The Sahitya Akademi Award is an annual award, given by the Sahitya Akademi (India's National Academy of Letters), to writers in 24 Indian languages. The award was instituted and first awarded in 1955. As of 2022[update], the award carries a monetary reward of ₹1 lakh (US$1,200), a shawl and a copper-plaque.[1] The award for Sanskrit was first given in 1956. The first five awards went to works in other languages, dealing with Sanskrit culture. Since 1967, the award has been given only to works in Sanskrit. The list of Sanskrit language writers who have won the award is given below.[2][3]
| Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit | |
|---|---|
| Award for contributions to Sanskrit literature | |
 | |
| Awarded for | Literary award in India |
| Sponsored by | Sahitya Akademi, Government of India |
| Reward(s) | ₹1 lakh (US$1,200) |
| First awarded | 1956 |
| Last awarded | 2022 |
| Highlights | |
| Total awarded | 54 |
| First winner | P. V. Kane |
| Most Recent winner | Janardan Prasad Pandey ‘Mani’ |
| Website | Official website |
| Year | Author | Book | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | P. V. Kane | History of Dharma Sastra, Vol. IV | Research |
| 1961 | Giridhar Sharma Chaturvedi | वैदिक विज्ञान और भारतीय संस्कृति Vaidika vijñāna aura bhāratīya saṃskṛti |
Research |
| 1963 | B. N. Krishnamurti Sharma | History of the Dvaita School of Vedanta and its Literature | Research |
| 1964 | Mm. Gopinath Kaviraj | तांत्रिक वाङ्मय में शाक्त दृष्टि Tāṃtrika vāṅmaya meṃ śākta dṛṣṭi |
Treatise |
| 1966 | V. Raghavan | Bhoja's Sringara Prakasa | Aesthetics |
| 1967 | Ramaroop Pathak | चित्रकाव्य-कौतुकम् Citrakāvya-kautukam |
Poetry |
| 1968 | Satyavrat Shastri | श्रीगुरुगोविन्दसिंहचरितम् śrīgurugovindasiṃhacaritam |
Poetry |
| 1970 | V. Subramanya Sastri | शब्दतरङ्गिणी śabdataraṅgiṇī |
Treatise on verbal cognition |
| 1973 | M. S. Aney | श्रीतिलकयशोनर्णव śrītilakayaśonarṇava |
Epic |
| 1974 | Dr. S.B. Warnekar | श्रीशिवराज्योदयम् śrīśivarājyodayam |
Epic poem |
| 1977 | Shanti Bhikshu Shastri | बुद्धविजयकाव्यम् buddhavijayakāvyam |
Poetry |
| 1979 | K.N. Ezhuthachan | केरलोदयः keralodayaḥ |
Epic |
| 1980 | P. C. Devassia | क्रिस्तुभागवतम् Kristubhagavatam |
Epic |
| 1981 | Jagannath Pathak | कापिशायनी kāpiśāyanī |
Poetry |
| 1982 | P. K. Narayana Pillai | विश्वभानु viśvabhānu |
Epic |
| 1983 | Pandharinathacharya Galagali | श्री शंभुलिंगविजय चंपू śrī śaṃbhuliṃgavijaya caṃpū |
Biography |
| 1984 | Shrinath S. Hasurkar | सिंधु कन्या: siṃdhu kanyā: |
Historical novel |
| 1985 | Vasant Trimbak Shevde | विन्ध्यवासिनिविजयमहाकाव्यम्: vindhyavāsinivijayamahākāvyam: |
Epic |
| 1986 | Kalika Prasad Shukla | श्रीराधाचरितमहाकाव्यम् śrīrādhācaritamahākāvyam |
Epic |
| 1987 | Biswanarayan Shastri | अविनाशि avināśi |
Novel |
| 1988 | Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra | इक्षुगंधा ikṣugaṃdhā |
Short stories |
| 1989 | Ram Karan Sharma | संध्या saṃdhyā |
Poetry |
| 1990 | Ogeti Parikshit Sharma | श्रीमत्प्रतापराणायनं महाकाव्यम् śrīmatpratāparāṇāyanaṃ mahākāvyam |
Poetry |
| 1991 | Rewa Prasad Dwivedi | स्वातंत्र्यसंभवम् svātaṃtryasaṃbhavam |
Poetry |
| 1992 | Hari Narayan Dikshit | भीष्मचरितम् bhīṣmacaritam |
Epic |
