Renowned Buddhist scholar and professor of Indology Suniti Kumar Pathak passed away on December 5 at his residence in Avanpalli in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India. He was 101.
Prof. Pathak was renowned for his extensive research on Buddhism and culture. In 1954, along with Prof. C. R. Lama, he co-founded the Department of Indo-Tibetan Studies at Visva Bharati University, Shantiniketan. He retired from Visva Bharati University in 1984 and resided in Bolpur, Santiniketan till his death.
Pathak was a professor of Tibetan Buddhism and also served as the dean of Visva-Bharati from 1972 to 1986. He also worked as a visiting professor in the Department of Pali, University of Calcutta and for Buddhist and Indo-Tibetan studies in several universities in India and abroad.
“It is unlikely that another such legendary scholar will come along in this century,” researcher and editor Abhishek Adhikari said on social media. “A significant loss has occurred in the field of Buddhism. I am also disheartened that I will not be able to engage much with such an esteemed scholar. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has expressed his deep admiration for the scholarship of this esteemed person. The death of Suniti Kumar Pathak marks the end of an era.” (Abhishek AdhikariFacebook)
Pathak was born on 1 May 1924 in Malighat village, West Midnapore district, West Bengal. He first pursued his studies at Sanskrit College (now Sanskrit College and University) and later at the University of Calcutta. After graduating, he became a research fellow at the Department of Sino-Tibetan Studies, Calcutta University.
In 1961, at the invitation of the Indian Government, he served in the Indian Army as a language teacher, translator and interpreter. He translated various information in Tibetan language into English for the army.
Professor Pathak has made significant contributions to the study of Indian languages, culture and Buddhism through his life and work, which extend beyond linguistics as his extensive research on Buddhism, Buddhist studies and linguistic variety has been recognized by Visva-Bharati and other institutions for many years. He was proficient in various languages including Bengali, Chinese, Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit and Tibetan and was the author of several articles in these languages.
His notable works include Tantric tradition in the Himalayas and Tibet et A bilingual glossary of Naganandaamong others, as well as more than 200 articles.
The ancient palm-leaf texts in his personal collection are considered a great asset in linguistics. He acquired many rare manuscripts by traveling on foot to various places, including remote regions of the Himalayas, thus creating an archive of valuable manuscripts. His contributions were crucial in the successful compilation of the languages of these places.
In 2007, Pratibha Patil, the then President of India, awarded Professor Pathak the President's Award for his significant contributions to Indian languages and Buddhism. In 2018, Visva-Bharati University awarded him the Desikottam awards. He has also received honours from the Asiatic Society and the Bengali Sahitya Parishad. In addition, he has received the Suttavisharad Gold Medal and the Purana Ratna Gold Medal.
The Mahabodhi Society of India in Calcutta organised a memorial service on December 7 in the presence of monks, scholars and students of Calcutta University.
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Rashtrapati Award winner Suniti Kumar Pathak dies at 101 (Education.com)
Rashtrapati Award-winning Indologist Suniti Kumar Pathak dies at 101 (India Time)
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