Sanskrit - 2

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I think not many scholars would know Pandit Nilkanth Gurtoo whom I regarded the last traditional Sanskrit pandit of Kashmir. He passed away on 18 December 2008 in New Delhi. With him the Kashmirian tradition of Sanskrit scholarship comes to an end. He prepared editions and translations of many difficult texts belonging to Kashmirian Trika domain of Saivism. Many of his works remained unpublished because of want of resources. Here is a list of his publications;
 
1.Paratrisikavivarana with Hindi translation and commentary, Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi. (1985). 2.Spandakarika with Kallata's vrtti translated into Hindi with commentary, Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi. (1981). 3.Harsesvaramahatmayam translated into English with detailed anottations, Penma Publishers, Delhi. (2000). 4.Parmarthasara with Hindi translation of Yogaraja's commentary with an elaborate introduction, Penman Publishers, Delhi. (2004). 5.Sambapancasika with Ksemaraja's commentary translated into Hindi, Penman Publishers, Delhi. (2002) 6.Sivastotravali of Utpaladeva with Ksemaraja's commentary and Hindi translation by Swami Lakshman Joo. Edited by Nilkanth Gurtoo, Ishwar Ashram Trust, Srinagar (Kashmir). 7.Parapravesika of Ksemaraja explaned into Kashmiri and edited by Makhanlal Kukiloo, Ishwar Ashram Trust, Srinagar, Kashmir. (1996). 8.Amareshwaramahatmayam translated into Hindi with Pandit Dinanath Yaksha, Srinagar, Kashmir. (?). 9.Rajatarangini of Jonaraja translated into Hindi (only a part of it). (Unpublished). 10.Pratyabhijnahrdayam of Ksemaraja translated into Hindi with elaborated notes and annotations with the help of Professor Balajinnath Pandit and Swami Lakshman Joo. (Unpublished). 11.Kashmira-saiva-darsana-brhat-kosa (in two volumes) edited jointly with Prof Yashpal Khajuriya and Prof Balajinnath Pandit. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Jammu (J&K). (2001-2005).
 
Pandit Nilkanth Gurtoo was born on 2 January, 1925 in Srinagar (Kashmir). He was initiated into Sanskrit studies by Pandit Maheshwar Nath Nehru and Pandit Jankinath Dhar. Later, he learned advanced texts of Sanskrit grammar and linguistics from Pandit Lalkak Langoo, Pandit Harbhatta Shastri and Pandit Sarvadananda Handoo. He also qualified the traditional degrees of Prajna, Visharada and Shastri in Sanskrit from Government Sanskrit College in Srinagar. After qualifying for Prabhakar degree he went ahead and earned a B.A. in Sanskrit.
 
Pandit Gurtoo initially worked in Government Sanskrit School of Tral village in Kashmir as a Sanskrit teacher. While teaching there he also earned a M.A. in Sanskrit. Thereafter, in 1955 he was appointed as Head-pandit in the Jammu & Kashmir Research and Publication Department of Government of Jammu & Kashmir. Later, while teaching in the Government Souer College in his capacity as a lecturer of Sanskrit, he also obtained a degree of M.A. in Hindi. Since 1958 till the time of his retirement he taught in Amar Singh College in Srinagar (Kashmir).
 
Pandit Nilkanth Gurtoo was not only confined to teaching in academic institutions, but he covered that extra mile and went ahead to learn about the Kashmirian Saiva schools from his teachers like Professor Balajinnath Pandit and Swami Lakshman Joo.

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