Contents: Introduction. Prologue to the readers. 1. Christian Marathi literature in Goa. 2. Contribution of A.K. Priolkar and V.B. Prabhudessai to the study of Christian Marathi literature written during the 17th century. 3. Textual criticism and the Christian Marathi literature in Goa. 4. Depiction of suffering and the Cry. 5. Scheme of transliteration of Christian Marathi literature in Goa. 6. Texts of the Paixao de Cristo (Christi Vilapika) in the Roman script. 7. Texts of the Paixao de Cristo (Christi Vilapika) transliterated from the Roman script into the Devanagari script. 8. Structure of Marathi language in Christian literature in Goa. Appendices: 1. Censures and licenses. 2. Glossary (Marathi-Roman as well as Devanagari script-English). 3. Explanatory notes-I. 4. Explanatory notes-II. 5. Four texts of CHILAYABAL VILAPIKA. 6. Bibliography. 7. Texts of the Christi Vilapika.

"This book is a faithful reproduction of original texts of Christian Marathi Vilapika (Passion of Christ), written by Catholic missionaries during the 17th century in Marathi language and Roman script, while the Portuguese were ruling Goa.

Dr. S.M. Tadkodkar, an ardent research student of Christian Marathi literature of the 17th century, has offered in this book edited copies of three poems based on sublime pathos of the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. He also transliterated the texts into the Devanagari script.

Dr. Tadkodkar has restored original texts after following principles of textual criticism. The author has also investigated linguistic form of the 17th century in Goa to explore whether it resembles with that of 12th and 13th centuries Marathi language in Maharashtra.

The linguistic erudition reflected in these consolidated texts would emerge as a patient study of the 17th century enriched with glossary and copious notes.

This attempt should be considered as the valuable contribution to the understanding of vernacular languages, which offer potentially abundant material for specialized linguistics." (jacket)