Other names of my ancestor Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal like R. Narayana Sastri and Turavur Narayana Sastri, and books mentioning them
Last updated on 21 Apr. 2023
Copied with link update from ravisiyer.blogspot.com on 14 Apr. 2023, first published there on May 18, 2020
27th May 2020: Please see my post: Sanskrit drama author Bhattasri Narayana Sastri (1860-1911/1918) IS NOT my ancestor Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal (TNS); What we now know for sure about TNS, https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/sanskrit-drama-author-bhattasri.html . This post states, "Bhattasri Narayana Sastri of 90 odd Sanskrit dramas fame, mentioned in Sahitya Akademi published books (prestigious matter), was based in Tamil Nadu, and is a DIFFERENT person from my great-grandfather Thuravoor Narayana Sastri (TNS) who was based in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Kerala as a Sanskrit teacher and scholar (grammarian)."
This post is split into a summary section first followed by a details section. Some readers may want to read only the summary and just browse through the details or skip it.
Summary
Major revision was made on 27th May 2020 where some incorrect points were removed from below list.
Over the past few days I have done a lot of intensive Internet based search mainly using Google search and Google Books search on other names of Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal, my great-grandfather [For more details about him please visit my post: https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/my-great-grandfather-thuravoor-narayana.html ]. The findings of this work are given below.
1) A.R. Rajaraja Varma in his Laghu Paniniyam preface has referred to TNS using the name "Brahmasri R Narayana Sastriar". The R in the name may be Ramachandran as it is a name handed down to male descendants in the family.
2) Book on A.R. Rajaraja Varma titled, "Ē. Ār. Rājarājavarmma - Volume 3" with author listed as "M. Bhagirathy Amma Thampuran", 1963 as publication date possibly, with National Bookstall (Nāṣanal Bukkst̲āḷ) as the distributor or publisher (vitaraṇaṃ) seems to have picture of group including R. Narayana Sastrigal (TNS) on page 192. The pic caption seems to be: "Sitting Left to Right : A. Krishna Pisharati, T. Raman Nambisan, R. Narayana Sastrigal, A. R. Rajaraja Varma, C, N, A. Ramayya Sastri, K. Parameswaran Pillai."
3) TNS is referred to as Turavur Narayana Sastri in the following books:
- KERALA VARMA AND HIS WORKS by Dr.Poovattoor Ramakrishna Pillai
- Vyaṅgyavyākhyā: The Aesthetics of Dhvani in Theatre by K.G. Paulose, published in 2013
- Glimpses of Sanskrit Research: A Collection of Research Papers in Sanskrit and English
- Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri (of Trivandrum) who was the Sanskrit teacher and guru of Sri.Krishna moorthy (Sri.Swayamprakasa Swamygal's poorvasira name).
- R. Narayana Sastrigal from Radhamangalam, Prof. of Vyakarana in Trivadi college (possibly in Tamil Nadu), and author of Nagesasaya Nirnaya Part I, published in 1913.
- Bhattasri Narayana Sastri (1860-1911/1918) of 90 odd Sanskrit dramas fame, mentioned in Sahitya Akademi published books (prestigious matter), was based in Tamil Nadu.
- Bhattasri Narayana Sastri from Tamil Nadu possibly (same person as above entry person?) who is said to have authored a "Sankara Vijaya" book under name of Madhava. This is mentioned in the book: Age of Sankara by T.S. Narayana Sastry, first published in 1916.
- Above mentioned T.S. Narayana Sastry (1869-1918), http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n79128593/, [Full name seems to be Tandalam Sankara Narayan Sastry or Sastri]
- Narayana Sastri Khiste, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office (Varanasi), seems to have been active in publications in early 1900s.
- Narayana Bhatta is how some documents & books refer to the very famous Kerala Sanskrit scholar, Melpathur Narayana Bhattathri (1560 - 1646/1666).
- Narayana Pandita in Kerala Sanskrit scholar context typically refers to Narayana Panditacharya (14th century -1300s - most probably), biographer of Madhavacharya.
Details
Book on A.R. Rajaraja Varma by Bhagirathy Amma Thampuran seems to have picture of group including R. Narayana Sastrigal (TNS)
As mentioned earlier in this post, in the Preface of his book Laghu Paniniyam, the author A.R. Rajaraja Varma has referred to Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal as "Brahmasri R Narayana Sastriar". So R. Narayana Sastri (or Sastrigal or Sastriar) is another way in which Thuravoor Narayana Sastri (or Sastrigal or Sastriar) was referred to.
I searched on the Internet for R. Narayana Sastrigal and got this Google Books link:
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=X4ARAQAAIAAJ&q=R.+Narayana+Sastrigal&dq=R.+Narayana+Sastrigal&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdh4KJiLTpAhWCzjgGHZ4JCusQ6AEIVjAG
The Google result also shows this info. along with above link:
Sitting Left to Right : A. Krishna Pisharati, T. Raman Nambisan, R. Narayana Sastrigal, A. R. Rajaraja Varma, C, N, A. Ramayya Sastri, K. Parameswaran Pillai. അതെല്ലാം ഇന്നലെ നടന്ന കായ്യങ്ങൾപോലെയാണു് എനിക്ക് ...
M. Bhagirathy Amma Thampuran - 1963 - Snippet view - More editions
This seems to refer to picture in the book of a group including A.R. Rajaraja Varma (on whom the book is written) and R. Narayana Sastrigal (TNS)!
Sitting Left to Right : A. Krishna Pisharati, T. Raman Nambisan, R. Narayana Sastrigal, A. R. Rajaraja Varma, C, N, A. Ramayya Sastri, K. Parameswaran Pillai. അതെല്ലാം ഇന്നലെ നടന്ന കായ്യങ്ങൾപോലെയാണു് എനിക്ക് ...
M. Bhagirathy Amma Thampuran - 1963 - Snippet view - More editions
This seems to refer to picture in the book of a group including A.R. Rajaraja Varma (on whom the book is written) and R. Narayana Sastrigal (TNS)!
[22nd Feb. 2023 Update: I searched for same term in Google today but did not get the above result! However searching in Google Books gave me something similar (or same). See below pic:
-end-Update]
Visiting the link, leads to a info. about book titled: "Ē. Ār. Rājarājavarmma - Volume 3". The author is listed as "M. Bhagirathy Amma Thampuran". 1963 seems to mentioned as the publication date, with National Bookstall (Nāṣanal Bukkst̲āḷ) as the distributor or publisher (vitaraṇaṃ).
The page further states, "1 page matching R. Narayana Sastrigal in this book" and shows a picture of small part of page 192. Unfortunately the picture only shows some text (perhaps caption of picture) with "a Sastrigal" visible in it. I think this must be part of scanned image of page 192 of this book.
The lower part of the page states:
"Original from the University of California
Digitized 2 Jun 2009"
I checked out the other "editions" of the book on Google Books. https://books.google.co.in/books?q=editions:LCCNsa64003929&id=X4ARAQAAIAAJ lists all "editions".
Actually, they are a mix of different volumes (1 to 3), and perhaps different editions/re-prints.
But one additional info. that is clearly provided by above list is that M. Raghava Varma Raja is a co-author of the book. In fact, the Volume 3 link given above has a front page pic which when magnified shows that there are two authors though the names are not clearly visible. But they seem to match the names of M. Bhagirathy Amma Thampuran and M. Raghava Varma Raja.
I searched for downloadable PDF or other format ebook of this book but did not get suitable results.
But it seems that the physical book copy is available at some libraries. Details are given below:
1) In Connemara Public Library at Egmore in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
A.R.Raja Raja Varma-III
by BHAGIRATHY AMMA THAMPURAN(M) &RAGHAVA VARMA RAJA (M)
http://central.tnopac.gov.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=20122
2) https://www.worldcat.org/title/e-ar-rajarajavarmma/oclc/19759265 lists many USA libraries with the book (volume(s)).
3) USA Library of Congress entry for the book: http://id.loc.gov/resources/works/7515125.html
---------------
Visiting the link, leads to a info. about book titled: "Ē. Ār. Rājarājavarmma - Volume 3". The author is listed as "M. Bhagirathy Amma Thampuran". 1963 seems to mentioned as the publication date, with National Bookstall (Nāṣanal Bukkst̲āḷ) as the distributor or publisher (vitaraṇaṃ).
The page further states, "1 page matching R. Narayana Sastrigal in this book" and shows a picture of small part of page 192. Unfortunately the picture only shows some text (perhaps caption of picture) with "a Sastrigal" visible in it. I think this must be part of scanned image of page 192 of this book.
The lower part of the page states:
"Original from the University of California
Digitized 2 Jun 2009"
I checked out the other "editions" of the book on Google Books. https://books.google.co.in/books?q=editions:LCCNsa64003929&id=X4ARAQAAIAAJ lists all "editions".
Actually, they are a mix of different volumes (1 to 3), and perhaps different editions/re-prints.
But one additional info. that is clearly provided by above list is that M. Raghava Varma Raja is a co-author of the book. In fact, the Volume 3 link given above has a front page pic which when magnified shows that there are two authors though the names are not clearly visible. But they seem to match the names of M. Bhagirathy Amma Thampuran and M. Raghava Varma Raja.
I searched for downloadable PDF or other format ebook of this book but did not get suitable results.
But it seems that the physical book copy is available at some libraries. Details are given below:
1) In Connemara Public Library at Egmore in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
A.R.Raja Raja Varma-III
by BHAGIRATHY AMMA THAMPURAN(M) &RAGHAVA VARMA RAJA (M)
http://central.tnopac.gov.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=20122
2) https://www.worldcat.org/title/e-ar-rajarajavarmma/oclc/19759265 lists many USA libraries with the book (volume(s)).
3) USA Library of Congress entry for the book: http://id.loc.gov/resources/works/7515125.html
---------------
More info. on the above book including Google Books snippets are available in this post of mine: Results of Google Books search for തുറവൂർ നാരായണ ശാസ്ത്രി - Malayalam script name of my ancestor Thuravoor Narayana Sastri - and variations, https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/results-of-google-books-search-for.html , created on 30th May 2020, last updated on 14th June 2020.
