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{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}

"'''Tarkateertha'''" '''Lakshman Shastri Joshi'''{{#tag:ref| Due to the conversion from [[Devanagri]] to phonetic romanized spellings, he is also alternately referred to as "Laxman Shahstri Joshi". In [[Marathi language|Marathi]] articles he is most commonly referred to as "Tarkateertha Laxman Shahstri Joshi". Alternatively, '''Laxmanshastri Balaji Joshi'''|
group=note}} (27 January 1901 – 27 May 1994) was an [[Indian people|Indian]] scholar, of [[Sanskrit]], [[Hindu Dharma]], and a [[Marathi language|Marathi]] [[literary critic]], and supporter of [[Indian independence movement|Indian independence]]. [[Mahatma Gandhi]] chose him to be his principal advisor in his campaign against [[untouchability]]{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=August 2017}}. Joshi was equally a pragmatist, endorsing Nehru's investments in higher education and [[heavy industry]].

== Early life and family ==
Lakshman Shastri was born in a [[Deshastha Brahmin]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AsU7R69gqDIC|title=The Illustrated Weekly of India, Volume 95|publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Company, Limited, at the Times of India Press|page=31|year=1974|quote=Marathi literature is strewn with Deshastha writers. Some of the luminaries are B. S. Murdhekar, the neo classical poet and critic; the popular dramatists Acharya P. K. Atre, V.V.Shirwadkar; the poet and story writer G.D.Madgulkar popularly known as the "Modern Walmiki” of Maharashtra, Sahitya Akademi Award winners G. T. Deshpande, Laxmanshastri Joshi, S. N. Banhatti, V. K. Gokak and Mugali all belong to this community.}}</ref> family in 1901 to Balaji and Chandrabhaga Joshi, in the village of Pimpalner, [[Dhule|tahsil sakri, Dhule]] district in the present-day state of Maharashtra. He left home at age 14 after studying to be a priest. He finally settled in [[Wai, Maharashtra|Wai]], a historic temple town on the banks of the [[Krishna river]]. In Wai, he studied [[Sanskrit]], [[Hindu]] ''dharma'' and Indian [[philosophy]] at the Pradnya pathshala, a renowned Vedic school. Later in 1923 he earned the degree "Tarkateertha", or literally, "Master of logic" at the [[The Sanskrit College and University|Government Sanskrit
Mahavidyalaya of Calcutta]]. In 1927, he married Satyawati Mulherkar. They had two sons and two daughters. Their elder son, Madhukar had a distinguished career at [[IBM]] in research and management.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ray|first1=N.R.|title=Dictionary of National biography|date=1990|publisher=N.R. Ray, Institute of Historical studies|location=Calcutta|pages=205–207|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mq1mAAAAMAAJ&q=lakshman+joshi&pg=PA205|access-date=20 August 2017}}</ref>

==Career==
Joshi spent all his life in Wai. He was closely associated with Pradnya pathshala all his life. Although a [[Brahmin]], he spent his life going against tradition. In 1932, at the age of 29, he was jailed by the [[British Raj|British]] for his role in the freedom movement.{{#tag:ref|The call for determined, but passive resistance that signified the certitude that Gandhi foresaw for the movement is best described by his call to Do or Die, issued on 8 August at the [[Gowalia Tank]] Maidan in Bombay, since re-named August Kranti Maidan (August Revolution Ground)|group=note}} However while in prison, he quickly gained a reputation as a Hindu [[dharma]] scholar. Under the tutelage of Vinobha Bhave, he learned [[English language|English]] when Vinoba-Ji came to Wai to study under Kewalananda Saraswati.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nambiar|first1=Nisha|title=Well scripted|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/well-scripted/593695/|access-date=20 August 2017|issue=Mon Mar 22|publisher=Indian Express|date=2010}}</ref> It was during one of those internments that [[Mahatma Gandhi]], troubled by respectable Brahmin priests shying away from officiating at the intercaste marriage of his son Devdas, a Vania, or merchant class boy, to Lakshmi, the daughter of C. Rajagopalachari, a Brahmin, and later the second Governor General of independent India approached the young Joshi for his opinion on whether such a marriage was against Hindu dharma. With his thorough knowledge of the [[Shastras]], Joshi not only judged the marriage acceptable but also performed the wedding ceremony.<ref>Marathi Vishwakosha, Vol.14, p. 698, 1989, ed. L.S.Joshi</ref><ref>Bombay Chronicle, June 1933; see also "Tarkateertha- Ek Pradnyapravaha", a biography in Marathi, SriVidya Prakashan, 1995</ref>

