PREFACE.
This Mahakavya is significantly titled शिवलीलार्णव , for the sixty four Lilas of Siva described in Halasya- Mahatmya of the Skandapurana are elaborately dealt with in it.
The author of this work is the great poet Sri Nilakantha Dikshita, grandson of reputed Appayya Dikshita's brother. This poem surpasses by its richness of poetic merit his other works viz. शान्तिविलास, अन्यापदेशशतक, वैराग्य- शतक, कलिविडम्बन, सभारञ्जन, गङ्गावतरण, आनन्दसागरस्तव, नीलकण्ठविजयचम्पू and नलचरितनाटक held in great estimation by scholars.
The period of his life can be known to be about the first half of the 17th century A. D. from the follow. ing verse-
“अष्टात्रिंशदुपस्कृत सप्तशताधिकचतुस्सहस्रेषु ।
कलिवर्षेषु गतेषु प्रथितः किल नीलकण्ठविजयोऽयम् ॥"
in his नीलकण्ठविजयचम्पू.
This edition of the work is based on two palmleaf manuscripts, one () (about a century old) in the Palace Library and the other (ख) kindly lent to me by Pandit Nilakantha Sastri of £rivaikuntham Tinnevelly District.
- T. Ganapati Sastri.
