Vallathol Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (1992) Winner
Sooranad Kunjan Pillai
スーラナード・クンジャン・ピッライ
Sooranad Kunjan Pillai
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- Sooranad (then Kingdom of Travancore, British India; present-day Kollam district, Kerala, India)
- Died
- 1995-03-08 （Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India） age 83
- Nationality
- India
- Languages
- Malayalam, English, Sanskrit, Tamil, Hindi
- Residence History
- Sooranad (birthplace) → Thiruvananthapuram (later life)
Career
- Occupations
- lexicographer, poet, essayist, literary critic, orator, grammarian, educationist, scholar, teacher, editor
- Active Years
- 1925-1995
- Affiliations
- University of Kerala (Malayalam Lexicon project), Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Kendra Sahitya Akademi (council member), Indian Historical Records Commission (member), Kerala University Manuscripts Library (honorary director)
- Memberships
- Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Kendra Sahitya Akademi, Indian Historical Records Commission, Conference of Dravidian Linguists (president of 4th annual conference)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University College, Thiruvananthapuram | — | English (subsidiary: Sanskrit) | MA (English) | — | India |
| University College, Thiruvananthapuram | — | Sanskrit | MA (Sanskrit) | — | India |
| University College, Thiruvananthapuram | — | Malayalam | MA (Malayalam) | — | India |
| Meerut University (honorary) | — | — | D.Litt. (名誉) | — | India |
| University of Kerala (honorary) | — | — | D.Litt. (名誉) | — | India |
University College, Thiruvananthapuram
English (subsidiary: Sanskrit)
Degree:
MA (English)
Year of Graduation:
1933
Country:
India
Undergraduate studies and MA in English (1933)
University College, Thiruvananthapuram
Sanskrit
Degree:
MA (Sanskrit)
Year of Graduation:
1934
Country:
India
MA in Sanskrit (1934)
University College, Thiruvananthapuram
Malayalam
Degree:
MA (Malayalam)
Year of Graduation:
1935
Country:
India
MA in Malayalam (1935)
Meerut University (honorary)
Degree:
D.Litt. (名誉)
Year of Graduation:
1991
Country:
India
Honorary D.Litt. awarded in 1991
University of Kerala (honorary)
Degree:
D.Litt. (名誉)
Year of Graduation:
1992
Country:
India
Honorary D.Litt. awarded in 1992
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Sahithya Nipunan (title) | — | — | Rajah of Cochin | 受章 |
| 1976 | Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship | — | — | Kerala Sahitya Akademi | 叙勲 |
| 1984 | Padma Shri | — | 文学・教育 | Government of India | 受賞 |
| 1992 | Vallathol Award | — | — | Kerala cultural organizations | 受賞 |
| 1993 | Ezhuthachan Puraskaram | — | 州最高文学賞 | Government of Kerala | 受賞（第1回受賞者） |
| 1991 | D.Litt. (honorary) | — | — | Meerut University | 授与 |
| 1992 | D.Litt. (honorary) | — | — | University of Kerala | 授与 |
Sahithya Nipunan (title)
Organization:
Rajah of Cochin
Result:
受章
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
1976
Organization:
Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Result:
叙勲
Padma Shri
1984
Category:
文学・教育
Organization:
Government of India
Result:
受賞
Vallathol Award
1992
Organization:
Kerala cultural organizations
Result:
受賞
Ezhuthachan Puraskaram
1993
Category:
州最高文学賞
Organization:
Government of Kerala
Result:
受賞（第1回受賞者）
D.Litt. (honorary)
1991
Organization:
Meerut University
Result:
授与
D.Litt. (honorary)
1992
Organization:
University of Kerala
Result:
授与
Awards & Nominations
Ezhuthachan Puraskaram
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1993) Winner
Works
Major Works
Smashanadeepam (Collected poems)
1930 PoetryCollected poems published in his youth, containing his early poetic works.
youthful sensibilitytradition and modernity
Amba Devi (Novel)
1930 NovelOne of his early novels published in the 1930s.
human relationshipssociety
Pushpanjali (Collected Essays)
1957 EssaysA collection of essays on literature and culture.
literary criticismcultural history
Malayalam Lexicon (editor)
1965 Lexicon (editorial work)Led and edited a comprehensive Malayalam–Malayalam–English lexicon compiled on historical and philological principles.
lexicographyhistorical linguisticsphilology
Malayalam translation of Kathasaritsagara
Translation / Fables and legendsPrepared a Malayalam translation of the Sanskrit tale-collection Kathasaritsagara.
folk talestranslation of classical texts
Bibliography
- Smashanadeepam (Collected poems)
- Amba Devi (Novel)
- Pushpanjali (Collected Essays)
- Malayalam Lexicon (editor)
- Kathasaritsagara (Malayalam translation)
- Hridayarpanam (Collected poems)
- Ramayanam (narrative)
- Numerous literary criticisms, essays and textbooks (over 150)
Translations by Author
- Malayalam translation of Kathasaritsagara
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- erudite, philological and historically oriented styleclear critical voice with an educational emphasis
- Recurring Motifs
- exploration of language and vocabularyclassical literature and cultural heritageeducation and textbook compilation
Legacy
A lexicographer who led the compilation of the Malayalam lexicon and a prolific author across genres; he had a major impact on literature and education in Kerala and India. He received numerous honours including the Padma Shri and the inaugural Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, and an eponymous award was later established in his name.
Academic Societies
- Kerala Sahitya Akademi
- Kendra Sahitya Akademi
- Indian Historical Records Commission
Archives
- Kerala University Manuscripts Library (archives)
In Popular Culture
- Sooranad Kunjan Pillai Award (annual award recognizing excellence in Malayalam literature)
Trivia
- Published the poetry collection 'Smashanadeepam' while still at school.
- Prepared over 150 textbooks for high-school classes.
- Wrote more than 1,000 forewords for contemporary Malayalam writers' books.
- Led the Malayalam lexicon project begun in 1953; the work was not completed during his lifetime.
- Was the inaugural recipient of the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram in 1993.