In the 1930s, Joshi came under the influence of radical humanist [[M. N. Roy]]<ref>*{{cite book
|first=S. Devadas
|last=Pillai
|title=Indian sociology through Ghurye, a dictionary
|page=348
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P3uD22Ghqs4C&pg=PR13
|access-date=7 October 2011
|year=1997
|publisher=Popular Prakashan
|isbn=978-81-7154-807-1
}}</ref> and quickly assimilated and embraced western philosophical systems. He questioned whether those that had the knowledge had the wisdom to lead, and recognized those that followed had inadequate knowledge. He was the member of Roy's Radical Democratic party until its dissolution 1948. He wrote a Marathi treatise called Vaidik Sankriti-cha Vikas (Development of Vedic Civilization) in 1951. This treatise was based on six lectures he delivered at the [[University of Pune]], where he traced the evolution of "Vedic" culture and its influence on modern India. He wrote a critique arguing that modern Indians became conflicted between meeting material needs and attaining spiritual enlightenment, thus fostering a collective weakness, disharmony and allowing caste differences to prevail.<ref>See a recent English translation of this book, "Development of Indian Culture –Vedas to Gandhi", Published by Lokvangmaya Griha, 2001; and {{cite web |url=http://www.dkpd.com/servlet/dkGetBiblio?bno=050873 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-09-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710140913/http://www.dkpd.com/servlet/dkGetBiblio?bno=050873 |archive-date=10 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In 1954, he presided over [[Marathi Sahitya Sammelan]], which was held in [[New Delhi]]. In 1955, he received a [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] for his work ''Waidik Sanskruticha Wikas'' (वैदिक संस्कृतीचा विकास).<ref>[http://www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in/old_version/awa10313.htm#marathi Sahitya Akademi awards in Marathi] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331234040/http://www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in/old_version/awa10313.htm |date=31 March 2009 }} Official Site for [[Sahitya Akademi Award]]</ref>

He served as the first president of Maharashtra State Board of Literature and Culture when it was established in 1960, and starting from that year, served for a large number of years as the president of the project of compiling [[Marathi Vishwakosh|Vishwakosh]], a 20-volume Marathi encyclopedia under the sponsorship of the above Board. He also spearheaded compilation of Dharmakosha, a Marathi transliteration of the ancient Vedic/Hindu Sanskritic hymns. In Wai, he also opened a hostel for students of the Dalit castes, a factory for making hand-made paper and a printing press.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ray|first1=N.R.|title=Dictionary of National biography|date=1990|publisher=N.R. Ray, Institute of Historical studies|location=Calcutta|pages=205|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mq1mAAAAMAAJ&q=lakshman+joshi&pg=PA205|access-date=20 August 2017}}</ref>

== Literature ==
His first book, ''Shuddhisarvasvam'', is a treatise in Sanskrit on the philosophical basis of religious conversion, published in 1934. In that same year, he edited the ''Dharmakosha'', which encompassed twenty-six volumes and 18,000 pages, encoding the basic texts and commentaries on the varied aspects of ''dharma'' and ''dharma-shastra''s from 1500 BC to the 18th century. In 1938, he wrote ''Anand-Mimamsa'', a critical commentary on the theory or ''Ras'' and aesthetics in Marathi literature. Later in 1973, he wrote ''Adhunik Marathi Sahityachi Samiksha'', a study of the tenets of modern Marathi literary criticism. He also wrote Hindu Dharmachi Samiksha, in 1940, critically examining the concepts and foundation of Hinduism, and ''Jadawad'', in 1941, a survey of the history and development of materialism in Indian and Western philosophical traditions. He wrote ''Vaidik Sanskriticha Vikas'' in 1958 to much acclaim. Amongst other works are ''Upanishadanche Marathi Bhashantar'', a translation of the 18 principal ''Upanishads'' into Marathi.

Other works include:
* Waidik Sanskruticha Wikas
* Wichara-Shilpa
* Samiksha Ani Rasa-Siddhant
* Critique of Hinduism and other Religions
* Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts

== Recognition and death ==
For his outstanding contribution, he received the ''[[List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Marathi|Sahitya Akademi]]'' award from India's National Academy of Letters in 1955.

In 1973, he received the National Sanskrit Pandit Award, and in 1976, the government of India conferred on him the [[Padma Bhushan]] title, India's third highest honour, for excellence in Literature and Education.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014 }}</ref>

He was awarded an honorary doctorate in literature from [[Bombay University]] in 1975.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://india.gov.in/myindia/advsearch_awards.php | title=National Portal of India}}</ref>

In 1989, Joshi received a [[List of Sahitya Akademi fellows|Sahitya Akademi Fellowship]], the highest award for lifetime achievement given by the [[Sahitya Akademi|Akademi]], which is India's National Academy of Letters.

In 1992 he was awarded the ''[[Padma Vibhushan]]'', India's second-highest civilian honor, in recognition of a lifetime of exceptional and distinguished service to India.<ref name="Padma Awards" />

He died at the age of 94, near the birth spring of the Krishna river.

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joshi, Lakshamanshastri}}
[[Category:1901 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Sanskrit scholars]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in literature & education]]
[[Category:Activists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Scholars from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Gandhians]]
[[Category:People from Dhule district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian scholars]]
[[Category:Marathi-language writers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Marathi]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:Poets from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan]]

Lakshman Shastri Joshi - Revision history

->Sadads at 01:27, 4 October 2021