Sisir Kumar Das was born in November 1936 to Mukunda Chandra Das and Sarala Das. After graduating from
Presidency College, Calcutta (1955) and completing his master's degree at the
University of Calcutta (1957), he taught briefly in West Bengal. From 1960 to 1963, he taught at the
School of Oriental and African Studies, London. In 1963, he earned his doctorate, submitting theses at both the
University of Calcutta and the
University of London. He joined the Department of Indian Languages and Literary Studies at
Delhi University in 1963, where he taught until 2001. He held the position of Tagore Professor (1980–2001) and served as president of the Comparative Literature Association of India (CLAI) from 1999 until his death in 2003. His translations introduced ancient Greek literature to Bengali readers. His play
Aloukik Sanglap features dialogues between historical figures like
Kalidasa,
Aristotle,
Parashuram, and
Orestes. Das also explored the
Bhakti movement and its literature. Das's
A History of Indian Literature was a significant undertaking. He aimed to create an integrated history encompassing multiple languages and literary cultures. The first volume,
Western Impact: Indian Response 1800–1910 (1991), was followed by
Struggle for Freedom: Triumph and Tragedy 1911–1956 (1995). He acknowledged the vastness of the project and hoped his work would inspire further research. Das died on 7 May 2003, while working on the medieval period (500-1399 AD). Das also wrote for children. == Awards and honors ==