Sampadananda Mishra
Sampadananda Mishra (Odia: ସମ୍ପଦାନନ୍ଦ ମିଶ୍ର, born 17 November 1971)[1] is a Pondicherry-based Sanskrit scholar from Odisha.[1] He is the director of Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Indian Culture.[2][3][4] Through the Vande Mataram Library Trust, an open-source and volunteer-driven project, he plans to generate verified, authentic English translations of almost all important scriptures available in Sanskrit.This pioneering project would also lay the foundation stone of original Sanskrit works that would enhance the appreciation and cultivation of the Vedic knowledge. Mishra was awarded the Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Award for Sanskrit in 2012 by Pratibha Patil, the then President of India.[1][5] Mishra specializes in Sanskrit grammar.[1]
Sampadananda Mishra | |
---|---|
Born | Odisha, India | 17 November 1971
Occupation | Sanskrit scholar, editor and author |
Language | Sanskrit, Odia, English |
Nationality | India |
Alma mater | Utkal University |
Genre | Sanskrit, Indian literature |
Life
Mishra is a grandson of a Sanskrit Pandit.[3] He received a post-graduate degree in Sanskrit from Utkal University.[2] He received an MPhil degree in Sanskrit working under V. Kutumba Sastry from Pondicherry University, where he received a gold medal for excellent performance.[2] He received a PhD degree from Utkal University on the Sanskrit and the evolution of human speech.[2] He currently serves as the director of Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Indian Culture (SAFIC), which is an initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society.[2][3][4]
Work
Mishra regularly conducts workshops, training programmes, orientation courses and talks for students and teachers of Sanskrit, Mantra, Yoga and Bhagavad Gita. He writes articles in English, Sanskrit, and Odia. He composes verses and songs.[2] He is involved in several Sanskrit projects being run by the Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Indian Culture (SAFIC), Sri Aurobindo Society, including a 24-hour Sanskrit-language radio station called Divyavani Sanskrit Radio.[3] He also is the founder of the Samskrita Balasahitya Parishad which is focused on creating, evaluating and propagating children's literature in Sanskrit. In collaboration with the SAFIC now Vande Mataram Library has launched online versions of the Gita and the Upanishads.
Books
Mishra has edited or authored eight books.[1] Some of his books are:
- Sampadananda Mishra. Sanskrit and the Evolution of Human Speech. Sri Aurobindo Institute of Research in Social Sciences, 2006. ISBN 978-8170602361. 171 pp.[2]
- Sampadananda Mishra. Stotravali: A Book of Hymns and Prayers in Sanskrit. Sri Aurobindo Institute of Research in Social Sciences, 2006. ISBN 978-8170602033. 316 pp.[2]
- Sampadananda Mishra (ed.). The Century of Life of Sri Aurobindo with original verses of Bhartrihari. Sri Aurobindo Institute of Research in Social Sciences, 2005. ISBN 978-8170601203. 128 pp.[1][2]
- Sampadananda Mishra. Sri Aurobindo and Sanskrit. Sri Aurobindo Institute of Research in Social Sciences, 2001. ISBN 978-8170601593. 118 pp.[2]
- Sampadananda Mishra and Vijay Poddar. The wonder that is Sanskrit. Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd, 2001. ISBN 978-1890206505. 210 pp.[1][2]
- Sampadananda Mishra. Hasyamanjari: A book of humorous stories in Sanskrit. Sri Aurobindo Institute of Research in Social Sciences, 2001. ISBN 978-8170601623. 42 pp.[2]
- Sampadananda Mishra. Chandovallari: A handbook of Sanskrit prosody. Sri Aurobindo Institute of Research in Social Sciences, 1999. ISBN 978-8170601234. 147 pp.[2]
Vande Mataram Library
Mishra is one of the two trustees of Vande Mataram Trust.[3] The library plans to publish several volumes of religious and non-religious Sanskrit texts with translations.[3] As per Mishra, he floated the idea of Vande Mataram Library a few days after the petition against the Murty Classical Library of India (MCLI).[3] Mishra said, "If people are saying Indians are not competent enough to do that [translate Sanskrit], let’s prove it by creating good works, not fighting just like this."[3] Mishra is of the opinion that while the MCLI works are high-quality and the translations are good, there are portions where cultural elements are missing.[3] He plans to bring out authentic translations of both secular and non-secular texts in Sanskrit, including the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Gita, the Upanishads and the Vedas.[3]
References
- Tripathi, Radha Vallabh, ed. (2012). संस्कृतविद्वत्परिचायिका – Inventory of Sanskrit Scholars (PDF). New Delhi, India: Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan. p. 161. ISBN 978-93-8611-185-2. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- "Dr. Sampadananda Mishra" (PDF). Sri Aurobindo Society. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- Chari, Mridula (8 March 2016). "'Authentic' Vande Mataram Library aims to challenge Sheldon Pollock's 'foreign' one". Scroll.in. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- Tripathi, Salil (24 March 2016). "A Library controversy". Mint. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- "President gives away Awards to Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, Pali/Prakrit Scholars". Press Information Bureau. 19 June 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2020.