Ramchandra Narayan Dandekar
Encyclopedia
Ramchandra Narayan Dandekar (Devnagari: रामचंद्र नारायण दांडेकर) (1909– 2001) was a renowned Indologist and Vedic
scholar from Maharashtra
, India
.
He was born in Satara
on March 17, 1909 and died in Pune on December 11, 2001
in 1931, and an M.A. in Ancient Indian Culture in 1933, both from Bombay University (renamed some years ago as Mumbai University). He joined Fergusson College
in Pune
in 1933 as a professor of Sanskrit and Ancient Indian Culture. In 1936, he went to Germany
for further studies and received his doctoral degree from Heidelberg University in 1938 for his thesis Der Vedish Mensh.
and Prakrit
Languages at the University of Poona (renamed some years ago as University of Pune). He served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts during 1959-1965. In 1964, he became the Director of the Center of Advanced Study in Sanskrit at the University of Poona, and served in that capacity until 1974.
In 1939, Dandekar had become the Honorary Secretary of the renowned Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
(BORI), and he continued to function in that capacity till 1994, effectively running the Institute for fifty-five years. From 1994 until his death in 2001, he served as the vice-president of the Institute.
Dandekar was closely associated with numerous Indian and international organizations related to Indology
, and he served and shaped these organizations in various manners. They included the All India Oriental Conference, the International Congress of Orientalists, the World Sanskrit Conference, the Sanskrit Commission of the Government of India, and the Deccan College. He served as an adviser on Indology at UNESCO
.
Along with a large number of other publications, Dandekar published a monumental six-volume Vedic Suchi (Vedic bibliography) in 1946.
in 2000.
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
scholar from Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
He was born in Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
on March 17, 1909 and died in Pune on December 11, 2001
Education
Dandekar earned an M.A. in SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
in 1931, and an M.A. in Ancient Indian Culture in 1933, both from Bombay University (renamed some years ago as Mumbai University). He joined Fergusson College
Fergusson College
Fergusson College is a degree college in western India, situated in the city of Pune. It was founded in 1885 by the Deccan Education Society and at that time was the first privately governed college in India. It is named after Sir James Fergusson, the Governor of Bombay, who donated a then...
in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
in 1933 as a professor of Sanskrit and Ancient Indian Culture. In 1936, he went to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for further studies and received his doctoral degree from Heidelberg University in 1938 for his thesis Der Vedish Mensh.
Career
Upon his return from Germany, Dandekar continued to teach at Fergusson College. In 1950, he was appointed Professor of Sanskrit and Head of the Department of SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
Languages at the University of Poona (renamed some years ago as University of Pune). He served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts during 1959-1965. In 1964, he became the Director of the Center of Advanced Study in Sanskrit at the University of Poona, and served in that capacity until 1974.
In 1939, Dandekar had become the Honorary Secretary of the renowned Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute is located in Pune, Maharashtra, India. It was founded on July 6, 1917 to honor the life and work of Dr. Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar , long regarded as the founder of Indology in India...
(BORI), and he continued to function in that capacity till 1994, effectively running the Institute for fifty-five years. From 1994 until his death in 2001, he served as the vice-president of the Institute.
Dandekar was closely associated with numerous Indian and international organizations related to Indology
Indology
Indology is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent , and as such is a subset of Asian studies....
, and he served and shaped these organizations in various manners. They included the All India Oriental Conference, the International Congress of Orientalists, the World Sanskrit Conference, the Sanskrit Commission of the Government of India, and the Deccan College. He served as an adviser on Indology at UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
Along with a large number of other publications, Dandekar published a monumental six-volume Vedic Suchi (Vedic bibliography) in 1946.
Honors
Dandekar received many honors and awards, including the Padmabhushan title in 1962 from the President of India, and a Sahitya Akademi FellowshipSahitya Akademi Fellowship
The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship is a literary honour in India. Awarded by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, to the "immortals of literature," and limited to twenty one individuals at any given time, it is the highest literary honour conferred by the Government of India...
in 2000.