| 1993 | Jaggu Alwar Iyengar | जयन्तीकगद्यकाव्य jayantīkagadyakāvya |
Prose Romance |
| 1994 | Radhavallabh Tripathi | संधानम् saṃdhānam |
Poetry |
| 1995 | Rasik Vihari Joshi | श्रीराधापंचशती śrīrādhāpaṃcaśatī |
Poetry |
| 1996 | Keshab Chandra Dash | Isha | Poetry |
| 1997 | Shyam Dev Parashar | Triveni | Poetry |
| 1998 | Bachchoolal Awasthi | Pratanini | Poetry |
| 1999 | Srinivas Rath | Tadeva Gaganam Saivadhara | Poetry |
| 2000 | S. Srinivasa Sarma | Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra - Saraswati Vijayam | Poetry |
| 2001 | Pullella Sriramachandrudu | Ko Vai Rasah | Essays |
| 2002 | Kashinath Mishra | Harsacarita-Manjari | Poetry |
| 2003 | Bhaskaracharya Tripathi | Nirjharini | Poetry |
| 2004 | Devarshi Kalanath Shastry | Akhyana Vallari | Fiction |
| 2005 | Swami Rambhadracharya | Sribhargavaraghaviyam | Epic |
| 2006 | Harshadev Madhav | Tava Sparshe Sparshe | Poetry |
| 2007 | Hari Dutt Sharma | Lasallatika | Poetry |
| 2008 | Om Prakash Pande[4] | Rasapriya-Vibhavanam | Poetry |
| 2009 | Prashasya Mitra Shastri[5] | Anabheepsitam | Short stories |
| 2010 | Mithila Prasad Tripathi[6][7][8] | Bharqviyam | Poetry |
| 2011 | Harekrishna Satapathy[9][10] | Bharatayanam | Poetry |
| 2012 | Ramji Thakur[11] | Laghupadyahprabandhatrayi | Poetry |
| 2013 | Radhakant Thakur[12] | Chaladuravani | Poetry |
| 2015 | Ram Shankar Awasthi | Vanadevi | Epic |
| 2016 | Sitanath Acharya[13] | Kavyanirjhari | Poetry |
| 2017 | Niranjan Mishra[14][15] | Gangaputravadanam | Poetry |
| 2018 | Rama Kant Shukla[16] | Mama Janani | Poetry |
| 2019 | Madhusudan Penna | Prajnachakshusham | Poetry |
| 2020 | Mahesh Chandra Sharma Gautam[17] | Vaishali | Novel |
| 2021 | Vindeshwariprasad Mishra 'Vinay'[18] | Srijati Shankhnadam Kil, Kavita | Poetry |
| 2022 | Janardan Prasad Pandey ‘Mani’[1] | Deepmanikyam | Poetry |
| 2023 | Arun Ranjan Mishra | Shunye Meghaganam | Poetry |
(No Awards in 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1965, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978 and 2014)
The Sahitya Akademi also awards a "Bal Sahitya Puraskar", for children's literature. Winners of this award for Sanskrit include:
| Year | Author | Work | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Padma Sastry | Sanskrit-Katha-Satakam (in 2 Vols.) | Short Stories[19] |
| 2011 | Abhiraja Rajendra Mishra[20] | Kaumarm (poetry)[19] | |
| 2012 | Om Prakash Thakur [21] | Isap-Katha Nikunjam | Collection of short stories[22][19] |
| 2013 | H. R. Vishvasa[23] | Marjalasya Mukham Drishtam | Book of plays[23][19] |
| 2014 | No award[19] | ||
| 2015 | Janardan Hegde | Balakathasaptatih | Stories[19] |
| 2016 | Rishiraj Jani | Chamtkarikah Chaladurabhashah | Short story[19][24] |
| 2017 | RajKumar Mishra | Dayate Kathamakashe | Poetry[25] |
| 2018 | Sampadananda Mishra | Shanaih Shanaih | Poetry[26] |
| 2019 | Sanjay Chaubey | Chitva Trinam Trinam | Poetry[27][28] |
Books published by an author of the age of 35 and below.
| Year | Author | Work | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Hemchandra Belwal | Parivartankavyam | Poetry[29] |
| 2018 | Muni Rajsundar Vijay | Chitrakavyadarshanam | Poetry[30] |
| 2019 | Yuvraj Bhattarai | Vagvilasini | Poetry[28] |
