The Centre has been organising annual lecture series in honour of Pandit Madhusudan Ojha, Pandit Motilal Shastri and Rishi Kumar Mishra at Delhi and Jodhpur. The topics of discussion at these lectures focus on the works of the three gurus.

Pandit Motilal Shastri Memorial Lectures
Pandit Madhusudan Ojha Lecture
Rishi Kumar Mishra Lecture

Pandit Motilal Shastri Memorial Lectures

The Pandit Motilal Shastri Memorial Lecture series was instituted by Rishi Kumar Mishra as a homage to his guru.

Pandit Madhusudan Ojha’s Contribution to Vedic Thought
September 28,2023

Acharya Jwalant Kumar Shastri

Pandit Madhusudan Ojha was a profound scholar in the tradition of veda vijnana, said well-known vedic scholar, Acharya Jawalant Kumar Shastri during his lecture at Pandit Motilal Shastri Memorial Lecture 2023 on September 28,2023. The annual lecture is organised by Shri Shankar Shikshayatan to honour Pandit Motilal Shastri. The topic of the lecture was Pandit Madhusudan Ojha’s Contribution to Vedic Thought. Read the report

पण्डित मधुसूदन ओझा का वैदिक चिन्तन में योगदान

आचार्य ज्वलन्त कुमार शास्त्री

ओझा जी ने वेदार्थ निरूपण के लिए वैदिक पारिभाषिक शब्दों को प्रधान माना। पं. ओझा जी के अनुसार जब तक इन पारिभाषिक शब्दों का अर्थबोध स्पष्ट नहीं हो जाता है तब तक वेदार्थ स्पष्ट नहीं हो सकता है। पं. ओझा जी के यज्ञविज्ञान का अधार यजुर्वेद है। यजुर्वेद में ४० अध्याय हैं। इन ४० अध्यायों के प्रथम २० अध्यायों में यज्ञ के क्रमानुसार मन्त्र का उपस्थापन है। यज्ञ ही इस सृष्टि का मूल है, ऐसा पं. ओझा जी ने प्रतिपादित किया है। प्रख्यात वैदिक विद्वान् आचार्य ज्वलन्त कुमार शास्त्री ने ‘पण्डित मधुसूदन ओझा का वैदिक चिन्तन में योगदान’ विषय पर यह स्मारक व्याख्यान प्रस्तुत किया ।आगे पढ़े

The Ultimate Dialogue

September 28,2022

Prof. Kapil Kapoor

`The ultimate dialogue is dialogue with oneself, “ said well-known linguist Prof. Kapil Kapoor while delivering the Pandit Motilal Shastri Memorial Lecture on September 28,2022, in New Delhi. He was talking about an extraordinary commentary on Bhagavad Gita in English written by Rishi Kumar Mishra titled The Ultimate Dialogue. On the occasion, Prof. Kapoor was honoured with Rishi Samman by Shri Shankar Shikshayatan. Read full report Read Transcript

Kadambini

September 28,2021

Dr Devi Prasad Tripathi

Pandit Madhusudan Ojha’s Kadambini illuminated the vedic science of forecasting rain, said Dr Devi Prasad Tripathi, Chancellor, Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, during his comprehensive presentation on the subject at Pandit Motilal Shastri Memorial Lecture 2021 organised by Shri Shankar Shikshayatan on September 28,2021.

Read the transcript

Vyakaranavinod

September 28,2020

Prof. Pushpa Dixit

Renowned Sanskrit grammarian, Prof. Pushpa Dixit, spoke on Vyakaranavinod, a treatise on Sanskrit grammar by Pandit Madhusudan Ojha at the annual Pandit Motilal Shastri Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on September 28,2020.

Vyakaranvinod is a simplified text on Sanskrit grammar written by Pandit Madhusudan Ojha. In six chapters, Ojhaji has explained the intricacies of language and grammar in a comprehensive manner. Ojhaji had kept students of Sanskrit in mind while writing this book.

Prof. Dixit, speaking on the subject, said it was difficult for any student to understand the intricacies of Sanskrit grammar from Panini’s Ashtadhyayi and Patanjali’s Mahabhashya. These great works present the fundamental structure of Sanskrit grammar.

