Akademi Award for scholar par excellence

Tirupati: When Prof Rani Sadasiva Murthy of Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha (RSVP) translated a Telugu book into Sanskrit almost a year ago, he never had thought that it will earn him Central government’s ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’. After seeing a book ‘Ontari Pulabutta’ a compilation of poems by former Secretary of Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad (HDPP) of TTD, Rallabandi Kavitha Prasad, he could not stop reading it completely for 12 hours continuously and decided to translate it into Sanskrit. 

Highlights:

•  Prof Rani Sadasiva Murthy won Sahitya Akademi Award for translating ‘Ontari Pulabutta’ book into Sanskrit language as ‘Viviktha Pushpakarandaha’
• Award presented to Prof Murthy on Dec 28, 2017 in Agartala
•   Ontari Pulabutta is compilation of poems penned by Rallabandi Kavitha Prasad  
   

And for translation of 402 poems of free verse nature, he took exactly one-week time only, He showed the translated version entitled, “Viviktha Pushpakarandaha”, to Rallabandi, he praised it and showed it some other eminent personalities in the field. They all complimented it saying that it was an excellent work. 

It was Rallabandi Kavitha Prasad, who gave Rs 40,000 to publish the work. Both, he and Prof RS Murthy gave the copies of it to other scholars and friends. “I did not send the book to Sahitya Akademi. Somehow it reached them through one of the scholars. 

I did not even know until I get a letter from them that it is under their consideration for the award,” said Prof Murthy. The book secured a place in the 2016 list of translation prize award of Sahitya Academi. 

In the awards given in 22 categories, “Viviktha Pushpakarandaha” got it in the category of regional literature to Sanskrit literature and was presented to him on December 28, 2017 at a function held in Agartala, the Capital of Tripura. 

Explaining about his work to The Hans India, Prof RS Murthy said, “It is mainly suggestive poetry and each one is a different poem. It advises for ethical improvement of everyone and incorporates all the traits for every individual to grow personally. Though its free verse in nature, some poems came metrically also”.  

He had also worked as project coordinator and carried out the unique multimedia DVD on epic Mahabharat in which lakhs of slokas, 142 pictures and loads of animation work was incorporated to make it a visual feast and was sponsored by TTD. Prof Murthy also gave special lectures on the crisis management in 18 chapters of Bhagavad Gita to the management students and professors of surrounding universities. 

He published another book by taking 100 aspects from those lectures which are extremely useful in day-to-day life entitled, “Personalised Individual Development’. So far, he has published 12 Sanskrit books, 12 Telugu Books, and 8 English Books. He also edited 12 books and written 25 classical danc ballets. 

Also, Murthy published 80 research papers, 150 articles and successfully guided 18 PhD scholars. “Some works were in publication stage and few are ready for publication. Presently I am working on ‘learning Sanskrit through the 13 plays of Bhasa, who was the earliest dramatist and contributed 13 plays,” Murthy maintained. To complete this work, the RSVP was extending support to him and provided sabbatical leave also which will be completed by the end of this month.