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The style and the descriptive talents in poetry, exhibited in this book may assign to this author a place in comparison to the Prabhanda Kavis, the men of letters of the age of Kṛṣṇadēvarāya. None of the poets of the Tanjore Naicks' time could stand a comparison to this author in his great creative imagination and poetic fluency in narration. He may be classified amongst the illustrious poets like Kaṅkaṇṭi Pāparāju and others. Thus this book forms one of those rare and exceptional works. It is a wonder how a great poetical work has not been printed so far. We can go to the extent of even saying that it excels all the poetical works so far published by the Government. Every poem in this book is a shining precious gem of a high order. This Raghunāthācārya assimilated in him many of the high poetical talents from the so-called pioneer works of the Prabhanda Yuga like Āmukthamālyada, Vasucaritra, Pāṇḍuraṅga Māhātmyam, Prabhāvatī-Pradyumnam, etc. The fluent narration and candour, appropriate usage of words, epic style and magnificent poetical imagination, all assign to him an important place of high order in the poetical hemisphere.
The subject-matter of this work is the life-history of one of the Alvārs of Viśiṣṭādvaita Sampradāya; as such his Stuti (prayers) to five weapons of Lord Viṣṇu (Pañcāyudha), Viṣvaksena (Commander-in-Chief), Garutmanta (the ride of Lord Viṣņu) etc. adds a special flavour to the excellent diction and brings to our memory Āmuktamālyada of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Dēva Rāya of Vijayanagaram. The excellence of the style and the ideal usage of words reveal that he is a great scholar with a wide field of varied scholastic interests and a poet of magnitude. In reading his poetry one cannot miss the influence which he has in his writings from the great Prabbandha poets, like Rāmarājabhūşana, Tenāli Rāmakṛṣņa, Pingali Sūraņa etc. Especially the story of the deer in the first canto and the situation brought out in the meeting of Śrī Dēvi by Śrī Raṅganātha, after he married Nīlā in the fourth canto bears testimony to the genius of the author. The different metres used to suit the different situations are also worth mentioning. The rest is left to the readers themselves.
It is hoped that this work, a rare gem of its kind, will take its proper place in the world of Telugu Literature,
My thanks are due to Sri M. Sarabhesvara Sarma, Telugu Pandit of this library, for preparing the press copy and correcting the proofs and to the Solar Works, Madras, for printing the work in a good manner.
Govt. Oriental Manuscripts Library
T. CHANDRASEKHARAN,
Madras, 3rd March 1955
CURATOR.
