Prof. Sugyan Kumar Mahanty is a professor in Indian Poetics and holds the post of joint director, Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi. “काव्यप्रकाशीयसुधासागरटीकासमीक्षा” a book on Indian poetics is to his credit published by Lokabhasha Prachar Samitih, Puri, Orissa in 2001. “काव्यशास्त्र” a book, that has been compiled by Dr. Sugyan Kumar Mahanty has been published M.P. Bhoj Open University, Bhopal, M.P. in 2005. अभिधावृत्तिमातृका of Mukulabhatta with a Sanskrit Commentary “सुबोधिनी” and a Hindi Commentary “सङ्गमनी” (ISBN-978-81-218-0251-2) by Dr. Sugyan Kumar Mahanty, has been published by Chowkhamba Krishnadas Akademi, Varanasi, in 2008. His “काव्यतत्त्वालोकः” an original work on Comparative Literary Criticism of East and West, is another master piece in Sanskrit to his credit, has been published by Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati, in 2010. “नाट्यालङ्कारतरङ्गिणी”( ISBN 978-81-925442-8-1) a book of compiled research papers on Indian Poetics and dramaturgy, edited by Dr. Mahanty has been published by Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthanam,Vedavyas Campus, H.P. About 100 research papers and 30 short poems are also to his credit, published in renowned Journals of India. He is the Editor in Chief of प्राची प्रज्ञा / "Prachi Prajna" (ISSN 2348–8417) : The UGC listed Refereed peer reviewed E-Journal in Sanskrit https://sites.google.com/site/praachiprajnaa . Present title Līlāvatī Vīthī of Rāmapāṇivāda with With the Sanskrit Commentary Prācī, Introduction in English and appendices is another masterpiece to his credit in literary pursuits.

The ‘Līlāvatī’; a vīthī is the magnum opus of Rāmapanivāda, a versatile poet of 18th Century AD, a resourceful and multitalented writer of almost all the genres of creative compositions, belonged to Kerala, India. The ‘Līlāvatī’ is a best of the available specimens of vīthī literature in the history Sanskrit drama. The plot of the Līlāvatī vīthī is based on the love story between Vīrapāla the king of Kuntala and Līlāvatī, the daughter of the king of Karnata. The text of the present volume of Līlāvatī vīthī is carefully edited and presented with a Sanskrit commentary Prācī in the light of Sanskrit dramaturgy as well as Indian rhetorics. The commentary Prācī treats to critically evaluate various poetical aspects, like figures in speech, meters etc. The characteristics of vīthī with the suitable examples from the Līlāvat, the thirteen numbers of vīthyaṅgas, the type of āmukha or prastāvanā are explored in the introduction. It also presents an account of the history of the literature of available and non available vīthī type of in its introduction. Present edition of Līlāvatī vīthī along with the Sanskrit Commentary Prācī, 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 history of classical Sanskrit literature in general and vīthī literature in particular.