Obituary (JIABS 1/1/1978)

Professor Dr. P. L. Vaidya

P.L. Vaidya was born on June 29, 1891. He had his early education in Sanskrit grammar, literature, philosophy and Indian systems of medicine, according to the traditional ways, in Pathashalas. In June 1910 he came to Pune for his early education and joined the New English School. He passed his Matriculation in December 1912 from the same school, and got his second Jagannath Shankarshet Sanskrit Scholarship. The first was awarded to Dr. CD. Deshmukh.
In 1913, he joined Fergusson College for his further education. After taking his Inter-Arts Exam., he left the College and joined New English School as a teacher. After some time he returned to college and took his B.A. from the University of Bombay in the first class, and won the Bhau Daji Prize for Sanskrit. After his B.A. he joined Rajaram College of Kolhapur as a Professor of Sanskrit and Pali (1918-19). After a year he joined Willingdon College of Sangali (1919-30). While he was teaching in the Willingdon College he obtained his M.A. from the University of Calcutta in the first class having Pali as his subject for the M.A.
He then went to Paris as a Govt, of India Language Scholar (1921-23). He studied under famous Orientalists in Bonn, Brussels, and Paris. In 1923 he obtained his Doctorate from Paris University.
Coming back to India he joined the Willingdon College. Then he was a Professor of Sanskrit, Prakrit and Pali in the Fergusson College, Poona (1930-32), and N. Wadia College, Poona (1932-47). After his retirement from Wadia College he worked in the Banaras Hindu University as Mayurbhanj Professor and Head of the Department of Sanskrit and Pali (1947-52). Then he worked as Director 91 of the Mithila Institute of Sanskrit Research at Darbhanga (195458). In 1961 he joined the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona, as General Editor of the Mahabharata (1961-1972). He edited Karnaparvan of the Mahabharata, the Harivamsa, and prepared the Pratika-Index of the Mahabharata and Harivamsa in 6 volumes.
He edited the Ayodhyakanda and Yuddhakanda of Valmiki's Ramayana for the Oriental Institute, Baroda. Dr. Vaidya has published critical editions of the works of three grammarians of Prakrit languages, three volumes of Pushpadanta's Mahapurana in Apabhramsa, some texts of the Agamas of the Jains in Prakrit, Bauddhagamarthasamgraha, an anthology; 17 volumes of Buddhist Sanskrit Texts. He has many other articles and writings to his credit.
He was the recipient of a Certificate of Honour (SanskritPandita) of the Government of India (1963); he became the General President of All India Oriental Conference (1969). The University of Poona conferred on him an honorary D.Litt (1972). He was elected Honorary Fellow of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (1976).
Dr. Vaidya passed away on 25th February 1978.

P. V. Bapat