BernardoWebb158 at 19:04, 1 April 2026

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{{Short description|Indian scholar, novelist and poet}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox writer
| image = Mahesh Chandra Sharma Gautam 2.jpg
| caption = Gautam in 2021
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|12|24|df=y}}
| occupation = {{Cslist|Scholar|novelist|educator}}
| subject = [[Sanskrit literature]]
| notable_works = Vaishali (2017)
| awards = [[Sahitya Akademi Award]]
| website = {{URL| https://maheshchandragautam.wordpress.com}}
| alma_mater = M.A. in Sanskrit [[Panjab University]] <br />
Ph.D. in Sanskrit [[Punjabi University]]
| birth_place = [[Patiala]], [[Punjab]], India
| spouse = Kusum Lata (1968–present)
| children = 3 (Daughters)
}}
'''Mahesh Chandra Sharma Gautam''' (born 24 December 1949) is an Indian scholar, novelist, poet, and retired educator known for his contributions to [[Sanskrit literature|Sanskrit]] and [[Hindi literature]]. His work spans novels, epic poetry, and biographies. He received the [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] in 2020 for his [[Sanskrit]] novel ''Vaishali'' (2017) recognised for its literary merit by Rashtriya Sahitya Sansthan. He is the first individual from [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] to win the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit literature.

== Early life and education ==
Mahesh Chandra Sharma Gautam was born on 24 December 1949 in [[Patiala, Punjab]] to Pandit Baldev Krishan Shastri and Krishna Devi. He was the youngest of five children and had four older sisters.<ref name=":1" />

Gautam's early exposure to writing was shaped by his grandfather, Pandit Ramanand Sharma, who taught him to trace letters in ash spread on the ground. He was later introduced to [[Sanskrit grammar]] by his father, Pt. Baldev Krishan Shastri, a noted Sanskrit scholar. He studied at the Punjab Institute of Oriental & Indian Languages, Patiala (PIOIL), under Acharya Durga Dutt Vagmi and received the title of Shastri.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=समाज को सही दिशा देने को 52 साल से साहित्य की सेवा कर रहे डा. महेश गौतम - doctor mahesh gautam give there services to litreture from 52 years - Punjab Patiala Common Man Issues News |url=https://www.jagran.com/punjab/patiala-doctor-mahesh-gautam-give-there-services-to-litreture-from-52-years-22414053.html |access-date=21 August 2025 |website=Jagran |language=hi}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |date=21 August 2025 |title=कौन हैं महेश चंद्र शर्मा गौतम?, 2020 में साहित्य अकादेमी पुरस्कार |url=https://www.lokmatnews.in/india/who-is-mahesh-chandra-sharma-gautam-patiala-unique-star-sanskrit-and-hindi-literature-b507/ |access-date=21 August 2025 |website=Lokmat News Hindi |language=hi}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

Gautam earned a M.A. in Sanskrit and an M.A. in Hindi from [[Panjab University]], as a private candidate. He completed his Ph.D. in Sanskrit at [[Punjabi University, Patiala]], with a thesis titled ''Punjab Ka Sanskrit Kavya Ko Yogdan'' (Contribution of Punjab to Sanskrit Poetry), supervised by Prof. Abhimanyu Malik.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Maheshchandra Sharma Gautam |url=https://opac.ssus.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=36502 |title=Punjab ka samskritkavya ko yogdan |date=2002 |publisher=Nirmal |location=New Delhi}}</ref>

== Career ==
Gautam began his teaching career in 1968 at the age of 19 as a Sanskrit teacher at K.K. High School, [[Rajpura]], and later served as a Hindi lecturer at several institutions, including Government Girls Senior Secondary School, [[Cheeka]], Haryana, retiring in 2007.<ref name=":0" />

He was appointed to the Board of Studies in Sanskrit (Undergraduate) at [[Guru Nanak Dev University]], [[Amritsar]], from 2020 to 2022, and was appointed a member of the Board of Control for Sanskrit for 2025–2026.<ref name=":0" />

He chaired a seminar on [[Guru Gobind Singh]]'s life and philosophy in 2017 at the same university and delivered talks on [[All India Radio]] and [[Jalandhar Doordarshan]], promoting Sanskrit and Hindi literature.<ref name=":3" />

== Personal life ==
Gautam married Kusum Lata on 7 November 1968, the couple has three daughters. Their eldest daughter, Mukta Sharma, holds master's degrees in Sanskrit and English, as well as a PhD in Sanskrit, and is married to Sanjay Sharma, a doctor based in [[Jind]]. The middle daughter, Shruti Sharma, also earned an MA and a PhD in Sanskrit and is married to Yogender Singh Joshi, a [[chartered accountant]]. The youngest, Smriti Sharma, serves as a Deputy Superintendent at the [[Punjab and Haryana High Court]] and is a poet, married to Jitendra, a businessman.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Gurpreet |title=A Glimpse into the Personal Life of Scholar Mahesh Chandra Sharma Gautam |url=http://www.5dariyanews.com/news/465398-A-Glimpse-into-the-Personal-Life-of-Scholar-Mahesh-Chandra-Sharma-Gautam |access-date=2025-08-24 |website=5 Dariya News}}</ref>

