Ram Karan Sharma
Encyclopedia
Ram Karan Sharma is a Sanskrit
poet
and scholar. He was, born in 1927 at Shivapur in the Saran district
of Bihar
. He has been awarded an MA in Sanskrit
and Hindi
from Patna University as well as Sahityacharya, Vyakarana Shastri and Vedanta Shastri degrees. He earned a PhD in Linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley
, under the guidance of Murray B. Emeneau. Sharma writes in both Sanskrit and English language|English. His literary works include the poetry collections Sandhya, Patheyasatakam and Vina, and the novels, Rayisah and Sima. Elements of poetry in the Mahabharata is considered his most significant work as a critic of Sanskrit literature
. Apart from his literary works he has also translated and edited books on Indian medicine, epics
, and Puranas
. He also contributed research papers in various seminars, journals and books in the field of Indology
.
to honour writers for their work in Sanskrit during the previous ten years for his poetic work Gaganvani.
He is a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society
and Member of the American Oriental Society
.
He was vice chancellor of Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University
, Darbhanga
, from 1974–1980 and has also held the same position at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University
, Varanasi
, from 1984-1985. He has held visiting professorships at the University of Chicago
, University of Columbia, and University of Pennsylvania
.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and scholar. He was, born in 1927 at Shivapur in the Saran district
Saran district
Saran District is one of the thirty-seven districts of Bihar state, India. The district, part of Saran Division, is also known as Chapra district after the headquarters of the district - Chapra...
of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. He has been awarded an MA in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
from Patna University as well as Sahityacharya, Vyakarana Shastri and Vedanta Shastri degrees. He earned a PhD in Linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, under the guidance of Murray B. Emeneau. Sharma writes in both Sanskrit and English language|English. His literary works include the poetry collections Sandhya, Patheyasatakam and Vina, and the novels, Rayisah and Sima. Elements of poetry in the Mahabharata is considered his most significant work as a critic of Sanskrit literature
Sanskrit literature
Literature in Sanskrit begins with the Vedas, and continues with the Sanskrit Epics of Iron Age India; the golden age of Classical Sanskrit literature dates to late Antiquity . Literary production saw a late bloom in the 11th century before declining after 1100 AD...
. Apart from his literary works he has also translated and edited books on Indian medicine, epics
EPICS
The Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System is a software environment used to develop and implement distributed control systems to operate devices such as particle accelerators, telescopes and other large experiments. EPICS also provides SCADA capabilities...
, and Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
. He also contributed research papers in various seminars, journals and books in the field of Indology
Indology
Indology is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent , and as such is a subset of Asian studies....
.
Awards and honours
He has received many awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit in 1989, the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award in 1989, the Delhi Sanskrit Academy Award, and the prestigious Presidential Award. He received the 2005 Krishna Kanta Handique Memorial Award, given in recognition of his contributions to promote the cause of Sanskrit language and literature. In 2004, he was given Vachaspati Puraskar by the K. K. Birla FoundationK. K. Birla Foundation
The K.K. Birla Foundation was established in 1991 by Krishna Kumar Birla. Its mission is to promote literature and the arts, as well as education and social work...
to honour writers for their work in Sanskrit during the previous ten years for his poetic work Gaganvani.
He is a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society
Royal Asiatic Society
The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was established, according to its Royal Charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia." From its incorporation the Society...
and Member of the American Oriental Society
American Oriental Society
The American Oriental Society was chartered under the laws of Massachusetts on September 7, 1842. It is one of the oldest learned societies in America, and is the oldest devoted to a particular field of scholarship....
.
He was vice chancellor of Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University
Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University
Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University is a state university located at Darbhanga, Bihar, India, dedicated to the teaching end promotion of Sanskrit.-History:...
, Darbhanga
Darbhanga
Darbhangā is a twin city and a municipal corporation and the capital city of the Darbhanga district and Darbhanga Division in the state of Bihar, India. It is one of the most important districts of North Bihar situated in the very heart of Mithilanchal. According to the latest 2011 census, the...
, from 1974–1980 and has also held the same position at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University
Sampurnanand Sanskrit University
Sampurnanand Sanskrit University is an institution of higher learning in Asian learning, Sanskrit allied areas, etc. that is located in Benares , Uttar Pradesh, India.- History :...
, Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, from 1984-1985. He has held visiting professorships at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, University of Columbia, and University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
Works in English
- Elements of Poetry in the Mahabharata
- Anthology of Medieval Sanskrit Literature (included in volume one of Paniker's Anthology of Medieval Indian Literature)
- Researches in Indian and Buddhist Philosophy: Essays in Honour of Professor Alex Wayman
Other major works
- Śivasahasranāmāṣṭakam
- Sivasukiyam
- Gaganavani
- Caraka Samhita
- Rejuvenative Healthcare in Ayurveda
- Sarvamangala
- Sumanomala
- Dipika