Dr. B.K. Khadabadi
After surveying the important stages of life and some glimpses of the personal routine life of Dr. Upadhye, let us know about his accomplishments bringing before our mind the following fields one after another.
The Field Of Teaching
Dr. Upadhye worked as Professor of Prakrit in the same Rajaram College, Kolhapur, for the long and unbroken period of 32 years (1930-1962). He taught all classes, from the then F.Y. (First Year) to M.A. (There was also another Professor, Dr. A.M. Ghatge and a Tutor Smt. Sontakke to teach this subject). He conducted his classes most punctually and systematically Soon after the college bell, he stepped into the classroom. His lectures were clear and thought provoking so as to create sufficient interest of the students in the subject. In those days Prakrit, Sanskrit, Persian or some foreign language like French or German was compulsory at the F.Y. level. Students offered Prakrit in larger number than those offering any of the remaining subjects mentioned above. If 100 students offered Sanskrit, about 150 students offered Prakrit. The Prakrit class used to be folly packed. As Dr. Upadhye taught there was pin-drop silence. In the course of his teaching and explaining certain points, he also intermittently asked the students some contextual questions. By using such method, he indirectly warned irregular and inattentive students. If students raised any difficulty or doubt, he calmly listened to them and then effectively clarified their doubts, without being enraged even a little or without using hard words. Therefore all his students (even the naughty ones) had awe-mixed respect for him. They all behaved with him in this same way even outside the classroom.
In B.A. (Hons.) classes the number of Prakrit students was small. At times three, two or even one student offered this course. Yet Dr. Upadhye's teaching was quite sincere, punctual and systematic. Before the University Examinations he completed all the portions of all courses, suggested the required chapters of the concerned critical books and asked the students to read them carefully. The Ardhamagadhi (Prakrit) section in the Rajaram College Library was very rich and scientifically arranged and classified. He used to dictate notes on certain difficult Jain canonical works by preparing the necessary critical matter himself. I have preserved some of them even now.
At the M.A. level, besides teaching, Dr. Upadhye trained his students in critical study and infused in them elementary research trends. Another specialty was that he arranged seminars by suggesting a topic two or three weeks earlier. He expected that there should be at least two seminars in a term. He used to be present in such seminars and sit for the whole time, listened to the students' performances, suggested certain corrections and properly guided them. There was also a Prakrit Association which occasionally arranged special lectures by eminent scholars. In order to bring out the wealth and importance of Prakrit literature, he himself delivered a prepared lecture occasionally on significant topics. I still remember, once he spoke on "Asoka: the champion of Peace" which speech was quite interesting and thought-provoking.
In respect of guiding Ph.D. students, however, Dr. Upadhye was rather strict and tough. Whenever a qualified (as per rules of the University) student desired joining Ph.D. course and saw him, he minutely tested his stuff and ability. In case the subject on which the student intended to do Ph.D., was not suitable, he suggested some alternate topics and asked the student to select one of them and see him again. When that student came back with a chosen subject or topic, Dr. Upadhye gave him some useful suggestions, explained broadly the methodology of research and asked him to write down an essay of about 4-5 pages on the selected problem and show to him. If he found that such essay was all right, he agreed to guide that student. Afterwards Dr. Upadhye expected from such student punctuality, hard work and progressive study in the concerned field. Thus only punctual and hard working students could trod the path of research shown by Dr. Upadhye and continue further. Others did not turn up and see him again.
Therefore at times in those days there used to be some kind of whispering in some circles that Dr. Upadhye had no Ph.D. students. Not only this, but some "so called scholars" said, "Dr. Upadhye and Dr. V. Raghavan of Madras University are the same in this respect." But there was no stuff in such words. I can say with all courage and with my own experience that this was all humbug and false.
Dr. Upadhye always encouraged his Ph.D. students extending all possible advice and help in their research work. Of course I did not do my Ph.D. under his official guidance. On his own instruction I had registered my name in the Karnatak University with Dr. R.C. Hiremath as my guide. His purpose for giving such instruction was to let an outstanding research work on the Vaddaradhane, the oldest Jaina classic in Kannada (based on an ancient Jaina canonical work), by a scholar in the Karnatak University, bring credit to it. But he had kept his doors open for me to approach him for guidance any time. He had even kept his home library ever open to me. Thus whenever I came to him to seek guidance on difficult problems concerning my Ph.D. work, he gave me sufficient time to discuss with him, to ask complicated matters etc. He offered me satisfactory solutions which I readily noted and went back to Dharwad. Even after getting my Ph.D. degree, I could get his valuable guidance on several research papers which I presented in the sessions of the All India Conferences and Seminars and published them in eminent research Journals which were widely appreciated by scholars in this field. Such teacher- student relation (guru-sisya sambandha) remained between us until he was alive. There was a certain system for such relation. I used to write to Dr. Upadhye a letter in advance giving him an idea of my problem and then I used to go to his residence in Kolhapur (later in Mysore). He also reflecting on that problem noted some points on a piece of paper. After I went there, discussing those points, he gave me the required suggestions. I then came back, worked out those suggestions in writing and once again went to him and showed what I had done; reading which he expressed his satisfaction. At times as he disapproved my method of giving evidences (marshaling evidences) in the course of my work and showed the correct method by way of one or two examples. I have preserved those papers even now. After publishing a research paper based on the problem for which I had sought his guidance as described above, I sent to him an off-print of it. He carefully read it, expressed his pleasure with congratulations to me by writing back a letter. When I brought to his notice difficulties on minor problems through a letter, he extended to me the required guidance or advice through a letter only. I have preserved such letters even now. Such kind of help and encouragement made me to go ahead with my research work with greater zeal. All this had an abiding beneficial effect on my career. Dr. Upadhye, who was closely related with several Indian and foreign Universities, used to tell on his own experience, how much the standard of research, among the scholars of the present generation, had gone down. At times he bluntly expressed about it. At one context he wrote:
"I am not a cynic. But I do feel that a generation of scholars to which a few ones (like P.L. Vaidya, Dr. V.S. Sunthankar etc.) belonged, is not being suitably replaced etc." He also commented on the attitudes of those who got their Ph.D. degrees in these days: "Nowadays some scholars after getting their Ph.D. degrees think that they got liberation (moksa) and do not bother about their further studies and research work in their field. Hence there has arisen such situation." He thought Ph.D. is really a certificate issued for one's suitability for doing research. The ability to contribute something that is basic or original comes after long and sustained efforts and hard work in one's field. In a reply to a letter written to him by my friend of Nagpur University, who had just got his Ph.D. degree, Dr. Upadhye wrote: "Please accept my sincere greetings on your having secured the Doctorate Degree of Vidyodaya University of Ceylon. It's a relief that your labours are justly rewarded. May I say a word more? The Ph.D. degree is after all a certificate of a learned body that one is capable of systematic and scientific study; and the value of his degree obviously depends on what work he turns out after having secured such degree. I am sure you will go on steadily working and enriching the field of researches in framanology."
For high standard of study and research at postgraduate level, after getting Ph.D. or D.Litt. degree for some decades and distinguished achievements in them, Dr. Upadhye himself is an ideal example. I would refer here to an important incident at this context: Dr. Upadhye had submitted his critically edited Pravacanasara, an important Prakrit work of the Pro-canon of the Digambaras as his thesis to the University of Bombay. Among the three referees for this work, Prof. Schubring, an eminent scholar of Bonn University, Germany, was one. This learned Professor while sending his report, to the University, recommended the work was of very high standard and most original and, hence, deserved the D.Litt. degree. The University readily accepted the report and honoured Dr. Upadhye by conferring on him the D.Litt. Degree.
