58th Jnanpith Award Conferred to Rambhadracharya and Gulzar

The 58th Jnanpith Award was bestowed upon the authors by President Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on May 16, 2025. This was the second Jnanpith Award for Sanskrit and the fifth for Urdu literature. The award honours their lifetime work for Indian literature and comprises a cash award, a citation, and a bronze image of Vagdevi (Saraswati), goddess of learning.

58th Jnanpith Award 2025 Conferred to Rambhadracharya and Gulzar

The 58th Jnanpith Award for the year 2023 was awarded to two illustrious literary personalities: Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and Gulzar, as a mark of respect for their outstanding works in Indian literature. The President complimented both laureates for their exceptional work towards literature and society.

On the occasion, the President congratulated Jagadguru Rambhadracharya. She also congratulated Gulzar for the Jnanpith Award, who was not able to come to the Award function. She expressed her hope that Gulzar Ji would soon return to full health and activity and continue to enrich art, literature, society, and the country.

Jagadguru Rambhadracharya

• A renowned Sanskrit scholar, poet, and spiritual guru.
• Despite being visually impaired since childhood, he has written more than 100 books, including four epics, and many commentaries on ancient Sanskrit works.
• Founder of the Tulsi Peeth in Chitrakoot, he has made great contributions to Sanskrit literature and education.
  

Addressing Shri Rambhadracharya Ji, the President stated that he has set a shining example of excellence. She complimented his versatile contributions and stated that even though he is physically challenged, with his divine vision, he has done extraordinary work for literature and society.

She said Shri Rambhadracharya has contributed heavily to both literary and social service fields. She was confident that through taking inspiration from his magnificent life, generations to come will keep going forward on the correct path in literary work, social construction, and national construction.

Gulzar (Sampooran Singh Kalra)

• A renowned poet, lyricist, and filmmaker, with a very strong influence on Hindi and Urdu literature.
• His poetic and lyrical expressions have enriched Indian literature and cinema, touching hearts across generations.
• Gulzar could not attend the award ceremony owing to health issues.

About Jnanpith Award

The Jnanpith Award is India’s highest literary award, given every year by the Bharatiya Jnanpith Trust to a writer for their exceptional work in literature in any of the 22 languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

Why was Swami Rambhadracharya awarded the Jnanpith Award?

Jagadguru Rambhadracharya was conferred the 58th Jnanpith Award for his outstanding and invaluable contributions to the field of Sanskrit literature. He is a very prominent Hindu spiritual guru, an exceptional scholar, and a very productive writer who has written more than 240 books and many research articles in Sanskrit, Hindi, Awadhi, and other languages.

Major Literary Works in Sanskrit

Swami Rambhadracharya has made Herculean contributions to Sanskrit literature through different genres. Prominently among them, he has composed four Sanskrit epic poems (Mahakavyas):

• Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam
• Śrīrāghavakṛpābhāṣyam
• Śrīmadbhāgavatamahākāvyam
• Śrīrāmacaritamānasa-tīkā

The award also indicates the Jnanpith Award’s acknowledgement of the richness and ongoing relevance of Sanskrit literature on the Indian literary scene. This was only the second time that the award has been given for Sanskrit.

Why was Gulzar awarded the Jnanpith Award?

Gulzar (Sampooran Singh Kalra) received the 58th Jnanpith Award for his remarkable and priceless contributions to Urdu literature. Although he is well known for his contribution to Hindi cinema as a poet, lyricist, and director, the depth of his contribution to Urdu poetry and literature can never be overlooked.

Aside from his work in films, Gulzar has written several collections of poetry, short stories, and novels in Urdu. His writings include collections such as “Chand Pukhraaj Ka,” “Raat Pashmine Ki,” “Raavi Paar,” and “Dhuan,” which are also widely praised in Urdu literary circles.

List of Jnanpith Award Winners from 1984 to 2025

Here is a List of Jnanpith Award Winners from 1984 to 2025:

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