== Literary contributions ==
Gautam's works span Sanskrit and Hindi, covering novels, epic poetry, and biographies. His notable publications include:

• '''''Vaishali''''' (2017, Sanskrit novel, published by Haryana Sahitya and Sanskriti Akademi): A critically acclaimed work exploring marital issues, awarded the [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 March 2021 |title=Arundhathi Subramaniam, Anamika, M Veerappa Moily win Sahitya Akademi Award |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/arundhathi-subramaniam-anamika-m-veerappa-moily-win-sahitya-akademi-award/articleshow/81493294.cms |access-date=21 August 2025 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=28 July 2017 |title=डाॅ महेश चंद्र शर्मा गौतम का उपन्यास वैशाली रिलीज |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/PUN-PAT-MAT-latest-patiala-news-033503-3072151-NOR.html/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008150503/https://www.bhaskar.com/PUN-PAT-MAT-latest-patiala-news-033503-3072151-NOR.html/ |archive-date=8 October 2021 |access-date=21 August 2025 |work=Dainik Bhaskar |language=hi}}</ref>

• '''''Sunayana''''' (2019, Sanskrit novel): Honored with the Kalidas Award (Punjab Government) and Banabhatta Award (Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Sansthan) in 2020.

• '''''Swatantrya Samar''''' (2013, Sanskrit epic poem): Received the Gyani Sant Singh Best Book Award in 2014.

• '''''Adhura Aadmi''''' (2014, Hindi novel): Awarded the Sudarshan Best Book Award in 2015.

• '''''Maharham Ratnambedkarah''''' (2020, Sanskrit biography): A biography of [[B. R. Ambedkar|Dr. B.R. Ambedkar]].

• '''''Kshitij Ki Talash''''' (2021, Hindi novel): Received the Dr. Sugan Chand Bhatia Award from the All India Senior Citizens Confederation, Mumbai, in 2021.

• '''''Maa Veera Vismrita Bhoovan''''' (2025, Sanskrit, published by [[Central Sanskrit University]], Delhi): a 531-page Sanskrit prose which chronicles the valor of Indian soldiers in conflicts from 1947 to 2019.

Launched on 28 June 2025, at the [[World Sanskrit Conference]] in [[Kathmandu]] under the oversight of Vice-Chancellor [[Shrinivasa Varakhedi|Shrinivas Varkhedi]], the book has garnered significant attention, though Gautam was unable to attend the event.<ref name=":1" />

His other works include ''Aruna'', ''Neerja'', ''Suprabhatam Pratikshyate'', ''Mookam Nimantranam'', ''Shri Guru Nanak Dev Charit'', ''Aise Jiya Jata Hai'', ''Bikharte Rishte'', and ''Digbhrant Man''. His publications have been supported by institutions like the [[Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan]] and the [[Indian Council of Historical Research]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dr Mahesh Chandra Sharma Gautam |url=http://archive.org/details/aruna-dr-mahesh-chandra-sharma-gautam |title=Aruna Dr Mahesh Chandra Sharma Gautam}}</ref>

== Awards and recognition ==
In 2020, Gautam became the first individual from Punjab to win the Sahitya Akademi Award for both Hindi and Sanskrit literature. While several Punjabi writers have previously received the award in other languages, Gautam holds the distinction of being the first to win it for a Sanskrit work, with his novel ''Vaishali''.<ref name=":3" />
* [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] (2020) for ''Vaishali''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 March 2021 |title=Sahitya Akademi Awards 2020: M Veerappa Moily, Arundhathi Subramaniam named among 20 winners, Check Full List! |url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/sahitya-akademi-awards-2020-m-veerappa-moily-arundhathi-subramaniam-named-among-20-winners-check-full-list-1616397656-1 |access-date=21 August 2025 |website=Jagranjosh.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sahitya Akademi Awards 2020 |url=https://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/pdf/sahityaakademiawards2020.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114101411/https://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/pdf/sahityaakademiawards2020.pdf |archive-date=2025-01-14 |access-date=2025-12-24 |website=sahitya-akademi.gov.in}}</ref>

* Kalidas Puraskar (2020) for ''Sunayana'', Language Department of Punjab.

* Banhatt Puraskar (2020) for ''Sunayana'', Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit, Lucknow.

* Giani Sant Singh Best Book Award (2014) for ''Swatantrya Samar''.<ref name=":3" />

* Sudarshan Best Book Award (2015) for ''Adhoora Aadami''.<ref name=":3" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gautam, Mahesh Chandra Sharma}}
[[Category:Indian literary scholars]]
[[Category:Sanskrit writers]]
[[Category:Hindi-language Indian writers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Sanskrit]]
[[Category:Panjab University alumni]]
[[Category:Punjabi University alumni]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian academics]]
[[Category:People from Patiala]]

Mahesh Chandra Sharma Gautam - Revision history

BernardoWebb158 at 19:04, 1 April 2026