DR. INDRA CHANDRA SHASTRI

DR. INDRA CHANDRA SHASTRI
A learned scholar, Dr. Indra Chandra Shastri, born at Dabwali Mandi in Distt. Hissar (Haryana) on June 30,1912 had his early education in Urdu. He studied Sanskrit and Prakrit at Sethia Vidyalaya, Bikaner which he had joined in November, 1923. He did his Nyayatirtha in Jainism from Bengal Sanskrit Association, Calcutta in 1928. In 1930, he joined Syadwad Mahavidyalaya, in 1931 Oriental College in Banaras University with Vedanta as a special subject and made thorough study of Sanskrit and Indian philosophy.

He did his Vedantacharya in 1937 securing first position. He served in Sethia Institute, Bikaner as Incharge of Literature and Research work from 1940 to 1944 and during this period composed eight volumes of Shri Jain Sidhanta Bol Sangraha giving gist of Jain literature, canonical as well as post canonical. He did his M.A. in Sanskrit in 1943 obtaining first class.

During 1944-48 he was Lecturer in Vaish College, Bhiwani. In October, 1947 he got Research Fellowship from Paraswanath Vidya- shram, Varanasi. His thesis of 700 pages was a comparative and critical study of the Theory of Knowledge covering all Indian and Western systems of thought with a dispassionate outlook. For few months he continued his work at Vidyashram writing the history of philosophical Jain literature and started the monthly magazine 'Shraman'. His article Bharatiya Sanskriti Ki Do Dharaen created a stir in the intellectual circles. Dr. Shastri was appointed Lecturer in Ramjas College, Delhi in November 1953, Lecturer in Post Graduate Department of Delhi University in September 1957. He was appointed Head of the Institute of Post Graduate Studies (Evening) on its establishment in July 1959. Unfortunately he lost his eyesight during that year and had to leave the post a year after. Since then he is working as Professor under the scheme of Retired Professorship of the University Grants Commission.

Dr. Shastri has created 12 original works besides contributing a large number of Sanskrit, Hindi and English articles and research papers in leading Indian periodicals and magazines.

He has been Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Sanskrit Sahitya Sammelan (1954-58), Joint Secretary of All India Oriental Conference, Delhi Session (1964) and Editor of 'Bharatiya Sanskriti' (1955-57). Residence : 10/17, Shakti Nagar, Delhi-7, Phone 229932.