A renowned Sanskrit scholar and great orator, Vidyavachaspati Bannanje Govindacharya breathed his last on Sunday. The 85-year-old propagator of the Madhva ideology, Govindacharya had been suffering from age related illness and died today at his residence at Ambalpady in Udupi. ALSO READ | 19 Years Of Parliament Attack: PM Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh Pay Tribute To Martyrs, Recall The Valour Of Soldiers

Hearing the unfortunate development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the demise of Vidyavachaspati Bannanje Govindacharya.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Vidyavachaspati Bannanje Govindacharya Ji will be remembered for his great contributions to literature. His passion towards Sanskrit and Kannada were admirable. His works will continue influencing the future generations. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family. Om Shanti."



State Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa also mourned Govindacharya's untimely death. "With Bannanje's death, who was well-versed in Sanskrit, Kannada and Tulu, the state has lost a great scholar. I pray to god to bless his soul. His works and discourses on Vedas and Puranas awakened religious consciousness. He wrote many Sanskrit and Kannada texts," Yeddiyurappa said.

Honoured with Padma Shri in 2009, Kannada poet Bannanje Govindacharya was well-versed in Veda Bhashya, Upanishad Bhashya, epics Mahabharat, Ramayana and the Puranas.

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During his long career, Govindacharya wrote commentaries on Veda Suktas, Shata Rudriya, Brahmasutra Bhashya and Gita Bhashya. According to the reports, he authored nearly 150 books and has nearly 4,000 pages of Sanskrit "vyakhayana" (commentary) to his name.

Govindacharya had also translated several historical novels to Kannada. He also wrote notes on the chapters of Upanishad. He was one of the greatest exponents of the Madhva philosophy and was best known for his pravachanas, which are very popular among Tuluvas and Kannadigas across the world.

(With inputs from news agency)