CharliVangundy at 14:31, 23 February 2026

2026-02-23T14:31:34Z

New page

{{short description|2nd Chief Justice of India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Mandalokathur Patanjali Sastri
| image = Justice M. Patanjali Sastri.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| caption =
| office = Member of [[Tamil Nadu Legislative Council|Madras Legislative Council]]
| termstart = July 1958
| termend = April 1962
| order1 = 2nd
| office1 = Chief Justice of India
| termstart1 = 7 November 1951
| termend1 = 3 January 1954
| appointer1 = [[Rajendra Prasad]]
| predecessor1 = [[H. J. Kania]]
| successor1 = [[Mehr Chand Mahajan]]
| office2 = Judge of [[Supreme Court of India]]
| termstart2 = 28 January 1950
| termend2 = 6 November 1951
| appointer2 = [[Rajendra Prasad]]
| office3 = Judge of [[Federal Court of India]]
| termstart3 = 6 December 1947
| termend3 = 27 January 1950
| appointer3 = [[C. Rajagopalachari]]
| office4 = Judge of [[Madras High Court]]
| termstart4 = 15 March 1939
| termend4 = 5 December 1947
| appointer4 = [[George VI]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1889|1|4|df=y}}
| birth_place = Mandakolathur, [[Madras Presidency]] (present-day [[Tiruvannamalai district|Tiruvannamalai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Sastri-was-first-Tamilian-Supreme-Court-Chief-Justice/2013/07/03/article1664712.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130706194815/http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Sastri-was-first-Tamilian-Supreme-Court-Chief-Justice/2013/07/03/article1664712.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 July 2013 |title=Sastri was first Tamilian Supreme Court Chief Justice |newspaper=The New Indian Express |date=3 July 2013 |access-date=23 July 2013}}</ref>
| death_date = {{death date and age|1963|3|16|1889|1|4|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Delhi]], India
| relatives = [[Avanidhar Subrahmanyam]] (great grandson)
| children = 7
| alma_mater = [[Madras Law College]], [[Madras University]]
}}
'''Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri''' (4 January 1889 – 16 March 1963) was the second [[Chief Justice of India]], serving in the post from 7 November 1951 to 3 January 1954.

==Early life==
He was the son of Pandit Krishna Sastri, senior Sanskrit ''pandit'' of [[Pachaiyappa's College]], Madras. He graduated in B.A. from [[Madras University]] around 1910 before taking an LL.B in 1912 and becoming an advocate.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

==Career==
Sastri began his career as an advocate in the [[Madras High Court]] in 1914 and practised for some time, gaining repute as having special expertise in tax law, particularly with Chettiar clients. In 1922, he was appointed standing counsel to the Commissioner of Income Tax in recognition of his abilities in this field; he held the position until his elevation to the Bench of [[Madras High Court]] on 15 March 1939. During this time, he, along with Sir [[Sidney Wadsworth]] notably tried complicated cases that followed after the passing of the Madras Agriculturists Debt Relief Act.<ref name="death">{{cite news|title=Homage to Patanjali Sastri|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19630317&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|access-date=6 February 2018|work=The Indian Express|date=17 March 1963|page=7}}</ref> He replaced his close friend Sir [[Srinivasa Varadachariar]], who had been appointed to the Federal Court of India.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gardbois Jr. |first=George H. |title=Judges of the Supreme Court of India 1950-1989 |year=2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-807061-0 |pages=20–30}}</ref>

On 6 December 1947, by then third in seniority at the Madras High Court, he was made a judge of the Federal Court, which subsequently became the Supreme Court. Following the sudden death of the Chief Justice, [[H. J. Kania|Harilal J. Kania]], on 6 November 1951, Sastri, as the senior-most associate justice, was appointed as Chief Justice. Sastri served in the position till he reached the retirement age on 3 January 1954.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in/judges/bio/mpsastri.htm | title=M. Patanjali Sastri | publisher=supremecourtofindia.nic.in | access-date=23 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Gardbois Jr. |first=George H. |title=Judges of the Supreme Court of India 1950-1989 |year=2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-807061-0 |pages=20–30}}</ref>

Over the course of his tenure on the Supreme Court, Sastri authored 75 judgments and was a part of 171 benches.<ref>{{Cite web |title=M. Patanjali Sastri |url=https://www.scobserver.in/judges/mandakulathur-patanjali-sastri/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Supreme Court Observer |language=en-US}}</ref> He also took part in the appointment of four judges.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The First Eight |url=https://www.scobserver.in/75-years-of-sc/the-first-eight-judges-of-the-supreme-court/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Supreme Court Observer |language=en-US}}</ref>

Previously appointed pro-chancellor of [[Delhi University]] in 1953, he served in that capacity until 1956. In retirement, Sastri remained active with the Delhi branch of the International Law Association and headed the Airlines Compensation Commission which oversaw the nationalisation of India's airlines. He also served as a member of the board of directors of the [[Press Trust of India]] and served on the Madras Legislative Council from July 1958 to April 1962. An eminent Sanskrit scholar and active member of the executive council of [[Benares Hindu University]] at the time of his death on 16 March 1963, he had chaired the Central Sanskrit Board since 1959, as well as the Kendriya Sanskrit Vidya Pith at Tirupati.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gardbois Jr. |first=George H. |title=Judges of the Supreme Court of India 1950-1989 |year=2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-807061-0 |pages=20–30}}</ref> He died at his son-in-law's residence in [[Delhi]] from a [[cardiac arrest]].<ref name="death"/> His great grandsons are [[Avanidhar Subrahmanyam]], a Distinguished Professor at the [[University of California, Los Angeles]], and Dr. Mandakulutur Subramanya Ganesh, Head of Oncology, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences, [[Bengaluru]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{S-legal}}
{{succession box | title=[[Chief Justice of India]] | before=[[H. J. Kania]] | after=[[Mehr Chand Mahajan]] | years=16 November 1951 – 3 January 1954}}
{{s-end}}

{{Chief Justices of India}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sastri, Patanjali}}
[[Category:1889 births]]
[[Category:1963 deaths]]
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]
[[Category:Chief justices of India]]
[[Category:People from Tiruvannamalai district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian judges]]

{{India-law-bio-stub}}

M. Patanjali Sastri - Revision history

CharliVangundy at 14:31, 23 February 2026