Mahamahopadhyaya Arthashastravisarada Vidyalankara Panditaraja Dr R. Shamasastry was born into a poor Sankethi Brahmin family in 1868. He came to Mysore to pursue higher education. He studied in Maharaja Sanskrit College and Maharaja College (B. A. Degree) with help from Diwan Sir K. Seshadri Iyer. He worked as Principal of Chamaraja Sanskrit College, Bangalore for a while. Later he was requested to head the Oriental Research Library. He is credited with the discovery and translation of the text “Arthashastra” by Kautilya in 1915. He has published many books and research articles related to Sanskrit studies. The British Government honoured him with the title of Mahamahopadhyaya, Oriental University – Washington. D. C awarded him a Honorary Doctorate and Calcutta University followed suit. He was honoured by Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar and by many other reputed institutions from all over India. He believed in simple living and high thinking. He had named his residence “Ashutosh” after the great Bengali scholar Ashutosh Mukherjee. His wife Smt. Puttamma was a connoisseur of Carnatic Classical Music. He passed away in the year 1944. The scholars from all over the world sent tributes and condolence messages to his family in Mysore. Here are a few photographs of paintings of him, his writings and the letters & certificates of distinction which he received from across the world.