Somnath Mahatmyam (Sanskrit Text with English Translation)

     I have great pleasure in wiriting this Foreword for the Sanskrit poem Somenatha Mahatmayam composed by Shri Shantikumar J. Bhatt, Sahitya Ratna. Shri Bhatt's interests are indeed very wide and they include Law, Jurnalism, Yoga and Politics. His contrubution to Hindi, Gujarai and Sanskrit literature is also immense and also of quality. The very fact that he was awarded 'Sahitya Ratna' by Shri Shankaracharya, for his Sanskrit work on Saundarya-lahri is an eloquent testimony to his command over Sanskirt.

The presently poem deals with the history of celebrated temple of Somanath which occupies a unique position in the cultural life, not only of Gujarat, but also of the whole of India. The region found about, and the temple, both have a long hisgory going back to the days of Lord Krishna. In Mohamedan times, the temple of Somanath was almost a battle ground. Lord Siva has a unique hold on the Indian mind and it was, therefore, an occasion for general rejoicing and delight when the temple was renovated by the Government of India under the lead of late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Mr. Bhatt narrates all this history in his poem beginning from the days of Lord Krishna to the times of its renovation. Everywhere his style is racy and the language very simple. He has chosen an appropriate metre for a narrative poem and the monotony of the same has been relieved by the employment of other matres as well. Among the narrative poems in Sanskrit, produced in modern times, this poem by Shri Bhatt must be regarded as a meritorious performance and his translation in English which accompanies this poem is also equally clear and lucid. The value of this work is farther increased by the inclusion of the Four Stone Inscriptions and their translation. This is a signal service indeed, for otherwise these valuable inscriptions would have been lost to posterity or else remained unknown to the larger reading public. I am certain that the poem will be warmly welcomed by the lovers of Sanskrit and I wish Mr. Bhatt a yet fruitful creative period in times to come.