biography
| name: |
Athavale, Pandurang Shastri
|
pronunciation:
[atavahlay]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1920– )
|
| biography:
| Hindu leader, born in Roha, near Mumbai, India. His father was a Brahmin scholar who founded the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Pathashala, a seat of Vedic learning. Under the guidance of his grandfather, he learned Sanskrit and Hindi, English, comparative religions, and Eastern and Western philosophy. He became founder and leader of the Bhagavad Gita-based self-study known as swadhyaya, a movement that encourages the recognition of God within all humans. Open to all faiths, adherents are dedicated to quiet, selfless volunteer work that is now credited with liberating many millions of people in villages in India from poverty and religious, racial, and class strife. His awards include the Mahatma Gandhi Prize (1988) and the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion (1997). |
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