https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Pandurang_Vaman_KanePandurang Vaman Kane - Revision history2026-08-23T02:54:42ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pandurang_Vaman_Kane&diff=126115&oldid=prev2405:201:6814:587E:E1D7:E2C0:4A70:95DF at 11:48, 1 May 20212021-05-01T11:48:22Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Indian Indologist and Sanskrit scholar}}<br />
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{{Infobox officeholder<br />
|honorific_prefix = Bharat Ratna<br />
|name= Pandurang Vaman Kane<br />
|image = PV Kane.jpg<br />
| office = [[Member of Parliament]], [[Rajya Sabha]]<br>{{small|(Nominated)}}<br />
| termstart = 3 April 1952<br />
| termend = 2 April 1964<br />
|module = {{Infobox person<br />
|embed = yes<br />
|birth_date ={{Birth date|1880|05|07}}<br />
|birth_place =[[Ratnagiri district]], [[History of Maharashtra#Maharashtra under British rule and The Freedom Movement|Maharashtra]]<br />
|awards = [[Bharat Ratna]] (1963)<br />
|alma_mater = [[University of Mumbai]]<br />
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1972|04|18|1880|05|07}}<ref name=RS-bio>{{cite web|title=RAJYA SABHA MEMBERS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 1952 - 2003|url=http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/pre_member/1952_2003/k.pdf|publisher=Rajya Sabha Secretariat|access-date=30 September 2015}}</ref><br />
|notable_works = [[History of Dharmaśāstra]]<br />
}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Pandurang Vaman Kane''' (pronounced ''Kaa-nay'') (7 May 1880 – 18 April 1972) was a notable [[Indologist]] and [[Sanskrit]] scholar. He received India's highest civilian award [[Bharat Ratna]] in 1963 for his scholarly work that spanned more than 40 years of active academic research that resulted in 6,500 pages of ''[[History of Dharmaśāstra]]''. The historian [[Ram Sharan Sharma]] says: "Pandurang Vaman Kane, a great Sanskritist wedded to social reform, continued the earlier tradition of scholarship. His monumental work entitled the "History of the Dharmasastra", published in five volumes in the twentieth century, is an encyclopedia of ancient social laws and customs. This enables us to study the social processes in [[History of India|ancient India]]."<ref>{{cite book<br />
| first = R.S.<br />
| last = Sharma<br />
| author-link = Ram Sharan Sharma<br />
| title = [[India's Ancient Past]]<br />
| publisher = [[Oxford University Press]]<br />
| year = 2005<br />
| isbn = 978-0-19-568785-9<br />
}}</ref><br />
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==Famous works==<br />
[[File:Asiatic Town Hall, Mumbai.jpg|thumb|The town hall of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, whose resources Kane researched; Later, the Asiatic Society commemorated him with an institute in his name]]<br />
Dr. Kane is famous for his [[masterpiece|magnum opus]] in English, ''History of Dharmaśāstra'', subtitled ''Ancient and Mediaeval Religions and Civil Law in India.'' This work researched the evolution of code of conduct in ancient and mediaeval India by looking into several texts and [[manuscripts]] compiled over the centuries. It was published in five volumes; the 1st volume was published in 1930 and the last, in 1962. It runs to a total of more than 6,500 pages. Dr. Kane used the resources available at prestigious institutes such as [[the Asiatic Society of Mumbai]] and [[Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute]], among others. The work is known for its expanse and depth – ranging across diverse subjects such as the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', the [[Puranas]] and [[Chanakya]] – including references to previously obscure sources. The richness in the work is attributed to his in-depth knowledge of [[Sanskrit]]. His success is believed to be an outcome of his objective study of the texts instead of [[wikt:theosis|deifying]] them.<br />
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Kane wrote the book ''Vyavaharamayukha'' and was in the process of writing an introductory passage on the ''History of Dharmaśāstra'' for this book so that the reader would get an overall idea apart from the subject of the book. One thing led to another and this project snowballed into the major work that it is. All the same, he was categorical in saying that it is difficult to find an English equivalent of the word "Dharma." His output in the form of writings across the three languages of English, [[Sanskrit]] and Marathi spans nearly 15,000 pages.<br />
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‘''History of Poetics’'' was one of his other great books. Apart from Theology and Poetry, he wrote a great deal on other topics too, which included Astrology, Cultural and Geographical history of India-Maharashtra-Konkan- Vidarbha, Marathi language, its grammar, language & handwriting, economics of ''Kautilya'' (Chanakya), Mathematics, Dramatics, etc. There are in all 198 publications by his name. They include 39 texts, 115 articles, 44 books, introductions and reviews. <br />
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==Recognition==<br />
