Prof. Sri Lakshmithathachar Swami – A Sanskrit Polyhistor
Bhavantyabhinnasvabhaavaaha sameshu vishameshu satpurushaaha II
- Gathasaptashati, IV-80.
'Noble people are unagitated during difficulties, are not insolent when rich, have courage amidst fear. They exhibit same nature even amidst joys and sorrows'.
As a commemorative seminar is being organized to remember the contributions of Professor M.A. Lakshmithathachar Swami, affectionately called as Prof. MAL (by students) I offer my humble tribute to him in all humility. Prof. MAL was our wonderful preceptor who taught us when we joined for studying M.A. in Sanskrit in PG Department of Sanskrit, Bangalore University (1977-79). Our batch consisted of 27 girls and 9 boys amongst which some of them had already studied Sanskrit quite well in Patashala and Gurukula traditions. Prof. MAL taught Philology, Sanskrit grammar, Indian Logic (Tarka Shastra), Vishistadvaita and western Philosophies to us. He left an indelible impression on our young minds from the very first day with his outstanding mastery over the subjects, eloquence in Sanskrit, English, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi languages and related literature. Prof. MAL could effortlessly switch over from one language to another, one subject to another with ease and comfort. Several times he baffled us with his mastery over very many branches of learning covering oriental and occidental knowledge, culture and philosophies, modern science and lectures endowed with wit and subtle humor. During the breaks, he invited some of us to his chamber for an interactive discussion on the topics he dealt with.
When staff, student and vistiors were waiting for University buses, he used to engage all in lively discussion on many issues ranging from Vedanta to current politics and was a great crowd puller with his tall, majestic frame adorned with traditional Indian white Dhoti, Shawl and silk kurta and pleasing countenance. Unconsciously all of us were greatly benefitted by this Polyhistor and a polyglot nature of those times.
Prof. MAL had a special affection towards me as my grandfather M. Pattabhirama Shastry and father M.P. Krishnamurthy hailed from Melukote, his native place. He underwent midlife crises in his profession, resigned his job, left Bangalore University after we passed out and established Academy of Sanskrit Research (ASR) in Melukote with a paltry State grant of Rs. 370/-pm. Prof. MAL strove hard tirelessly for the next three decades and transformed it as world class Research Institution and a premier Centre for Vishistadvaita philosophy, sought after by Indian and western scholars. His yeoman and true services to Sanskrit Language and Indian Philosophy were recognized by Union Government for which he was bestowed on with President of India award. Prof. MAL invited me to be a research scholar at ASR and editor for the bilingual journal as early as 1982. When ASR was mired in controversies, he desired that I should take up the reins as its Director. But on both occasions, I missed this important bus in my journey of academic life.
Prof. MAL was keenly interested in my academic and professional growth, invited me to participate and also present papers in several State and national conferences which he organized often with perfection. During 1982-90, Prof. MAL organized informal academic discussions on Sundays in Bangalore in which internationally renowned nuclear scientist Dr. Raja Ramanna, Prof. B.R. Seshachar, renowned Biologist, IISC scientists, former Union Health Secretary M.A.S. Rajan IAS, Dr. Anantha Padmanabha of Bell Labs, USA, other academicians and intellectuals participated for which I was also invited. The discussions covered vast range of topics from the Vedas to particle physics, biology to consciousness and were multi – disciplinary in nature. These sessions later prompted me for engaging in inter-disciplinary studies in Sanskrit and also for contributing research articles in peer reviewed national, international journals and volumes. Whenever Prof. MAL was in Bangalore, he invited me to his home in Malleshwaram, showed new software in Sanskrit developed by him and his sons Vidwans M.A. Alwar and M.A. Ananth for instilling interest in me, apart from giving me a set of books, Journals published by ASR, fruits and homemade savories. I was overwhelmed by his peerless affection towards students ( anupama shishya vatsalya).
When Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi assigned me the task of collecting information about traditional Sanskrit Scholars in Karnataka, he gave me a list of stalwarts such as E.S. Varadachar, S.M.S. Varadacharya, V.T. Tirunarayana Iyengar, Dr. N.S. Anantarangacharya, Sri Areyar Srirama Sharma and others and encouraged me to meet them and collect information. This enhanced the quality of my work. He was extremely happy to learn when I got my US Fulbright Visiting Fellowship in 2000 and Resident Professorship at Hindu University of America and gave very important advice as to how I should prepare for a foreign teaching assignment. Whenever I was in cross roads regarding my professional life, he kindly guided me to take right decisions and sail easily through challenging academic and administrative positions and work in all sincerity and with fair justice.
Prof. MAL imbibed in us the spirit of courage, to raise voice against falsehood, corruption, injustice and unrighteousness which he himself practiced throughout his personal and professional life. He was a connoisseur of fine arts, directed and acted in the film 'Sri Ramanujacharya' and several documentaries related to ASR and legacy of Melukote. He wrote and published monumental works on Alwars, Sri Ramanujacharaya, and History of Melukote and trained a dedicated band of young researchers and scholars in quality writing.
My spiritual Guru Swami Ranganathananda Ji, hailed as second Swami Vivekananda by scholars all over the world, always used to say that 'What we require now in the modern world are not ideals but role models' and motivated us to search and follow such role models. As we, some of his students firmly believe, Prof. MAL remained as a great inspirer, a role model for successive generations, and a happy blend of east – west traditions, a philosopher, a brilliant scholar and a phenomenon by himself. I pray Swami Ji to continue to shower his' grace, compassion, warmth and bountiful knowledge on all of us and his countless disciples in the coming decades, from his divine abode.