Sribhashyam Vijayasarathi- Scholar extraordinary

Born on the 10^th of March 1936 at Chegurthi village in Karimnagar district to Gopamamba and Sriman Narsimha Charya, Vijayasarathi had his primary education in Urdu medium. Inheriting Sanskrit, Vijayasarathitook to composing poetry at tender age of seven. His mother belonged to Smarta Vyshnava tradition while his father to that of Naishtika Vaishnav

Vijayasarathi used to listen to his mother, a born songster, reciting Ashtapadis of Jayadeva, slokas  from Sri Krishnaleela Tarangini. Hence the traces of influence of music in his works of art. His mother was not only well versed in Sanskrit literature, but also Tamil. His getting the gist of Tamil epic Tiruppavai from his mother entailed the translation of the same in Sanskrit namely, Srivratam.

Vijayasarathi learnt Tarkashastram along with Nyayabodhini from his maternal grandfather Sri. Lakshmana Sastri who aspired him to transform him into another Udayanacharyulu. His grandmother’s recognition of his poetic talent directed her to disassociate her grandson from pursuing the study of Sastras. Ever since his poetic soul took flights of imagination, Vijayasarathi was led to compose Sarada Padakinkini at the age of eleven, Sabari Paridevanam at sixteen, Manorama, a novel, at seventeen and Praveena Bharatham at the age of eighteen. He made mark as a poet at an early age of twenty-two. His conviction “to write only in Sanskrit” made him experiment in modern thematic aspects in all the extant of literary forms.

Sribhashyam Vijayasarathi being a Sanskrit poetparticipated in several Telugu kavi sammelanams and used to recite his Sanskrit poetical works getiing appreciation from one and all. In one of such largely attended meetings graced by Andhra Pitamahi Late. Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao, first chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council and Late. Sri Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao, first speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legsilative Assembly, conferred the title of Mahakavi on Vijayasarathi, while others commended him as “Saraswathi Sutottamsa”. Vijayasarathi has the credit of participating, as a representative of Andhra Pradesh, in  All India Sanskrit kavi sammelanams conducted by All India Radio, Delhi and other prestigious educational and literary institutions like Nehru University, Delhi Oriental Conference, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune, Ganganath Jha Vidya Peetham, Allahabad, Kasi and Bangalaore etc.

Vijayasarathi got the blessings of the Karapatra Swamiji and Mahamahopadhyaya Pasupatinatha Sastri of Nepal. With their inspiration and encouragement Vijayasarathi entered into the field of Vedas, Astrology and vaastu.

Mandakini, a great epic, shot him into the fame in India and abroad and won him Yugakartha award. No other poet has employed as many dhatus as Vijayasarathi in his Mandakini. His experiment with various forms of dhatus-akati, chakati, takati, jalati, salati,syandate, spandate, skundate, modate, prodate and many more lent  beauty to that epic. Bharatha Bharathi is another work of art that won him laurels in the form of awards, rewards and felicitations. The theme of Bharatha Bharathi is that every Indain should uphold the traditional grandeur of one’s country. Other instances of recognition to Bharatha Bharathi are the honour conferred on Vijayasarathi, for his poetic talent, with swarna kankanam by the then Governor of Andhra Pradesh His Majesty Late. Sri Krishna Kanth  and the gold medal awarded by Maharashtra Tilak Vidya Peeth. K.K.Birla Foundation awarded him “Vachaspathi” award for the year 1997.

Prahelikas are the best instance of his scholarship. He compiled and classified the Prahelika literature, which was on the verge of extinction, supplementing them with “anusamhithas”. He published two parts of them during the 1967-69 while eight more parts are awaiting publication.

The publications in Sanskrit that reveal the personality of Vijayasarathi as critic are Sanskrutha Rupakamlo Nandi Prasthavanalu, Sankrita Vasucharitra Sameeksha, Nyaya Vysheshikamulu, Sankhyayogamulu etc. and among his other unpublished works include Kavyadarsha Katyayani (an analysis of Alankara Sastram), Saadrushya Mulalankaramulu and Poorvottara Mimasalu.

Vijayasarathi’s contribution to Vedic research has been tremendous and commendable. He compiled more than 2000 mantras and brought out a book relating to Mahalakshmi upasana. Vijayasarathi has also to his credit books relating to Srushti Vidya in Jaina, Boudda Vedic puranas and Purana Prasasti.

His other works include 25 Suprabhatas, Vishadalahari, Rasakeli, Sangeeta Madhavam, Udaharanani, Kamayanam and Avahanam. He has so far composed about 12000 slokas of which half of them have been published.

Vijayasarathi enriched the Sanskrit literature with many an experiment, for instance, he introduced “seesam” a Telugu indigenous poetic form and is the first one to introduce ‘epistolary form’in Sanskrit literature.He has introduced “Suktha Prakriya” found in Vedas into Sanskrit language with modern as well as social perception.

Employed at the age of twenty at Sr Vishweshwara Sanskritandhra Kalashala in Warangal where he was a student, Vijayasarathi was acclaimed as the best teacher. Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Academy honoured him with best poet in 1993.

“Festschrift” on life and works of Sribhashayam Vijayasarathi on the eve of his completing fifty years of taking to the profession of letters is an ample evidence for his outstanding contribution to Indian literature in general and Sanskrit literature in particular. 

(Note: Please visit www.svskarimnagar.org for more information on Sribhashyam Vijayasarathi )