Scriptural scholarship

Religious scholar Kavasji Edalji Kanga who is known to have authored 12 books on the religion and taught Avesta and Pahlavi to hundreds of students while he was teacher at the Mulla Firoz Madressa "carried on his Avesta studies in solitude,” writes Marzban Giara in his essay on the life and works of Kanga compiled on the occasion of the scholar’s death centenary in 2004. The K. R. Cama Oriental Institute and the Rahnumae Mazdayas­nan Sabha held a meeting in March 2004 to commemorate Kanga’s literary legacy.

A scholar of Avesta, Pahlavi, Persian, Sanskrit and English Kanga had translated different religious texts like the Gathas, Vendidad, Yasna, Visperad, Yashts. His most popular work though remains the Khordeh Avesta ba Maeni, the 14th edition of which was published by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet in 2001 along with the seventh edition of another popular treatise Gatha Ba Maeni. Both these works as also Yasht Ba Maeni have been translated into English.

Kanga (Courtesy: Five Niyaeshes Translated and Explained)

His magnum opus would be the Avesta-English Dictionary, the only one yet available, writes Giara. When the study of Avesta was introduced at the University of Bombay, Kanga was appointed an examiner for the BA and MA examinations in the initial years. In 1885 the Government had appointed him a Fellow of the Bombay University.

His own knowledge of the subject was gleaned from savants like Kharshedji Rustomji Cama and Dastur Erachji Sorabji Meherjirana. At the age of 29 he joined the Mulla Firoz Madressa as a teacher of Zend Avesta and was promoted as head teacher the following year. For 41 years he continued to retain his ties with the Madressa. As honorary secretary of the Jarthosti Dinni Khol Karnari Mandli for 14 years from its inception in 1864, Kanga brought forth many important matters before the Mandli.

On the envelope containing his last work Avesta-English Dictionary, which he sent to the Mulla Firoz Madressa committee, was written his life’s philosophy "Patience and perseverance overcome mountains.”

Cama donated Rs 1,000 to the Mulla Firoz Madressa on his pupil’s uthamna in March 1904. A month later Dastur Kai­khushru Jamaspji made a public suggestion that all athornans recite Kanga’s name at all ceremonies. At a condolence meeting following his demise the resolution mentioned, "Considering his scholarship, his extraneous humility was noticeable. He single-handedly carried out and translated all Avesta books...(rendering) invaluable service to the Parsi community.” To commemorate his memory it was also decided to start a fund in his name. "Though a good amount of new research has been accomplished since Kanga’s days still his translations have an appeal...which no non-Zarathushti translator can achieve. The reason for this is that Kanga lived the religion whose scriptures he had translated...” wrote Giara.