---------------
Full text of "Whos Who Of Indian Writers", Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, First published 1961 [...The compilation of the volume was taken in hand in October
1955. It was then decided to include only such writers as were
living at the time of the inauguration of the Sahitya Akademi, that
is, on 12 March 1954....]
https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.278465/2015.278465.Whos-Who_djvu.txt has the following:
Bhagirathi Amma Thampuran, M. (Smt.);
b. 23.4.1890, Mavelikara; mt. Malayalam;
Katha Kusumanjali (stories) 1942; Vana-
vasa Smaranakal (reminiscences) 1942;
Sabarigirisa Stavam (poem) 1948; Kana-
kam (drama) 1951; A.- R. Raja Raja
Varma, 1953; tr. Indiayile Mahan-
mar, 1953 (both biographies); Add.
Sarada Mandiram, Mavelikara, Kerala
State
--------------------------
-----------
http://www.universityofcalicut.info/SDE/SM_VI_sem_BA_Sanskrit_General_Essay.pdf states, "Later he (A.R. Rajaraja Varma) passed the examination .He married Mahaprabha Swati Tirunal Princess of Mavelikkara. M.Bhagirathi Thampuratti was the daughter and the son, Raghavavarma thampuran ." So the book mentioned above (Ē. Ār. Rājarājavarmma) seems to be authored by his son & daughter and published in 1963.
K.M. George's book on ARRV (in 1978), http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/publications/pdf/a-r-rajaraja-varma_english.pdf acknowledges help from "Prof. R. Raghava Varma, son of A.R. Rajaraja Varma for clearing certain doubts regarding domestic and literary matters."
Full text of "Whos Who Of Indian Writers", Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, First published 1961 [...The compilation of the volume was taken in hand in October
1955. It was then decided to include only such writers as were
living at the time of the inauguration of the Sahitya Akademi, that
is, on 12 March 1954....]
https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.278465/2015.278465.Whos-Who_djvu.txt has the following:
Bhagirathi Amma Thampuran, M. (Smt.);
b. 23.4.1890, Mavelikara; mt. Malayalam;
Katha Kusumanjali (stories) 1942; Vana-
vasa Smaranakal (reminiscences) 1942;
Sabarigirisa Stavam (poem) 1948; Kana-
kam (drama) 1951; A.- R. Raja Raja
Varma, 1953; tr. Indiayile Mahan-
mar, 1953 (both biographies); Add.
Sarada Mandiram, Mavelikara, Kerala
State
--------------------------
-----------
http://www.universityofcalicut.info/SDE/SM_VI_sem_BA_Sanskrit_General_Essay.pdf states, "Later he (A.R. Rajaraja Varma) passed the examination .He married Mahaprabha Swati Tirunal Princess of Mavelikkara. M.Bhagirathi Thampuratti was the daughter and the son, Raghavavarma thampuran ." So the book mentioned above (Ē. Ār. Rājarājavarmma) seems to be authored by his son & daughter and published in 1963.
K.M. George's book on ARRV (in 1978), http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/publications/pdf/a-r-rajaraja-varma_english.pdf acknowledges help from "Prof. R. Raghava Varma, son of A.R. Rajaraja Varma for clearing certain doubts regarding domestic and literary matters."
==========================================
[25 Feb. 2023 The section below has undergone a major update now including change in section title]
[25 Feb. 2023 The section below has undergone a major update now including change in section title]
Sri Narayana Sastri, Sanskrit scholar of Trivandrum who edited Brahmavidya magazine seems to have been another person and not Thuravoor Narayana Sastri
https://sites.google.com/site/orgdatta/paramaguru
An extract: His Holiness SWAMI SWAYAMPRAKASA BRAHMENDRA SARASWATHI
Swami Swayamprakasa Brahmendra born as Krishnamoorthy to Ramaswami Sastrigal, a pious Vedic scholar and a poor but respectable Brahmin, and Janaki, a woman of high-souled purity, in the village of Kalpattu in the district of South Arcot, Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday, the 28th of November 1871. He was educated in three places: Thiruvidaimardur, Kumbakonam and Thiruvananthapuram. He passed the Matriculation Examination and took to the study of Sanskrit in right earnest. He studied under Bala Saraswati Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastrigal, an erudite scholar.
[Similar account in https://www.esamskriti.com/e/History/Great-Indian-Leaders/Lives-of-Indian-Saints-11.aspx , http://www.dattashramam.org/Guruparampara.html]
....
From http://www.learnkolam.net/2015/04/ava-dootha-swamigal-sri-dattatreya.html
Sri.Krishna moorthy(Sri.Swayamprakasa Swamygal's poorvasira name)was born to Sri.Ramaswamy Sastrigal & smt Janaki on 28.11.1871,Tuesday as a 4th son.He had 3 elder brothers & 2 sisters . Their village name is "Kalpattu" around 11 kms from Thiruvennainallur( Where our Sundaramoorthy nayanmar was blessed by Lord.Shiva.).Ramasamy sastrigal was an expert in Vedhas & Sastra.In those days , they don't have permanent salary for teaching vedhas.Due to failure of rain, famine struck & Sastrigal has to migrate to Aduthurai near Tiruvidaimarudur.Krishnamoorthy studied at a school in Tiruvidaimarudur.Later he studied in a high school at Kumbakonam.He learnt English there .He completed matriculation at Tiruvanandapuram.As he felt sanskrit he has learnt in the school is not sufficient, he was in search of a good Sanskrit scholar & with God's grace he got Sri.Narayana sastri as his Guru.He was en expert in Sanskrit,Veda sastra & advaitha philosophy.He was also expert in some other languages.He was also good orator.He was an editor of magazine called "brahmavidya" in which he wrote about sanadhana dharma.Krishnamoorthy studied Sanskrit & sastras very well & got cleared all doubts that arose during his studies .Knowing his involvement in studies of sastras & his high level of obedience,The Guru taught him very well.He also studied Devaram,Thiruppugazh,Thayumanavar songs ,Thirukkural & Thiruvarutpa.It is said that a student acquires one fourth of knowledge from his teacher,one fourth from his own effort,one forth from students studying with him.Another one fourth in course of time.While his affection towards God & vairagya for leading saintly life was growing,his parents wanted their son to get a GOVT.job.He was an ardent admirer of Lord Nataraja.
--- end extract ---
In one of the above extracts, Sri.Krishna moorthy(Sri.Swayamprakasa Swamygal's poorvasira name) is said to have "studied under Bala Saraswati Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastrigal, an erudite scholar." In the other extract, it is said that Sri Krishna moorthy "with God's grace" "got Sri.Narayana sastri as his Guru" (at Tiruvanandapuram). Sri.Narayana sastri was an "expert in Sanskrit,Veda sastra & advaitha philosophy." and he 'was an editor of magazine called "brahmavidya" in which he wrote about sanadhana dharma.'
In February 2023, I came across a key statement relevant to this matter in Part 5 of Mahakavi Ulloor's Kerala Sahitya Charitram (KSC), under section, "ഏ. ആർ. രാജരാജവർമ്മ കോയിത്തമ്പുരാൻ (1038–1093)" (Google English Translation of name: A. R. Rajarajavarma Koithampuran). The years following the name, are M.E. (Malayalam Era or Kollam era) 1038-1093 which I think roughly corresponds to CE (Common Era) 1863-1918. I am using the acronym ARRV to refer to A. R. Rajarajavarma Koithampuran.
The statement is under sub-section, "58.4 സംസ്കൃതകൃതികൾ" (Google English translation: "58.4 Sanskrit works"). The statement refers to what seems to be an article authored by ARRV. The statement in Malayalam is: "അതു “ബ്രഹ്മവിദ്യാ” എന്ന പത്രഗ്രന്ഥത്തിന്റെ പ്രവർത്തകനായിരുന്ന ശ്രീനിവാസശാസ്ത്രികളുടെ അനുജനും മഹാകവിയുമായ ഭട്ടശ്രീനാരായണശാസ്ത്രികളുടെ ജിജ്ഞാസ ശമിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിന് എഴുതിയ ഒരു ലേഖനമാണു്." Its Google English translation is: 'It was an article written to satisfy the curiosity of Bhattasrinarayanashastri, the younger brother of Srinivasashastri and great poet, who was the author of the book "Brahmavidya".' Note that the Google translated word book can perhaps be journal or magazine.
Further note that the above Ulloor KSC book has references to Thuravoor Narayana Sastri (TNS) using his full name including Thuravoor. For more, please visit my blog post: Few significant occurrences of Thuravoor (തുറവൂർ) Narayana (നാരായണ) Shastri name in Part 5 of Ulloor Kerala Sahitya Charitram, https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/few-significant-occurrences-of.html , 16 Feb. 2023.
Bhattasrinarayanashastri, the younger brother of Srinivasashastri seems to be diffrent from TNS as others Ulloor's book which has used Thuravoor (തുറവൂർ) Narayana (നാരായണ) Shastri name a few times in book, would have used the same name or indicated it is the same person, in some way.
Also Bhattasrinarayanashastri is said to be the author of the book "Brahmavidya" (in Ulloor's KSC book).
Given below is an extract about the person who may be Bhattasrinarayanashastri referred to in above KSC book.
https://sites.google.com/site/orgdatta/paramaguru
An extract: His Holiness SWAMI SWAYAMPRAKASA BRAHMENDRA SARASWATHI
Swami Swayamprakasa Brahmendra born as Krishnamoorthy to Ramaswami Sastrigal, a pious Vedic scholar and a poor but respectable Brahmin, and Janaki, a woman of high-souled purity, in the village of Kalpattu in the district of South Arcot, Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday, the 28th of November 1871. He was educated in three places: Thiruvidaimardur, Kumbakonam and Thiruvananthapuram. He passed the Matriculation Examination and took to the study of Sanskrit in right earnest. He studied under Bala Saraswati Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastrigal, an erudite scholar.
