PREFACE Sri V. Krishnaswami Iyer, Founder of the Madras Sanskrit College published the book ‘Aryacharitam’ on 1.1.1908. Forty stories have been collected by him from the Valmiki Ramayanam, the Bharatam and the Puranas. The book contains stories of heroes and heroines who played great part in the history of India and who in the very word of Sri V. Krishnaswami Iyer, had retained a permanent hold on the national consciousness which no lapse of centuries can loosen. Sri V. Krishnaswami Iyer also has explained the necessity for the publication of the book, arising out of the convocation speech of Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India belittling the glory of our ancient culture and tradition. These stories have been collected and published to refute the provocative and unjustified criticism of the Viceroy.

Sri V. Krishnaswami Iyer has rightly observed in his preface to the book :

"The stories of heroes and martyrs, of sages and saints are the necessary fuel to the flame of national life and national enthusiasm. India has great reason to be proud of her past, for men and women have been born in the course of her long and ancient history whose feats of arms, whose love for humanity, whose ideal lives and whose splendid self-sacrifice have been unto this day a lesson to the world. We Indians have every cause to cherish them and, in the love of their greatness and their goodness to kindle in every Indian breast a new longing for national unity as a foundation on which may be built a new greatness". The book published in the year 1908 has become so brittle that handling may result in irreparable damages to the book. Also, the book is of great importance as the stories contained in it will be a source of inspiration to the future generation. Hence, the absolute need for publication of this book in a new form as Centenary Edition.

The Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, has to be thanked for giving a grant for meeting the cost of publication.

M/s. Vignesha Printers are to be thanked for their neat printing and nice get-up.

**Contents and Sample Pages**