True scholarship

Srikanta Kumaraswamy, a man who achieved excellence in science and spirituality, passed away on July 5 in Mysore

DEVOTED TEACHER Srikanta Kumaraswamy had plenty of students including women

Vedic scholar and an expert in making steel furnace, R.K. Srikanta Kumaraswamy passed away on July 5 in Mysore.

Srikanta Kumaraswamy was born on May 20, 1928 at Nanjangud. After a brilliant academic career, he began his career as a lecturer in Basappa Intermediate College (now Renukacharya College), in 1947, at the age of 19. He joined Mysore Iron and Steel Works, Bhadravathi in 1952 and worked till 1965. He was responsible for many innovations and improvements in the quality and quantity of production in the iron-making and steel-making furnaces.

His passion for teaching made him join the Indian Institute of Technology at Madras as a lecturer in 1965. Right from his school days, RKSK was much passionate about the Vedas and Sanskrit. He managed to learn them from reputed Ghanpatis at Bangalore, Varanasi, Shimoga and Madras. During his free time in the evenings, he devoted time to teaching of the Vedas at Bhadravati and Madras. Many of the staff members and students from IIT used to attend veda classes with total interest. In his 23 years of service at Madras, he might have taught about 200-300 students, irrespective of caste or creed and many women as well.

After his retirement, teaching the Vedas became a full-time vocation. He gave a series of seven lecturers to packed audiences on vedic literature in 2007, under the aegis of Parampare at Nadabrahama Sangeetha Sabha Hall, Mysore.

RKSK was an expert in both Valmiki Ramayana and Bhagavatam , and gave several lectures and participated in seminars on several aspects of our culture. Kasturi , a popular Kannada magazine, used to publish his illuminative articles in Kannada.

He has written six books in Kannada and they are:

Hridaya Sampannate (this is a compilation of his experiences with noble souls whom he had come across in his life. This has seen three editions.)

Sraddha (Sraddha is the annual ritual performed in memory of one’s own parents. This booklet gives the basic concepts behind every ritual as envisaged by our Maharashis.)

Sarala Vivaha (This is also a Vedic Camskara (sacrement). This booklet gives the real way in which the marriage should be conducted according to our Maharshis.)

Samskaragalu mattu Maanaviya Maulyagalu (Samskaras and human value: All our samskaras are meant to result in Chittashuddhi, a cleaning of the mind, which is nothing but the practice of human values. The book gives the details of all the usual samskaras and its relationship with human values.)

Upakarma (A small booklet about the annual upakarma (beginning of studying the Vedas) which is being observed on the full moon day in the Sravana month) Antyesti( Popular misconceptions and fears associated with the final rites are cleared in this work.)

He was a man with liberal and rational outlook. He held women in high esteem and taught them vedic mantras and performances of rituals.