[Similar account in https://www.esamskriti.com/e/History/Great-Indian-Leaders/Lives-of-Indian-Saints-11.aspx , http://www.dattashramam.org/Guruparampara.html]
....
From http://www.learnkolam.net/2015/04/ava-dootha-swamigal-sri-dattatreya.html
Sri.Krishna moorthy(Sri.Swayamprakasa Swamygal's poorvasira name)was born to Sri.Ramaswamy Sastrigal & smt Janaki on 28.11.1871,Tuesday as a 4th son.He had 3 elder brothers & 2 sisters . Their village name is "Kalpattu" around 11 kms from Thiruvennainallur( Where our Sundaramoorthy nayanmar was blessed by Lord.Shiva.).Ramasamy sastrigal was an expert in Vedhas & Sastra.In those days , they don't have permanent salary for teaching vedhas.Due to failure of rain, famine struck & Sastrigal has to migrate to Aduthurai near Tiruvidaimarudur.Krishnamoorthy studied at a school in Tiruvidaimarudur.Later he studied in a high school at Kumbakonam.He learnt English there .He completed matriculation at Tiruvanandapuram.As he felt sanskrit he has learnt in the school is not sufficient, he was in search of a good Sanskrit scholar & with God's grace he got Sri.Narayana sastri as his Guru.He was en expert in Sanskrit,Veda sastra & advaitha philosophy.He was also expert in some other languages.He was also good orator.He was an editor of magazine called "brahmavidya" in which he wrote about sanadhana dharma.Krishnamoorthy studied Sanskrit & sastras very well & got cleared all doubts that arose during his studies .Knowing his involvement in studies of sastras & his high level of obedience,The Guru taught him very well.He also studied Devaram,Thiruppugazh,Thayumanavar songs ,Thirukkural & Thiruvarutpa.It is said that a student acquires one fourth of knowledge from his teacher,one fourth from his own effort,one forth from students studying with him.Another one fourth in course of time.While his affection towards God & vairagya for leading saintly life was growing,his parents wanted their son to get a GOVT.job.He was an ardent admirer of Lord Nataraja.
--- end extract ---
In one of the above extracts, Sri.Krishna moorthy(Sri.Swayamprakasa Swamygal's poorvasira name) is said to have "studied under Bala Saraswati Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastrigal, an erudite scholar." In the other extract, it is said that Sri Krishna moorthy "with God's grace" "got Sri.Narayana sastri as his Guru" (at Tiruvanandapuram). Sri.Narayana sastri was an "expert in Sanskrit,Veda sastra & advaitha philosophy." and he 'was an editor of magazine called "brahmavidya" in which he wrote about sanadhana dharma.'
I think in all probability both the extracts refer to the same Sanskrit scholar and that his name was "Bala Saraswati Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastrigal" but was also referred to as "Sri.Narayana sastri". The Ulloor KSC book talks of Bhattasrinarayanashastri. The "Bala Saraswathi" words are honorific titles. Sastrigal is a more respectful version of Shastri or Sastri. Both Ulloor KSC book and one of the two above extracts refer to "Brahmavidya" magazine or book.
Therefore, in all probability, the Sanskrit teacher and guru of Sri.Krishna moorthy(Sri.Swayamprakasa Swamygal's poorvasira name) was Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri (of Trivandrum), who was a different person from Thuravoor Narayana Sastri (TNS).
Note that previously I had written that 'Perhaps the Sanskrit teacher in Tiruvananthapuram (Tirvanandapuram), Sri Narayana Sastri, is the same as TNS. Note that the above content states that Sri Narayana Sastri was editor of a magazine called "brahmavidya"!'. Now my previous view seems to be wrong.
=================================================
KERALA VARMA
AND HIS WORKS
by dr.poovattoor ramakrishna pillai [available on archive.org]
Page 23
"He taught two brilliant pupils,
A R. Rajaraja Varma (1863-1918), his nephew, and Turavur
Narayana Sastri, with some other pupils.[64] These two later
distinguised themselves as great scholars." [Ravi: should be distinguished; footnote 64 has a Sanskrit shloka.]
---
Page 337
[SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY] [III ARTICLES] [(c) Sanskrit]
Narayana Sastri, ‘Sastipurtimangalam’ Vijnanacintamani,
dated 1-8-1080 M. E., Pattambi.
Page 342
[Reference]
"Narayana Sastri, Turavur 23"
------
Visakhavijaya, a Study
Poovatoor Ramakrishna Pillai
Poovattor Ramakrishna Pillai, 1990 - 299 pages
0 Reviews
Study of Viśākhavijaya, Sanskrit epic by Kēraḷavarmma, 1844-1917.
mentions TNS on page 288 (Index?) as Narayana Sastri Turavur
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=c-FjAAAAMAAJ&dq=Turavur+Narayana&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Turavur
and on page 277 as Narayana Sastri
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=c-FjAAAAMAAJ&dq=Turavur+Narayana&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22Narayana+Sastri%22
[22nd Feb. 2023 Update:
Today when I used above two links they returned 0 results!!! I tried manually searching for Turavur but that also gave 0 results.
I recall I had searched extensively for Vijnanacintamani (magazine) then (in 2020) but did not come across any print or ebook of it.
Today (22nd Feb. 2023) as I was searching for something else related to TNS, I came across this reference to Vijnanacintamani: https://ssus.ac.in/files/233/Journals/1620/Prathyabhijna-2021-July-December.pdf (downloads a pdf). The document states it is: Pratyabhijna journal, Research Journal of Department of Sanskrit Sahitya, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady. It also provides journal issue identification as "Vol. VIII, Issue. II", "July 2021-December 2021".
Pdf page 6 states, "Preetha P V writes about the first Sanskrit journal of Kerala Vijµ¡nacint¡mani." Note copy-paste did not copy the accent characters correctly. Vijµ¡nacint¡mani should be read as Vijnanacintamani (without accent characters). Preetha P.V.'s article starts on pdf page 185 and goes on till pdf page 194. I read the whole article but did not come across TNS name. However I came across names of TNS contemporaries including ARRV.
Some extracts from the article are given below which tell us about the magazine and also that its archival copies are preserved in some libraries in Kerala!
The article states that Vijnanacintamani journal is the first Sanskrit journal in Kerala started in 1883 by Punnasseri Neelakantha Sarma, a Sanskrit scholar who "lived in Perumudiyoor, near Pattambi, Palakkad district in Kerala, in the latter half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century" .
It states that due to negative economic after-effects of First World War, the journal was converted into a magazine.
Very notably it states that Sree Neelakantha Govt. Sanskrit College Pattambi preserved the available copies of the journal. It states, "Finally, it is re-published. Now it is preserved as Photostat copies and they are available in libraries of Trippunithura Sanskrit College, Sree Neelakantha Govt. Sanskrit College Pattambi and Appan Tampuran Memorial library, Ayyanthole".
So this means that there is a possibility that the "Narayana Sastri, ‘Sastipurtimangalam’, Vijnanacintamani, dated 1-8-1080 M. E., Pattambi." reference (article reference in all probability) mentioned in above extract of the book, KERALA VARMA AND HIS WORKS by Dr. Poovattoor Ramakrishna Pillai, could be in one of the archival copies mentioned above! Note that Malayalam Era date of 1-8-1080 would roughly correspond to 1-8-1905 CE (adding 825 to M.E. year). As the date of the magazine issue and the article title and author are known, it should be not very difficult to manually go through the photostat copies and check if that issue is found and if so, whether this article in that issue is found.
The article also names some of the people who have written in the journal. It does not mention TNS but mentions Kerala Varma Valiya Koyi Tampuran and A.R.Raja Raja Varma.
BTW I recall coming across, in 2020 itself or around that time, a reference to Vijnanacintamani magazine archival copies in some Kerala library. But like now, I was not in a position then to get anybody to visit those libraries and go through the archival copies looking for any TNS article(s).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallathol_Narayana_Menon also has a referenct to Vijnanacintamani magazine.
end-Update]
================================================
================================================
To know more updated information about this section, please see my blog posts: Pics related to my ancestor Turavur Narayana Sastri's Sanskrit-Devanagari transcription work of Vyangyavyakhya in 1915, from K.G. Paulose's related 2013 book, https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/pics-related-to-my-ancestor-turavur.html , 21 June 2020, and My ancestor Turavur Narayana Sastri named in 21st century books & journal as 1915 Sanskrit transcriber of ancient Tapatisamvarana-dhvani & Subhadradhananjaya-dhvani (Vyangyavyakhya) Kerala drama commentaries related to Kutiyattam, https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/my-ancestor-turavur-narayana-sastri.html , 23 May 2020.
Give below is an extract from one of the two blog posts mentioned above:
K.G. Paulose authored the book titled "Vyaṅgyavyākhyā: The Aesthetics of Dhvani in Theatre", published by Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan and D.K. Printworld in 2013, https://books.google.co.in/books?id=LzCNzSTekCEC, https://www.amazon.in/Vyangyavyakhya-Aesthetics-K-G-Paulose/dp/8124606994 .
This book refers to my great-grandfather Turavur (Thuravoor) Narayana Sastri (referred to as TNS hereafter). On page 67 of the book (as per Google Books), we have the following paragraph:
The only Ms available to us of these text is the one owned by Kailasapurathu Govinda Pisharoti in the palace library (No. 67) in Thiruvananthapuram. This palm-leaf Ms, in early Malayalam script is very old and is worn-out in many places. Turavur Narayana Sastri, an eminent traditional scholar of the last century transcribed this in paper in Devanāgari script for the Oriental Manuscript Library Thiruvanantapuram in 1915 CE (ME 1090).
--- end paragraph from Paulose book ---
--- end extract ---
The contents below were written before I got the K.G. Paulose Vyaṅgyavyākhyā book, and had only stumbled across references to the book and to the mention of TNS in it.
...
