Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Satish Chandra Vidya-bhushana

Summary

Ajit Prasada’s obituary honours Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Satish Chandra Vidya‑bhushana, principal of the Sanskrit College at Calcutta. The author mourns the sudden loss of this renowned scholar, noting that he specialised in Indian logic and assigned a high place to Jain logic in his book on the subject. Vidya‑bhushana planned to translate the *Nyaya Viśiṣṭacāyalankāra* and had already translated *Nyayavātāra* into English. He introduced Jain grammar, logic and literature into the Sanskrit College curriculum. The obituary recounts that Vidya‑bhushana presided over the 1913 Jaina Mahotsava at Benares and distinguished Indrabhuti Gautama and other Jain leaders from Gautama Buddha and Akshapada Gautama. He cited Buddhist texts to show Jain doctrines and refuted the idea that Jainism was a late offshoot of Buddhism. In the same address, he praised the Bharat Jaina Mahamandal and the Jaina Gazette for stimulating progressive movements in the Jain community. The Mahamandal honoured him with the title “Siddhant Mahodadhi” and he earned high scholastic distinctions before becoming a professor. Vidya‑bhushana left a widow, five sons and a daughter; the author offers condolences to his family. The piece highlights his scholarly achievements and his efforts to elevate Jain studies within academia and the broader community.