Baldev Upadhyaya

Baldev Upadhyaya (10 October 1899 – 10 August 1999) was a Hindi and Sanskrit scholar, literary historian, essayist and critic. He wrote numerous books, collections of essays and a historical outline of Sanskrit literature. He is noted for discussing Sanskrit literature in the Hindi language. Earlier books related to Sanskrit literature were often written either in Sanskrit or in English.

Life He was born on 10 October 1899 in the village Sonbarsa in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, British India. His father was Pt. Ram Suchit Upadhyaya, who was a great scholar of the Bhagavata Puraṇa, and his mother was Murti Devi. He had two brothers.

Upadhyaya's early education was at the Govt. High School, Ballia, except for the years 1911–1912, when he was admitted to the 6th standard at the Bengali Tola Inter College, Benares. He passed his M.A. from the Banaras Hindu University (1922) and the Sahityacharya from the Govt. Sanskrit College, Benares.

He married Shivmuni Devi, daughter of Pt. Dev Krishna Ojha, granddaughter of Pt. Yogesh Dutt Ojha, a Sanskrit scholar and author of the Paribhashendu Shekhar, which was published by the Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi.

He died on 10 August in his centenary year 1999 at Varanasi. He had two sons. One of his sons named Dr. G. S. Upadhyaya is retired from IIT Kanpur, where he was a professor in the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering. Dr. G. S. Upadhyaya also had been the head of the department. Prof. G. S. Upadhyaya has died during the COVID-19 period (2020–21). The grandson of Baldev Upadhyaya named Dr. Anish Upadhyaya is currently a professor in the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering at IIT Kanpur.

Students His students include Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Vidya Niwas Mishra, Vibhuti Narayan Singh, Sitaram Chaturvedi, Kalu Lal Shrimali, Rewa Prasad Dwivedi, J. N. Chaturvedi, Triloki Nath Chaturvedi, and Vishnu Kant Shastri.

Major works In 1922 he was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Sanskrit at the Banaras Hindu University. After serving the institution for 38 years, he retired as the head of the department in 1960. In 1968 he was again appointed the director and professor emeritus of the Research Institute at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. He also served as the president, Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Academy, Lucknow.

When he was director of the Research Institute, he was the chief editor of the book series, Sarasvati Bhavana Granthamala, and the Sanskrit journal Sarasvati Sushama. He wrote many books which are the outcome of original studies and are authoritative in their respective fields. He also edited about 25 books.

Awards and honours Mangla Prasad Puraskar, 1942 Dalmia Puraskar, 1946 Shravan-Nath Puraskara Sahitya Varidhi, Prayag, 1972 D.Litt., 1977 Certificate of Honour, Awarded by Zakir Husain, the President of India in 1968. Kalidas Sahitya Ratna, Ujjain, 1982 Vishva Sanskrit Bharati Award, U.P. Sanskrit Academy, 1983. Padma Bhushan Awarded by Giani Zail Singh, the President of India, in 1984. Umaswami Award, Kunda Kunda Bharati Ch. Trust, New Delhi, 1994 Mahamahopadhyaya, 1997 Rama Krishna Dalmiya Sri Vani Award, Ramkrishna Dalmiya Trust, New Delhi

Books Upadhyaya had chosen Hindi as his medium for writing books. There were no authoritative books on all branch of Sanskrit literature in the Hindi language when he began writing Name of Book Publisher Year Rasika Govinda Aur Unki Kavita Hindi Nagari Pracharini Sabha, Ballia. 1926 Sukti Muktavali Haridas Company, Mathura 1932 Sanskrit Kavi Charchā Master Khedilal, Varanasi 1932 Bhartiya Darshana Sharda Mandir, Varanasi 1942 Sanskrit Sahitya Ka Itihas Sharda Mandir, Varanasi 1944 Dharma aur Darshana Sharda Mandir, Varanasi 1945 Sanskrit Vangmaya Sharda Mandir, Varanasi 1945 Vaidika Kahaniya Sharda Mandir, Varanasi 1946 Bauddha Darsana Mimansa Sharda Mandir, Varanasi 1946 Arya Sanskriti Ke Muladhara Sharda Mandir, Varanasi 1947 Bhartiya Sahitya Shastra Prasad Parisad, Varanasi 1948 Bhagvata Sampradaya Nagari Prachatini Sabha, Varanasi 1954 Vaidika Sahitya Aur Sanskriti Sharda Sansthan, Varanasi 1955 Sanskrit Alochana U.P. Sanskrit Sansthan, Lucknow 1956 Kavyanushilana Ramesh Book Deopt, Jaipur 1956 Bhartiya Vangmaya Mein Sri Radha Bihar Rastrabhasha Parishad, Patna 1963 Sanskrit Sukavi Samikchha Chaukamba Vidya Bhavan, Varanasi 1963 Purana Vimarsha Chaukamba Vidya Bhavan, Varanasi 1965 Sanskrit Shashtron Ka Itihas Chaukamba Vidya Bhavan, Varanasi 1969 Bhartiya Dharma Aur Darshana Chaukamba Vidya Bhavan, Varanasi 1977 Sanskrit Sahitya Ka Sanksipta Itihas Sharda Sansthan, Varanasi 1978 Kashi Ki Panditya Parampara Sharda Sansthan, Varanasi 1985 Bhartiya Dharma aur Darshana Ka Anushilan Sharda Sansthan, Varanasi 1985 Vimarshachintamanih Sharda Sansthan, Varanasi 1987