Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth

Fulfilling Lokmanya's Dream of Imparting National Education To Face Global Challenges......

Shri Balmukund Lohiya Centre of Sanskrit and Indological Studies

The Sanskrit department, the oldest in the Vidyapeeth, has witnessed a steady growth over the last fifty years firmly establishing it as a matured institution.

The Sanskrit department is the first department of the Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth. The Vidyapeeth started an independent Sanskrit College named ‘Balmukund Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya’ on 2nd December 1948. Shri Balasaheb Kher, the then Chief Minister of Bombay State and the Chancellor of Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth and Shri. Dadasaheb Mavalankar, the first speaker of the Lok Sabha, played a vital role in establishing this college.

The committee consisting of three members, namely, Swami Kevalanand, Prof. K. V. Abhyankar and Prof. C. G. Kashikar planned and formatted the various courses and syllabi of the Mahavidyalaya. In the beginning, there was a compulsory combined course, consisting of the Sanskrit language and literature, Veda, grammar etc. and later on there were optional subjects like the Vedic studies and various systems of Indian philosophy. The courses were fortified with its firm base in the traditional method of Sanskrit teaching. Later on, the western methods of education having historical and critical perspective were also incorporated while retaining all the merits of the traditional method. This has been one of the strong points of this department and has become its distinctive characteristic.

The extraordinary vision of the two devoted teachers of the Mahavidyalaya, Pt. V. B. Bhagwat and Pt. S. H. Dhupkar was responsible in shaping the Mahavidyala firmly through its early years. It was the post independence period when the glamour of physical and applied sciences had set in causing the Sanskrit Pathashalas to close down one after another. During this critical period, the Balmukund Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya not only survived but blossomed because of the dedication, efforts and innovative ideas of these two teachers. Pt. V. B. Bhagwat and Pt. S. H. Dhupkar realized that Sanskrit must be made popular and attractive at the school level, if the number of students at the graduate and post graduate level is to increase. Both of them wrote books especially for school children and the Vidyapeeth started conducting examinations in Sanskrit for secondary schools all over Maharashtra. The Vidyapeeth got tremendous response and the examinations became popular and helpful for the students of Sanskrit. Gradually, the number of students approaching the Mahavidyalaya for learning Sanskrit also increased. The facilities of free hostel and free tuition were made available to the students who in turn achieved great success and high positions in their lives.

The courses taught here demanded of excellent academic standard and were constantly modified as per the requirement and changing circumstances. Vangmaya Visharad and Vangmaya Parangat courses were replaced by newly designed Shastra Visharada and Shastra Parangat, with specialization in various traditional branches like Nyaya, Mimansa, Veda, Vyakarana etc. Thus, there was a shift from only literature to literature and the sciences. This was done with a view to widening the academic horizons.

In 1970, the Government of Maharashtra appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Tarkatirtha Lakshmanshastri Joshi, to consider granting the status of a ‘Deemed University’ to our University.

This prompted further extension and development of Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya. If we had to aspire to the status of a ‘Deemed University’, it was necessary for us to prove worthy of it. It demanded to have a unique course structure that will be our distinguishing mark. After much discussion and due consideration, an entirely novel course was introduced to cover both, Ancient Indian History and Culture. The newly introduced branch was called ‘Bharatiya Vidya’ or Indology. Classes were conducted on Sunday mornings, in order to enable students from all strata of the society to enroll for it. Eminent scholars and teachers from Deccan College and University of Poona readily agreed to conduct the course. Doctors, engineers, architects, science graduates, painters etc. have comprised the classes of Bharatiya Vidya (Indology) over the years. These diploma courses became so popular that it became imperative to introduce the subject at a higher level. Thus, very soon, a course named ‘Bharatiya Vidya Parangat (M.A.)’ was introduced, presenting a wonderful blend of Sanskrit and Indology.

On 24th April 1987, the Vidyapeeth got the status of ‘Deemed University’ and there was a structural change in the administrative and academic set up of the Vidyapeeth and consequently of the Mahavidyalaya as well. Now the degree of Visharad and Parangat came to be considered as equivalent to the B.A. and M.A. degrees respectively of the other statutory universities. Students were also permitted to enroll for the degree of Vidyavachaspati (Ph. D.) in both Sanskrit and Indology, attracting quite a number of students.

The success of a department lies in the fact that it updates itself and its courses keeping up with the changing times. Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya has made it a point to have innovative approaches in this regard which is substantiated by the introduction of courses in ‘Indology’ as well as supplementing the traditional teaching method of Sanskrit with the modern critical method. A certificate course in Marathi for foreign students was introduced in collaboration with the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, Chicago, U.S.A. However, the graph of our progress did not stop at that. Shri Balmukund Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya took a leap to the higher level and extended its name and activities, from 6th May 1996, to ‘Shri Balmukund Lohiya Centre of Sanskrit and Asian Studies’. This enabled us to include Buddhist studies, especially Indo-Tibetian Buddhism, in our curricula, in association with the ‘Central Institute of Higher Tibetian Studies’ at Sarnath. Since the last two academic years, the center is conducting a Certificate course and a Diploma course in Japanese language as well.

The teachers besides their research and teaching have always strived for making Sanskrit, Indology and Asian studies more accessible, attractive and useful to the students as well as common people. The devotion to their subjects is such that they do not hold back even on the pretext of weekly holidays i.e. Saturdays and Sunday s from teaching the respective courses.

Students enrolled for various courses in Sanskrit and Indology, indeed present a unique profile. They come from different walks of life viz. housewives, doctors, engineers, lawyers, professionals and retired people and so on. Since there is no age limit, people who want to utilize their leisure for personal growth find a unique opportunity to do so. They are usually found to be eager to learn more of the ancient literature, language, philosophy and ancient Indian culture. The ambience in the department is built to make the students feel at home. The syllabi of the various courses were revised with a view to give emphasis on ancient Indian culture, Philosophy and language.

Methods and techniques that are used in the department for imparting knowledge present a unique profile. The students are assigned various activities involving them in the teaching as well as course designing processes. Competitions and co-curricular activities are conducted. Workshops on ‘Indian Numismatics’, and ‘Heritage Management’ were organized, which received overwhelming response. Moreover, frequent use of various visual aids and practical field training during the educational tours help the students to reinforce classroom learning. Similarly, special guidance workshops for external students (Parangat/M.A.) are also organized, twice a year, which are greatly appreciated by the students.

Sanskrit