Highest Civilian award by French Govt given to an Indian
Shri NS Ramanuja Thathachary (NSR Swamy) is awarded for his Immense Contribution to Sanskrit.He was awarded for his lucid commentary on the great Shabda BodhaMimamsa- Sanskrit Work
NSR Swami 84, hails from Navalpakkam, a village near Vandavasi, Thiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu
He has been conferred with the greatest award “Chevalier” from French Govt. He is the fourth Indian to be conferred with this award. Dr. C.V. Raman, Dr. M.S. Subhalakshmi and Dr. Sivaji Ganesan were awarded this title. Now He has been declared to receive this honour from the French Govt for his contributions to Sanskrit Literature. Swami is expert in Advaitham, Visishtadwaitam and Dwaitam. Swami was the first Vice Chancellor of Rashtriya Samskrita Vidyapeeth, Tirupathi and currently emeritus Prof. in the French Institute of Indology, Pondicherry which is managed by Paris University, France.
He is one of the rarest Sanskrit Scholar to have written commentaries to all the 3 schools of Theology, Dwaitham, Advaitham & Vishistadvaitham
Navalpakkam Sri Ramanuja Tatacharya (DOB April 16, 1928) is one of the senior authorities in the fields of Nyaya, Vyakarana, Mimamsa and Vedanta. He hails from a very respectable family belonging to the village of Navalpakkam in North Arcot District, Tamil Nadu renowned for its assiduous pursuit of studies in the Vedas and the Sastras and for devoted practice of their teachings. Being the illustrious son of an illustrious father, the late Krishnasvami Tatacharya, a doyen of Sanskrit learning, his study began under him and continued at Sri Venkateswara Oriental College in Tirupati, Sanskrit College in Sriperumbudur, and Devanatha Tatacharya Swami and University of Madras. By the age of 16 he became a full-fledged Naiyayika after which he attained proficiency in Vyakarana, Mimamsa and Vedanta effortlessly.
Tatacharya’s works can be classified under four heads: critical editions, commentaries, independent works, and research papers. His critical editions are: Tattvachintamani of Gangaesa with the commentary Prakasa of Rucidattamisra, and the two commentaries Nyayasikhamani of Ramakrishnananda and Tarkachudamani of Dharmarajadhvarindra on Prakasa. Jnapakasangraha of Nagesa is another significant critical edition. Among his commentaries are Balabodhini which is on the Panchalakshana Gadadhari, Vivarana, which is a commentary on the Vyadhikarana Gadadhari, Bhavabodhini on the Pakshata Gadadhari, Bhavadipika on the Avayava Gadadhari, Balapriya, a commentary on the Prakasika of Nilakantha on the Tarkasangraha Dipika of Annambhatta, Rajivollasa on the Dinakari on the Siddhanta Muktavali, Vivrti, a commentary on the text of Vyakarana entitled Jnapakasangraha of Nagesa, Bhagavadgunaratnapetika, which is a commentary on the Gopalasahasranamastotra, and Tatparyaprakasika, a lucid commentary on the Satadushani of Vedanta Desika. His independent works are Pratyaksha- tattva- cintamani- vimarsa, Jnapakasangraha- parisishta, and Sabdabodhamimamsa. As honorary professor at the French Institute of Pondicherry he completed the project “An enquiry into Indian theories of verbal cognition” which was published in four volumes. His research papers are too many to be enumerated.
He wrote a commentary in felicitous Sanskrit on the Panchalakshnana Gadadhari, Kanchi Periyavaal Senior Sage of Kanchi in 1981 when he was camping at Satara, after going through NSR Swamy work, Sage of Kanchi told “I am keeping my life long solely with the desire to see the commentaries of Tatacharya on the texts of Gadhadhari. If NSR Swami does not interpret these texts through his commentaries, they would, in course of time, cease to have anything but a matter of historical interest.” As graciously directed by him Tatacharya wrote commentaries on the Gadhadhari on the Vyadhikarana, Pakshata and Avayava.
In recognition of his scholarship the President of India conferred the Certificate of Honour for Proficiency in Sanskrit on him and many religious institutions have honoured him with awards.
His simple living, high thinking and austere habits have won the admiration of scholars. I would like to offer my most respectful salutations to my revered Guru on the occasion through these columns.
To his credit Swami has been the recipient of many prestigious awards for his contributions to Sanskrit Literature mainly President Award for excellence in Sanskrit literature, Sri Vani Dalmia Alankar Award (first recipient), Mahamahopadyaya etc. All pitadhipathis of India have honoured NSR Swami.
As a jewel to his crown, the French Govt has announced the award of Chevalier to Swami for his contributions to Sanskrit Literate