SHASTRI DURGA DUTT is one of the most illustrious Sanskrit scholars of the country whose contribution to the preservation and promotion of the language may be difficult to surpass.

Born on August 28, 1917, in a conservative Brahmin family of Naleti, a nondescript village under Dehra subdivision of Kangra district, Durga Dutt’s life has been an enduring saga of struggles, trials and tribulations that he stoically took in his stride.

After schooling, Durga Dutt joined Sanatan Dharam Sanskrit College in Hoshiarpur, and obtained his Shastri degree in 1936, specialising in alankar, vyakaran and jyotish shastra in order to keep the family tradition alive. "In the face of abject poverty and, of course, non-availability of transport in those good old days, I had no choice but to shuttle between Hoshiarpur and my hometown, a good 45-km distance through virgin woods and difficult terrain, on foot to spend my weekends and holidays with my parents," the Sanskrit patriarch vividly recalls as he takes a trek down memory lane. After obtaining the Shastri degree, he started his teaching career with Shri Krishan Sanskrit Pathshala at Nadaun, at a salary of Rs 15. In 1944, he moved on to join Moti Ram Arya High School at Churhmunda, now in Pakistan. In 1947, after Partition, a distraught Durga Dutt returned home and joined DAV High School in Kangra. It was after a long, unrelenting struggle lasting almost two decades or so that he bagged a government job in his home district.

Durga Dutt, Guruji to innumerable of his pupils spread all over the country, like any promising pedagogue at the dawn of his professional career, remained fiercely committed to the teaching of Hindi and Sanskrit in various schools in Kangra district. The long journey that he embarked upon the literary horizon, finally blossomed when the first edition of his book Raksha Sanskrit Vyakaranam was out in 1948. The book was well-received by scholars and students of Sanskrit literature. It has already been published in 12 editions. "For me it was like a dream come true and, indeed, it was a morale-boosting venture that gave me the much-needed impetus to keep the flag flying high in the literary sky."

The books that Durga Dutt has authored include Rashtra Path Pradarshanam (1967). Written in poetic style with student unrest as the guiding theme, the book reflects Durga Dutt’s impressive craftsmanship with words. Tarjani (1970) is a psychoanalysis of the dowry menace and the fall of our moral ethos to the rock-bottom level. Madhu Varshanam (1972), a rare compendium on patriotism, is prescribed for various degree classes of HP University. Vatsala, based on a popular folk tale of the Kangra valley, is a collection of plays, interspersed with metaphysical poetry. Trinjatkam (1982) portrays the pangs of bonded labourers languishing in a whirlpool of miseries. The book has been prescribed for various degree classes of Panjab University. Vyogvallari (1987) is a guide to the subtle nuances of story-telling. The master author has made the work of budding prose writers easier by coining new usages, similies and metaphors in this innovative venture.

Sanskrit scholars hail this work as Durga Dutt’s crowning contribution to the enrichment of Sanskrit lore and literature. Describing it as the most innovative literary work, the UP Sanskrit Academy conferred on him the coveted Mahakavi Shri Vanbhatta Award in 1989. Brihatsaptapdi (1991), as the title suggests, is a collection of seven short stories on variegated themes, including the evils of prostitution, child marriage, bride burning, polygamy and the collapse of our legal machinery. This again earned him the Vanbhatta Award from yet another premier Sanskrit Academy of UP. Sanskrit Kalptaru, a textbook brought out in three volumes, is prescribed for various Himachal schools. Besides all this, the Sanskrit giant has translated Mahakavi Bhasa’s Swapana Vasavdatta and Vikramovashiyam, a work of Mahakavi Kalidasa, into Pahari dialect. His latest work Sanskrit Kavya Kunjam, an anthology of 27 poetic compositions of high literary excellence on varied themes, including the recent Kargil battle, has received rave reviews. These compositions have been translated into Hindi.

The honours and literary awards received by Durga Dutt include the Teachers’ National Award conferred on him by the Government of India in 1968, the Honoris Causa degree of Vidyalankar and Sahitya Ratna was given to him in 1995. He was also given the Vashishth Viduwan Award by the UP Sanskrit Sangathan. The prestigious "Certificate of Honours" award was given to him by the then President R. R.Venkataraman.

This year is being observed as the Sanskrit year by the country. Union Minister Murli Manohar Joshi honoured him for his contribution on May 7, at Shimla. Scholars of Sanskrit from Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and UP are doing intensive research on his work.

A workaholic to the core, Durga Dutt continues to be associated with various literary and academic fora, including the National Board of School Textbooks, the Himachal Sanskrit Subject Committee, the HPUniversity Court, the Himachal Academy of Art and culture. He is also the authorised book reviewer of books received by the HP Languages Department.

This short-statured Sanskrit stalwart, even after having witnessed 84 eventful summers of his life, is active, agile and adventurous. A voracious reader, he shells out the lion’s share of his leisure for social welfare activities. He has donated one kanal and Rs 50,000 for raising an ayurvedic dispensary at Naleti.