About the Author Dr Sugyan Kumar Mahanty, working as a Senior Assistant Professor in the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Vedavyas Campus, Himachal Pradesh, has twenty years of experience in teaching postgraduate students and research other than eight years' stint at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. He has published Kavyaprakashiyasudhasagaratika-samiksa, a book on Indian poetics through Lokabhasha Prachar Samiti, Puri (Orissa) in 2001. Another book Kavyashastra, compiled by him, was published by M.P. Bhoj Open University, Bhopal in 2005. Dr Mahanty's another work, a Sanskrit commentary Shubodhini along with its Hindi commentary Sangamani on Mukulabhatta's Abhidhavrittimatrika, was published by Chowkhamba Krishnadas Akademi, Varanasi, in 2008. His Kavyatattvalokah on comparative literary criticism of the East and the West, is another important work got published by Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati, in 2010. Natyalamkaratarangini, a book of compiled research papers on Indian poetics and dramaturgy, edited by Dr Mahanty was published by Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthanam,Vedavyas Campus, HP. There are about 100 research papers and thirty short poems to his credit, published in renowned journals. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Praciprajna, the UGC-listed refereed peer reviewed e-journal in Sanskrit: https://sites.google.com/site/praachiprajnaa. About the Book The Lilavati, a vithi, is the magnum opus of Ramapanivada, a versatile poet of eighteenth century ce, a resourceful and multitalented writer of almost all the genres of creative compositions, belonged to Kerala, India. The Lilavati is the best of all available specimens of vithi literature in the history of Sanskrit drama. The plot of the Lilavati Vithi is based on the love story between Virapala, the king of Kuntala, and Lilavati, the daughter of the king of Karnata. The text of the present volume of Lilavati Vithi is carefully edited and presented with a Sanskrit commentary Praci in the light of Sanskrit dramaturgy as well as Indian rhetorics. The commentary Praci treats to critically evaluate various poetical aspects, like figures in speech and metres. The characteristics of vithi with the suitable examples from the Lilavati, the thirteen numbers of vithyangas, the type of amukha or prastavana are explored in the introduction. It also presents an account of the history of the literature of available and non-available vithi type in its introduction. Present edition of Lilavati Vithi along with the Sanskrit commentary Praci and an extensive introduction in English and appendices will interest scholars and students of Indology who are focused on the study of Sanskrit literature. It will benefit the readers interested in classical Sanskrit literature. It will also be a supporting tool for the researchers of the history of classical Sanskrit literature in general and vithi literature in particular.
