Foreword

The Ramanaya and Mahabharata are the two great Epics of India, unparalleled by any work of similar nature in other literatures of the world. They represent respectively, the great qualities of heart and head, the balanced development of which leads to the perfection of a human being.

While every passage and part of the Ramanaya has the capacity to raise the reader’s mind to the rupturous heights of the transcendental ecstacy (Rasanubhava) the Sundara Kanda has a special power of leading the readers into the realms of the highest ideals of selfless service, undaunted spirit prepared to meet any situation and unflinching loyalty to the master.

Sri Rama is undoubtedly the hero of the Mahakavya Ramayana; but the great poet sage Valmiki appears to be intent upon making Hanuman as the hero of the Sundara Kanda. The readers are made to keep constant company with this great personality of extraordinary strength, marvellous intellectual power and practical wisdom. Any person who comes face to face with Hanuman through reading Sundara Kanda several times develops within himself many qualities like fearlessness, mental and physical strength and unbound wisdom as being experienced by lakhs of people even today. This is what is intended to convey by the well-known verse:

"Buddih balam yaso dhairyam
Nirbhayatvam arogata
Ajadyam vakpatutvam ca
Hanumatsmaranad bhavet."

"By remembering Hanuman constantly with faith and reverence, one can get intellect, strength, fame, courage, fearlessness, health, alertness and skill in speech."

It is with the good intention of making Sundara Kanda accessible to many readers who are not familiar with Sanskrit, that Sri Gorty Subrahmanyam has rendered this Kanda into simple English, closely following the original. Anyone who reads the work can get, I am sure, the pleasure of reading the original and all the benefits listed in the verse quoted above by the grace of Hanuman and through him of the Lord Rama and Sita.

As a person, who acquired, after retirement, the Master’s Degree with Sanskrit by putting strenuous efforts, Sri Subrahmanyam must have thought; as the saying !Ekah swaadu na bhunjiita! goes that he should share the joy of reading a great literary work with many like-minded persons throughout the world and produced this fine work in English. I am sure his desire will definitely be fulfilled.



Sd. Dr. P. Sreeramachandrudu.
Hyderabad,
Dt. 5/6/2008.