Fwd: Demise of Prof C Jagannathachariar

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[ From Sri Lakshmi Srinivas ]

 

--- Lakshmi Srinivas <lsrinivas wrote:

Thu, 24 May 2001 08:06:54 -0700 (PDT)

Fwd: Demise of Prof C Jagannathachariar

 

Dear friends,

 

Just received a message from Madras that Prof C Jagannathachariar

passed away.

 

Prof CJ guided many famous scholars in his time including:

 

1. Friedhelm Hardy ("Viraha Bhakti") one of the few rare western

scholars of Vaishnavism who was comfortable in both Sanskrit and

Tamil. He read the Tamil source texts (Divya Prabandham,

cilappatikaram, Kalittokai etc) in the original under Prof CJ's

tutelage.

 

2. Prof Ramanathan, the well-known musicologist.

 

3. I understand Prof Vasudha Narayanan, the distinguished scholar

of Srivaishnavism, studied many Tamil and Manipravala texts with

Prof CJ.

 

=======================================================

Srini,

 

Prof CJ, grand-father of Venkatakrishnan of Indian bank,was

absorbed in Acharyan Tiruvadi today, 24th May.

 

It is indeed a sad loss of Tamil world, as it is to theentire

humanity that values scholarship, simplicity,humility, passion,

commitment...

 

While I am a toddler in Tamil, it gave me great pleasure tojust

bask in his presence. Such was his simplicity and sagacity. The

least I could do today was to compile a few facts about him for

those who might be interested, and knowing your love for Tamil I

am furnishing them below.

 

Prof C Jagannathachariar was a scholar par-excellence in Tamil, a

lover of English, a student of Geography and History, a sports

enthusiast, a man with histrionic talent.A humble human being

with a thoroughly unassuming nature, he lived life with verve and

simplicity. A Sri Vaishnavite devoted to Tamil literature, he did

not have an iota of Siva-Vishnu bheda.

 

I remember him telling me that one of the high points of his

career was the exposition for many days on Kamba Ramayanam at the

Aayiram Kaal Mandapam (if I remember right) at Chidambaram

temple. When he learnt that he was speaking in the very place

where Sekkizar did the arangetram of Periya Puranam he was

overcome with emotion. On the concluding day, the Utsavar of

Nataraja Swami apparently came to the place where he was

speaking. He related all this to me with tears in his eyes. He

also mentioned to me that when he visited the village of

Manikkavasagar, he was extremely agitated that the small Siva

temple there was in such decrepit condition. He cried for the

Tamil people did not know the value of their own heritage. He lit

a karpooram there, probably the first person to do so in decades.

 

When I last saw him a few years back, he was living in abare room

with the most frugal of furniture in his son's first floor

apartment in Triplicane. He was seated on the floor and enjoying

coffee as only a person of his generation can.

 

His acad qual: MA (Hist), MA (tamil), L.T, Diploma inGeography,

Tamil Vidwan. Awarded Bourdillon Prize fordistinction in Tamil

during BA at Presidency College in 1930.

 

Career: Started ateacher in Hindu High School, Triplicane(1943 to

46). Served as HOD Tamil in Vivekananda College since its

inception in 1946, for 27 years till 1973.

 

His monumental work in Tamil

----------------------------

 

- In collaboration with his guru Sri U Ve V M

Gopalakrishnamachariar, Prof CJ brought out entire Kamba

Ramayanam with commentary in 7 volumes.

 

- Villibharatam - all ten parvas

 

- in 7 volumes- Annotation of ten poems of Pattup-pattu.

 

- Commentaries for Maduraik-Kanci, Kurinjip-Pattu and

Malaipadukadam were solely the work of Prof CJ-

 

- Tirukkural with Parimelazhagars commentary with

Kurippurai by CJ

 

- Tiruppavai of Sri Andal - textual literary and

criticalstudy (Magnum opus of 520 pages)-

 

- Muthukkumaraswami Pillait - Tamil with Kurippurai- Five

Tiruvezhu Kurrirukkaigal with commentary by CJ (byNakkirar,

Sambandar, Tirumangai Alwar, Arunagiri Nathar,Vanc-Carabam

Dandapani Swamigal). These have since been inscribed in Madurai

Meenakshi temple, Kumbeshwarar temple,Sarangapani temple, Swami

Malai and Arunachaleswarar templerespectively. The last one is

on Sri Parthasarathi of Triplicane and maybe it has been

inscribed there.-

 

- Tamil translation of Ramakatha - Rasa - Vahini

of Bhagavan Satya Sai Baba-

 

- Guide to Doctoral thesis of Sangitha Bhushanam S

Ramanathan. Thesis was on 'Silappadikaratthu isai

-nunukka - vilakkam'-

 

- Naladiyar with commentary by his guru : edited by him-

Commentary on Tandi-alangaram-Collani Iyal- Commentaries on other

works of Kamban - Saraswati-andadi,Satagopar-antadi, Erezhupadu,

Silai ezhupadu, Tiruk-kaivazhakkam-

 

- Edited Nannul-kandigai-Urai-

 

- Commentaries for Sekkilar Pillait-Tamil by

mahavidwanMeenakshi Sundaram Pillai,

Makara-Nedun-kuzhaik-kadarPillait-Tamil by

Tirumeni-kavirayar, ,

TirukkaruntaiAdivarahap-Perumal

varukak-kovai-

 

- Mahabharatha Churukkam by Kachalaiyar - all 18

parvams(Only 15 parvams were found in manuscripts

as poetry. CJ wrote last 3 parvams in prose for the

sake ofcompleteness). He edited and commented on all

the stanzas running to 10 volumes- Guruparampara

Sarvartha Sara Bhushanam(Purvartham-Sara-Sangraha-Vilakkam)

Edited from palm leaf manuscripts, rich treasure for

vaishnavites-

 

- Mahabharatham Santhadi Asva-maham - Around 1200

stanzasculled from torn manuscripts, edited and

commented by CJ.This work is by a Muslim poet

named Syed Muhammad Annaviyar.

 

Above all, any number of Tamil scholars have had their tutelage

under Prof CJ. They don't make them like him anymore.

 

Regards

GK