Padma Shri Prof. Ram Shankar Tripathi - 5th Commemoration day

“Swaranjali”, an evening filled with soulful melodies deep-rooted in the art of Dhrupad Sangeet was organised on 18.05.2024 to observe the 5th Commemoration Day of Padma Shri Prof. Ram Shankar Tripathi. Prof. Tripathi, in addition to being a renowned scholar of Buddhism, was also an Indian Classical music enthusiast. This program was dedicated to that of his appreciative nature.
Dr. Madhuchanda Dutta, a famous Indian classical Dhrupad singer and a disciple of Pandit Ravi Sanyal, filled the evening with her blissful/ mesmerizing performance. She has been honored with various awards and participates in many seminars and workshops of Dhrupad, organized by many cultural organizations. She was accompanied on Mridangam by Leonara from Argentina and on Tanpura by Yoko from Japan.
Prof. Ram Shankar Tripathi, a renowned scholar in Buddhist Philosophy, was honored with the Padma Shri Award by the President of India for his remarkable contributions in the field of education. Renowned internationally, Prof. Tripathi had profound expertise in both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions, encompassing all four major schools of Buddhist thought. He played a pivotal role in the Translation and Restoration unit at the Central University of Tibetan
Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi, where he led efforts to restore ancient Indian texts by scholars such as Nagarjuna and Dharmakirti from Tibetan translations into Sanskrit and Hindi.
Born on October 15, 1929, in Sodalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Prof. Tripathi received his early education locally before advancing to higher education at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, where he earned his postgraduate degree in Buddhist Philosophy. He furthered his studies at Nalanda University, obtaining an Acharya (M.A.) in Pali language under the tutelage of distinguished scholars, and later earned a D.Litt. from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.
Prof. Tripathi's academic career began at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, where he served over three decades, eventually becoming the Dean of the Faculty of Shraman Vidya and Head of the Department of Buddhist Philosophy. Post-retirement, he joined the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, engaging in projects to restore vital Buddhist texts. His scholarly output includes original works such as "Sautrantic Darshanam", a pioneering text on the Sautrantika school, and several commentaries on important Buddhist works. He also translated
numerous Buddhist texts into Hindi, making these works accessible to a broader audience.
Throughout his career, Prof. Tripathi was actively involved in promoting education and cultural integration, particularly in the Himalayan regions. He taught students from across India and abroad, many of whom pursued advanced studie under his guidance. His efforts in education extended to organizing and participating in national and international conferences, seminars
and workshops, as well as delivering talks on radio and television.
Prof. Tripathi received multiple awards recognizing his scholarly excellence, including the Rashtrapati Samman, Wayman-Sharma Vishishta Sarasvata Puraskar, Manjushree Samman and Shankar Puraskar. His accolades from the Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Academy and Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Academy further attest to his significant contributions to Sanskrit and Buddhist studies.
Prof. Ram Shankar Tripathi passed away on February 18, 2019, leaving behind a legacy of scholarly achievements and contributions to Buddhist philosophy and education.
Thanks to Tsering Gellek and the Sarnath International Nyingma Institute, Sarnath, for graciously providing the venue and logistical support.
Compiled, Edited and presented by Tushit Dev Tripathi (for Tushita Foundation).