Yves de Steenhault on the Calcutta School

 

Cfr. Yves de Steenhault, History of the Jesuits in West Bengal, Part I: 1921–1947 (n.p., n.d).

the above text is from S.S. Abreu:

This is also from Abreu:

The following is from Will Sweetman:

Ananya Chakravarti, The Empire of Apostles

See the list of KP MSS consulted: the Pilar MS (which she dates at 1609 and calls the earliest extant MS); two copies of the MS at the TSKK; and the "printed edition" (the 3rd, of 1654) held at the Central Library, Panjim. (201n87) Strange that she calls the last "the printed edition", when it is an MS copy of the third edition. The others that she calls MSS are also copies of the printed editions. 

She does not mention Nelson Falcao's Marathi and English translations of the KP at all, though she does mention his book (the one coming from his PhD thesis) in the bibliography. Her decision is to make use of the Saldanha edition - perhaps because it is completely in Roman script? 

Neither does she mention Tadkodkar. 

Her remarks on yema loca and agnicondd are interesting. 

She discusses some "confusion" in the economic affairs handled by Stephens in Salcette.

The material she has accessed for the chapter is interesting. It bears comparison with that accessed by Velinkar.  

Yemaloka, agnikund, yamkond - translations of "hell" in Konkani

In the Khristapurana, "hell" is translated as "yema loca" but also as "agnicondd" or "agni kund" (see Adi Purana ch. 8, verse 58; A. Chakravarti, The Empire of Apostles 210-11)

Yemaloka is straight enough, but agnikund, according to Chakravarti, is bold: hellfire is now identified with the sacred sacrificial fire.

I remember now the word "yemkondd" in our prayers at home. Here is one occurrence in a common enough prayer, rendered here as "yamkond". A combination of yamaloka and agnikund. 

Ie mhojea Jesu (Fatima Prayer)

Ie mhojea Jesu amchi patkam amkam bogsi. Yamkondantlia ujiantlem amkam nivar. Samest atmiank, sargar tuji kakutichi adhi garz asleank sargar von tu pavay.

Cecilia Carvalho, three books on Thomas Stephens, SJ

Cecilia Carvalho. Olivlā lagadalī tulshīchī pāne. Phādar Thomas Stiphans caritra (1549-1619). Vyaktitva āni sāhitya [Biography of Fr. Thomas Stephens]. Maharashtra Rajya Sahitya ani Sanskrti Mandal, Mumbai, 2014. [Draws abundantly on Nelson Falcao's work.]

Cecilia Carvalho. Fr. Thomas Stephans. Makers of Indian Literature. New Delhi, Sahitya Akademi, 2017. 46 pp. [Draws abundantly on Nelson Falcao's work. Seems to be an English version of the Marathi volume of 2014.]

Cecilia Carvalho. Fr Thomas Stephensachi Sanskrutik Bhavponnachi Ruzvonn [Fr Thomas Stephens' Cultural Brotherhood]. Translated into Konkani by Dr Pandurang Phaldesai. Porvorim: Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr, 2024.

MS of the Khristapurana in Mangalore

According to Farias Kranti, cited by Velinkar 178, the "Falnir" Coelho family in Mangalore has a well-preserved MS of the Khristapurana. Jason Pinto inquired with the family, they told him they had given the MS to Friar Sidney Mascarenhas (his mother was a Coelho). Unfortunately, what Sidney has is a copy of J.L. Saldanha's 1907 edition, The Christian Puranna. Disappointment!

See Joseph Velinkar, Fr Thomas Stephens: The First Englishman in India (Margao - Goa: CinnamonTeal, 2021).

New search for MSS of Thomas Stephens' Khristapurana

 We are mounting a new search for MSS of the Khristapurana in Mangalore and Goa. 

