My Training - Tapas Khanra

My Training in Śāstras and Modern Subjects

From my school education to doctoral research, this page presents my academic journey through the institutions, teachers, gurus, and disciplines that have shaped my intellectual development. The page will continue to evolve as I pursue further learning through research, traditional studies, workshops, and collaborations.

ॐ नमः पाणिनिकात्यायनपतञ्जलिभ्यः शब्दविद्यासम्प्रदायकर्तृभ्यो वंशऋषिभ्यो नमो महद्भ्यो नमो गुरुभ्यः ॥

Acknowledgements

My academic journey has been shaped by the unwavering guidance, affection, and blessings of my parents, Gurus, teachers, elders, friends, and well-wishers. Whatever little I have learnt is the result of their instruction, encouragement, patience, and constant inspiration.

I remain deeply indebted to my parents for providing me with a nurturing upbringing and the values that continue to guide my life. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to all my Gurus and teachers, who have generously shared their knowledge and wisdom, and to the elders whose guidance has helped shape my character and outlook. Whatever merit is found in my learning belongs to them; any shortcomings are entirely my own.

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
गुरुः साक्षात्परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

1. Early School Education

This section records my foundational education at Ramakrishna Math Vivekananda Veda Vidyalaya, Belur Math, Howrah, where my formal training in Sanskrit began alongside a modern curriculum. During this period I received systematic training in Sanskrit grammar, literature, Veda chanting, and spoken Sanskrit, together with modern academic subjects. This training provided the foundation for my later engagement with traditional Sanskrit learning and modern academic research.

Institution

Ramakrishna Math Vivekananda Veda Vidyalaya
Belur Math, Howrah

Duration

2012–2016
Sanskrit Pathashala with Modern Curriculum (Equivalent to 10+2)

Main Subjects

Vyākaraṇa (Sanskrit Grammar) Sāhitya (Sanskrit Literature) Hindi / Prākrit English Sāmājika-Adhyayanam (Social Studies) Gaṇitam / Ādhunika-Viṣayāḥ Vijñānam / Śāstrīya-Viṣayāḥ Veda Chanting Spoken Sanskrit

Teachers

Swami Tattvavidānanda — Principal; Swami Japasiddhānanda — Spoken Sanskrit; Gautam Goswami — Veda Chanting; Harekrushna Pattajoshi — Vyākaraṇa; Santu Singha; Pitambara Nirala; Swami Vedatattvānanda — Principal, Nyāyaśāstra and Computer Education; Rahul Kulkarni — Computer Science; Vivek Karmakar; Sumanta Chaudhuri; and Sibsankar Karan, etc.

Achievements

First Division — 613 / 700 (87.57%)

2. Traditional Śāstric Training

Alongside my formal school education, I was blessed to receive traditional Śāstric training from various Gurus. This parallel Guru–Śiṣya training formed an integral part of my academic life and provided an early foundation for my continued engagement with the Sanskrit intellectual tradition.

Neeraj Kumar Bhargave

Subjects Taught

Vyākaraṇa Kāraka

Principal Texts Studied

Traditional grammatical texts
Kāraka theory

Note

Her guidance in Kāraka theory has contributed significantly to my understanding of grammatical relations and Sanskrit sentence structure.

Gopikrishna Reghu

Subjects Taught

Vyākaraṇa Samāsa

Principal Texts Studied

Traditional grammatical texts
Samāsa

Note

His guidance has helped me develop a deeper understanding of the traditional analysis of Sanskrit compounds.

Venkataramana Bhatta

Subjects Taught

Sāhitya Chandas Alaṅkāra

Principal Texts Studied

Traditional Sanskrit literary texts
Chandas
Alaṅkāraśāstra

Note

His guidance has enriched my appreciation of Sanskrit literary and poetic traditions.

Vishwanath Dhital

Subjects Taught

Nyāya

Principal Texts Studied

Traditional Nyāya texts

Note

His guidance has contributed to my training in the Nyāya tradition and to my understanding of its methods of philosophical analysis.

3. Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sanskrit

My undergraduate studies provided rigorous training in traditional Sanskrit Śāstras together with modern interdisciplinary subjects. The curriculum integrated grammar, philosophy, literature, Vedic studies, computer applications, languages, and value-based education.

