Gopinath Kaviraj

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Gopinath Kaviraj
Government Sanskrit College, Varanasi
(1923–1937)
Sanskrit scholar, philosopher
Parent
  • Vaikunthanath (father)

Gopinath Kaviraj (7 September 1887 – 12 June 1976) was an Indian

Government Sanskrit College, Varanasi from 1923 to 1937. He was also the editor of the Sarasvati Bhavana Granthamala
(Sarasvati Bhavana Texts) during that period.

In 1964 he received the

Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
, the highest literary honour awarded by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.

Early life and education

Kaviraj was the posthumous son of Vaikunthanath, a

Dhamrai, in the present Dhaka District, capital of Bangladesh. After receiving his early education at Dhamrai and Kanthalia villages, he joined the K. L. Jubilee High School, Dhaka in seventh class, and studied there till tenth class.[1]

In 1906 he moved to Jaipur, where after four years he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Maharaja College, Jaipur.[1] He obtained his master's degree from the University of Allahabad.[2] Here he studied with scholars Madhusudan Ojha, Shasdhar Tarkchudamani and others.[citation needed] In 1910 he moved to Devnathpura, Varanasi, and started his postgraduate studies, passing the M.A. from the University of Allahabad in 1914, with first merit position in the first class.[1]

Career

The final phase of his education started at Varanasi under the guidance of Arthur Venis, who appointed him as a librarian of the Sarasvati Bhavan Library of the Government Sanskrit College, Varanasi, where he worked from 1914 to 1920.[1] This period allowed him to pursue research in Tantra. It was at Varanasi that Kaviraj was exposed to various facets of ancient Tantric philosophy. In 1918, he met Vishuddhananda Paramahamsa, a Vedic & Tantrik Sadhu in Kashi who guided him in ancient wisdom of Tantra,Yog, Vigyan. Vishuddhanand Paramhamsa was basically from Bengal, stayed in Varanasi for a long time & belonged to the lineage of Gyanganj which is also called Siddhashram since old times and Shambhala in recent times which is near Tibet. (Reference text : Yogiraj Shri Shri Vishuddhanand Paramhamsa)

In 1924 he became principal of the Government Sanskrit College, later

Sri Anirvan, he devoted himself to the study of Kashmir Shaivism. In his later years he became an ardent devotee of mystic Anandamayi Ma, whom he first met in 1928.[1]

In 1934 he was awarded the title of Mahamahopadhyaya in recognition of his service Sanskrit scholarship.[1]

Later in life, he remained Head of newly established Yoga-Tantra Department at the Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya in Varanasi from 1964 to 1969. However, because of failing health, he left it and shifted to Ma Anandamayi Ashram, Bhadaini locality.[3]

Personal life

He was married in 1900 to Kusum Kumari, belonging to a family of Sanskrit scholars of East Bengal. The couple had two children, a son named Jitendranath and a daughter named Sudha. He died on 12 June 1976 at his home in

Sigra locality in Varanasi, survived by his daughter and grandchildren.[1]

Books authored

Bibliography

  • Sri Sri Vishuddhanand Prasanga – An account of the life and mysterious activities of his Spiritual Guru Vishuddhananda Paramhamsa. It also reveals many Secrets of Tantra and Yoga, and refers to Gyanganj
  • Yogiraj Shri Shri Vishuddhanand Paramhamsa
  • Tantric Sadhana
  • Bharatiya Sadhanar Dhara
  • Sri Krishna Prasanga
  • Mrityubijnan O Karmorahasya
  • Tripurarahasyam
  • Goraksasiddhantasamgrahah
  • Sahityachinta
  • Siddhabhoomi Gyanganj – in Bengali. A translated Version in Hindi was published in India by Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan
  • Kaviraj, Gopi Nath; Calcutta, University of (1981). Life & philosophy of Mahamahopadhyaya Gopinath Kaviraj: papers presented at the seminar. University of Calcutta.
  • Manishi ki Lokyatra(in Hindi)- Bhagavati Prasad Singh. 3rd ed.1987, published from Vishvavidyalaya Prakashan Varanasi (
    ISBN 9788171245543
    ).

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Sri Sri Anandamayi Ma's Devotees". Anandamayi Ma. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  2. ISBN 9788189975548
    . Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  3. ^ Acharya Baldev Upadhyaya, Kashi ki Panditya Parampara, Vishwavidyalaya Prakashan, Varanasi, 1983.
  4. ^ "Padma Awards Directory (1954–2013)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Sahitya Akademi Fellowship". Official listings, Sahitya Akademi website. p. 2. Retrieved 26 September 2014.

External links

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