Chennai, Sept 28:
Renowned Sanskrit scholar and former principal of Madras Sanskrit College, Mahamahopadhyaya R. Krishnamurthy Shastri, passed away at his residence in Chennai on Sunday afternoon. He was 82. Family sources said he remained active until the end and had completed the Mahalaya tarpana on Sunday.
Born in 1944 at Mullaivaasal, he studied the Vedas under his father Brahmashri Rajagopala Ghanapathigal and later pursued Vedanta and Sastras at Madras Sanskrit College. He obtained an M.A. in Sanskrit from Sri Venkateswara University and a doctorate from the University of Madras.
Shastri began his teaching career in 1964 and later served as a lecturer and professor at Madras Sanskrit College, becoming its principal in 1999. He received several honours, including the title Mahamahopadhyaya from Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati, in 1999 and the President’s Award in 2013.
He authored several works in Tamil and Sanskrit and, after retirement, founded Brahmavidya Bhavanam, where he continued teaching the Vedas, Veda-Bhashya and Vedanta to young students.