Madhusudan Ojha’s Philosophy of One and Many

September 28,2019

Prof. V.N.Jha

Pandit Madhusudan Ojha had dedicated much of his life to reflect on the creation of universe.                  Prof. V.N.Jha, speaking at the Pandit Motilal Shastri Memorial Lecture on September 28, 2019 at New Delhi, said it was but natural that man had this extraordinary curiosity to know about creation since time immemorial.  When  Ojhaji, in pursuit of this curiosity,  looked at the Vedic period, he found several suktas, all trying to explain  the origin of this universe. He found that everyone was claiming to know the reality. But what is the reality? What is sat? What is the truth? He could see that there were multiple positions. He wrote ten books on the subjects, including Sanshayatachudavada which examined all the doubts and differences. Read transcript

Veda ka svarup

September 28,2018

Prof. Yugal Kumar Mishra

 The Veda is not bound by time and space, and is boundless.   It was the essence of Creation, said Prof. Yugal Kumar Mishra, former Chancellor, Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Rajasthan Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya, Jaipur, at the Pandit Motilal Shastri Memorial Lecture organised on September 28, 2018, in New Delhi.

Indravijayaha

September 28, 2017

Prof. Kapil Kapoor

The annual lecture saw well-linguist linguist and scholar, Prof. Kapil Kapoor, offering a thought provoking talk on the profound knowledge presented in Indravijayaha by Pandit Madhusudan Ojha. Prof. Kapoor had translated the work into English which was published as Bharatvarsha–The India Narrative. The book was also formally released by renowned historian and author, Dr Kapila Vatsyayan. Prof. Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Vice Chancellor, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit University, New Delhi, in his address credited Pandit Madhusudan Ojha with illuminating the rahasya of the Vedas.

Vyakaranavinod’s Linguistic Dimensions

September 28,2016

Prof. Shashi Nath Jha

The subject of discussion at this meeting was Pandit Madhusudan Ojha’s Vyakaranvinoda, a treatise on grammar. In his address, Prof Shashi Nath Jha, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Vyakarana and Sahitya, Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University, Darbhanga, Bihar, said the book differed from Panini’s classic work on grammar and offered a fresh approach to the subject. Prof. Ramesh Chandra Panda, Vice Chancellor, Maharshi Panini Sanskrit and Vedic University, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh said Ojhaji’s work should be an essential reading for students and teachers of Sanskrit grammar. The occasion also witnessed the formal launch of Shri Shankar Shikshayatan’s website.

Varnasamiksha

September 28, 2015

Prof. Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi

Pandit Madhusudan Ojha’s Varnasamiksha was the main theme of talk and debate at this lecture. During his study of the Vedas, Ojhaji had realised that terms used in the Vedic texts, their meaning and context had been lost to neglect and wrong interpretation and it was therefore necessary to rediscover the true meaning of these terms to understand the Vedas. In Varnasamiksha, he has explained in detail the basic structure of the language used in the Vedas. Prof. Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi, Emeritus Professor, Benaras Hindu University, said Ojhaji in his book had given a lucid account of Vedic grammar, syntax, sound and various other elements of the language. The book illuminates the Vedic representation of language as well as the ordinary interpretation. Ojhaji has authored another book on the subject, Pathyasvasti. Other speakers on the subject were Prof. Krishnakant Sharma of Benaras Hindu University and Prof. Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Chancellor, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi.

Shastriji’s Veda-vyakhya and Chhandasamiksha’s doctrine

September 28, 2013

Prof. Hridayaranjan Sharma

In his main address at this lecture, Prof. Hridayaranjan Sharma, from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, said Shastriji had a unique way of presenting the Vedic knowledge. He referred to Shastriji’s distinctive explanation of the term, ‘hriday’ or heart. In the words of Shastriji, the term hridayam is made up of three words, hri, da and yam. Here, hri means the force which gathers or flows, da means the force which throws out and yam means the force which regulates the two forces. Hridayam is the force that acts as the basis of the three forces. Prof. Ramakant Shukla, chief editor of Arvichina Samskritiam, spoke on Ojhaji’s Chhandasamiksha. He pointed out that the term ‘chhanda’ meant ‘metre’ in normal sense but Ojhaji had explained the term differently, describing ‘chhanda’ as a matter involved in Creation.

