The many names of Goa
August 20th, 2008 at 4:16 pm (Uncategorized)
by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas
Goa was known in ancient Hindu literature as Gomanta. This name itself seems to have originated from the Sanskrit Govarashtra, the ancient appellation of South Konkan. This name of Gomanta also occurs in the Bishma Parva of the Mahabharata, the Harivamsa, the Skhanda and other Purannas.
According to J N Fonseca, “it (Goa) is designated in the Kanarese inscriptions as Gove, and in the Sanskrit as Gopakapuri, Gopakapattana and Govapuri”.(1)
This name of Govapuri appears also in the Suta-Samhita where it is said that the very sight of Govapuri destroys any sin committed in previous life just as the sunrise dispels the darkness.
In an inscription of Jayakesi of the Kadamba dynasty, the city is referred to as Gopakpuri and in another as Gove.
Some scholars trace the origin of Goa to Gualdev, identified with Guhalla, the real founder of the Goa branch of the Kadambas.
Some others appear to derive the same from the river Gomanti, the old name for the Mandovi river. Prof. Wilson identifies it with Gopakarastra i.e. the district of cowherds or of nomadic tribes mentioned in the Mahabharata, because the first Aryan settlers, as is well known, led a pastoral life.(2)
Three centuries before Christ, in an inscription of King Ashoka, the Konkan region was known as Aparantã to which the Greek geographer Ptolemy(3) alludes and also to the city of Konba, interpreted by Mcbrindle(4) as Goa.(5)
According to Gabriel Saldanha(6) the Greeks called it Nelkinda or Tyndis, Tricadiba insula and the Persians and Arabs referred to it as Kave and Sindabur respectively. Prof. G M Morais, however, identifies Sindabur with Chandrapur (Chandor) rather than with Goa(7). He bases his opinion on a study made by M E Stuarts Gomes (Identificacao de Sindabur e Chandrapur) wherein she states “Sindabar is an Arab distortion (pronuncia arrevezada arabe) of Chandrapur.(8)
Finally, Goa was known to Sumerians from the time of Ensi Gudea, their Governor in Sumer, some 2000 BC as “Gubi”.(9)
References:
(1) FONSECA, J N; A Historical and Archaeological sketch of the City of Goa, Bombay, 1878, p.116.
(2) India Portuguesa, Imprensa, Nacional, p.56; PAIS, Leonardo; Promptuario das Definicoes Indicas I (Tratado 2, Chapter 3).
(3) Periplus of the Erythraen Sea written about 131 AD
(4) Indian Antiquary, 1884, vol. 13 p.367 and Naine, History of Konkan, 1894, p.1.
(5) SMITH, V; Early History of India, p.232.
(6) History of Goa, 2nd Edit. Edit. Vol.1, p.12.
(7) MORAES, Prof. G M; Kadamba Kula, 1931, p.215.
(8) GOMES, M E Stuarts; Sindabar, Goa and Chandrapur, Feb. 1932, p.19.
(9) WADDELL, Dr.; Makers of Civilization in Race and History, 1968, p.377.
Other References:
COSTA, J A J da; A History of Goa, 1982, pp.6-7.
