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ed its proportionate share of strength and energy, and the vigorous good health of Manassukharam was hardly ever know to him. Indeed, from his very youthful days disease began to lay a heavy hand on him, which considerably limited his capa. city of hard work. With advancing years and with increased carefulness the battle was only prolonged, until his career was suddenly cut short at a time when, in the prime of his life, he was best equipped to carry out the large programme of literary work that he had set before himself in his more youth. ful days.
This really happened during what may be called the forma. tive period of his life, which may be roughly put as the one from 1890 to 1907 A. D.-the year wbich saw the death of his father. During this rather long period, Tanasukharam gradual. ly found himself drawn more and more towards a closer view of almost all the different branches of knowledge that are covered by the term Sanskrit learning. While the poetic litera. ture must naturally have been his first love, not only on account of the romance of youthfulness but also on account of a deeper appreciation of the Muses which he enthusiastically retained all along his life, and while the Vedantic literature may have attracted him on account of its being almost a hobby with his father, there is no doubt that the other subjects that claimed his interest were mainly due to the scholarly bent of his own mind, which revelled in logical subtleties and metaphysical studies no less than in purely imaginative and emotional works of poetry. This led him to seek the company of scholars well. versed in such subjects, till almost a daily companionship grew up, and was maintained for years, with such erudite scholars of Sanskrit as पण्डित गट्टलालजी, पण्डित ज्येष्ठाराम मुकुन्दजी, स्वामी श्रीकृष्णानन्द Pitea and Fauzit fimfift.
No doubt there were many others as well, for his eager and curious mind seldom missed opportunities of improving his knowledge with the help of those Pandits and Sanyasis who, though iisually unknown to newspaper-fame of the modern age, carry the torch of Sanskrit learning from place to place, and effectively, though unobtrusively, keep the light of ancient Hindu Thought still burning,
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
