In a world ridden with strife and religious intolerance, his is a voice reaching out to the younger generation through discourses on Indian philosophy. Scholar and philosopher Bannanje Govindacharya spreads the true knowledge about Vedic traditions and culture in India and abroad as he feels that today’s youth are moving away from our rich heritage.
For decades, 80-year-old Govindacharya has been propagating Sanskrit and India’s cultural heritage. “In Russia, I have thousands of followers who think I am their spiritual guru. Be it America, the Middle East or Europe, my goal is to convince the younger generation and take them away from the path of atheism,” he says.
Govindacharya wants to break the existing orthodox tenets and spread true knowledge about religion. “I have been able to convince many youth through my discourses and impart real philosophy,” he says.
The Udupi-based scholar will be felicitated on December 23 at a five-day event in Bengaluru where his Sanskrit and Kannada works will be displayed and his contributions to literature, philosophy, religion and media will be discussed. He is doing a psycho analysis of the Bhagavad Gita, which will run into 18 volumes of 300-400 pages each.
Govindacharya has cut across religious, sectarian, social and caste barriers. “Earlier, politics and religion were complementary to each other with spiritual scholars having a say in state affairs. The situation has changed dramatically today with politicians politicking for their own ends. Because of this, youngsters have developed an aversion for religion,” he says.
He believes that India is the most tolerant society in the world. “Why such a big noise about Tipu Sultan or Kanaka Jayanthi? Pitching one community against another is foolishness, but politicians have been doing this for a long time,” he adds.
During his school days, Govindacharya studied Madhva shastra under scholars like Shri Padumunnur Narayanacharya and Shri Vidyaamaanya-Teertha Swamiji. Later, he took up extensive studies of Vedic scriptures and Sanskrit literature, giving up formal education. By the time he turned 25, he was well-versed in the Vedas, Vedanta, Itihaas, Puranas, Sahitya, Vyakaran, etc and had mastered Sanskrit, Kannada and Tulu. “The atmosphere at home was such that I started studying the Vedas and the Puranas. My father was a great Sanskrit scholar and my first guru,” he says.
An expert on Madhva philosophy, Govindacharya has researched the 800-year-old palm leaf manuscripts of Sant Madhavacharya. “I found a lot of errors in the primary Sanskrit books. I published the original manuscripts to highlight the correct meanings of each written word,” he explains. He has published 153 religious and cultural works in Sanskrit and Kannada and has translated Sanskrit literary works like Kalidasa’s Shakuntala, Bhavabhuti’s Uttararamacharita and a host of others.
He has travelled to various Oriental research institutes, philosophical centres and mutts to study rare manuscripts and has collected over 200 of them. He has written short and detailed Sanskrit commentaries on Vedic scriptures, Madhva shastra and Tarka shastra. He also has nearly 25,000 hours of audio recordings on various spiritual works. He wrote the scripts for award-winning films Adi Shankaracharya and Shri Madhvacharya. Apart from being a Padma Shri awardee in 2009 and getting the Sahitya Akademi award in 2001, he has been conferred state awards, titles, fellowships and a doctorate from Mangalore University.
Govindacharya has published 153 religious and cultural works in Sanskrit and Kannada