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Goswami Harikrishna Shastri

Goswami Harikrishna Shastri a reputed intellectual of Sanskrit literature, ancient-jurisprudence and Vedanta philosophy,   born in 1904 AD in the  Aatreya Gotra of Tailang Brahmins (originally hailing from Tamilnadu), H K shastri was a descendant of famous  16th C scholar Shivananda Goswami. He was basically an acclaimed poet, yet well versed in Tantrashastra  and other  scholarly disciplines.

His father was a learned man- Gopikrishna Goswami and mother's name was Kashi Devi. He got married with one Gulla devi Tailang  belonging to the family of Orchha Raj Pandits in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh at an early age. Renowned Sanskrit Poet Bhatt Mathuranath Shastri was his real brother-in-law.

born in 1904 at vilage Mahapura, near Jaipur in  Rajasthan, India resided in  Jaipur and Ahmedabad. He was educated through traditional systems in Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Tantra-Mantra, Theology,  and Grammar etc. Creatively most active between   1929 and  1970 AD, he was honored and regarded as Gadya-Padya-Samrat, and an ‘Ashukavi’, He was the father of six Children (four sons, two daughters)

Goswami Harikrishna Shastri has written about 25 books apart from 'Adarshyoudaryam' (drama), 'Vanshprashasti' ( cultural history of his own family and ancestors ) and 'Lalit Katha Kalpalata' (Sanskrit-story collection). His greatest literary contribution is the composition of the original Sanskrit epic named 'Divyalok’ a magnum opus ! He has created valuable literature in almost all genres, apart from original works, he has also translated famous works of other languages into Sanskrit. Among these, Acharya Chatursen Shastri's novel 'Amrapali' Rabindranath Tagore's novel 'Chokher Bali' (translated as 'Udvejini'), and 'Aankh ki Kirkiri' etc. are notable.

Impressed by the diversity of his valuable writings, Dr. V. Raghavan [2], the then editor of the famous Sanskrit magazine 'Sanskrit Pratibha' of Central Sahitya Academy, had requested him to write prose or poetry for this magazine therefore From 1945 to 1979, his original works were published not only in Sanskrit Pratibha  but many other Sanskrit magazines of the country.

According to the famous Sanskrit scholar Devarshi Kalanath Shastri, another specialty of his poetic personality was that every year he used to write captivating poetry to welcome spring season. One such part of his composition hiling the spring is – “KinshukkadambakunjGunjitmadhuppunj Lochanallamlokamanoharvasant Priyavar Vasant”

He also did research writing and editing on his ancestor Shivanand Goswami's book 'Simha-Siddhanta-Sindhu'. [3] While residing in a ‘math’ in Ahmedabad, he wrote many articles and booklets on the philosophy of Acharya Ramanand. However, Shastry spent his later years in his own village Mahapura. Here he translated Rabindranath Tagore's 'Gitanjali' and some other works into Sanskrit.[4]

Goswami Harikrishna Shastri wrote the biography of Jagadguru Swami Ramanandacharya under the name 'Acharya Vijay' in the typical style of novel genre, which includes not only his principles, but also his entire biography, philosophy, scriptures, sermon tours, and major disciples. The beliefs and history of the Ramanand sect is included in this work [5].

Scholars of the Ramanand sect unanimously believe that if there is any other time rested immoral text in the Sanskrit world after 'Shree Shivrajvijay' is 'Acharya Vijay', which was first published from Ayodhya in 1977. In the form of Sulalit Prabandh, 'Acharya Vijay',   is   a huge prose-poem ‘Champookavya’ written by Goswami ji consisting of 59  chapters. Later the same got republished by the Rewasa-Dhamm Sikar and Hansa Prakashan, Jaipur, jointly in 2011 with its creative Hindi Translation.

Government service and contribution to other communities

After marriage, Goswami Harikrishna Shastri became a teacher in the education department in Tikamgarh (Madhya Pradesh), but after the demise of his father in 1945, he returned to Jaipur. A small 'Sanskrit Pathshala' which he first established in his native village Mahapura, in early 40s has today become a Government Post Graduate Sanskrit College.[7]

He also worked as a clerk in the Jagir Commissioner's Office, and then in Ayurveda Department  of the Rajasthan Government in the initial years of his career. Later when an independent Directorate for Sanskrit Education was formed in Rajasthan, he became a Lecturer in Sanskrit, promoted as professor and retired as principal of many government Sanskrit colleges of Udaipur, Ajmer, Nathdwara in 1967 [8]

Impressed by the wisdom of Goswami Harikrishna Shastri, many sects, Mahants and Peethadhishwars honored him and made him their “Shastri”. He was the guru of many Acharyas and Mahants like Goswami Suresh Bava in Pushtimargiya (Vallabhacharya) Peethas like Amreli, Kamvan etc. After that, he earned immense fame by becoming the head of the department of Vedanta in Kaushalendra Math of Ramanand sect located in Paldi near Ahmedabad.

It was here that he was requested to write a huge biography of Jagadguru Swami Ramanandacharya in Sanskrit. [9] [10]

awards In 1978, Goswami Harikrishna Shastri was given the 'Mahakavi Magh Award' by the Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy for his poetry 'Divyalok' and he was given the title of ‘gadya-padya samrat’ by the 'Goswami-Sabha'. [11] Government of Rajasthan on Sanskrit Diwas, he was honored as a distinguished scholar.

Research work has been taken up on the personality and works of Goswami Harikrishna Shastri. One Dr. Sarla Sharma was awarded PhD degree by Rajasthan University has been conferred on her research work focused on Shastriji.

Death He died in Mahapura in the year 1979. [12]