VI! inserted, wherever necessary, short critical notes which would make the innaptitude of the commentator's meanings at Omce intelligible to the reflective students. Pandit V. Swarninatha Aiyer of the Government College at Kumba. konam and Pandit C. Tiruchitrambalam Pillai of Coimbatore having beerI greatly misled by the 'ominentary of Nachinarkkiniar, have, in the highest degret), marred the flow and natural arrangement of the poetic thonights. But of the two I wish to recommend to students Mr. Tiruchitrambalam's notes since his comments and critical introduction are valuable for a clear uniderstanding of the old commentary though not of the permi, more than that of Mr. Swaminatha Aiyar's nnnotated edition. In the course of my criticism I neeril hardly say that I have widely difered from the old commentator and the two Pandits. bat I have fully stated my reasons and authority for so doing. I now conclude these few prefa tory remarks with a fervent. hope that those T'amil students who take a deep interest in the study of this poem, will find in this critical commentary the better means of getting a true and apple. ciative knowledge of this only genuine relic of a great and old Tamil poet Napputhana" and will further devote 8 few of their leisure hours to the strudy of pure Tamil area extend their knowledge of Tamil Classics a little wider than it is at present. MADR.AS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, ) 2811 September, 1903. R. S. VEDACHALAM,
