Friday 12 August 2011

Another MS of the Khristapurana discovered

Though the 'Amonkar MS' turned out not to be an MS at all, I had another surprise in store. I went to the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr, Porvorim, and asked to see the M.C. Saldanha MS. I was handed not one but two MS of the KP! I wonder if they have any more.

So let's establish these abbreviations:

CL: the Goa Central Library MS of the KP (following Tadkodkar)
TSKK-1: the M.C. Saldanha MS of the KP, at the TSKK
TSKK-2: the second MS of the KP, at the TSKK

For the record:

CL has interpolations made by Pascoal Gomes de Faria in 1722.
TSKK-2 has the same interpolations. It is a less well-preserved copy, however.
TSKK-1 does not have the interpolations. This adds to the probability that it is one of the MS examined by J.L. Saldanha for his 1907 edition (he knows about the interpolations, but says explicitly that he has not seen them in any of the MS he examined - among which one belonging to a certain Marian Saldanha).


The 'Amonkar MS' of the Khristapurana turns out to be ... J.L. Saldanha's 1907 edition

I paid a visit to the Goa Central Library, Panjim, on 9 August 2011, hoping to see the Amonkar MS of the Khristapurana. Mr Carlos Fernandes, the Curator, was away at the old Library. The MSS were also still at the old place. The librarian in attendance was kind enough to procure for me (1) CL (the Goa Central Library MS of the KP, M41), (2) printouts of photos she had made of the 'Amonkar MS'.

It turns out that what I have been told was the 'Amonkar MS' is really only a copy of J.L. Saldanha's 1907 edition of the KP. The GCL did not have a copy, so they have made digital photos and printouts of the same. Anyway, that is one mystery solved.

I spent some time going through CL and taking more notes (see GOA RESEARCH 2011 August).

Also found a copy of Scholberg, and took down his small Thomas Stephens Bibliography.