Institution

Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Belur Math, Howrah, West Bengal

School

School of Indian Heritage

Department

Department of Sanskrit and Philosophy

Programme

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sanskrit

Duration

July 2016 – June 2019

Academic Performance

Total Credits : 134
Honours Credits : 96
CGPA : 8.46
Honours CGPA : 8.91

Major Areas of Study

Vyākaraṇa (Grammar)

Laghusiddhāntakaumudī Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī Saṃskṛtabhāṣāpraveśa

SK-236 Laghusiddhāntakaumudī – I
SK-237 Laghusiddhāntakaumudī – II
SK-238 Laghusiddhāntakaumudī – III
SK-239 Laghusiddhāntakaumudī – IV
SK-201 Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – I
SK-205 Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – II
SK-209 Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – III
SK-213 Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – IV
SK-221 Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – VIII
SK-223 Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – IX

Nyāya

Nyāya Logic

Tarkasaṃgraha
Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī – I
Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī – II

Vedānta

Vedāntasāra
Kaṭhopaniṣad with Śaṅkarabhāṣya

Sāṅkhya & Yoga

Sāṅkhyakārikā
Yogasūtra

Sāhitya & Alaṅkāra

Sāhityadarpaṇa
Alaṅkāraśāstra
Saṃskṛta Sāhityetihāsa
Abhijñānaśākuntalam
Raghuvaṃśa
Vetālapañcaviṃśati

Vedic Studies

Vedapāṭha I–III
Gītopaniṣad Pāṭha I–III

Modern & Interdisciplinary Courses

English Computer Applications Environmental Studies Hindi Spiritual Heritage of India

English I–VI
Computer Applications I–VI
Hindi I–II
Environmental Studies
Spiritual Heritage of India

This undergraduate programme established my foundation in Sanskrit grammar, philosophy, literature, and traditional knowledge systems, while simultaneously introducing me to modern interdisciplinary subjects and computational approaches.

4. Master of Arts in Sanskrit (Specialization: Vyākaraṇa)

My postgraduate studies marked a transition from foundational training to advanced textual, grammatical, and philosophical inquiry. The programme provided intensive study of the Sanskrit grammatical tradition, particularly the works of Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita, Nāgeśabhaṭṭa, Patañjali, Bhartṛhari, and the major grammatical commentarial literature.

Institution

Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Belur Math, Howrah, West Bengal

Department

Department of Sanskrit and Philosophy

Programme

Master of Arts in Sanskrit

Specialization

Vyākaraṇa (Sanskrit Grammar)

Duration

July 2019 – July 2021

Academic Performance

Total Credits : 91
Sanskrit Credits : 87
CGPA (Overall) : 8.95
CGPA (Sanskrit) : 9.04

Advanced Areas of Study

Vyākaraṇa

Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī Mahābhāṣya Paribhāṣenduśekhara Laghuśabdenduśekhara

Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – V
Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – VI
Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – VII
Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – X
Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – XI
Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī – XII
Mahābhāṣya (Āhnikas 2–9)
Paribhāṣenduśekhara (Selected Paribhāṣās)
Laghuśabdenduśekhara
Paramalaghumañjūṣā
Vyākaraṇaśāstratītihāsa
Vyākaraṇabhūṣaṇasāra

Philosophy of Language

Vākyapadīya

Vākyapadīya – Brahmakāṇḍa

Lexicography & Etymology

Vyutpattivāda
Nirukta (Vaidika Sūktāni)

Arthaśāstra

Arthasaṅgraha

Poetics & Literary Theory

Dhvanyāloka (Prathama Uddyota)

Vedic Studies

Gītopaniṣad Pāṭha – IV
Gītopaniṣad Pāṭha – V

Interdisciplinary Courses

Spiritual Heritage of India

Spiritual Heritage of India – IV
Spiritual Heritage of India – V

Academic Significance

The M.A. programme substantially deepened my engagement with the Pāṇinian grammatical tradition and its commentarial literature. Extensive study of the Mahābhāṣya, Paribhāṣenduśekhara, Laghuśabdenduśekhara, Vyākaraṇabhūṣaṇasāra, and Vākyapadīya provided the theoretical foundation for my later research on Śābdabodha (verbal cognition), Sanskrit semantic analysis, discourse structure, and the application of traditional Indian linguistic theories to Natural Language Processing and Artificial Intelligence.

