Rane to release Konkani version of Jnaneshwari

Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane will release the Konkani translation of Jnaneshwari, a 9,000-verse 13th Century Prakrit Marathi commentary on the Bhagwad Gita, by educationist Suresh G. Amonkar on November 7.

Ashok Kamat, head of the Sant Namdev Chair in Pune University, will be the chief guest. Kiran Budkule, reader, Goa University, will review the work.

The former Chairman of the Goa Secondary and Higher Secondary Board, Amonkar, is a well-known writer and translator. He has translated the Bhagwad Gita, Tirrukural and Dhammapada. The last book received the Central Sahitya Academy Award for translation in 2000.

Jnaneshwari, which has a rare blend of literary excellence and metaphysics, has so far been translated into 12 Indian languages, including Konkani. Divided into six schedules, the translated works in Konkani and Marathi versions side by side run into 600 pages.

"This Konkani translation is a fitting tribute to a saint who regarded the whole world as his home. I am confident that it will enable readers in Konkani to appreciate the exquisite poetry and profound metaphysics of Jnaneshwari," says Mr. Amonkar who attributes credit to "divine blessings" for the monumental task he has accomplished in translating Jnaneshwari after the Bhagwad Gita, Tirrukural and Dhammapada.

Realising the enormity of the task undertaken by Mr. Amonkar, a group of friends of the writer has formed a Jnaneshwari Publication Committee under the banner of "Jnaneshwari: Konkani-Marathi Bridge Project" headed by Alban Couto, retired IAS officer, to raise resources to assist the project.

The committee has plans to bring out a special issue of "Shri Jnaneshwar-Shri Jnaneshwari."

The committee has appealed to the people to help the cause through advertisements in the special issue.