Small extract from KNOWING AND BEING: KUTIYATTAM AND ITS SEMANTIC UNIVERSE (In David Shulman & Heike Oberlin, Anguliyankam and Mantrankam, forthcoming)
Manu V. Devadevan
DRAFT PAPER. NOT TO BE CITED.
https://www.academia.edu/29536350/Knowing_and_Being_-_Ku_t_iya_t_t_am_and_Its_Semantic_Universe.pdf
[From Page 6]
"The staging of plays involved elaborate practice and preparations. It is likely that performance was based on instructions carried in manuals meant for the purpose. Two such manuals are known from the early period, the Dhanañjayadhvani and the Samvaranadhvani. The two, however, are regarded as a single text. This is the epoch-making Dhanañjayasamvaranadhvanih, whose impact on the performance of Sanskrit drama in Kerala has been foundational. The Dhanañjayasamvaranadhvanih is better known today as the Vyangyavyakhya. We owe this name to T. Ganapati Sastri.[21] The text appears to have lived out its historical destiny quite early in time, for all that survives is a solitary manuscript.[22] This palm-leaf specimen in Malayalam script is preserved at the Thiruvananthapuram Palace Library.[23]
[References:
21 Paulose 2013: 67.
22 Heike Oberlin (personal communication) informs that another manuscript of the text is preserved in the private collection of Killimangalam Mana.
23 A transcript of this manuscript was prepared in Devanagari script on paper by Turavur Narayana Sastri in 1915. This copy is now held by the Oriental Manuscripts Library, Thiruvananthapuram.]"
...
The above draft seems to have got published in the final book titled:
Two Masterpieces of Kutiyattam
Mantrankam and Anguliyankam
Edited by David Shulman and Heike Oberlin
published by Oxford University Press, 11th September 2019.
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/two-masterpieces-of-kutiyattam-9780199483594
The Table of Contents, https://global.oup.com/academic/product/two-masterpieces-of-kutiyattam-9780199483594, lists the article with same title as in above mentioned draft, "16: Knowing and Being: Kutiyattam and Its Semantic Universe, Manu V. Devadevan".
Google Books Search Inside in this book for 'Turavur Narayana Sastri' lists a small part of the page having the name (it is not part of preview). Here's the link: https://books.google.co.in/books?id=RmmtDwAAQBAJ&dq=Two+Masterpieces+of+Kutiyattam&q=Turavur+Narayana+Sastri#v=snippet&q=Turavur%20Narayana%20Sastri&f=false
https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/faculties/faculty-of-humanities/departments/aoi/indology-and-comparative-religion/mitarbeiter/heike-oberlin-moser/ is the faculty page for Prof. Heike Oberlin (Moser) from "Institute for Indology and Comparative Religion", Tübingen University, Germany. She has published an online book in 2011 titled, "Bibliography of Kūṭiyāṭṭam" which can be viewed & downloaded from https://www.academia.edu/26631385/Bibliography_of_K%C5%AB%E1%B9%ADiy%C4%81%E1%B9%AD%E1%B9%ADam.
Her above faculty page states, "From 1995 to 2001 she studied and performed Kūṭiyāṭṭam and Naṅṅyār-Kūttu with P.N. Girija and Painkulam Rama Chakyar at Kerala Kalamandalam in India. Since then she is also involved in studying and teaching the Malayalam language."
-------------------------
The ‘Early Medieval’ Origins of India
By Manu V. Devadevan
Cambridge University Press, published in May 2020
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/early-medieval-origins-of-india/8E935BD91FEECD81CD48537B5A678BC7#
Google Books Search Inside in this book for 'Turavur Narayana Sastri' lists page 231 which is very similar to contents of above draft paper's reference to 'Turavur Narayana Sastri'. Link: https://books.google.co.in/books?id=exzhDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+%E2%80%98Early+Medieval%E2%80%99+Origins+of+India+By+Manu+V.+Devadevan&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwir6uLcjcXpAhX2wTgGHVWWDzsQuwUILjAA#v=onepage&q=Turavur%20Narayana%20Sastri&f=false
The reference number has changed to 24 from 23. That seems to be the only difference. Pages 230 and 231 were viewable to me in above preview.
The chapter for page 231 seems to be titled, "Knowing and Being: The Semantic Universe of the Kūḍiyāṭṭaṃ Theatre" [Going by https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/early-medieval-origins-of-india/knowing-and-being-the-semantic-universe-of-the-kudiyattam-theatre/8021A2F525E540B4B7AE50A59F8F9241 as the chapter title page was not part of the Google Books preview for me].
The relevant text in Page 231 is: "This palm-leaf specimen in Malayalam script is preserved at the Thiruvananthapuram Palace Library.[24]"
The Reference section in Page 231 has the following entry: "24 A transcript of this manuscript was prepared in Devanagari script on paper by Turavur Narayana Sastri in 1915. This copy is now held by the Oriental Manuscripts Library, Thiruvananthapuram."
------------
Page 142 of Cracow Indological Studies, Theatrical and Ritual Boundaries in South Asia. Part I, VOL. XIX, No. 1, Edited by Elisa Ganser and Ewa Dębicka-Borek, KRAKÓW 2017, https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/150340/1/29bddf3eca7aa95cc523668afca0b607.pdf, there is reference to Turavur Narayana Sastri in the same context but with some speculation about the transcription work.
This reference comes from a work of K.G. Paulose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._G._Paulose states, "K. G. Paulose is a Sanskrit scholar specialized in the dramaturgy of the Natya Shastra and Kooditaatam." Paulose was born in 1946.
The work of K.G. Paulose that is referred is: Vyangyavyakhya: The Aesthetics of Dhvani in Theatre. Hard Cover book: https://www.amazon.in/Vyangyavyakhya-Aesthetics-K-G-Paulose/dp/8124606994. The description in the amazon.in link says, "The doctrine of dhvani, expounded by Anandavardhana (ninth century ce) in Kashmir though contested by his contemporaries at home, received sound acclamation in Kerala. A royal dramatist Kulashekhara of the same century applied dhvani to the theatre. His performance text is known as Vyangyavyakhya (VV), meaning interpreting the implied. This was an epoch-making event in the history of Indian theatre. This innovation in performative practices marked a deviation from Bharata s national tradition and laid down the foundation for classical forms like Kutiyattam, Kgrshnanattam, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam."
The Sanskrit manuscript of Vyangyavyakya seems to have been transcribed by Turavur (Thuravoor) Narayana Sastri.
...
Art of theatre, https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/theatre/art-of-theatre/article5170444.ece, 26th Sept. 2013, updated on 10th Oct. 2013, has the sub-title: "K.G. Paulose explains why Vyangyavyakhya: The Aesthetics of Dhvani in Theatre, a book on theatre edited by him, is important to understand theatre forms of Kerala."
It also has a pic of Paulose with the book.
The article covers how ‘Samvaranadhvani’ and ‘Dhananjayadhvani’ (drama manuals I think), together known as Vyangyavyakhya, were written in the 9th century as per Kulashakera (King/ruler, scholar and playwright) of Chera dynasty directions to a Brahmin writer.
But this article does not refer to TNS.
==================================
Glimpses of Sanskrit Research: A Collection of Research Papers in Sanskrit and English
by E. Easwaran Nampoothiry
Kerala Samskritam Publications, 1995 - Sanskrit literature - 148 pages
mentions Turavur Narayana Sastri on page 96.
... Goda Varma Vidvan Ilaya Tampuran of Koduhriallur Palace (1800- 1851), Kilakkepullattu Sahkaran Muttatu (1827-1888), Kumbakonam Krsna Sastri and Turavur Narayana Sastri were some eminent grammarians in the 19th century.
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=RetjAAAAMAAJ&dq=Glimpses+of+Sanskrit+Research%3A+A+Collection+of+Research+Papers+in+Sanskrit&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Turavur+Narayana
Small extract from KNOWING AND BEING: KUTIYATTAM AND ITS SEMANTIC UNIVERSE (In David Shulman & Heike Oberlin, Anguliyankam and Mantrankam, forthcoming)
Manu V. Devadevan
DRAFT PAPER. NOT TO BE CITED.
https://www.academia.edu/29536350/Knowing_and_Being_-_Ku_t_iya_t_t_am_and_Its_Semantic_Universe.pdf
[From Page 6]
"The staging of plays involved elaborate practice and preparations. It is likely that performance was based on instructions carried in manuals meant for the purpose. Two such manuals are known from the early period, the Dhanañjayadhvani and the Samvaranadhvani. The two, however, are regarded as a single text. This is the epoch-making Dhanañjayasamvaranadhvanih, whose impact on the performance of Sanskrit drama in Kerala has been foundational. The Dhanañjayasamvaranadhvanih is better known today as the Vyangyavyakhya. We owe this name to T. Ganapati Sastri.[21] The text appears to have lived out its historical destiny quite early in time, for all that survives is a solitary manuscript.[22] This palm-leaf specimen in Malayalam script is preserved at the Thiruvananthapuram Palace Library.[23]
[References:
21 Paulose 2013: 67.
22 Heike Oberlin (personal communication) informs that another manuscript of the text is preserved in the private collection of Killimangalam Mana.
23 A transcript of this manuscript was prepared in Devanagari script on paper by Turavur Narayana Sastri in 1915. This copy is now held by the Oriental Manuscripts Library, Thiruvananthapuram.]"
...
The above draft seems to have got published in the final book titled:
Two Masterpieces of Kutiyattam
Mantrankam and Anguliyankam
Edited by David Shulman and Heike Oberlin
published by Oxford University Press, 11th September 2019.
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/two-masterpieces-of-kutiyattam-9780199483594
The Table of Contents, https://global.oup.com/academic/product/two-masterpieces-of-kutiyattam-9780199483594, lists the article with same title as in above mentioned draft, "16: Knowing and Being: Kutiyattam and Its Semantic Universe, Manu V. Devadevan".
