Mohammed Hanif Khan Shastri was an Indian

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

scholar. He is winner of National Communal Harmony Award, in the individual category for the year 2009. The Government of India awarded him fourth highest civilian award

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

(Literature & Education) in 2019. He has been professor at

Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan Central Sanskrit University, formerly Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, is a central university (India), central university located in New Delhi, India, to promote Sanskrit. Established in 1970, it functions under the Ministry of Human Resource Dev ...

. Died on 26 January 2020.He worked with a great enthusiasm in his last days, but due to prolonged illnesses and suffering from a weak body. He will be greatly remembered for his contribution in the field of religious literature.

Early life

Khan Shastri was born in district

Sonbhadra Sonbhadra or ''Sonebhadra'' is the second largest district by area of Uttar Pradesh after Lakhimpur Kheri. It is the only district in India which borders four states, namely Madhya Pradesh to the west, Chhattishgarh to the south, Jharkhand in t ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

. In an interview to

Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...

, he informs that he was the first of his family to pass 5th standard and thus the environment was not academically inclined. On his failure in high school, his teacher Pundit Ratanlal Shastri, urged him to study one chapter of the

Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...

every day, which would ensure god's benevolence and thus put an end to all his troubles. This exposure to the Bhagwad Gita, instilled in him a sense of curiosity about the secrets in the text, and the desire to share them with others. This desire led him to attempt to excel in Sanskrit, without which he couldn't see fruition of his goal of unravelling Bhagwad Gita's secrets.

Academics

Khan Shastri has a MA in Sanskrit, subsequently he studied

Puranas Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...

under Sampoorna Anand in Varanasi, and gained the degree of

Acharya In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a tit ...

and

Shastri Shastri or Shastry is a Brahmin surname. The word ''shastri'' translates to 'scholar'. It is derived from Sanskrit and means one who is proficient in the Shastras (Ancient Indian Texts). Notable people with the surname include: Shastri * Anant M ...

and also a doctorate in

Comparative Religion Comparative religion is the branch of the study of religions with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices, themes and impacts (including migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study of religion yie ...

. His doctoral thesis was ''Mahamantra Gayatri Aur Surah Fatiah Ka Arth Prayog Evam Mahatmya Ki Drishtri Se Tulnatmak Adhyayan'' (Comparative analysis of Gayatri Mantra and Surah Fatiah, with reference to meaning and importance).

Books

Amongst the eight books he has written are: * Mohangita, * Geeta Aur Quran men Samanjasya * Ved aur Quran se Mahamantra Gayatri aur Surah Fatiha * Vedon men Manav Adhikar * Meljol. * Mahamantra gayatree ka baudhik upyog * Shreemadbhagwadgeeta aur quran * Vishwabandhutva ka pratyachh pramad

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shastri, Mohammed Hanif Khan Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Sanskrit scholars from Uttar Pradesh