Arudra occupies a permanent place in the history of modern Telugu literature. He is a progressive poet, a researcher, a historian of literature, a social scientist, a Marxist intellectual, a cine poet, a multifaceted genius and a people's man. He is a walking encyclopedia. His literary life is a legend.

Dr. Medipalli Ravikumar, the author of this monograph in Telugu, is an Associate Professor in the Telugu Dept. of Sri Venkateswara University. He is known as a critic who has been critically analyzing the social and literary aspects of life in a scientific manner. He was close to Arudra and helped Arudra in the preparation of Samagra Andhra Sahitya Charitramu.

Sri D.Ranga Rao, the translator of this monograph, has been a teacher of English at college and University levels from1953 and held high positions in Higher Education in A.P. He has been translating novels and stories of eminent writers from Telugu into English and vice versa since the year 2000.

His major published translations are Pearl Palanquin, Light and Shade, Kausalya, Reed Bushes, Bed of Thorns (Ampaseyya), Three Generations, Fresh Sprouts and Dew Drops, Living Together and Other Stories, Dedication (Stories), Travellers' Bungalow and Other Stories, Madhurantakam Rajaram's Stories (Sahitya Akademi), Epics and Ethics(Stories), Neethichandrika (C.P.Brown Academy), Living Life King Size (Stories), Rules For Rulers-Wisdom Of the Epics, O'Henry's Stories into Telugu, etc. He was honoured by Vishwa Sahithi, Hyderabad, for his services in the translation field.

He is the author of Dear Reader, a book of essays and stories in English. He is the Associate Editor of TRIVENI, the national cultural and literary journal in English.

Arudra occupies a special place in the history of modern Telugu literature. Not just the subjects connected with literature, many other topics connected with society, history and art find an important place in his writings. I tried to analyse the impact of the influence of Arudra seen in every aspect of the present day social life, chronologically and in a systematic manner. As the main idea of this book is to present to the reader a comprensive account of the personality of Arudra, only a brief glance at some of his writings was made.

I had worked as a helper in the reconstruction of his work, "The Comprehensive Andhra Literature" and continued to be with him throughout to the end of his life. As a result, naturally, I had the unique opportunity of observing him at close quarters more than others. In writing this book, this understanding helped me to a great extent.

Yet, I had to depend on some books for information on dates and occurences. Mainly the Shashti Poorthy Commemorative Number of Arudra (1985), Arudra Mudralu, (Fortnightly Number, 1994), Dr. L Sangaiah's " Arudra's Life and Writings, A Comprehensive Study," Dr. R. Narasimha Rao's " Abhyudaya Kavitwamlo Arudratha" and other such works were of great help to me. I extend my heart-felt thanks to all the writers.

I offer my sincere thanks to the Secretary and other officers of the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, for their confidence in me and for giving me this rare and unique opportunity to present Arudra as one of the Makers of Indian Literature and for entertaining patience till the book's completion.