Google Books Search Inside in this book for 'Turavur Narayana Sastri' lists a small part of the page having the name (it is not part of preview). Here's the link: https://books.google.co.in/books?id=RmmtDwAAQBAJ&dq=Two+Masterpieces+of+Kutiyattam&q=Turavur+Narayana+Sastri#v=snippet&q=Turavur%20Narayana%20Sastri&f=false
https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/faculties/faculty-of-humanities/departments/aoi/indology-and-comparative-religion/mitarbeiter/heike-oberlin-moser/ is the faculty page for Prof. Heike Oberlin (Moser) from "Institute for Indology and Comparative Religion", Tübingen University, Germany. She has published an online book in 2011 titled, "Bibliography of Kūṭiyāṭṭam" which can be viewed & downloaded from https://www.academia.edu/26631385/Bibliography_of_K%C5%AB%E1%B9%ADiy%C4%81%E1%B9%AD%E1%B9%ADam.
Her above faculty page states, "From 1995 to 2001 she studied and performed Kūṭiyāṭṭam and Naṅṅyār-Kūttu with P.N. Girija and Painkulam Rama Chakyar at Kerala Kalamandalam in India. Since then she is also involved in studying and teaching the Malayalam language."
-------------------------
The ‘Early Medieval’ Origins of India
By Manu V. Devadevan
Cambridge University Press, published in May 2020
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/early-medieval-origins-of-india/8E935BD91FEECD81CD48537B5A678BC7#
Google Books Search Inside in this book for 'Turavur Narayana Sastri' lists page 231 which is very similar to contents of above draft paper's reference to 'Turavur Narayana Sastri'. Link: https://books.google.co.in/books?id=exzhDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+%E2%80%98Early+Medieval%E2%80%99+Origins+of+India+By+Manu+V.+Devadevan&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwir6uLcjcXpAhX2wTgGHVWWDzsQuwUILjAA#v=onepage&q=Turavur%20Narayana%20Sastri&f=false
The reference number has changed to 24 from 23. That seems to be the only difference. Pages 230 and 231 were viewable to me in above preview.
The chapter for page 231 seems to be titled, "Knowing and Being: The Semantic Universe of the Kūḍiyāṭṭaṃ Theatre" [Going by https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/early-medieval-origins-of-india/knowing-and-being-the-semantic-universe-of-the-kudiyattam-theatre/8021A2F525E540B4B7AE50A59F8F9241 as the chapter title page was not part of the Google Books preview for me].
The relevant text in Page 231 is: "This palm-leaf specimen in Malayalam script is preserved at the Thiruvananthapuram Palace Library.[24]"
The Reference section in Page 231 has the following entry: "24 A transcript of this manuscript was prepared in Devanagari script on paper by Turavur Narayana Sastri in 1915. This copy is now held by the Oriental Manuscripts Library, Thiruvananthapuram."
------------
Page 142 of Cracow Indological Studies, Theatrical and Ritual Boundaries in South Asia. Part I, VOL. XIX, No. 1, Edited by Elisa Ganser and Ewa Dębicka-Borek, KRAKÓW 2017, https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/150340/1/29bddf3eca7aa95cc523668afca0b607.pdf, there is reference to Turavur Narayana Sastri in the same context but with some speculation about the transcription work.
This reference comes from a work of K.G. Paulose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._G._Paulose states, "K. G. Paulose is a Sanskrit scholar specialized in the dramaturgy of the Natya Shastra and Kooditaatam." Paulose was born in 1946.
The work of K.G. Paulose that is referred is: Vyangyavyakhya: The Aesthetics of Dhvani in Theatre. Hard Cover book: https://www.amazon.in/Vyangyavyakhya-Aesthetics-K-G-Paulose/dp/8124606994. The description in the amazon.in link says, "The doctrine of dhvani, expounded by Anandavardhana (ninth century ce) in Kashmir though contested by his contemporaries at home, received sound acclamation in Kerala. A royal dramatist Kulashekhara of the same century applied dhvani to the theatre. His performance text is known as Vyangyavyakhya (VV), meaning interpreting the implied. This was an epoch-making event in the history of Indian theatre. This innovation in performative practices marked a deviation from Bharata s national tradition and laid down the foundation for classical forms like Kutiyattam, Kgrshnanattam, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam."
The Sanskrit manuscript of Vyangyavyakya seems to have been transcribed by Turavur (Thuravoor) Narayana Sastri.
...
Art of theatre, https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/theatre/art-of-theatre/article5170444.ece, 26th Sept. 2013, updated on 10th Oct. 2013, has the sub-title: "K.G. Paulose explains why Vyangyavyakhya: The Aesthetics of Dhvani in Theatre, a book on theatre edited by him, is important to understand theatre forms of Kerala."
It also has a pic of Paulose with the book.
The article covers how ‘Samvaranadhvani’ and ‘Dhananjayadhvani’ (drama manuals I think), together known as Vyangyavyakhya, were written in the 9th century as per Kulashakera (King/ruler, scholar and playwright) of Chera dynasty directions to a Brahmin writer.
But this article does not refer to TNS.
==================================
Glimpses of Sanskrit Research: A Collection of Research Papers in Sanskrit and English
by E. Easwaran Nampoothiry
Kerala Samskritam Publications, 1995 - Sanskrit literature - 148 pages
mentions Turavur Narayana Sastri on page 96.
... Goda Varma Vidvan Ilaya Tampuran of Koduhriallur Palace (1800- 1851), Kilakkepullattu Sahkaran Muttatu (1827-1888), Kumbakonam Krsna Sastri and Turavur Narayana Sastri were some eminent grammarians in the 19th century.
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=RetjAAAAMAAJ&dq=Glimpses+of+Sanskrit+Research%3A+A+Collection+of+Research+Papers+in+Sanskrit&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Turavur+Narayana
[22nd Feb. 2023 Update: Below screenshot (most probably taken on 26th May 2020 or slightly earlier) shows above search result:
end-Update]
====================================
Cultural Heritage of Kerala A. Sreedhara Menon - 2008 - No preview [in Google Books, I presume]
has a match for: "Turavur Narayana"
====================================
Is the book "Mārkaṇḍēya caritam" by "E Nārāyaṇa Śāstri", https://www.worldcat.org/title/markandeya-caritam/oclc/749999887, published by "Calicut : L.S. Ramaier, 1910." and held in the British Library, St. Pancras, London that authored by my great-grandfather Narayana Sastri (TNS) with E being a wrong initial instead of R?
29th May 2020 Update: Dr. Christophe Vielle informed me that this book is by another Nārāyaṇa Śāstri, cf. Gaur, Albertine. Catalogue of Malayalam Books in the British Museum. London: British Museum, 1971, col. 240:
"Of the Zamorin College, Calicut. Mārkaṇḍēya-)caritam : A series of Sanskrit verses and prose passage on the legend of Siva's rescue of his young votary Mārkaṇḍēya from death, with Malayalam renderings? pp. iv, 136, Calicut, 1910"
--- end 29th May 2020 update ---
Other details of the book from the above link are as follows:
Language Note: Sanskrit songs and slokas in Malayalam script with translation into Malayalam.
Notes: Songs and ślōkas on the life of Mārkaṇḍēya, a young votary of Śiva.
Description: iv, 136 pages ; 18 cm
Responsibility: brahmaśrī E. Nārāyaṇa Śāstrikaḷāl mūlaślōkaṅṅaḷōṭum artha tātparyaṅkaḷōtuṃ bhaktirasamāya kīrttanaṅṅaḷōṭuṃkūṭi el̲utappeṭṭa[ta'.].
----
Given the above description, and that in my Internet searches I could not find an E. Narayana Sastri (Sastrikal) Sanskrit & Malayalam author who was active in 1910, I do think that there is a good possibility that the above book is by TNS. Also see note below about Narayana Sastri Ekasambekara.
From https://archive.org/stream/IndiaOffice_CatalogueOfSanskritBooks/Nath%20and%20Chaudhuri_Catalogue%20India%20Office%20Sanskrit%20Books%20K-R_1953_djvu.txt
Markandeya : —
Candrasckhara-stotra [attributed]
Siva-stotra [attributed]
Markandcya-carita by Narayana Gastrin . . . E. Narayana Sastri-
kalal mula-slokahhalotum arttha tatparyannalotum bhaktirasamaya
klrttanahnalotum elutappettataya Markandeya caritam.
Malayalam char, pp. [1], iv, 136. 18x12 cm.
Vidya-vilasa Press : Calicut, 1910. 3419
A quick search for the book on Google did not list other matching entries besides the above. So the above book may be a rare copy which is mentioned on the Internet.
====================================
Book by another person from probably Tamil Nadu with same name R. Narayana Sastrigal as TNS but who is different, as he is from Radhamangalam and was associated as Sanskrit Professor of Vyakarana in Trivadi college (which seems to have been a college in Tamil Nadu).
https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.368470/page/n1/mode/2up
Nagesasaya Nirnaya Part I by Narayana Sastrigal
Publication date 1913
Topics RMSC
Collection digitallibraryindia; JaiGyan
Language Sanskrit
=======================================
This book does not seem to be by TNS
From https://www.worldcat.org/title/yatra-prasanga/oclc/254535238
Title: Yātrā-prasaṅga
Author: R Narayana Sastrigal
Publisher: Srirangam : Sri Vani Vilas Press, 1911.
As the publisher is from Srirangam, I think this would be the Radhamangalam Narayana Sastri of Tamil Nadu.
=====================
Age of Sankara by T.S. Narayana Sastry, first published in 1916, has a reference to "Bhattasri Narayana Sastri" which seems to be to another person who is said to have published a "Sankara Vijaya" book under the name, Madhava. This Bhattasri Narayana Sastri seems to have been based in Tamil Nadu (and was in Madras for at least some time).
=======================
Narayana Sastri Khiste is a different Sanskrit scholar from TNS. He seems to have been associated with Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office (Varanasi), https://chowkhambasanskritseries.com/about. Here is one book edited by him: Kavyaprakash by Mammata Charya: With a commentary called "Sudha Sagara" by Bhimasena Dikshita. Edited by Narayana sastri Khiste, https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Kavyaprakash_by_Mammata_Charya.html?id=lc3jMAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y published in 1924.