Teachers during B.A. and M.A.

Institution: Department of Sanskrit & Indian Philosophy, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI)

Period: 2016–2021

Teachers: Dr. Venkataramana Bhatta, Dr. Rakesh Das, Dr. Gopikrishnan Reghu, Dr. Neeraj Kumar Bhargave, Swami Japasiddhananda, Dr. Shantanu Ambadas Ayachit, Dr. Sukhdev Bhatt, Nagaraj Bhatt, Vishwanath Dhital, Ganeswarnath Jha, Ganardan Ghosh, Anita Bandhyopadhyay, and other teachers.

5. Doctoral Research

My doctoral research combines the traditional Sanskrit knowledge systems with contemporary Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, computational linguistics, and formal semantics.

Institution

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

Department

Humanities and Social Sciences

Supervisor

Prof. Malhar A. Kulkarni

Research Area

Sanskrit Grammar, Śābdabodha, Computational Linguistics, Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Representation, and Sanskrit Semantic Analysis.

Coursework

HS 401 — Introduction to Pāṇinian Grammar
HS 634 — Theories of Verbal Cognition (Śābdabodha)
HS 840 — Pāṇinian Grammar
HS 711 — Philosophy of Janasabdavāda
HS 842 — Philosophy of Language in Sanskrit Literature
HS 865 — The Philosophy of Sarvasatyavāda
HSS801 — Seminar
HS 899 — Communication Skills

Research Contributions

Conference Papers
Journal Publications
Annotated Corpora
LLM-based Sanskrit Research
Digital Humanities

6. Modern Subjects

Alongside my traditional training in Sanskrit Śāstras, I have cultivated a strong interest in modern disciplines, particularly those intersecting language, logic, computation, and Artificial Intelligence. These studies complement my research in Sanskrit computational linguistics and digital humanities.

Natural Language Processing Artificial Intelligence Computational Linguistics Machine Learning Programming Formal Semantics Knowledge Representation Digital Humanities Logic

This section will continue to expand as I pursue advanced coursework, online certifications, workshops, and independent study in emerging areas of computer science and language technologies.

7. Languages

Language	Reading	Writing	Speaking
Sanskrit	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★
Bengali	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★
English	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★
Hindi	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★☆
Others	To be updated	To be updated	To be updated

8. Gurus and Teachers

Every stage of my education has been guided by inspiring teachers and Gurus. This section acknowledges those whose scholarship, guidance, discipline, and encouragement have profoundly influenced my academic and personal growth.

Traditional Gurus

Neeraja Bhargava
Gopikrishna Reghu
Venkataramana Bhatta
Vishwanath Dhital
Ganeswarnath Jha
Swami Japasiddhananda
Swami Vedatattvānanda

University Teachers

Dr. Rakesh Das
Dr. Shantanu Ambadas Ayachit
Dr. Sukhdev Bhatt
Nagaraj Bhatt
Ganardan Ghosh
Anita Bandhyopadhyay
and other teachers

9. Important Texts Studied

The following list represents some of the principal texts studied during my academic and traditional education. It will continue to grow as I engage with additional Śāstric and modern works.

Vyākaraṇa

Aṣṭādhyāyī
Siddhāntakaumudī
Laghusiddhāntakaumudī
Mahābhāṣya
Paribhāṣenduśekhara

Nyāya

Tarkasaṃgraha
Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī

Vedānta

Vedāntasāra
Kaṭhopaniṣad

Sāhitya

Raghuvaṃśa
Abhijñānaśākuntalam
Sāhityadarpaṇa
Vetālapañcaviṃśati

स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः

"Never neglect self-study."
— Taittirīya Upaniṣad, Śikṣāvallī 1.11.1

For me, svādhyāya is not merely an academic habit but the principal means of extending the knowledge received from my Gurus and teachers. While formal instruction provides the foundations, sustained self-study enables deeper engagement with primary texts, commentaries, research articles, and contemporary computational approaches to Sanskrit.

