INTRODUCTION प्रज्ञादिपाठात् तमिस्रापि भवति । ' स्मररागमयी वपुस्तमिस्रा' इति माघ- प्रयोगात् । (p. 147) li The word hālāhala (deadly poison) Malli. shows is hālāhala in common usage as in hālāhalam vişam ivāpragunam tad eva but hālahalam also is in use as in hrdaye hālahalam mahad visam (p. 153). As a general rule Malli. is not satisfied by merely furnish- ing the different readings but discusses the aptness of the variants. In discussing the word alinda ( a terrace before a house door) he says that the word may begin with a short or long vowel and quotes an authority for each of them. अलिन्द इति ह्रस्वादिः । आलिन्द इति दीर्घादिश्च भवति । ह्रस्वादेरुदाहर- णम्- प्रधाणः ,' इति रत्नकोशः । दीर्घादेः – 'गृहैकदेशे ...' इत्यमर- ." माला । (pp. 202-3 ) The most striking illustration of difference in reading is furnished under the word krsnapāka based on the lexicon Sabdārņava. The three words krsņa, pāka and phala are com- bined in all possible ways so as to fill three verses: कृष्णः पाकः . . . कृष्णफलो वशः । (p. 255) For the plant named trnaśūlya Malli. points out not only the difference in reading but also the consequent change of gender: सुभूतिटीकायां तृणशूल्या तृणशून्या वेति रूपान्तरसत्ता स्त्रीलिङ्गता चोक्ता । (p. 257) As in the case of Sürin's comm. the variants furnished by him are in hundreds. The use of sleşa (paronomasia or double entendre) by well- established authors is utilized by Malli. for the clarification of doubtful sounds in some words. The word śasya is found