Indravijayaha/ Shastriji’s Veda-vyakhya padhati

September 28, 2012

Prof. Kapil Kapoor

Prof. Kapil Kapoor, noted linguist and translator of Indravijayaha, was the main speaker at this lecture. He pointed out that Ojhaji, drawing his reference material from several ancient texts, was able to prove that Bharatavarsha’s borders extended from the Red Sea in the west to China in the east. The book also contains a detailed chapter on surya sadan or solar house which can be of great interest to modern scientists. Dr Santosh Kumar Shukla, convener of Shri Shankar Shikshayatan, spoke on Pandit Motilal Shastri’s commentaries on the Vedas. He pointed out that Shastriji had not only written commentaries on Shatpath Brahmana but had also imbued his work with deeper meaning and significance by presenting it at three levels—spiritual, material and supraphysical.

Indravijayah/Sharirikavijnanabhashyam

September 28, 2011

Prof. Prabhunath Dviwedi

The lecture programme opened with the formal launch of Mishraji’s last book, The Whole Being: A Journey towards Harmony and Happiness. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Prabhunath Dviwedi of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi, gave a comprehensive presentation on Ojhaji’s book, Indravijayah. He pointed out that Indravijayah was a unique volume and it presented the Vedic history as well as the ancient contours of Bharatavarsha with credible evidence gleaned from multiple sources.

Before the Beginning and After the End

September 28, 2010

Kala Nath Shastri

Speaking on Before the Beginning and After the End, well-known Indologist and writer Kala Nath Shastri said there were different opinions on the meaning of vijnana. But Mishraji, he said, was able to bring out with ease and clarity that vijnana or science was “variety of knowledge and also knowledge of variety”.

He mentioned Mishraji’s reference to modern scientists like Newton, Einstein and Stephen Hawking to argue that Veda vijnana, if truly understood, could help modern science discover the mysteries of life and Creation. Instead of being influenced by modern scientific principles, Mishraji had chosen to present the cosmic knowledge as revealed by Ojhaji and Shastriji in their astonishing collection of writings.

Atrikhyati/Before the Beginning and After the End

September 28, 2009

Pandit Anant Sharma/Ravi Khanna

At the first memorial lecture, the chairman of Shri Shankar Shikshayatan Trust, Bharat Goenka, paid rich tributes to Mishraji and recalled fond memories of working closely with him. He said he was committed to take forward the vision of Mishraji in setting up the Shikshayatan. In his address, Pandit Anant Sharma gave a detailed account of rishi Atri, drawing largely from Ojhaji’s work, Atrikhyati. Atri is one of the seven great rishis or saptarshi along with Marichi, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya and Vashistha. Pandit Sharma pointed out that Ojhaji had described Atri as a form of prana (life) and Brahma.

Another speaker, Ravi Khanna, spoke on Mishraji’s first book, Before the Beginning and After the End. He said Mishraji, in his book, had bridged the gap between Vedic knowledge and modern scientific thought. Mishraji had explained the meaning of prajapati, yajna, ishvar, jeeva and parameshvar in his work.

Read Ravi Khannna’s lecture on Beyond the Universe– Rediscovering Ancient Insights

Vijnanabhashya and its relevance today

September 20, 2008

Rishi Kumar Mishra

Addressing a meeting on the subject organised to observe Shastriji’s birth centenary in September 2008, Mishraji outlined his understanding of Veda vijnana as he imbibed from his two teachers, Ojhaji and Shastriji. He delineated the meaning of the terms ‘Veda’ and ‘vijnana’ with clarity, bringing the true meaning of the Vedas in a succinct manner.

Referring to long years of misrepresentation of the Vedic knowledge, Mishraji called for an unbiased and devoted learning of the ancient texts for the welfare of humanity.

Prof. Yugal Kishore Mishra of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, said the Vedas were the source of dharma and Brahmajnana. Pandit Anant Sharma of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Rajasthan Sanskrit Vishvavidyala, Jaipur, referred to Shastriji’s explanation of the triadic world in his commentary on Shatpath Brahmana. He said there were three triple worlds in the cosmos—two outside and one within all the living beings.

Shastriji’s son Krishna Chandra Shastriji pointed out that his father was a simple person and enjoyed writing compelling texts on Vedic knowledge as much as playing with young children. The manner in which he debated and discussed issues related to the Vedas, his son recalled, it seemed as if goddess Sarasvati lived within him.