My present research centres on Śābdabodha (verbal cognition) at both the sentence and discourse levels. This has naturally led me to undertake an extensive independent study of the Sanskrit grammatical, philosophical, and logical traditions that explain how meaning is constructed, interpreted, and communicated. In particular, I investigate the technical implications of classical theories for computational modelling of language understanding.

My self-study focuses on understanding how traditional Indian knowledge systems can contribute to modern Natural Language Processing. I regularly study research literature on Sanskrit parsing, semantic representation, knowledge representation, discourse analysis, and Large Language Models, while exploring how concepts developed in Vyākaraṇa, Nyāya, and Mīmāṃsā may be formalized for computational applications.

Current Areas of Independent Study

Śābdabodha Sentence Semantics Discourse Analysis Vyākaraṇa Nyāya Mīmāṃsā Sanskrit Parsing Computational Linguistics Natural Language Processing Large Language Models Knowledge Representation Artificial Intelligence

Topics I Regularly Explore

Śābdabodha at the sentence level
Śābdabodha at the discourse level
Semantic annotation of Sanskrit texts
Tantrayukti-based discourse analysis
Sanskrit dependency parsing and semantic parsing
Formal representation of Nyāya technical concepts
Mīmāṃsā methods for computational interpretation
Knowledge representation using traditional Indian logical frameworks
Large Language Models for Sanskrit
Explainable Artificial Intelligence using Indian Knowledge Systems

Long-term Vision

My long-term objective is to develop computational frameworks that bridge traditional Indian theories of language and cognition with contemporary Artificial Intelligence. By integrating insights from Vyākaraṇa, Nyāya, and Mīmāṃsā, I hope to contribute toward explainable, knowledge-driven Natural Language Processing systems capable of modelling the rich semantic and discourse structures preserved in Sanskrit texts.

10. Continuing Learning

Learning is a lifelong process. Alongside my formal academic pursuits, I continue to engage in structured and self-directed study across Sanskrit grammar, Nyāya, Vedic studies, Pāli, and linguistics. The following institutions and instructors represent my ongoing parallel learning journey.

Ongoing Parallel Learning

1. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay)
Instructor: Prof. Malhar A. Kulkarni
Subjects: Advanced Sanskrit grammatical and philosophical texts, including the Vākyapadīya, Mahābhāṣya, and related works of the Sanskrit grammatical tradition.

2. Howrah Sanskrit Sāhitya Samāj
Instructor: Prof. Pārvatī Chakravarti
Subject: Vaidika Vyākaraṇa (Vedic Grammar)

3. Vidyā Vāṭikā
Instructor: Prof. V. N. Jha
Subject: Nyāya texts and the Nyāya philosophical tradition
Visit Vidyā Vāṭikā

4. Vyoma Pāṭhaśālā
Instructors: Vid. Vaiṣṇava Siṃha; Satyanārāyaṇa C. T.
Subjects: Vyākaraṇa and Nyāya
Visit Vyoma Pāṭhaśālā

5. Medha Gurukulam
Instructor: Ācārya Manīṣ Kumar
Subject: Nyāya

6. Yogic Studies
Instructor: Aleix Ruiz Falqués
Subject: Pāli

Self-Paced and Online Learning

In addition to these ongoing studies, I pursue independent learning through SWAYAM–NPTEL and Udemy, particularly in areas that complement my work in Sanskrit and computational approaches to language. These include courses in Introduction to Linguistics, Computational Linguistics, and related areas of language technology and linguistic theory.

This parallel learning is intended to bring together the traditional śāstric disciplines with contemporary approaches to linguistics, computation, and language analysis, thereby supporting an interdisciplinary approach to Sanskrit studies.

Academic Philosophy

I believe that the traditional Indian knowledge systems and modern scientific inquiry are complementary rather than conflicting. My academic journey seeks to build meaningful bridges between Sanskrit Śāstras, philosophy of language, computational linguistics, and Artificial Intelligence. Through continuous learning, I aspire to contribute to both the preservation of India's intellectual heritage and the advancement of contemporary language technologies.