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. It carries a monetary reward of 50,000 Rupees and a citation.[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]
| Year | Author | Work | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Mm. P. V. Kane | History of Dharma Sastra, Vol. IV (Research) | social laws and customs; religious and civil law |
| 1961 | Giridhar Sharma Chaturvedi | Vaidik Vijnan aur Bhartiya Sanskriti (A study in Hindi) (Research) | |
| 1963 | B. N. Krishnamurti Sharma | A History of Dvait School of Vedanta and its Literature (Research) | |
| 1964 | Mm. Gopinath Kaviraj | Tantrik Vangmaya Men Shaktadrishti (Treatise in Hindi) (Research) | |
| 1966 | V. Raghavan | Bhoja's Sringara Prakasa (Aesthetics) | |
| 1967 | Ramaroop Pathak | Chitrakavya Kautukam (Poetry) | |
| 1968 | Satyavrat Shastri | Srigurugovindasimhacharitam (Poetry) | Biography of Guru Gobind Singh |
| 1970 | V. Subramanya Sastri | Shabdatarangini (Treatise) | on verbal cognition |
| 1973 | M. S. Aney | Sritilakayasornavah (Epic) | Biography of Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| 1974 | Dr. S.B. Warnekar | Shrishivarajyodayam (Epic poem) | 68 cantos, on Shivaji |
| 1977 | Shanti Bhikshu Shastri | Buddhavijayakavyam (Poetry) | Buddhist |
| 1979 | K.N. Ezhuthachan | Keralodayah (Epic) | on history of Kerala |
| 1980 | P. C. Devassia | Kristubhagavatam (Epic) | 33 cantos, Jesus Christ |
| 1981 | Jagannath Pathak | Kapishayani (Poetry) | Poetry collection in 11 chapters, influenced by Persian poetry |
| 1982 | P. K. Narayana Pillai | Visvabhanu (Epic) | |
| 1983 | Pandharinathacharya Galgali | Shri Sambulingeswar Vijaya Campu (Biography) | |
| 1984 | Shrinath S. Hasurkar | Sindhu-Kanya (Historical novel) | |
| 1985 | Vasant Trimbak Shevde | Vindhyavasini Vijaya Mahakavyam (Epic) | |
| 1986 | Kalika Prasad Shukla | Sri Radhacarita Mahakavyam (Epic) | |
| 1987 | Biswanarayan Shastri | Avinasi (novel) | |
| 1988 | Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra | Ikshugandha (Short stories) | |
| 1989 | Ram Karan Sharma | Sandhya (Poetry) | |
| 1990 | Ogeti Parikshit Sharma | Srimat-Pratap Ranayanam Mahakavyam (Poetry) | |
| 1991 | Rewa Prasad Dwivedi | Svatantrya Sambhavam (Poetry) | Epic poem on Indian independence movement |
| 1992 | Hari Narayan Dikshit | Bhishma Chiritam (Epic) | |
| 1993 | Jaggu Alwar Iyengar | Jayantika (Novel) | |
| 1994 | Radhavallabh Tripathi | Sandhanam (Poetry) | |
| 1995 | Rasik Vihari Joshi | Sri Radha Panchashati | |
| 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 | P Sri. Ramachandrudu | Ko Vai Rasah (Essays) | |
| 2002 | Kashinath Mishra | Harsacarita-Manjari (Poetry) | |
| 2003 | Bhaskaracharya Tripathi | Nirjharini (Poetry) | |
| 2004 | Devarshi Kalanath Shastry | Akhyana Vallari (Short Stories) | |
| 2005 | Swami Rambhadracharya | Sribhargavaraghaviyam (Epic) | Of Paraśurāma and Rāma |
| 2006 | Harshadev Madhav | Tava Sparshe Sparshe (Poetry) | |
| 2007 | Hari Dutt Sharma | Lasallatika (Poetry) | |
| 2008 | Om Prakash Pande[4] | (Poetry) | |
| 2009 | Prashasya Mitra Shastri[5] | (Short stories) | |
| 2010 | Mithila Prasad Tripathi[6][7][8] | (Poetry) | |
| 2011 | Harekrishna Satapathy[9][10] | Bharatayanam (poetry) |
(No Awards in 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1965, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976 and 1978)