Dr. Kane was rewarded as [[Mahamahopadhyaya]] (Etymology: Maha+Maha+Upadhyay = The greatest among the great teachers), usually shortened to MM as a prefix in the writings that refer to him. He served as the [[Chancellor (education)#Vice-chancellor|vice-chancellor]] of the [[University of Mumbai]]. His services were requisitioned and enlisted for establishing [[Kurukshetra University]] in [[Indology|Indic studies]]. He was awarded the [[Sahitya Akademi]] award in 1956 for ''History of Dharmaśāstra, vol. IV'' for his research under the Sanskrit translation category. He was also an honorary member of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.<br />
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He was nominated to the [[Rajya Sabha]] as a member of Parliament for his distinguished record in the field of academics. The highest accolade bestowed upon him was the [[Bharat Ratna]] in 1963.<br />
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==Indian law==<br />
Kane believed that the [[Constitution of India]] made a complete break with the traditional ideas prevalent in [[India]] by engendering a false notion among the people that they have rights but no obligations.<br />
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Given the encyclopaedic and authoritative nature of his work, it is often used in debates in Polity. One such issue that cropped up during [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] government was whether ancient Indians ate beef and both the groups quoted extensively from Kane's work to support their viewpoint. This issue became important as [[Hindu]]s traditionally [[Cattle in religion#In Hinduism|revere the cow]] as a mother and hence eating of beef is prohibited. Another such issue was whether the girls in the ancient times had the right to wear the yajnopavita (sacred thread), as the [[upanayana]] ceremony was restricted only to the men in the recent past.<br />
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==Legacy==<br />
To commemorate him, the Asiatic Society of Mumbai has established the Mm. Dr. P.V. Kane Institute for Post Graduate studies and Research in 1974 to promote, encourage and facilitate research in oriental studies. Also, MM Dr. P.V. Kane Gold Medal is given once every three years to a scholar for outstanding contribution to the study of Vedic, Dharmashastra or Alankara Literature.<br />
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==See also==<br />
[[Dharmasastra]] and [[Dharma]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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==Other sources==<br />
* S.G. Moghe (editor), Professor Kane's contribution to Dharmasastra literature, 1997, New Delhi: D.K. Printworld (P) Ltd. {{ISBN|81-246-0075-9}}<br />
* [https://archive.org/stream/HistoryOfDharmasastraancientAndMediaevalReligiousAndCivilLawV.5.2/Kane_A-History-of-Dharmasastra-v5-2_1962#page/n1035/mode/2up Autobiographical Epilogue in History of Dharmashastra Vol 5]<br />
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==External links==<br />
{{Wikiquote}}<br />
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Pandurang Vaman Kane}}<br />
* [http://www.itihasa.in/pvkane/4578316985 Rare letters and correspondences of P.V. Kane]<br />
* [https://www.vedamsbooks.com/no11963.htm A write-up on MM Dr. P.V. Kane]<br />
* [https://archive.is/20070619123422/http://organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=54&page=5 Publication dates of volumes]<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080410060217/http://www.sahitya-akademi.org/sahitya-akademi/awa10318.htm Sahitya Akademi Award]<br />
* [http://www.bhavans.info/vision/staff.asp Honorary member of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan]<br />
* [http://www.comebackkid.com/hindunot.html Evolution of MM Dr. P.V. Kane’s Magnum Opus]<br />
* Constitution making a complete break with traditional ideas of India<br />
* [http://www.payer.de/dharmashastra/dharmash01.htm Biography] (Chapter 2.2) (German site, biography in English)<br />
* [http://www.payer.de/dharmashastra/dharmash03.htm Kane's chronology of Dharmasastra literature] (At the bottom of the article) (German site, chronology in English)<br />
* [http://dadegaonkar.blogspot.in/2007/09/p-v-kane-notes-for-biography.html P V Kane - Notes for the biography] - Padmakar Dadegaonkar<br />
* [https://talukadapoli.com/personalities/bharatratna-p-v-kane/ भारतरत्न, महामहोपाध्याय डॉ.पा.वा.काणे ] <br />
{{Bharat Ratna}}<br />
{{Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kane, Pandurang Vaman}}<br />
[[Category:1880 births|Kane, PV]]<br />
[[Category:1972 deaths|Kane, PV]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Sanskrit]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Bharat Ratna|Kane, PV]]<br />
[[Category:Marathi-language writers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Indologists|Kane, PV]]<br />
[[Category:Historians of India|Kane, PV]]<br />
[[Category:Scholars from Maharashtra|Kane, PV]]<br />
[[Category:University of Mumbai alumni|Kane, P.V.]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Sanskrit scholars]]<br />
[[Category:People from Ratnagiri district]]<br />
[[Category:Marathi people]]<br />
[[Category:Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian historians]]<br />
[[Category:State funerals in India]]</div>2405:201:6814:587E:E1D7:E2C0:4A70:95DF