Mysore/Mysuru: Veteran vedic scholar Dr. T.V. Satyanarayana said that the responsibility of saving and conserving Veda Shastra rests on us.

He was speaking at ‘Shato-ttara Sambhrama’ (Post-Centenary Celebrations) and ‘Veda Vidyandihi’ and ‘Shastra Vidyanidhi’ Awards conferment programme organised by city’s Veda Shastra Poshini Sabha at Sarada Vilas Centenary Hall here on Sunday last.

Pointing out that it is a matter of joy that all Veda Shastras were born in India, Satyanarayana said that what western scholars claim of new research findings, were indeed covered in our Shastras. “It is our scholars who conserved such Vedas and Shastras. As such it is the duty of everyone to remember them,” he said.

Noting that the State Government should have identified and honoured scholars, he said that, however, it is laudable that the Veda Shastra Poshini Sabha has been doing this.

Senior Rigveda Scholar Vid. S.N. Srinivasmurthy Bhat, aged 73 years (Shivamogga), Rigveda Scholar Vid. Krishna Maneshwara Jogabhat, 70 (Gokarna in Uttara Kannada district), Yajurveda Scholar Vid. Puttaiah Narayana Bhat, 60 (Sagara in Shivamogga) and Saamaveda Scholar Vid. K.R. Manjunath Shrouti, 65 (Mysuru) were conferred with ‘Veda Vidyanidhi’ Award while Sanskrit Scholar Dr. Gopalakrishna Bhat, 71 (Mangaluru), Sanskrit Scholar Dr. K. Sridhar Melukote, 66 (Bengaluru), Alankara Shastra Scholar Vid. Dr. N. Lakshminarayana Bhat, 62 (Udupi), Vedanta Scholar Dr. A. Ramaswamy Iyengar, 82 (Bengaluru), Vedanta Scholar Vid. H.C. Balachandra Shastri, 80 (Sirsi) and Vedanta Scholar Vid. Madhusudhan Shastri Hampiholi, 69 (Dharwad) were conferred with ‘ Shastra Vidyanidhi’ Award.

Both the awards carried a cash prize of Rs. 35,000 and a citation each.

Also, senior scholars S. Ranganath and Rajarajeshwar Shastri Joshi were felicitated.

Former Vice-Chancellor of National Sanskrit University, New Delhi, Vid. Dr. Parameshwara Narayana Shastri, Veda Shastra Poshini Sabha President Vid. Prof. B.N. Nagaraj Bhat, Hon. Secretary Vid. A.M. Chandrashekar, Vidwans Dr. N. Subramanya Bhat, Herambha Bhat, K. Ramesh Adiga, Vishwanth Agnihotri, Venkataramana Bhat, Chidambara Bhat, Sripada Bhat and others were present.