The renowned Buddhist scholar and professor of Indology Suniti Kumar Pathak died at his residence at Avanpalli in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India, on 5 December. He was 101 years old.

Prof. Pathak was renowned for his extensive research on Buddhism and culture. In 1954, along with Prof. C. R. Lama, he co-established the Department of Indo-Tibetan Studies at Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan. He retired from Visva Bharati University in 1984 and resided in Bolpur, Santiniketan until his dead.

Pathak was a professor of Tibetan Buddhism and also served as the dean of Visva-Bharati from 1972–86. He additionally worked as guest professor in the Department of Pali at the University of Calcutta and for Buddhist and Indo-Tibetan Studies at several universities in India and overseas.

“It is unlikely that another scholar of such legendary status would come in this century,” researcher and editor Abhishek Adhikari shared on social media. “A significant loss has occurred in the field of Buddhism. I am also disheartened that I could not much engage with such an esteemed academic. His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed profound admiration for the scholarship of this esteemed individual. The death of Suniti Kumar Pathak marks the end of an era.” (Abhishek Adhikari Facebook)

Pathak was born on 1 May 1924 in Malighat village, West Midnapore District, in West Bengal. He first pursued his education at Sanskrit College (now Sanskrit College and University) and later at Calcutta University. Following his post-graduation, he became a research scholar in the Department of Sino-Tibetan Studies at the University of Calcutta.

In 1961, at the invitation of the Indian government, he served in the Indian Army as a language instructor, translator, and interpreter. He translated different Tibetan language information into English for the military.

Prof. Pathak made significant contributions to the study of Indian languages, culture, and Buddhism through his life and work, which extend beyond linguistics as his extensive research on Buddhism, Buddhist studies, and linguistic variety have been recognized by Visva-Bharati and other institutions for many years. He was adept in various languages, including Bengali, Chinese, Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit, and Tibetan, and authored several articles in these languages.

His notable works include Tantrik Tradition in the Himalayas and Tibet and A Bilingual Glossary of the Nagananda, among others, as well as more than 200 articles.

The ancient palm leaf texts in his personal collection are regarded as a great asset in linguistics. He acquired numerous rare manuscripts by traveling on foot to diverse locations, including secluded regions of the Himalayas, establishing an archive of valuable manuscripts. His contributions were crucial in the successful compilation of languages from those locations.

In 2007, the then president of India, Pratibha Patil, conferred on Prof. Pathak the President’s Award for his significant contributions to Indian languages and Buddhism. In 2018, Visva-Bharati University conferred on him the Desikottam award. He also received honors from the Asiatic Society and the Bengali Sahitya Parishad. In addition, he was awarded the Suttavisharad Gold Medal and the Purana Ratna Gold Medal.

The Mahabodhi Society of India in Kolkata conducted a memorial ceremony on 7 December attended by monks, scholars, and students from Calcutta University.

See more

Abhishek Adhikari Facebook
Rashtrapati Award winner Suniti Kumar Pathak dead at 101 (Education.com)
Rashtrapati awardee Indologist Suniti Kumar Pathak passes away at 101 (The Times of India)

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