Thane, Apr 18 (PTI) Eminent Sanskrit scholar Dr Prabhakar Pandurang Apte, who was known for his work on the ‘Agamas’, has passed away in Maharashtra’s Thane, family sources said on Friday. He was 92.

Apte died on Thursday night due to age-related issues, they said. He is survived by two daughters.

Apte was known for his command over the ‘Pancharatra Agamas’ and his work in Sanskrit literature, temple architecture, and Dharmashastra, they said. He was also a trained lawyer.

During his lifetime, the Sanskrit scholar was associated with several institutions, including Pune’s Deccan College.

He also held visiting professorships at Madras University, Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Tirupati, Anantacharya Research Institute in Mumbai, and many such places, said the sources.

Among his achievements is the English translation of the ‘Samarangana Sutradhara’, an 11th-century treatise on Indian architecture attributed to King Bhoja of Dhar, Madhya Pradesh. He was also a contributor to the Sanskrit Dictionary Project at Deccan College, said the sources.

Dr Prashant Dharmadhikari from the Central University of Gujarat said that while the government is promoting the Indian knowledge systems through the National Education Policy 2020, the pioneering work in this regard had already been done by Dr Apte.

“His books – Samarangana Sutradhara and Paushkara Samhita – should be revisited by engineers and architects to unearth hidden architectural marvels. He was a rare combination of Sanskrit lexicography, jurisprudence, science and technology,” he added. PTI COR NR