===========================
Note that a famous Kerala Sanskrit scholar of past centuries, Melpathur Narayana Bhattathri, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melpathur_Narayana_Bhattathiri, (author of famous Narayaneeyam in Sanskrit which is reported by his wiki page to be a summary of Bhagavata Purana, and many other Sanskrit works), is referred to as Narayana Bhatta. He lived from 1560 to 1646/1666.
=======================
Another famous Kerala Sanskrit scholar of past centuries is Narayana Panditacharya, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narayana_Panditacharya, who is also referred to as Narayana Pandita. He is the author of Madhwa Vijaya a biography of the great Madhavacharya of Dvaita school of philosophy. Narayana Pandita is the son of a direct disciple of Madhavacharya (1238 - 1317 CE). So Narayana Pandita would have most probably been active in the 1300s (14th century).
====================================
Given below are some responses of mine over email:
Sai Ram sir! Thank you so much for the kind words. As I understand it, an important part of the mission of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Kali Yuga Avatar, is to revive belief and reverence in Hindu Sastra and Sanathana Dharma. Through such posts of mine, I am trying to do my small contribution to add reverence and respect to those who have contributed to learning and teaching Hindu Sastra and Sanathana Dharma along with paying my respect as a great-grandson to my great grandfather Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal. I am so happy that you have shared in my happiness on this matter, sir. Jai Sai Ram!
....
Note that the Sanskrit word Sastra means (Hindu) scripture, and Sastri or Sastrigal (when not used as simply a surname handed down to descendants) is a title indicating that the person (typically male) is knowledgeable about Hindu scripture and additionally, in most cases, is a teacher of it. Part of the social role & duty of Brahmin caste persons (which includes my great-grandfather and descendants including me) in ***past*** Hindu society (say from 100 years back to beginning of Hinduism which is going back many millennia) was to act as guardians of Hindu scripture and practice of Dharma, and also as transmitters of Hindu scripture & Dharma practice to future generations (as if future generations did not carry it forward, it would die). That Hindu scripture and Dharmic practices have survived for many millennia is, in part, a testimony to how the Brahmin caste people have dedicated themselves, across millennia, to this sacred task & duty allotted to them in the ***past*** Hindu caste based society.
Now in our early 21st century times, of course, Hinduism has evolved and moved away from such caste based roles. Any person, even a non Hindu, who is interested in Hindu Sastra can easily access it and even become a teacher of it. This includes many Western people, including a very interesting Australian white guy called Rami Sivan. Here's him conducting a vedic ritual as a Hindu priest (which is what I think my great-grandfather would have been doing quite regularly over a hundred years ago, in addition to being a scholar of Hindu scripture), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if4yxv4z_PA. Rami Sivan also seems to be quite well read on Hindu scripture.
There are also Dalit (former suppressed classes in Hinduism) Hindu spiritual leaders and Dalit Hindu priests today which I think is a wonderful and great reformative accomplishment of modern day Hinduism.
==================================================================
Flawed past analysis retained as a record of how one can get misled in such (non-academic) research work
What we clearly know now (27th May 2020) is that "Bhattasri Narayana Sastri of 90 odd Sanskrit dramas fame, mentioned in Sahitya Akademi published books (prestigious matter), was based in Tamil Nadu, and is a DIFFERENT person from my great-grandfather Thuravoor Narayana Sastri (TNS) who was based in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Kerala as a Sanskrit teacher and scholar (grammarian)."
Summary
1) Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri mentioned in 1959 Sahitya Akademi Contemporary Indian Literature Symposium 2nd Ed., in Sanskrit literature chapter by V. Raghavan, seems to be Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal (TNS).
2) In Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World, Volume 1 By Gaṅgā Rām Garg, first published 1992, TNS seems to be referred to as "Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri (1860-1911), author of 92 dramas".
Details
[The details section is mostly a quick and rough log where I jotted down stuff as I was doing Internet search and following up on search results.]
Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri (Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal?) mentioned in 1959 Sahitya Akademi Contemporary Indian Literature Symposium 2nd Ed., in Sanskrit literature chapter by V. Raghavan
The title and key information about the vital book or collection of essays on contemporary Indian literature (in 1950s) that has references to Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri in the chapter dealing with Sanskrit literature, is given below.
CONTEMPORARY INDIAN LITERATURE
A SYMPOSIUM
Second Edition, Revised & Enlarged
SAHITYA AKADEMI
NEW DELHI
First Published, January 1957
Second Edition, April 1959
PUBLISHED ON BEHALF OF THE SAHITYA AKADEMI BY THE DIRECTOR, THE PUBLICATIONS DIVISION, MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING, DELHI-8
http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/xmlui/handle/10689/12910 shows the main page for this symposium book.
http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10689/12910/Title%20Page.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y shows the Title page (scanned document).
The entry for Chapter 12 (which has references to Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri) in the main page is as follows:
Name:Chapter 12_201-25 ...
Size:4.337Mb
Format:PDF
Description:SANSKRIT LITERATURE
---
and the link to open it is: http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10689/12910/Chapter%2012_201-252p.pdf?sequence=15&isAllowed=y (scanned document)
This seems to be Chaper 12 Sanskrit Literature by V. Raghavan.
https://sanskritdocuments.org/articles/SanskritLiteratureVRaghavan1959FromContemporaryIndianLiterature.pdf seems to searchable text of this same Chapter 12 document.
--------
V. Raghavan seems to be this person, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._Raghavan - "Venkataraman Raghavan (1908–1979) was a Sanskrit scholar and musicologist. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Padma Bhushan and the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit, and authored over 120 books and 1200 articles.[1]" [Ref 1: Kapila Vatsyayan wants scholars to emulate Dr. Raghavan, https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Kapila-Vatsyayan-wants-scholars-to-emulate-Dr.-Raghavan/article15288476.ece, 24th Aug. 2008.]
The wiki additionally states, "After a brief Superintendship of the Sarasvati Mahal Manuscript Library, joined the research department of his Alma Mater, Madras University where from the position of a Research Scholar, he rose to that of Professor and was Head of the Department of Sanskrit till 1968.[6]" [Ref 6: "Dr.V.Raghavan". www.drvraghavancentre.com. Retrieved 7 April 2017.]
-----------
http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10689/12910/Index.pdf?sequence=21&isAllowed=y seems to be the Index page of above symposium book.
Page 12 has the entry "Narayana Sastri, Bhatta Sri 207, 234". A previous entry is: "Narayana Sastri, 228".
-------------
From Chapter 12 Sanskrit Literature by V. Raghavan, https://sanskritdocuments.org/articles/SanskritLiteratureVRaghavan1959FromContemporaryIndianLiterature.pdf
From page 7:
"As the traditional form of Sanskrit learning has been continuing, Pandits steeped in the older tradition continue to compose long and short poems, hymns, plays, religious works, commentaries and Sastraic and other technical treatises in the old style. We have had recently in the South writers like Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri who wrote ninety-three plays, Radhamangalam Narayana Sastri, author of hundred and eight works,(.) and Kavyakantham Ganapati Sastri who was equally prolific; and there have been similar writers in other centres of learning."
Page 28: "Simanlini (VII) by Narayana Sastri"
Page 34: "Of the serious drama, the traditional type on old themes has been produced Jn (in) large numbers and it is enough to indicate here that there have been writers like Bhattasri Narayana Sastri who had written ninety-three plays and that to this day such plays arc (are) being regularly composed."
------------
===============================================
Is Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri same as Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal?
[Incorrect conclusion, see https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/sanskrit-drama-author-bhattasri.html .]
In his book Laghu Paniniyam, at the end of the Preface on page 3 of the book, Prof. A.R. Rajaraja Varma says, "It only remains to me to acknowledge with much gratitude the constant assistance encouragement and advice I have received from my revered uncle and preceptor, M R. Ry Kerala Varma Avl. C.S.I., the doyen of Sanskrit scholarship in South India, and from my fellow-student, former colleague and friend, Brahmasri R Narayana Sastriar, the present head of the local Sanskrit College".
It is 'signed' (name of author is printed) "A. R. Rajaraja Varma" with date and place as "TRIVANDRUM, 3rd August 1911". [For more details see my post: My great-grandfather Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal, noted Sanskrit scholar in grammar and poetry, and principal of Govt. Sanskrit College, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) from 1909-1911, https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/my-great-grandfather-thuravoor-narayana.html .]
There is no doubt that the Brahmasri R Narayana Sastriar mentioned above is Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal, as the latter was principal of Trivandrum Sanskrit College in 1911, and was fellow-student and former colleague of Prof. A.R. Rajaraja Varma (see above mentioned blog post for details).
But how about the initial R and not T? Well, either it could be a typo OR the R could stand for Ramachandran which name has been handed down to male descendants as is the naming tradition in our family. Thuravoor is the name of the place he hailed from in Kerala. So perhaps the full name would have been Thuravoor Ramachandran Narayana. The suffix Sastri or Sastriar / Sastrigal is a honorific one for Hindu scriptural knowledge masters.
How about Brahmasri? That is a honorific prefix which Prof. A.R.Rajaraja Varma seems to have felt he should use for Narayana Sastri.
Narayana Sastri seems to be a simple form of the name Brahmasri R Narayana Sastriar, and similarly Narayana Sastri is a simple form of the name Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal.
http://61.0.248.125/dcekerala/sktpalayam/history-of-the-college/ gives the history of H.H.Maharajas Govt.Sanskrit college. It states, "Sri A. R Raja Raja Varma was appointed the First Principal of the institution by Sri Mulam Tirunal Rama Varma, Mahamahopadyaya Dr. T. Ganapathi Sastri succeeded him as Principal in 1899. On Sri Sastri’s retirement, Sri Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal, the celebrated scholar in Sanskrit grammar, became the Principal of the institution. When Sri Narayan Sastri left service Sri Krishna Sastrigal became the Principal."
So the history of the Govt. Sanskrit college document itself refers to Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal additionally as Sri Narayana Sastri!
