The Dravidian Linguistics Association called upon me to make a report on the inter-relation between Prakrit and Malayalam languages and awarded a fellowship for a year from 1-9-1979 to 31-8-1980. Without being fully aware of the vastness of the field and of the limitations with respect to the available time, reference books etc., I took up the work. Frequently, I had to rely on the notes taken some years ago. The more I read, the more intricate the subject turned out to be. Finally, at the brink of a widening chasm, I decided to withdraw and set some limit to the survey. I do not claim that the present study is an exhaustive one. But the perspective is new; the methods are unconventional; the details presented here are fresh; the conclusions are original; no preconceived notions or prejudices are allowed to darken the horizon. My first motto was to avoid ill-will against the predecessors. All my views can be challenged. I will be the first to throw them overboard, when contrary evidence comes to light. I hope, this study would arouse the interest of some Malayalam students and lead to more important revelations. I am thankful to the authorities of the D.LA., not only for the trust vested in me, but also for condoning the delay caused by my ill-health etc. Everyday, before taking up the pen. I used to think of Dr. V.I. Subramoniam whose name has become synonymous with tire-less activity. In fact, he is my Guru in this venture. Typing the report containing heterogeneous materials was a thorny problem. Mr. C. Raveendran tackled the problem. I am profoundly thankful to him, not only for the prompt execution of the work, but also for the help rendered in arranging the materials etc.
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