In Mangalore, we need to find out what happened to the 5 MSS used by Joseph L. Saldanha in his 1907 edition, The Christian Puranna (see list below). Any information will be most welcome. Part of the information we need is about the families of the people mentioned below. It is possible that the MSS are still in their possession, or at least that they might know what happened to these. For example, if Mr Marian Saldanha is Prof. Mariano Saldanha of Ucassaim, Goa, we know that his holdings were donated to the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendra, Porvorim. In that case, perhaps one of the two MSS there is the one used by Joseph L. Saldanha. 

1. Messrs. Dunbar Brothers of Parel, Bombay. (See Joseph L. Saldanha, The Christian Puranna, Mangalore 1907). Roman script. 
2. Mr Marian Saldanha (probably Dr Mariano Saldanha of Ucassaim, Goa). (See Joseph L. Saldanha, The Christian Puranna, Mangalore 1907). Roman script. 
3. Mr Julian Coelho. (See Joseph L. Saldanha, The Christian Puranna, Mangalore 1907) Roman script. 
4. Rev. S.B.C. Luis. (See Joseph L. Saldanha, The Christian Puranna, Mangalore 1907) Roman script. 
5. Mr Jerome A. Saldanha, Sub-Judge of Alibagh, Bombay Presidency. Devanagari script. (See Joseph L. Saldanha, The Christian Puranna, Mangalore 1907). 

In Mangalore we have identified the following MSS:

1. The "Falnir Coelho" MS, now in the possession of Sidney Mascarenhas, OFM, at The Friary, Bengaluru.
2. The "Dussarem Puranna" MS, now in the St Aloysius College Library, Mangalore. Used to belong to J.A. Saldanha (handwritten note on the MS). With a 1618 date, curiously.

In Goa, we have identified the following MSS. It is possible that there might be some more, lying with some families. 

1. The Goa Central Library MS, bearing the date 1731 / 1761 (GCL). The KrishnadasShama Goa Central Library, Post Box 22, Patto, Panjim, Goa 403 001, India. E-mail:lib-cent.goa@nic.in. Tel: +91-832-2425730 / 2436327. Website:http://www.goacentrallibrary.gov.in/
2. The Pilar MS (P). Monastery of Pilar, Pilar Hill, NH-17, Velha Goa, Goa 403 108, India.(Contact: Fr Cosme José Costa, SFX). Digitalized in the British Library Endangered Archives Program.
3. The M.C. Saldanha MS at the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendra (TSKK-1). ThomasStephens Konknni Kendr, B.B. Borkar Road, Alto Porvorim, Bardez, Goa - 403 521,India. E-mail: tskkgoa@gmail.com. Tel: +91-832-2415857 / 2415864. Website:<www.tskk.org>. Digitalized in the British Library Endangered Archives Program.
4. Another MS at the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendra (TSKK-2). Digitalized in the British Library Endangered Archives Program.
5. The Bhaugun Kamat Vagh MS in the Pissurlencar Collection at the Goa UniversityLibrary (BKV). Goa University Library, Goa University, Taleigao Plateau, Goa 403 206,India. Tel: +91-832-6519048. Website: http://library.unigoa.ac.in/
6. A third MS at the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendra (TSKK-3). Digitalized in the British Library Endangered Archives Program.

Besides these, there are of course the Devanagari script MSS found in London. 

1. The Marsden MS. School of Oriental Studies, London. 

Please feel free to contact me at ivo.coelho@gmail.com (Ivo Coelho).

Thomas Stephens' Khristapurana

 

A photo of the first page of the Marsden MS of Thomas Stephens' Khristapurana (from a photocopy, Pilar Museum, Pilar Goa) (photo credit: Hendry Selvaraj, SDB) Whether the KP was first composed in Roman script and then rendered into Devanagari is still disputed.

One of the pages of the "Pilar MS" of the Khristapurana in Roman script. 

Another page of the "Pilar MS".  The date, however, is wrong in my estimation - we know that the first print edition was in 1616, and that the above is a handwritten copy of one of the print editions... However, this is the only place where I've seen the affirmation that Stephens dictated to 12 Brahmin scribes...

We hope the Pilar Museum will find the funds to restore this MS! It is precious but falling to pieces...