Note that Sri is a common honorofic like Mr. in English.
How about Bhatta in the name: Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri?
In the book: Kerala History and its Makers By A. Sreedhara Menon, first published March 1987, on page 94, https://books.google.co.in/books?id=wnAjqjhc1VcC&pg=PA94&lpg=PA94 , it is written: "It has been the practice in ancient Kerala to confer the title Bhatta on those learned Brahmins who engaged themselves in indepth studies spread over a period of twelve years in any of the following branches of knowledge, viz., Prabhakara Mimamsa, Bhatta Mimamsa, Vedanta and Vyakarana. The title was even applied to their descendents as a matter of hereditary honour."
So it is quite probable that Narayana Sastri name, after application of honorofics, became Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri.
Now let us see an extract from: Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World, Volume 1 By Gaṅgā Rām Garg, first published 1992
[Google Books link: https://books.google.co.in/books?id=w9pmo51lRnYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22Ga%E1%B9%85g%C4%81+R%C4%81m+Garg%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi9xebO5aHfAhVPX30KHd8LABYQ6AEIKjAA]
Page 59 of the above book mentions, "Those who wrote in the traditional style are: Acyutaraya Modak (fl. early 19th cent.), author of some 30 works, Mudumbai Venkatrama Narasimhacarya (1842-1928), author of 114 works, Keralavarma Valiya Koil Tampuran (1845-1915), called 'Kerala Kalidasa', who composed 37 works, Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri (1860-1911), author of 92 dramas, Medhasri Narayana Sastri (1882-1932), author of 108 works, which included 24 plays, ...".
The lifetime period given of 1860 to 1911 seems to fit in well with possible lifetime of Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal who was principal of Trivandrum Sanskrit College from 1909 to 1911. Perhaps he passed away in 1911. As he was a fellow-student of Prof. A.R. Rajaraja Varma, his birth year would have been close to Rajaraja Varma who was born in 1863, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._R._Raja_Raja_Varma. So it is very probable that Thuravoor Narayana Sastri was born in 1860.
[Incorrect conclusion, see https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/sanskrit-drama-author-bhattasri.html .]
====================================
Cultural Heritage of Kerala A. Sreedhara Menon - 2008 - No preview [in Google Books, I presume]
has a match for: "Turavur Narayana"
====================================
Is the book "Mārkaṇḍēya caritam" by "E Nārāyaṇa Śāstri", https://www.worldcat.org/title/markandeya-caritam/oclc/749999887, published by "Calicut : L.S. Ramaier, 1910." and held in the British Library, St. Pancras, London that authored by my great-grandfather Narayana Sastri (TNS) with E being a wrong initial instead of R?
29th May 2020 Update: Dr. Christophe Vielle informed me that this book is by another Nārāyaṇa Śāstri, cf. Gaur, Albertine. Catalogue of Malayalam Books in the British Museum. London: British Museum, 1971, col. 240:
"Of the Zamorin College, Calicut. Mārkaṇḍēya-)caritam : A series of Sanskrit verses and prose passage on the legend of Siva's rescue of his young votary Mārkaṇḍēya from death, with Malayalam renderings? pp. iv, 136, Calicut, 1910"
--- end 29th May 2020 update ---
Other details of the book from the above link are as follows:
Language Note: Sanskrit songs and slokas in Malayalam script with translation into Malayalam.
Notes: Songs and ślōkas on the life of Mārkaṇḍēya, a young votary of Śiva.
Description: iv, 136 pages ; 18 cm
Responsibility: brahmaśrī E. Nārāyaṇa Śāstrikaḷāl mūlaślōkaṅṅaḷōṭum artha tātparyaṅkaḷōtuṃ bhaktirasamāya kīrttanaṅṅaḷōṭuṃkūṭi el̲utappeṭṭa[ta'.].
----
Given the above description, and that in my Internet searches I could not find an E. Narayana Sastri (Sastrikal) Sanskrit & Malayalam author who was active in 1910, I do think that there is a good possibility that the above book is by TNS. Also see note below about Narayana Sastri Ekasambekara.
[Note that there seems to have been an Narayana Sastri Ekasambekara active Sanskrit scholar-writer in 1890 who seems to have been associated with Anand Ashram, Pune, http://www.aanandashram-sanstha.org/. Here is a book edited by him titled "The Brahma Sûtrâs of Śrîmat Krishna Dwaipâyana: with the Bháshya of Śrímat Śankaráchárya and its commentary by Śrimat Ánandajnána, Part 2", published in 1890, https://books.google.co.in/books/about/The_Brahma_S%C3%BBtr%C3%A2s_of_%C5%9Ar%C3%AEmat_Krishna.html?id=rdn7zAEACAAJ&redir_esc=y.
But he does not seem to be knowledgeable in Malayalam and nor does he seem to be referred to as Sastrikal. So I don't think the E. Narayana Sastri mentioned above is Narayana Sastri Ekasambekara who had published books edited by him through Anand Ashram Press, Pune.]...
From https://archive.org/stream/IndiaOffice_CatalogueOfSanskritBooks/Nath%20and%20Chaudhuri_Catalogue%20India%20Office%20Sanskrit%20Books%20K-R_1953_djvu.txt
Markandeya : —
Candrasckhara-stotra [attributed]
Siva-stotra [attributed]
Markandcya-carita by Narayana Gastrin . . . E. Narayana Sastri-
kalal mula-slokahhalotum arttha tatparyannalotum bhaktirasamaya
klrttanahnalotum elutappettataya Markandeya caritam.
Malayalam char, pp. [1], iv, 136. 18x12 cm.
Vidya-vilasa Press : Calicut, 1910. 3419
----
A quick search for the book on Google did not list other matching entries besides the above. So the above book may be a rare copy which is mentioned on the Internet.
====================================
Book by another person from probably Tamil Nadu with same name R. Narayana Sastrigal as TNS but who is different, as he is from Radhamangalam and was associated as Sanskrit Professor of Vyakarana in Trivadi college (which seems to have been a college in Tamil Nadu).
https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.368470/page/n1/mode/2up
Nagesasaya Nirnaya Part I by Narayana Sastrigal
Publication date 1913
Topics RMSC
Collection digitallibraryindia; JaiGyan
Language Sanskrit
=======================================
This book does not seem to be by TNS
From https://www.worldcat.org/title/yatra-prasanga/oclc/254535238
Title: Yātrā-prasaṅga
Author: R Narayana Sastrigal
Publisher: Srirangam : Sri Vani Vilas Press, 1911.
As the publisher is from Srirangam, I think this would be the Radhamangalam Narayana Sastri of Tamil Nadu.
=====================
Age of Sankara by T.S. Narayana Sastry, first published in 1916, has a reference to "Bhattasri Narayana Sastri" which seems to be to another person who is said to have published a "Sankara Vijaya" book under the name, Madhava. This Bhattasri Narayana Sastri seems to have been based in Tamil Nadu (and was in Madras for at least some time).
=======================
Narayana Sastri Khiste is a different Sanskrit scholar from TNS. He seems to have been associated with Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office (Varanasi), https://chowkhambasanskritseries.com/about. Here is one book edited by him: Kavyaprakash by Mammata Charya: With a commentary called "Sudha Sagara" by Bhimasena Dikshita. Edited by Narayana sastri Khiste, https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Kavyaprakash_by_Mammata_Charya.html?id=lc3jMAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y published in 1924.
===========================
Note that a famous Kerala Sanskrit scholar of past centuries, Melpathur Narayana Bhattathri, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melpathur_Narayana_Bhattathiri, (author of famous Narayaneeyam in Sanskrit which is reported by his wiki page to be a summary of Bhagavata Purana, and many other Sanskrit works), is referred to as Narayana Bhatta. He lived from 1560 to 1646/1666.
=======================
Another famous Kerala Sanskrit scholar of past centuries is Narayana Panditacharya, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narayana_Panditacharya, who is also referred to as Narayana Pandita. He is the author of Madhwa Vijaya a biography of the great Madhavacharya of Dvaita school of philosophy. Narayana Pandita is the son of a direct disciple of Madhavacharya (1238 - 1317 CE). So Narayana Pandita would have most probably been active in the 1300s (14th century).
====================================
Given below are some responses of mine over email:
Sai Ram sir! Thank you so much for the kind words. As I understand it, an important part of the mission of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Kali Yuga Avatar, is to revive belief and reverence in Hindu Sastra and Sanathana Dharma. Through such posts of mine, I am trying to do my small contribution to add reverence and respect to those who have contributed to learning and teaching Hindu Sastra and Sanathana Dharma along with paying my respect as a great-grandson to my great grandfather Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal. I am so happy that you have shared in my happiness on this matter, sir. Jai Sai Ram!
....
Note that the Sanskrit word Sastra means (Hindu) scripture, and Sastri or Sastrigal (when not used as simply a surname handed down to descendants) is a title indicating that the person (typically male) is knowledgeable about Hindu scripture and additionally, in most cases, is a teacher of it. Part of the social role & duty of Brahmin caste persons (which includes my great-grandfather and descendants including me) in ***past*** Hindu society (say from 100 years back to beginning of Hinduism which is going back many millennia) was to act as guardians of Hindu scripture and practice of Dharma, and also as transmitters of Hindu scripture & Dharma practice to future generations (as if future generations did not carry it forward, it would die). That Hindu scripture and Dharmic practices have survived for many millennia is, in part, a testimony to how the Brahmin caste people have dedicated themselves, across millennia, to this sacred task & duty allotted to them in the ***past*** Hindu caste based society.
Now in our early 21st century times, of course, Hinduism has evolved and moved away from such caste based roles. Any person, even a non Hindu, who is interested in Hindu Sastra can easily access it and even become a teacher of it. This includes many Western people, including a very interesting Australian white guy called Rami Sivan. Here's him conducting a vedic ritual as a Hindu priest (which is what I think my great-grandfather would have been doing quite regularly over a hundred years ago, in addition to being a scholar of Hindu scripture), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if4yxv4z_PA. Rami Sivan also seems to be quite well read on Hindu scripture.
