Biography of M. Yamunacharya

Melukote Yamunacharya was born on 30 September 1899 to parents Narayana Iyengar and Manikyamma. Manikyamma’s father, Alkondavalli Govindacharya Swamy, was an Executive Engineer in the Mysore Government under Diwan Seshadri Iyer. In this capacity, Govindacharya was instrumental in building various sections of the Bangalore Mysore Railway line, including bridges near Maddur and across the Kapila River near Nanjanagud. He was a staunch proponent of Sri Vaishnavism and was a contemporary of A. R. Wadia at the University of Mysore. Yamunacharya’s ancestors hailed from Metupatti, Salem. Govindacharya’s father, Sreenivasa Iyengar, had taught English grammar lessons to HH Nalwadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV and was popularly known as ‘Angrezi Sreenivasa Iyengar’ for this reason! Sreenivasa Iyengar’s first son and Govindacharya’s elder brother, Sreenivasa Raghavacharya, was Assistant Commissioner of Mysore for a brief period as well. 

Early Years & Education

Yamunacharya had his schooling at Marimallappa High School, Mysore, under the tutelage of ‘Mysore Thathiah’ (Sri Venkatakrishnaiah). Most remember Yamunacharya as being an introvert who resented competition, disliked Mathematics and wasn’t particularly academically driven, in any sense of the word. Subsequently, in 1923, he enrolled into Maharaja College, Mysore to pursue his M.A. in Philosophy under A. R. Wadia, M. Hiriyanna, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and K. T. Shah. In later years, whenever Radhakrishnan visited Mysore, he always made it a point to send for Yamunacharya and spent a great deal of time conversing with him. 

As an Academician  

M. Yamunacharya had several positions available to him in the Civil Service, Police Department and Department of Education. But he was destined to be a........

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