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Desinumamalu
is not considered a desi word, but only those which have found entrance. into the known Prakrit literature. Otherwise, the number of desi words will be innumerable and it will be impossible to teach all of them. As Hemacandra himself says (I. 4)
वाचस्पतेरपि मतिर्न प्रभवति दिव्ययुगसहस्रेण ।
This definition of a desi word does not appear to have been followed by the predecessors of Hemacandra; and therein consists, he says, the superiority of his work over that of others. He quotes in a number of places. words which have been taught as desi words by his predecessors and shows that they are derived from Sanskrit words. Thus in I. 37 Hemacandra says that the words अच्छोडणं, अलिंजरं, अमिलायें and अच्छभलो are considered as desi words by some authors, but he does not do so as they are evidently derived from Sanskrit words. Again in II. 89, he says that the word is taught as a dest word by some authors but Hemacandra says that it is not a desi word as it is derived from Sanskrit it. But here our author shows some latitude and says that it may be considered a desi word. Many such instances may be quoted and in most cases Hemacandra gives the Sanskrit equivalents to such words. The Desinümamālā differs from similar works in some other respects also. Some of the lexicons simply enumerated the desi words without giving their meanings. Such, for instance, is the Paiyalacchi of Dhanapala. The words in the Desinämamälä are arranged in alphabetical order according to the first letter of the word, so that there can be no doubt as to whether a word. begins with a or or . The words beginning with a particular letter are arranged according to the number of syllables contained in them, which will facilitate reference. Again, whereas each of the previous lexicographers assigned to the words meanings which he thought proper without reference to the others and thus sometimes each differed from the other, Hemacandra in his work took the trouble of fixing the proper meaning of words by reference to the works of others and pointing out the mistakes occurring therein. Thus in VIII. 12 and 17 Hemacandra enters into a long discussion and corrects the mistakes of others regarding the significance of the words and it respectively. In the same way Hemacandra, by his vast knowledge of Prakrit literature, fixes the forms of many words which have been wrongly quoted by other lexicographers. Thus in I. 47 he says that area is the proper form but not far as quoted by others. He says he arrived at the form बहुतरपुस्तकप्रामाण्यात्. In the same way he favours the form अच्छिहरुको and not अच्छि or अच्छिहरिलो as given by others in I. 41. Cf. also I. 26. So in a great number of instances. In fact there are innumerable mistakes in the angeratart works and the object with which he wrote his desikosa is йg In every case of difference of opinion, Hemacandra takes care to point out the forms or meanings of words favoured by other authors.
It remains to be seen how far Hemacandra conformed to the definition given by himself. The following examples will show that he consciously and unconsciously violated the principles laid down by himself. Although
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