arrangement. Hence we find  R„vana  Siddhar Calling his work Akarƒtinika–—u  and not Akarƒti merely. We have already noted (vide infra foot-note2, p.xxvi) that at first the term uri-c-col and later the trem nika–—u   were used to designate work of this kind.

An improvement on the plan adopted in the adove nika--u  was made in Pal-porut-c‡˜ƒma-i1, written in 1700 A.D. Its author was …šwara Bhƒrarti,son of a certain Chidambara Bhƒrarti of Madacai. As one of his prefatory stanzas pays homage to the God at Tinnevelly, this Madacai must be somewhere in its neighborhood. The author expressly states that, following Amarak†ša, he divides his work into three sections. In the manuscript available, the third section is not found. The first section deals with words having one meaning each, the second with homonyms, and the third with group-names. It will at once be seen that the classification adopted is somewhat simpler. While many sections must be examined before a word is found in Akarƒti-nika--u,it is enough to look through two sections in pal-poru--c‡˜ƒma-i.  These two section are in alphabetical order, though that order dose not extend beyond the initial letter.  There are, in this nika--u about 2800 words having one number of words being about 4265.

POTIKAL-NIKANTU

Further progress in the alphabetical order was made in Potikai- nika--u (Second Part), which dealt with 2228 words having more than one meaning. This work, a clear reference to which is found in a prefatory stanza of Nƒmat…pa Nika--u, must have been composed in adout 1750 A.D The author, as mentioned already, was Swƒminƒtha Kavirƒyar of Kallidai-k-kuricci. He definitely gives up all sectional classifications in the treatment of words. This is a great advance upon both Akarƒti-nika--u and al-porn--c‡˜ƒma-i.An improvement has also been effected in another important direction, the alphabetical arrangement having been carried as far as the second letter of each word.

About this time, the alphabetical order must have become very popular; and the earlier nika—u came to be re-arranged alphabetically, wherever possible. One such manuscript of Tivƒkaram has come down to us. It is dated Kollam 877 (i.e., 1702 A.D.). It divides the 11th section into two separate parts-one with the homonyms at the beginning and the other, at the end, of sutras-and arranges each part in  alphabetical order.

GLOSSARIUM OF THE VANISNAVA COMMENTARIES

Another instance of the popularity of the alphabetical order might be seen in a word-book on the 'hard words' occurring in the Vai™-ava commentaries in ma-ipravƒ˜a Style. These hard words were all arranged in alphabetical order, and a sort of a dictionary, more properly a glossarium, was provided. A manuscript of this glossarium ², about 200

1 Not published

² Not published.-This is different from Sampradaya Akarƒti of unknown date, printed some years ago.