Plakkiyil Chacko Devassia was born in a Syrian Catholic family, Plakkiyil, on 24 March 1906 at Kudamaloor, in Kottayam District, Kerala.
Education
Primary Education : Government Primary School, Kudamaloor. High School Education: St. Ephrem's H.S. Mannanam. Intermediate Course: C.M.S. College, Kottayam. Bachelor of Arts: Arts College, Trivandrum. Master of Arts: two languages Sanskrit and Malayalam from University of Madras
Study of Sanskrit
He learned the basics of Sanskrit in the traditional way from Sri. Mathu Asan of Olesha; Kavyas and Natakas from the celebrated scholar Sri.Panthalam Krishna Warrier;Vedas, Upanishads, Champus, Dharma Sutras from Vidyabhooshana Sri.Venkitarama Sharma of Trivandrum; and Vyakarana from Vyakarana bhooshana Sri.Rama Poduval of Trichur.
Professional career
Lecturer in Malayalam at St. Thomas College, Trichur;Senior Lecturer in Oriental Languages at S.H.College, Thevara; Professor of Malayalam at Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum ; On retirement in 1966, Devassia received Fellowship from U.G.C. under which he prepared a complete translation into Malayalam of Somadeva's Sanskrit epic Katha sarit sagaram.
Positions held
Secretary, the 12th Conference of the Kerala Sahithya Parishad held at Kottayam.
Vice President, Kerala Chitrakala Samithy, Trichur
Member, Advisory Board of the Dept. of Cultural Publications, Govt. of Kerala.
Delegate to the Fifth World Sanskrit Conference held at Varanasi in 1981, where he presented a paper in Sanskrit on "Sanskrit Epics written by Keralites".
Chairman, Bhasa Mahotsava Committee, Trivandrum.
Literary Activities
One of the Editors of Keralam, a literary monthly published from Trichur.
Managing Editor of Jayabharatham, a Malayalam monthly published from Thevara.
Has written Biographical sketches, essays, shortstories and poems in Sanskrit and Malayalam.
Has contributed a number of Articles on Arts, literature, upanishads etc. to several leading periodicals.
Has translated some well known English and Sanskrit works into Malayalam.
Has broadcast Radio talks and Poems on various subjects from AIR for several years.
Hobbies
Portrait painting and Sculpture are his hobbies. Portraits of Tagore and Newman done by him in 1932 and '33 are still preserved in the St. Thomas College.
Kristubhagavatam - the first epic in Sanskrit, depicting the life and teachings of Christ. This work won the NationalSahitya Akademi Award in 1980.
Karshaka geetham - translation into Sanskrit of Vallathol Narayana Menon's Karshakante paattu.
Poems in phrase of Cardinal Tisserant's, H. H.Marthanda Varma, Father Marcel etc.
Radio Broadcast of Sanskrit Poems and Talks in Sanskrit on story literature in Sanskrit, the composing of Kristubhagavatam etc. and a multitude of other broadcast in Malayalam.
Publication of the works of other Authors
Devassia has Published the following works of Mr. I. C. Chacko.
Panineeya Pradyotham - a commentary on Panini's Ashtadhyayi which won the National Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956.
Valmikiyude Lokathil - Critical essays on Valmiki's Ramayana.
Sabdhangalum Roodharthangalum - Essays on Etymological Topics.
