Vagish Shastri (bornBhagirath Prasad Tripathi; 15 July 1935 – 11 May 2022) was anIndianscholar known for his work inSanskrit grammar,linguistics,tantra, andyoga. He developed a system of Sanskrit learning that he termed "Vagyoga", which aimed to simplify the process of learning the language.[2]
In 2018, the Government of India conferred upon him thePadma Shri award in recognition of his contributions toliterature andeducation.[3][4]
Vagish Shastri was born inKhurai, a town in the present-day state ofMadhya Pradesh, in 1934. He received his early education in Khurai,Vrindavan, and Benaras (nowVaranasi). In 1959, he completed a master's degree inVyākaraṇa Āchārya (Sanskrit grammar) and began teaching at Tikmani Sanskrit Grammar College in Varanasi.
In 1970, he was appointed Director and Professor at the Research Institute of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, where he served for approximately three decades.[6][7]
Shastri began writing essays at the age of 19.[5] His research and essays onSanskrit grammar,linguistics, and tantric philosophy have been featured in national and international journals.[5] He served as secretary-president at the fifthWorld Sanskrit conference and was chief editor of theSarasvati Bhavana Granthamala. He also edited over 300manuscripts, which were later published as books.[5] Additionally, he was the chief editor of the Sanskrit journalSarasvati Susama. His writings covered grammatical and philological research, drama, history, poetry, satire, historical research, andmetaphysics.[8][9]
