The works of the poet are little known to the Sanskritist outside kerala (केरलम्). After his death the bulk of his works was left uncared for a long time. It is one of the ironies of fate that a grandson of the poet and a budding Sanskritist who began to resuscitate the works was snatched away in the bloom of his youth, a few decades ago (count this from the date of this article, i.e. 1962).
The only work which was brought to light during the poet’s life time was vR^ittaratnAvalI (वृत्तरत्नावली). It was printed in malayAlam (मलयालम्) characters in trivendram (त्रिवेन्द्रम्) , but it had no publicity beyond kerala (केरलम्).
Fortunately the descendants of the poet are now busying themselves in rescuing the remnants of their family heritage. shrI rAmasvAmI aiyar(श्रीरामस्वामी ऐय्यर), B. A., L.T, of ilattUr (इलत्तुर), a pious grandson and namesake of the poet, and an earnest devotee of shrIvidyA (श्रीविद्या) is presenting in this volume (in which this introduction was published) some of the stotra-s (स्तोत्राणि) of the author which are held in great veneration by his disciples and those in their line.The volume now issued (of which this introduction was a part) contains the following stotra-s (स्तोत्राणि) :
Fortunately the descendants of the poet are now busying themselves in rescuing the remnants of their family heritage. shrI rAmasvAmI aiyar(श्रीरामस्वामी ऐय्यर), B. A., L.T, of ilattUr (इलत्तुर), a pious grandson and namesake of the poet, and an earnest devotee of shrIvidyA (श्रीविद्या) is presenting in this volume (in which this introduction was published) some of the stotra-s (स्तोत्राणि) of the author which are held in great veneration by his disciples and those in their line.The volume now issued (of which this introduction was a part) contains the following stotra-s (स्तोत्राणि) :
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1. ashvatthagaNanAthAShTaka (अश्वत्थगणनाथाष्टकम्)
2. dharmasaMvardhanIstotra (धर्मसंवर्धनीस्तोत्रम्)
3. AryAdvishatI (आर्याद्विशती)
4. tripurasundarIgIta (त्रिपुरसुन्दरीगीतम्)
5. lalitAgIta (ललितागीतम्)
To gaNanAtha (गणनाथः) is given the first place, because he is the God to be worshiped first and also because , he is the presiding deity of the temple at the foot of the ashvattha (अश्वत्थः) tree at ilattUr (इलत्तूर) , which is hallowed by the memories of author.
