The venerated Sanskrit scholar Sri Kappagantula Lakshmana Sastri Garu and his life.
Date : 24/04/2024
Sri. Kappagantula Lakshmana Sastri Garu, a renowned poet and scholar, was born in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district of Telangana district in 1911. He received his early education in the then towns of Tirupati, Kurnool and Madras, in the traditional gurukul style. He was trained in Sanskrit literature, philosophy (Vedanta), and Sanskrit grammar, wherein he gained unmatched expertise.
Early achievements: Sri Lakshmana Sastri Garu, who started his career as a schoolteacher in Wanaparthy village of Mahbubnagar district, forged a fruitful partnership with Sri Madiraju Vishnatha Sastri and translated Bilahna Kavi’s Vikramanka Deva Charitamu, into a Telugu poem. Sastri Garu’s translation earned him accolades from far and wide, with poets like Chellapilla Venkata Sastry (of the famous Tirupati Venkata Kavulu), acknowledging his scholarship. Sastri Garu travelled far and wide in Andhra Pradesh and showcased his work to eminent scholars and poets of his time. The poem earned him the title of Andhra Bilhana. Sastri Garu was further decorated with titles like Brahmi Bhushana, Sudhindra Mouli, and Ashtabhashsa Kovida.
Journey in Hyderabad: Sastri Garu moved to Hyderabad to join the Information Department, where he retired as a deputy director. His tenure in the department was marked by several landmark decisions that had a long-lasting impact. One such decision concerned the teachers at the oriental schools and colleges across the then Andhra Pradesh state, who were grossly underpaid and whose work remained largely unrecognized. Sastri Garu stepped in and brought about a reform wherein the oriental schools and colleges imparting Sanskrit education, albeit in the Gurukul system, were recognized on par with the government schools and colleges of the mainstream. His initiative ensured these teachers were paid on par with those in the mainstream, creating avenues for a decent livelihood. Another decision taken during Sastri Garu’s tenure in the Information Department was the introduction of the Sanskrit news in All India Radio (AIR), which continues to date.
Sastri Garu was active in the library movement in the early days of Hyderabad’s release from the despotic Nizam rule. He, along with a few likeminded activists and scholars, worked for the revival of the Telugu language and literature in Hyderabad. As a part of this effort, Sri Krishnadevaraya Andhra Bhasha Nilayam, a library of Telugu works, was established. Sastri Garu and like-minded scholars utilized the space for numerous literary and cultural activities, which ensured Telugu language was respected and Telugu pride, reinstated in Hyderabad. One such activity was the replication of Bhuvana Vijayamu, the legendary court of Sri Krishna Deva Raya, comprising Ashta Diggajamulu or the eight stalwart poets of Krishna Deva Raya’s court. Besides, the scholars regularly conducted lectures and seminars on topics of literary interest.
Personality: Sastri Garu was endowed with a magnetic, charming personality, full of ready witticism both on and off the stage. He was a gifted orator and could speak with ease in eight languages, namely, Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, and English, earning him the tile of Ashta Bhasha Kovida. Of these eight, except English, it was difficult to figure out which was his mother tongue. His tolerance and charm endeared him to one and all. His wide circle of friends included eminent poets and scholars (Kavi Samrat Vishwanatha Satyanarayana, Dr. C. Narayana Reddy Garu, Sri Dasarathi Garu, Thirumala Ramachandra Garu, Shri Vasudeva Dwivedi Sastry ji, to name a few); and politicians/scholars (Shri PV Narasimha Rao Garu, former Prime Minister of India, and Shri Burgula Rama Krishna Rao Garu, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh). It is worth mentioning that Shri Burgula Rama Krishna Rao Garu, while being the CM of Andhra Pradesh, learned Sanskrit from Sastri Garu. Every evening, the two stalwarts would meet late in the night for a discussion on Sanskrit, at the former’s residence. Sastri Garu’s presence was marked by a free-flowing speech and esoteric discussion. As Adi Shankaracharya wrote in the Dakshinamoorthy stotram,
नानाच्छिद्रघटोदरस्थितमहादीपप्रभा भास्वरं
ज्ञानं यस्य तु चक्षुरादिकरणद्वारा वहिः स्पन्दते ।
Just as a lamp placed inside a pot with several holes/ openings emits the light through them, the knowledge inside a knowledgeable person is emitted through his panchendriyas (the five Indriyas), like the eyes, the ears, and the mouth (speech).
Andhra Mahabharathamu: Sastri Garu’s last work was the translation of Veda Vyasa’s Mahabharata, verbatim, into lyrical Telugu prose. The attempts at translation of Mahabharatha were many. The earliest work by Kavi Trayam, Adi Kavi Nannaya, Thikkana, and Errana was in a poetic form, esoteric and difficult for the common man to read and comprehend. Sastri Garu decided to translate Mahabharata verbatim so that an average Telugu person could understand and grasp what exactly Veda Vyasa intended to say. The magnum opus was translated for over seventeen years. During these years, Sastri Garu was able to translate Adi, Sabha, Aranya, Virata, Udyoga, Bhishma and Drona Parvams. During his translation of the Karna Parvam in 1981, he breathed his last. His worthy daughter, Dr. Professor Kamala Garu, diligently edited, proofread, and published the seven Parvams.
Scholars pointed out how the translation of Bharata, particularly of the Bhagavad Geeta in the Bhishma Parvam, underscores his mastery over both Sanskrit and Telugu languages. To quote eminent scholar Shri PG Lalye, “…. words like Paryapta, Avyakta, Udapana, Karmachodana, Jnana, Dharma, Prakriti, Budhhi, Yagnya, Samkhya… they convey various meanings in various contexts. But Sastriji meticulously pointed out the various shades of meaning in various contexts. …. it’s not always possible to retain the meaning throughout, especially while rendering texts like the Gita. The translator has to be careful with every occurrence of the word. Fortunately, the present translator has been so.”
It’s not easy to gauge the literary brilliance or the scholarship of Sastri Garu. In 2012, to celebrate his birth centenary, his last unpublished work titled “Bharateeya Sadachara Kara Deepika”, a compilation of guidelines for a healthy living, translated from Sanskrit to Telugu by Sastri Garu, was published. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states are fortunate to have witnessed a scholar of his stature.
जयन्ति ते सुकृतिनो रससिद्धाः कवीश्वरा: |
नास्ति येषां यशः काये जरामरणजं भयम् ||
Hail the enlightened poets who achieved rasa siddhi. Their fame, immortal, is unaffected by old age and death.
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