Mangaluru, Dec 13: Renowned Sanskrit scholar Vidyavachaspati Bannanje Govindacharya died at his residence at Ambalpady in Udupi on Sunday due to age related illness, family sources said. He was 85.
A propagator of 'Madhwa' ideology and a great orator, Govindacharya had been conferred the Padma Shree in 2009. He was well-versed in Veda Bhashya, Upanishad Bhashya, Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas and has written commentaries on Veda Suktas, Upanishads, Shata Rudriya, Brahma Sutra Bhashya, and Gita Bhashya. He had authored around 150 books and translated several texts from Sanskrit to Kannada. Some of them are Bana Bhatta's novel 'Bana Bhattana Kadambari', Kalidasa's 'Shakuntala' and Shudraka's 'Mrichakatika.' Govindacharya had also translated several historical novels to Kannada. He also wrote notes on the chapters of Hindu text Upanishad. He was one of the greatest exponents on Madhva philosophy and was best known for his pravachanas, which are very popular among Tuluvas and Kannadigas across the world. Govindacharya was the brand ambassador of India in World Conference on Religion and Peace held in Princeton, USA in 1979.