsa in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. His early education was done in Govt. High School, Ballia, except for a session 1911-1912, when he got admission to the 6th standard at Bengali Tola Inter College, Benares. He passed M.A. from Banaras Hindu University (1922) and Sahityacharya from Govt. Sanskrit College,Benares.

He had taken last breath on 10th of August in his centenary year 1999 at Varanasi.

[Sanskrit Sadhana, Vidya Niwas Mishra Ayas Bharati Publication, Saharanpur, 1990.]

His students

There is a long list of eminent scholars, literary historian, essayists and criticsof Hindi, Sanskrit litratures, who were his student.

Acharaya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Dr. Vidya Niwas Mishra, H.H. Kashi Naresh Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh Ji, Acharaya Sita Ram Chaturvedi, Dr.Kalu Lal Shrimali, Dr. Karuna Pati Tripathi, Dr. Rewa Prasad Dwivedi, Sri J.N.Chaturvedi.

Major works

In 1922 he was appointed as a Lecturer, Department of Sanskrit, Banaras Hindu University. After serving the institution for 38 years he was retired as a Head of the Department in year 1960. In the year 1968 he was again appointed as Director and Professor Emeritus, Research Institute. Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. He also served as President, Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Academy, Lucknow. [Baldev Upadhyaya Felicitation Volume, (Ed.) G.C. Tripathi, Journal of the Ganganath Jha, Kendriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Allahabad, 1983.]

As a Director, Research Institute, he was the chief editor of book series Sarasvati Bhavana Granthamala and the famous Sanskrit Journal Sarasvati Susama. He authored many books which are the outcome of original studies and are authoritative in the respected fields. He also edited about 25 books. [Shemushi, (Ed) Vidya Niwas Mishra, Sharda Niketan, Varanasi, 2000.]

Awards and honours

# Mangla Prasad Puraskar, 1942
# Dalmia Puraskar, 1946
# Shravan-Nath Puraskara
# Sahitya Varidhi, Prayag, 1972
# D.Litt, 1977
# Certificate of Honour, President of India, 1968.
# Kalidas Sahitya Ratna, Ujjain, 1982
# Vishva Sanskrit Bharati Award, U.P. Sanskrit Academy, 1983.
# Padma Bhushan, President of India, 1984.
# Umaswami Award, Kunda Kunda Bharati Ch. Trust, New Delhi, 1994.
# Mahamahopadhyaya, 1997.
# Rama Krishna Dalmiya Sri Vani Award, Ramkrishna Dalmiya Trust, New Delhi.

Book authored

Professor Upadhyaya had chosen Hindi as his medium for writing books. There were no authoritative books on all branch of Sanskrit literature. He enriched it by writing scholarly work, undoubtedly with complete indian background.

References