Kurissery Gopala Pillai

Kerala Gauthameeyam is one of the important works in Malayalam on Tarka sastra. Originally published in 1959, it was re-published in 2013 by Kerala Bhasha Institute. "Vidyadhirajan" is the biography of Chattampi Swamikal. "Udayakiranangal" was prescribed as text book for graduate courses of University of Kerala during 1970s. "Vijayalahari" is a collection of poems celebrating Indian victory in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. He has also compiled "Sabdavaijayanthi", a Sanskrit- Malayalam dictionary.

Later he worked as Malayalam Lexicon Pandit at University of Kerala (1954–61) and as research officer at Oriental Research Institute and Manuscript Library of the University of Kerala at Thiruvananthapuram (1961–71). He served as the president of Malayalam Sahitya Samsat from 1966 to 1972 and worked in Kerala Sahitya Sahakarana Sanghom (1967–70). He was also a member of Kavimandalam.

Gopala Pillai started his professional career as Headmaster of Sanskrit schools at Perumbuzha (1934) and Panmana (1935). From 1938 to '42, he was the headmaster of Brahmanandodayam Sanskrit School run by Advaithashramam in Kalady. He was also the secretary of the Hindu Youth Service Society which was presided over by Swami Agamananda, social reformer and founder of Advaita Ashram at Kalady. During 1944-'45, he enrolled to military service and traveled across North India.

He was born to Cheruvilayil Padmanabha Pillai and L. Kalyani Amma on 3 March 1914 at Panmana in Kollam district. He married P. Soudamini Amma in 1943. He is survived by two daughters and two sons.