________________
PREFACE
VI.-TRANSPOSITION OF LETTERS. Sometimes letters are transposed, as Dehalt, Delhi; Bârâņasi, Benares ;, Tamra, Tâmor ; (Maharashtra - Mébrâfța, Márhátfá ; Matanga-linga, Maltanga.
VII. SYNONYMS. Synonyms are frequently used for names of places, as Hastinapura, Gajasahvyayanagara, NÁgapura; Kumfrasvå mi, Karttikasvami, Subrahmaya; Gandaki, Gallakt; Uragapura, Nagapura; Goratha Parvata or Godhana-giri, Båthâni-ka-pahar; Mrigadâva, Saranganatha (SÁrnath); Kusumapura (Kumrár), Pushpapura ; MatangaAsrama, Gandha-hasti stúpa ; Pradyumnanagara, Marapura.
VIIL-ABBREVIATIONS. Sometimes names are formed by the clipping of a member of a compound word, as Karttika-swami, Svámi-tirtha; Bhima-ratha, Bhimâ ; Tulja-bhavânî, Tuljâpur or Bhavaninagar; Balu-bahini, Bagin; Krishna-veņwa, Krishạå or Vonwâ; Ahichhatra, Chhatrávatt : Dhanushkoţi Tirtha, Dhanu-Tirtha or Koţi Tirtha; Rishya-épingagiri, Sringâri; Tâmrachuda-krora, Karura ; Paichapsara Tirtha, Pancha Tirtha ; Bikramailk-sanghárâma, Silk-sangam.
IX-COMPOUNDING OF LETTERS. Disconnected letters, especially, are compounded by the elision of the middle vowel, as Parali-grêma (or pura), Pârli-géon, Palu-geon ; Pärasya, Pârsia (Persia).
The rules of phonetic changes given above cannot but remain tentative so long as they are not confirmed by a fuller induction ; but they may be of some help in tracing the history of a word from its ancient form to its present structure through the several mutations or transformations it has undergone in its passage from place to place, climate to climate, or one zone of influencos to another. A complete set of esta lished rules considered along with the testimony of authoritative records, traditions, events, and superstitions, is calculated to be the criterion of both past and future identifications of names of places, and the labour devoted to this subject can never be labour. pent in vain. , My cordial thanks are due to my nephew, Mr. Narendra Nath Law, M.A., B.L, Premchand Roychand Scholar and author of Studies in Ancient Hindu Poli'y, Promotion of Learning in India, etc., for the help I have received from him.
The system of transliteration followed in this work is the same as that of Sir Monier Monier-Williams' Sanskrit English Dictionary with only this difference that b. v, and w have been used as interchangeables.
The map appended hereto is the same as that used in the first edition. Though the ancient names of places added in this edition have not been shown on the map, yet it may help the reader to make a rough idea of their locations with reference to those that do appear.
NUNDOLAL DEY.
Chua, 1918.
