Keshavram Kashiram Bambhaniya also known as k.k.shastri born on 28 July 1905 at Mangarol in

Junagadh district Junagadh district is a district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Its administrative headquarters is the city of Junagadh. Geography The district is located on the Kathiawar peninsula in western Gujarat. It is surrounded by Rajkot District (North) ...

, Bombay Presidency. He was the founding leader of the

Vishwa Hindu Parishad The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) () is an Indian right-wing Hindu organization based on Hindu nationalism. The VHP was founded in 1964 by M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in collaboration with Swami Chinmayananda. Its stated objective is "t ...

. He was among the dignitaries who attended the first meeting of VHP in 1964 and since then continuously associated with the VHP work and was head of the Gujarat unit also.

Biography

K. K. Shastri completed matriculation from Mumbai University in 1922. Later he studied poetry,

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

language and grammar. He did his

Diploma in Literature A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

from

Saurashtra University Saurashtra University is a university in Gujarat state in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most po ...

. He started his career in teaching as an assistant teacher of Sanskrit at

Coronation High School A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of o ...

in 1925 in Mangrol (District: Junagadh - Gujarat)& Left it because of Muslim Management. Later he joined Sanskrit Pathshala as a part-time teacher. He became assistant editor of Prajabandhu (Gujarati weekly) in Ahmedabad in 1936. He worked with Gujarat Vernacular Society and Gujarat Assembly in 1937. He joined L.D. Institute of Learning and Research in 1958. He also worked as an honorary lecturer of Gujarati at the B.J. Institute of Learning and Research. He was an associate professor of Sanskrit and Gujarati at the B.D. Women's College. He joined the Gujarat Research Society in 1961 as the honorary Regulator.He also was a "KULPATI" of Bharatiya Sanskar Dham. He was a mentor to the current Prime Minister of India- Narendra Modi.

Achievements

K K Shastri Educational Campus Ahmedabad

He guided more than 19 researchers in completing their Ph. D degrees and more than 1500 other graduate students in Gujarati literature. He was regarded as a mobile dictionary of

Gujarati language Gujarati (; gu, ગુજરાતી, Gujarātī, translit-std=ISO, label= Gujarati script, ) is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian state of Gujarat and spoken predominantly by the Gujarati people. Gujarati is descended from Old ...

, grammar as well as Vedic literature. A guide and patron to innumerable students, followers and VHP workers, Shastriji himself was an institution. Besides 240 books to his credit, he has written over 1500 research papers in Gujarati, Sanskrit, Hindi and English. He was conferred

Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...

decades back recognizing his talent and outstanding services to the Gujarati literature. He won gold medals from Gujarat Sahitya Sabha, Gujarat Itihas Parishad and Nadiyad Pushtmargiya Library and bronze medal from Gujarat Research Society.

Death

He died September 9, 2006 in Ahmedabad at the age of 101.

Books

Shastri's prominent publications are as under, * Brihad Gujarati Kosh (part I&II) * Vanaushadhi Kosh (which is translated in 10 languages) * Jaisamhita (an 8800 episode book on Mahabharat) * Bharatsamhita * Shrimadbhagwat Puran (Sanskrit). * Gujarati Vagvikas * Vagvaibhav * Bhalan - ek adhyayan * Kavi rachit part 1 & 2 * Apbhransh vyakaran * Narsinh mehta - ek adhyayan * Pramanand - ek adhyayan * Akshar ane Shabda (base of gujaratee vyakaran) * Aakshvanee ane bija lekho

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shastri, Keshavram Kashiram Hindutva Indian centenarians Men centenarians 1905 births 2006 deaths Vishva Hindu Parishad members Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education People from Junagadh district Writers from Gujarat 20th-century Indian writers 20th-century Indian educators Educators from Gujarat Recipients of the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak