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Prof. A. Chakravarti Nayanar
A Biography
The late lamented Prof. Chakravarti was born in the year 1880. After passing his M.A. with distinction from the Christian College, Madras in 1905, he saw service for a year or two, first as teacher in the Wesley Girls' School and then as a clerk in the Accountant Gencral's Office, Madras. He entered the academic field in 1906 when he was appointed Assistant Professor of Philosophy in the Presidency College, Madras. He became Professor in 1917 and in the course of over three decades of useful academic career he served with distinction in the Government Colleges at Rajahmundry, Madras and Kumbakonam before finally retiring from active service as Principal in 1938. In the same year the title of Rao Bahadur was conferred upon him in recognition of the meritorious service rendered by him in the fields of learning, research and education.
A pious Jaina śrävaka and a deep scholar of Jainism, Prof. Chakravarti was also well-versed in the various schools of western philosophy and brought his wide learning and erudition to bear upon his studies of Jaina Philosophy. His introduction to the Pancusrikara (Arrah, 1920) is a valuable exposition of Jaina metaphysics and ontology. In 1937 he delivered Principal Miller Lectures which are published under the title 'Humanism and Indian Thought'.
The late Pros. Chakravarti has edited a number of Tamil works by Jaina authors with their commentaries and in some cases, with his learned exposition in English. For instance, Neelakesi, the text, and the commentary of Samaya Divākara Muni, along with his elaborate introduction in English, were published in 1936 (Madras); his edition of Tirukkural by Tēvar, along with the Tamil commentary by Kavirāja Panditar, has been published by the Bhāratiya Jñāna Pitha as No. 1 in their Tamil series, with an English
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