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Scholar and Musicologist

V. Raghavan

Born 22 August 1908 · verify — Died 9 November 2014

Authored seminal works on Carnatic music theory and contributed to the revival of ancient Indian musical texts.

Melathu Veettil Raghavan was a veteran Communist leader and a former Minister in Kerala state of India. He was the General Secretary of the CMP, an alliance partner in the UDF. Prior to the formation of the CMP he was a prominent leader of the CPI(M).

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A detail that
surprised us

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V. Raghavan composed the Sanskrit hymn "Maitrim Bhajata," which M.S. Subbulakshmi famously performed at the United Nations in 1966 to promote world peace.

The Story

1
In 1930, V. Raghavan graduated from Presidency College, Madras, securing 3 college prizes and 5 university medals, a feat that marked the start of his lifelong dedication to Sanskrit and musicology.
2
🌍 Between 1953 and 1954, he embarked on an extensive European tour cataloging around 20,000 previously uncatalogued Indian manuscripts, bridging Indian and Western scholarship.
3In 1944, he became the secretary of the Madras Music Academy, a position he held until his death in 1979, influencing Carnatic music scholarship and performances over decades.
4📜 From 1935 until retirement in 1968, he meticulously compiled the New Catalogus Catalogorum, cataloging Sanskrit manuscripts from across India and abroad, a foundational resource for Indological studies.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Padma Bhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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In 1953-54, V. Raghavan discovered and cataloged approximately 20,000 uncatalogued Sanskrit manuscripts during his European tour, significantly expanding the global repository of Indian texts.

📸 Through the Years

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🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Birth
Born in Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu
Venkataraman Raghavan was born in Tiruvarur, a town rich in musical and scholarly tradition, laying the cultural foundation for his future work.
1908
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Education
Graduated from Presidency College
Raghavan graduated with 3 college prizes and 5 university medals, marking himself as a top scholar in Sanskrit and comparative philology.
1930
📚
Education
Earned Doctorate in Sanskrit
He completed his PhD under examiners including S. Levi and F.W. Thomas, focusing on Alamkara and Natya Sastras.
1934
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Career
Became Secretary of Madras Music Academy
This role allowed him to influence Carnatic music scholarship and the Academy's annual conference for over three decades.
1944
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Career
European Manuscript Tour
Cataloged 20,000 previously uncatalogued Indian manuscripts across European libraries, expanding global awareness of Sanskrit texts.
1953
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Career
Composed Maitrim Bhajata
His Sanskrit peace hymn was performed by M.S. Subbulakshmi at the United Nations, linking ancient culture to international peace efforts.
1966
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Career
Retired from University of Madras
After decades as professor and head of Sanskrit, he retired but continued advancing Sanskrit scholarship through research institutes.
1968
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Career
Founded Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute
Established this institute in memory of his guru, promoting Sanskrit research with global scholarly collaboration.
1969
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Death
Passed away
V. Raghavan died, leaving behind a vast legacy in Sanskrit scholarship and Carnatic musicology.
1979
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🗝️Discoveries

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01 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

He composed over a dozen Sanskrit plays, including comedies and allegories, yet he is better known for his scholarly work than his creative writing.

02 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

From 1944 until his death in 1979, Raghavan served as secretary of the Madras Music Academy, shaping its conference programs and fostering scholarship through daily reports in The Hindu newspaper.

03 / 04
👤PERSONAL

Despite his interest in Sanskrit poetry and drama, financial constraints led Raghavan to pursue a steady academic career rather than becoming a full-time playwright.

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🌱 What changed because of them

V. Raghavan’s New Catalogus Catalogorum remains a critical resource for Sanskrit manuscript research worldwide, enabling scholars to access and study rare texts. His leadership at the Madras Music Academy helped standardize Carnatic music scholarship and brought greater academic rigor to Indian performing arts. The Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, which he founded, continues to support Sanskrit studies and preserves the legacy of classical Indian knowledge.

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