Professor and Head, Department of Buddhist Studies, Nepal Sanskrit University, Kathmandu
Professor Kashinath Nyaupane is an eminent Sanskrit scholar and philosopher from Nepal, internationally recognised for his distinguished contributions to Mīmāṃsā, Buddhist philosophy, Sanskrit grammar (Vyākaraṇa), and classical Indian intellectual traditions. His scholarship is marked by an exceptional command over both the Brahmanical and Buddhist śāstric traditions, making him one of the foremost contemporary Indologists of the Himalayan region.
Born into a traditional Brahmin family, Prof. Nyaupane received his foundational education in the Vedas and Sanskrit under the guidance of his father and grandfather before pursuing advanced studies at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, where he specialised in Sanskrit grammar, Mīmāṃsā, and Indian philosophy under eminent traditional scholars.
He served as the Founding Head of the Department of Buddhist Studies at Nepal Sanskrit University, Kathmandu, and has held several distinguished academic leadership positions, including Executive Director of the Nepal Sanskrit University Research Centre. He currently serves as Professor in the Department of Indian Knowledge Systems at Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, contributing significantly to the advancement of Sanskrit studies and interdisciplinary research.
Prof. Nyaupane’s research spans Mīmāṃsā, Buddhist philosophy, Sanskrit grammar, Vedānta, Jain philosophy, textual criticism, manuscriptology, and Indological studies. He has authored more than twenty scholarly books and produced critical editions and translations of important Sanskrit works into English, Hindi, and Nepali, thereby enriching the study and dissemination of India’s intellectual heritage.
Among his most notable scholarly achievements is his ongoing critical edition of the Śatasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā, one of the most extensive extant works of Buddhist Sanskrit literature, a monumental editorial enterprise projected to span twenty volumes. He has also published extensively on Mīmāṃsā, Buddhist thought, and classical Sanskrit texts.
A respected teacher, editor, and international speaker, Prof. Nyaupane has played a pivotal role in fostering scholarly collaboration between India and Nepal while promoting the global study of Sanskrit and Indian philosophy. His work exemplifies the harmonious integration of traditional śāstric learning with modern philological and critical methodologies, earning him widespread recognition in the international Indological community.