had crept in and also found that numerous Sanskrit words had been used. Beschi then read with accuracy Sanskrit authors “and tried according to the norms of truth, to mend the mistakes that crept in casually and drawing from the same treasury as many words as possible endeavoured to enrich this treasure still more.”4 At the end of the preface Beschi reveals how a study of such a dictionary will be useful for the propagation of their religion by the foreign missionaries. The author says that in Tamilnad all works of knowledge (E.g., the works on the gods, fables, rules of different disciplines etc.,) were written by ancients in the higher language and unless one is acquainted with this one cannot know authentically anything about their gods, their legends, their arts and their sciences. Depending on the natives for an explanation one will soon realise how false their statements are when the ancient authors are read. If the common people are to be convinced of anything, an appeal to reason will prove fruitful only by means of citations from ancient books. Beschi pays a glowing tribute to the ancient wisdom of Tamilnad when he categorically says “And what will you be able to effect if you are completely ignorant of the higher Tamil in which everthing is written down?”5 In 1819 Ellis sponsored the printing of the second part of this dictionary. This work was scrutinised by Tiruchitṟambala Aiyar. It was only in 1824 that the entire Caturakarāti was published by order of Richard Clarke, Director of the College at Madras. This was done under the supervision of Thaṇṭavarāya Mudaliār and Ramachandra Kavirāyar. They revised the manuscript and added to each section a supplement. In 1835, Rev. J. Smith published the second edition. In this the supplements were incorporated in their respective divisions. In 1860, came the third edition (in Public Instruction Press, Madras) under Percival’s direction and was helped by Visagaperumāl Aiyar and Poṉṉambala Mudaliār. In 1928 came the 4th edition.
4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. |