Satya Vrat Shastri (born 29 September 1930) is a highly decorated Sanskrit scholar, writer, grammarian and poet from India. He has written three Mahakavyas, three Khandakavyas, one Prabandhakavyas and one Patrakavya and five works in critical writing in Sanskrit. His important works are Ramakirtimahakavyam, Brahattaram Bharatam, Sribodhisattvacharitam, Vaidika Vyakarana, Sarmanyadesah Sutram Vibhati, and "Discovery of Sanskrit Treasures" in seven volumes.
He is currently an honorary professor at the Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He was the Head of the Department of Sanskrit and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Delhi, where he was the Pandit Manmohan Nath Dar Professor of Sanskrit (1970–1995).
During his career he has won many national and international awards, including, the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit, given by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, in 1968 for his poetry work, Srigurugovindasimhacharitam, then in 2006, he became the first recipient of the Jnanpith award in Sanskrit language (conferred in 2009 by his disciple and Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn).
Honors and awards
International
Honour from Royal Nepal Academy, Kathmandu, 1979.
Medallion of Honour from the Catholic University, Leuven, Belgium, 1985.
Elected Fellow, International Institute of Indian Studies, Ottawa, Canada.
Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 1993.
Honour: “Autorita Academische Italiano Straniere”. The Civil and Academic Authority of Italy for Foreigners, 1994.
Kalidasa Award from the International Institute of Indian Studies, Ottawa, Canada, 1994.
Special Award from Centro Pimontese di Studi Sui Medio ed Estremo Oriente (CESMEO), Torino, Italy, 1995.
Honour from Gaja Madah University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 1995.
Royal Decoration “Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn" from His Majesty the King of Thailand, 1997.
Doctorate Honoris Causa, from the University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania.
Certificate of Excellence from the Spiru Haret University, Ramnicu-Valeca, Romania, 2001.
Certificate of Excellence from the Biblioteca Judeteana"Antim Ivireanul" Valeca, Romania, 2001.
Honour from Mihai Eminescu International Academy, Bucharest, Romania, 2001.
"Outstanding Teacher and Writer" by Biblioteca Pedagogica Nationala 'I.C. Petrescu' and Biblioteca Indiana, Romania 2001
Golden Prize from CESMEO, International Institute for Advanced Asian Studies, Torino, Italy, 2001.
Elected Fellow, Accademia di Studi Mediterrani, Academy of Mediterranean Studies, Aggrigento, Italy.
Conferred DOCTORATE HONORIS CAUSA by the University of Torino, Italy on 3 May 2012
National
Sahitya Akademi Award, 1968 for Srigurugovindasimhacharitam (Poetry).
Honour from Sahitya Kala Parishad, Delhi Administration, Delhi, 1974.
Honour from Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Board, 1974.
U.G.C. National Lecturer, 1983.
President of India Certificate of Honour, 1985.
Shiromani Sanskrit Sahityakar Award, Govt. of Punjab, 1985.
Visista Sanskrit Sahitya Puraskara, Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Academy, 1988.
Gita Rana Puraskara, IX International Gita Conference, Delhi, 1991.
Sanskrit Seva Sammana, Delhi Sanskrit Akademi, Delhi, 1992.
Sanskrit Sahitya Paraskara, Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad, Kolkata, 1992.
Indira Baharey Gold Medal, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune, 1992.
Pandit Jagannatha Sanskrit Padya-racana Puraskara, Delhi Sanskrit Akademi, Delhi, 1993.
Kalidasa Puraskara, Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Academy, Lucknow, 1994.
Pandita Kshama Row Puraskara, Row Dayal Trust, Mumbai, 1994.
Vagbhusana title, Vanmaya-vimarsa, Delhi, 1994.
Devavani-ratna Sammana, Devavani Parishad, New Delhi, 1994.
First All India Sammana, Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy, Jaipur, 1995.
Vachaspati Puraskara, K.K. Birla Foundation, New Delhi, 1995.
Dayawati Modi Vishwa Sanskriti Sammana, Modi Kala Kala Bharati, New Delhi, 1995.
Shastra-chudamani Award, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, 1996.
Manasa Sammana, Tulasi Manasa Pratishthana, Madhya Pradesh andTulasi Academy, Bhopal, 1997.
All India Kalidasa Puraskara, Madhya Pradesh Sanskrit Academy, Bhopal, 1997.
Honour from the Govt. of Maharashtra, 1998.
Degree of Mahamahopadhyaya, Honoris Causa, Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapitha, Tirupati, 1999.
Padma Shri, Govt. of India, 1999.
Honour from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 1999.
Honour from Delhi Sanskrit Akademi, Delhi, 1999.
Degree of Vidyavachaspati, Honoris Causa, Gurukul Mahavidyalaya, Jwalapur, Hardwar, 1999.
Honour from Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Naval Kishore Kankar Seva Parishsad, Jaipur, 1999.
Kalidasa Sammana, Kalidasa Samaroha, Ujjain, 2000.
Title of Veda-shastra-visharada, Swami Vishvesh Tirtha, Adhokshaja Mutt, Udupi, Karnataka, 2002.
Shrivani Alankarana, Ramakrishna Jaidayal Dalmiya Trust, Delhi, 2002.
Degree of Vidyamartanda (D.Litt.), Honoris Causa, Gurukul Kangri University, Hardwar, 2002.
Mahakavi Kalidasa Sanskrit Jivanavrati Rashtriya Sammana, Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya, Nagpur, 2002.
Honour from All India Oriental Conference, 43rd Session, Puri, 2003.
Shrimati Chandrawati Joshi Sanskrit Bhasha Puraskara, Jnana Kalyana Datavya Nyasa, New Delhi, 2003.
Vedanga Puraskara, Maharshi Sandipani Vedavidya Pratishthan, Ujjain, 2003.
Acharya Umasvami Puraskara, Kundakunda Bharati, New Delhi, 2003.