Renowned Sanskrit scholar M. Narasimhachary passed away in Chennai on Wednesday night. He was 74. He is survived by his wife.
Born in Arthamuru village in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Narasimhachary was educated in Chennai. He taught in Indian and foreign universities, Oxford being the most notable among them.
He earned his Ph.D. in Sanskrit from the University of Madras, under the guidance of Dr. V. Raghavan for his work on ‘Contribution of Sri Yamunacharya to Visishtadvaita.’
‘Inspiring teacher’
C.S. Radhakrishnan, Professor and Head of Department of Sanskrit, Pondicherry University, described Dr. Narasimhachary as an indomitable researcher, an inspiring teacher, an impromptu poet, an eloquent speaker and an easy exponent of the most terse principles of Vedanta, who charmed the scholars and the students alike.
An ardent student of Visishtadvaita, Dr. Narasimhachary admired Sri Ramanuja for his all-embracing humanism.
Dr. Narasimhachary started his career as a lecturer in Sanskrit in Vivekananda College, Chennai. Subsequently he became Reader in Sanskrit in the University of Madras. He also founded and chaired the Department of Vaishnavism in the University of Madras.
After a short stint as a professor of Sanskrit in the University of Malaysia, he was appointed the first Head of Department of Vaishnavisim at the University of Madras.
He was visiting Professor in the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Moka, Mauritius, recalled Dr. Radhakrishnan, who was his student.
