Book Review by Dr. Nandakumar Kamat (Goa University) Jose Pereira, *Konkani Bhagtigitam: A treasury of Goan hymns*, Panaji (Goa), Goa Konkani academy, 2004, pp.215, Rs. 150/-
On the occasion of the 18 th anniversary of the recognition of Konkani as official language of Goa, Feb. 4 th , the Goa Konkani academy headed by the well known writer Pundalik Naik released Prof. Pereira’s *Konkani Bhagtigeetam* through the hands the Archbishop of Goa, Filiipe Nery Ferrao. Prof. Pereira, 73, a famous son of Curtorim, Salcete, is Professor of theology at Fordham University, New York and is known as a renaissance personality in Goa. He has 16 books and over 100 research papers to his credit. His new Konkani Publicaation has an attractive jacket designed by him with his unique calligraphy. Prof. Pereira’s orthographic style of Konkani deviates from modern standard Konkani but it is phonetically pure. Prof. Pereira has compiled painstakingly 104 Christian hymns covering the period A.D. 1500-1950. He has classified this period as: (1) Praman or standard Konkani (A.D. 1500-1650) (2) Porni/Old Saxti (A.D. 1650-1850) (3) Navi Saxti (A.D. 1850-1950) and Barhdexi (A.D.1700-1950). This is an unique way of classification, not previously used by the Konkani scholars. But Prof. Pereira has not given any criteria for this chronological scheme. The hymns are dedicated to Jesus, Infant Jesus, Sacred heart, the Holy cross, Mary, Piedade, and Christian saints like St. Anthony, St. Barbara, St. Bartholomew, St. John the Baptist, St. Lawrenece, St. Rock, St. Anne, st. Sebastian, St. Theresa. Both devnagari and Romi scripts have been used. At the end he has included a Konkani-English glossary of 300 words. Many of these words are not used in Goa anymore. Profound influence of Sanskrit , Maharashtrian Prakrit, Brahminism:- As this reviewer was going through the hymns, the stylistic influence of the literature of Maharashtrian saints such as Dnyaneshwara, Eknath and Namdeo became clear. Expressions such as dipti , Vignhna, Kanti, Kanta, Kanak varna, Mukh vadana, Mukh-kamal leave no doubts that the composers of these hymns were probably the Brahmin neo-catholics or the learned priests like Fr. Thomas Stephens. The Phase which Prof. Pereira calls “praman Konkani” phase was an adjustment and adaptation phase for the neo-Christians and the first language and the phonetics of the hymns is similar to Fr. Thomas Stephens’s ‘Kristapurana”. The oldest hymns can be attributed to an elite class of neo-Christians but later the compositions seem to lose their class character and take a more folkloric form. Fusion of local folklore, mythology with Christian imagery: Verses like “Sukru Chandnem Choraxila” (Venus has stolen the moonlight) are not only poetic but show purely indigenous elements founded in the local folklore/proverbs and mythology. “Xipi Poti Zoxia Moti/ Nipposolem Surianu ho/ Santana Kushi Jalmali toshi/ Mari deva Kurpen ho’ is another hymn which uses the symbolism of pearl (which shines only after the shell is opened and exposed to Sun), to sing the glory of the birth of Mother Mary. This process might have begun after ‘Kristapurana’ phase. The etymological and sociolinguistic importance of the hymns: As remarked by Prof. Pereira, it is difficult to identify the meaning of some of the words and idioms used in the hymns. But lexicographically these words may offer rich potential for students of comparative religions, etymology and Konkani sociolinguistics - a task which Prof. Pereira himself could have done well but has left it for Konkani scholars. The collection is indeed a treasure trove of Christian hymns reflecting folk spirituality during a period when Christianity was slowly taking roots in Goa, especially in the old conquest talukas. These hymns have enriched the spiritual life of small Christian communities for centuries and their compilation by Prof. Pereira is a great accomplishment for ensuring the preservation and continuity of the Konkani linguistic and cultural heritage. It would be interesting to compare the hymns in this book with any such traditions in the Thana, Mumbai, Bassein, Daman, Diu and other Konkani speaking regions. The parish associations and the church choirs could perhaps revitalize some of the oldest, rare and forgotten hymns with good musical accompaniment and produce CDs on Christian devotional music of Goa similar to the famous classical chants of Benedictine monks. The book fills a gap in our present knowledge of the Christian devotional traditions in Goa and their usage of various dialects of Konkani. Goa Konkani Akademy deserves kudos for gifting us this gem. The Goan Christian Diaspora would appreciate this book for its’ excellent reference value. Copies may be ordered from Goa Konkani academy, Panaji or could be booked from Goa Foundation’s Other India Bookshop, Mapusa which maintains a weblink on www.goacom.com. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from Goa-Research-Net ------------------------------------------------------------------- * Send us a brief self-intro to justify your interest in this "specialized" forum. 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