Dr. B.K. Khadabadi
The Field of Conferences, Seminars, Symposiums etc.
Along with teaching, writing, research and editing of books, Dr. Upadhye gave equal importance to Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums of scholars held in different parts of India and abroad. He firmly believed that by actively taking part in them, it was possible to know important thoughts of national and international scholars, to get acquainted with new trends in research, to have chance to express and compare his own thoughts and research views with theirs. Therefore he actively participated in most of them. He also worked as a member of the executive councils of such associations and helped to decide their constitutions and progressively working methods.
He participated actively in the sessions of All India Oriental Conference for about 30 years. As the Sectional President of its Hyderabad Session in 1941, he gave a new shape and status to the Prakrit and Jainism Section and worked for its progress. Then in 1966 he became the general President of the Aligarh Session of this conference and brought out the importance of studies in Indology, Sanskrit, Prakrit and Pali. For many years he worked as a member of the Executive Council of this Conference shouldering various responsibilities along with Dr. R. N. Dandekar, the permanent Secretary of the Conference and Director of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona.
When the field of Prakrit and Jainology got independent position under the care of and with the leadership of various institutes in India, Dr. Upadhye was invited as the President of the various sessions of the Conferences held at Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, etc. There he laid before the gathered scholars the fruitful principles of Prakrit and Jainological studies. He also gave advice and suggestions to the organizers of such Conferences and Seminars. Exposing some bitter truths, he tried to rectify the earlier errors in this area. As the President of the Kannada Sahitya Academy met at Shravanabelagola in 1967, he frankly kept before its members his new ideas, working as the president of the Dakshina Bharata Jaina Sabha from 1971 to 1975; he brought for it an independent status. Many a time I had the good fortune of listening to and understanding the rare thoughts and ideas of Dr. Upadhye expressed by him. I got the benefit of this all along my future life.
Dr. Upadhye did not remain behind in respect of international level conferences and seminars. He, as deputed to the Govt. of India, participated in the Canberra (Australia) session of the International Oriental Conference held in 1971. In the Paris (France) session of the same Conference he presented his scholarly Research Paper in 1979. His zeal for such Conferences did not recede even when he was about to retire from Mysore University. In 1974 he flew to Leuven (Belgium) to participate in the Conference of World Religions and Peace. Thus he brought fame and name to the Universities wherever he worked with dedication.
Dr. Upadhye not only himself participated in such Conferences but he also inspired and encouraged his students and young scholars to do so. In this context it is better to express here my own experience. In 1968, I prepared a Research Paper entitled Observations on the Punyasrava Kathakosa on Dr. Upadhye's inspiration and sent it for the Silver Jubilee Session of the All India Oriental Conference to be held in Calcutta and requested the Karnatak University to depute to it as its delegate. But owing to some reasons the University could not depute me. Being disappointed, I informed Dr. Upadhye this matter. In reply he wrote to me: "You should not give scope to disappointment in such contexts. Any way your Research Paper has been duly accepted by the Conference. There is available Railway concession for such Conferences. You should spend some money from your salary for this and attend the Conference. Otherwise you will be losing much in future. This amount spent by you will return to you in enhanced forms. If you show your merit in such Conference, your University will encourage you in future and other Universities also will invite you as their delegate..." etc. Reading this letter I got fresh zeal and went to that Conference and actively participated in it. Later all words of Dr. Upadhye proved to be true. Then I participated in such Conferences, Seminars etc. held in the various parts of India, continuously for twenty-five years. Thus I was acquainted with all the scholars in this field. I got contact of Western scholars also like Prof. Alsdorf, Prof. A. Mette, Miss Dukewiths etc. when they came to know that I happened to be a student of Dr. Upadhye, they were rather proud of me. All these experiences made me more able and ripe on my path of research.