There are also Dalit (former suppressed classes in Hinduism) Hindu spiritual leaders and Dalit Hindu priests today which I think is a wonderful and great reformative accomplishment of modern day Hinduism.
==================================================================
Flawed past analysis retained as a record of how one can get misled in such (non-academic) research work
What we clearly know now (27th May 2020) is that "Bhattasri Narayana Sastri of 90 odd Sanskrit dramas fame, mentioned in Sahitya Akademi published books (prestigious matter), was based in Tamil Nadu, and is a DIFFERENT person from my great-grandfather Thuravoor Narayana Sastri (TNS) who was based in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Kerala as a Sanskrit teacher and scholar (grammarian)."
Summary
1) Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri mentioned in 1959 Sahitya Akademi Contemporary Indian Literature Symposium 2nd Ed., in Sanskrit literature chapter by V. Raghavan, seems to be Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal (TNS).
2) In Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World, Volume 1 By Gaṅgā Rām Garg, first published 1992, TNS seems to be referred to as "Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri (1860-1911), author of 92 dramas".
Details
[The details section is mostly a quick and rough log where I jotted down stuff as I was doing Internet search and following up on search results.]
Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri (Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal?) mentioned in 1959 Sahitya Akademi Contemporary Indian Literature Symposium 2nd Ed., in Sanskrit literature chapter by V. Raghavan
The title and key information about the vital book or collection of essays on contemporary Indian literature (in 1950s) that has references to Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri in the chapter dealing with Sanskrit literature, is given below.
CONTEMPORARY INDIAN LITERATURE
A SYMPOSIUM
Second Edition, Revised & Enlarged
SAHITYA AKADEMI
NEW DELHI
First Published, January 1957
Second Edition, April 1959
PUBLISHED ON BEHALF OF THE SAHITYA AKADEMI BY THE DIRECTOR, THE PUBLICATIONS DIVISION, MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING, DELHI-8
http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/xmlui/handle/10689/12910 shows the main page for this symposium book.
http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10689/12910/Title%20Page.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y shows the Title page (scanned document).
The entry for Chapter 12 (which has references to Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri) in the main page is as follows:
Name:Chapter 12_201-25 ...
Size:4.337Mb
Format:PDF
Description:SANSKRIT LITERATURE
---
and the link to open it is: http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10689/12910/Chapter%2012_201-252p.pdf?sequence=15&isAllowed=y (scanned document)
This seems to be Chaper 12 Sanskrit Literature by V. Raghavan.
https://sanskritdocuments.org/articles/SanskritLiteratureVRaghavan1959FromContemporaryIndianLiterature.pdf seems to searchable text of this same Chapter 12 document.
--------
V. Raghavan seems to be this person, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._Raghavan - "Venkataraman Raghavan (1908–1979) was a Sanskrit scholar and musicologist. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Padma Bhushan and the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit, and authored over 120 books and 1200 articles.[1]" [Ref 1: Kapila Vatsyayan wants scholars to emulate Dr. Raghavan, https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Kapila-Vatsyayan-wants-scholars-to-emulate-Dr.-Raghavan/article15288476.ece, 24th Aug. 2008.]
The wiki additionally states, "After a brief Superintendship of the Sarasvati Mahal Manuscript Library, joined the research department of his Alma Mater, Madras University where from the position of a Research Scholar, he rose to that of Professor and was Head of the Department of Sanskrit till 1968.[6]" [Ref 6: "Dr.V.Raghavan". www.drvraghavancentre.com. Retrieved 7 April 2017.]
-----------
http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10689/12910/Index.pdf?sequence=21&isAllowed=y seems to be the Index page of above symposium book.
Page 12 has the entry "Narayana Sastri, Bhatta Sri 207, 234". A previous entry is: "Narayana Sastri, 228".
-------------
From Chapter 12 Sanskrit Literature by V. Raghavan, https://sanskritdocuments.org/articles/SanskritLiteratureVRaghavan1959FromContemporaryIndianLiterature.pdf
From page 7:
"As the traditional form of Sanskrit learning has been continuing, Pandits steeped in the older tradition continue to compose long and short poems, hymns, plays, religious works, commentaries and Sastraic and other technical treatises in the old style. We have had recently in the South writers like Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri who wrote ninety-three plays, Radhamangalam Narayana Sastri, author of hundred and eight works,(.) and Kavyakantham Ganapati Sastri who was equally prolific; and there have been similar writers in other centres of learning."
Page 28: "Simanlini (VII) by Narayana Sastri"
Page 34: "Of the serious drama, the traditional type on old themes has been produced Jn (in) large numbers and it is enough to indicate here that there have been writers like Bhattasri Narayana Sastri who had written ninety-three plays and that to this day such plays arc (are) being regularly composed."
------------
===============================================
Is Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri same as Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal?
[Incorrect conclusion, see https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/sanskrit-drama-author-bhattasri.html .]
In his book Laghu Paniniyam, at the end of the Preface on page 3 of the book, Prof. A.R. Rajaraja Varma says, "It only remains to me to acknowledge with much gratitude the constant assistance encouragement and advice I have received from my revered uncle and preceptor, M R. Ry Kerala Varma Avl. C.S.I., the doyen of Sanskrit scholarship in South India, and from my fellow-student, former colleague and friend, Brahmasri R Narayana Sastriar, the present head of the local Sanskrit College".
It is 'signed' (name of author is printed) "A. R. Rajaraja Varma" with date and place as "TRIVANDRUM, 3rd August 1911". [For more details see my post: My great-grandfather Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal, noted Sanskrit scholar in grammar and poetry, and principal of Govt. Sanskrit College, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) from 1909-1911, https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/my-great-grandfather-thuravoor-narayana.html .]
There is no doubt that the Brahmasri R Narayana Sastriar mentioned above is Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal, as the latter was principal of Trivandrum Sanskrit College in 1911, and was fellow-student and former colleague of Prof. A.R. Rajaraja Varma (see above mentioned blog post for details).
But how about the initial R and not T? Well, either it could be a typo OR the R could stand for Ramachandran which name has been handed down to male descendants as is the naming tradition in our family. Thuravoor is the name of the place he hailed from in Kerala. So perhaps the full name would have been Thuravoor Ramachandran Narayana. The suffix Sastri or Sastriar / Sastrigal is a honorific one for Hindu scriptural knowledge masters.
How about Brahmasri? That is a honorific prefix which Prof. A.R.Rajaraja Varma seems to have felt he should use for Narayana Sastri.
Narayana Sastri seems to be a simple form of the name Brahmasri R Narayana Sastriar, and similarly Narayana Sastri is a simple form of the name Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal.
http://61.0.248.125/dcekerala/sktpalayam/history-of-the-college/ gives the history of H.H.Maharajas Govt.Sanskrit college. It states, "Sri A. R Raja Raja Varma was appointed the First Principal of the institution by Sri Mulam Tirunal Rama Varma, Mahamahopadyaya Dr. T. Ganapathi Sastri succeeded him as Principal in 1899. On Sri Sastri’s retirement, Sri Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal, the celebrated scholar in Sanskrit grammar, became the Principal of the institution. When Sri Narayan Sastri left service Sri Krishna Sastrigal became the Principal."
So the history of the Govt. Sanskrit college document itself refers to Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal additionally as Sri Narayana Sastri!
Note that Sri is a common honorofic like Mr. in English.
How about Bhatta in the name: Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri?
In the book: Kerala History and its Makers By A. Sreedhara Menon, first published March 1987, on page 94, https://books.google.co.in/books?id=wnAjqjhc1VcC&pg=PA94&lpg=PA94 , it is written: "It has been the practice in ancient Kerala to confer the title Bhatta on those learned Brahmins who engaged themselves in indepth studies spread over a period of twelve years in any of the following branches of knowledge, viz., Prabhakara Mimamsa, Bhatta Mimamsa, Vedanta and Vyakarana. The title was even applied to their descendents as a matter of hereditary honour."
So it is quite probable that Narayana Sastri name, after application of honorofics, became Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri.
Now let us see an extract from: Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World, Volume 1 By Gaṅgā Rām Garg, first published 1992
[Google Books link: https://books.google.co.in/books?id=w9pmo51lRnYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22Ga%E1%B9%85g%C4%81+R%C4%81m+Garg%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi9xebO5aHfAhVPX30KHd8LABYQ6AEIKjAA]
Page 59 of the above book mentions, "Those who wrote in the traditional style are: Acyutaraya Modak (fl. early 19th cent.), author of some 30 works, Mudumbai Venkatrama Narasimhacarya (1842-1928), author of 114 works, Keralavarma Valiya Koil Tampuran (1845-1915), called 'Kerala Kalidasa', who composed 37 works, Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri (1860-1911), author of 92 dramas, Medhasri Narayana Sastri (1882-1932), author of 108 works, which included 24 plays, ...".
The lifetime period given of 1860 to 1911 seems to fit in well with possible lifetime of Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal who was principal of Trivandrum Sanskrit College from 1909 to 1911. Perhaps he passed away in 1911. As he was a fellow-student of Prof. A.R. Rajaraja Varma, his birth year would have been close to Rajaraja Varma who was born in 1863, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._R._Raja_Raja_Varma. So it is very probable that Thuravoor Narayana Sastri was born in 1860.
[Incorrect conclusion, see https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/sanskrit-drama-author-bhattasri.html .]
Given this background, I think it is highly probable that the Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri (1860-1911) reference in Ganga Ram Garg's book is to Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal. Further, it is highly probable that V. Raghavan in his above mentioned Chapter 12 Sanskrit Literature in Contemporary Indian Literature Symposium book, has used the name Bhatta Sri Narayana Sastri (without birth & death years) to refer to this same Thuravoor Narayana Sastrigal.
[Incorrect conclusion, see https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/sanskrit-drama-author-bhattasri.html .]
[Incorrect conclusion, see https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/2023/04/sanskrit-drama-author-bhattasri.html .]
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