Anant Lal Thakur

[Dipak Bhattacharya]

2.12.09
Mm. Ananta Lal thakur, the renowned authority on Bauddha and Prācīna-Nyāya passed away on 26 November at his residence at Baidyabati near Calcutta at the ripe old age of 92. 
Thakur will be remembered for his critical edition of the complete Tātparya-Pariśuddhiţīkā of Udayanācārya (ICPR 1996) of which the commentary on the first ten sūtras had been edited by him long ago (Mithila Institute Series, 1967). He critically edited twentyfive works at an age when computers were not used. Of them the Jñāśrīmitranibandhāvali (1959 KPJRI), Vaiśeşikavārttika of Bhattavādīndra(Kamashwar Singh Sanskrit Univ 1985), Śrīkaṇṭhṭippaṇaka (AS, Calcutta, 1986), Tārkikarakshā and Tārkikarakshāsārasangraha, Cannibhatta and Rāmeśvara (1967 and 1990 AS, Calcutta), Origin and development of Vaiśeşika philosophy (ICPR, Delhi, 2003) may be mentioned. He was one of the few to have successfully tried in his time with the Rahul Sankrityayana collection in Bihar.
 Thakur retired from Senior Educational Service of the Bihar Government in 1975. Known for his industry, integrity and scholarship, Thakur served as Director, KPJR Institute, Patna till his retirement in Bihar but soon joined the Burdwan University where too he served for many years. Thakur was absolutely unassuming and soft spoken. He lived more or less like a recluse and was loved by his admirers. I came to know of his death, I am not aware of it being published in the newspapers, when his daughter telephoned to me today forenoon.
DB


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