The Immortals of the Bhagavat

The poems of the Bhagavat are pregnant with one all-pervading theme,that of self-surrender to god and worship of the Father whose children we are-sparks,as it were of that Divine Father whose children we are - sparks,as it were,of that Divine Fire from which Creation was ignited.This dominating conception is summed up by Mr.Roy in a superb passage in the story of Prahlad,the divinely conceived son of the demon - king Hiranyakashupa,who corresponds to Sata or Appoloyon or Beelzbub or other lords of Christian Mythology.Prahlad,having defeated the demon king and rescued his victims.is urged by Narayan,the Lord of the universe,to accept some boon in recompense,but the sole boon the self-effacing hero desires is that of offering his whole being unreservedly in the service of the Supreme Divinity: These ancient tales embody a message,which is verily the essence of the perennial Philosophy,and western readers must gladly welcome this new and attractive version of the Hindu classic retold here by Dilip Kumar Roy with all the power and vigour of a rich poetic imagination.-Paul Dukes,K.B.E.