User blogs
by Rupam Kumar Boro
Srimanta Sankaradeva being a pivotal figure is actually divided into the polarity of intellectual and common people. The intellectual is immersed in bringing out a new paradigm of his works, and the common people are subjected to the influence of ‘Kirttan Ghoxa’.
We are bound to cite such remarks after going through the crucial book Sankaradeva Adhyayanat Bixangati by Dr Sanjib Kr. Borkakoti (Pragya Mediahype, 2024). The first publication dates back to the year 2005. After a gap of about two decades, its second publication came out in 2024. Surprisingly, the article cherishes its dignity not only from the perspective of time period and relevance but also the challenges it throws upon the readers. The book exposes the falsification and various baffling statements associated with the life and philosophy of Gurujana. ... more
By Dr Dayananda Pathak
Srimanta Sankaradeva, the poet-playwright and social engineer of legendary height, from 15-16 century Assam, overstepped the regional and national frontiers for his human concerns and the glorification of an individual`s latent creativities. Although he is associated with Vaishnavism, he was essentially above all these religious identities in terms of strait-jacket exclusivities. Vaishnavism as a religious principle and practice started long before Srimanta Sankaradeva was born. Every principle has to be readjusted and rejuvenated to suit to local situations. For that we need not add a separate appellation for old ideas and their practical applications. A saint cannot be a local or national identity. He is born for the greatness and glorification of human beings erasing the entire national and sub-national frontiers. It is not the physical man, but the ideas that matter most in human civilization. The idea has to be humanity-centric for the acceleration of civilization. For that we need great thinkers, great ideologues and saintly messengers for peace and creativity, latent within every individual. ... more
by Dr Milan Neog
When we discuss about the medieval Bhakti movement, names like Ramananda, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Dadu, Tukaram, Narasimha Mehta etc. often come to mind. In the same breath, we must also remember and honour Srimanta Sankaradeva, an extraordinary figure whose contributions were equally profound. He is considered the greatest talent of all time in Assamese socio-cultural life. Assamese literary tradition began in the 10th century CE with the composition of the Buddhist Charyagita. In the 14th century CE, Madhava Kandali, who was born before Srimanta Sankaradeva, translated the Ramayana into Assamese, making it the first translation of the epic into any modern Indo Aryan languages. ... more
by Dr Ananya Barua
Śrimanta Śankaradeva and Hazrat Ājān Pir Fakir breathed new life into the vulnerable religion frontline emulating from the mutual milieu of the chronicled past. Streamlining the practiced observations, added with the inclusion of the local dialect to paraphrase the revered texts, paved the way for bringing in the much-celebrated Bhakti movement in Assam, India. Both these religious reformers constructed new kinds of meaning as the horizon of the text or the tradition, which they sought to creatively re-interpret, creating new literary canons and poetics to legitimize the emergence of new literary genres.... more
by Dr Sangita Bora
The philosophy of Srimanta Sankaradeva was pro–human. He developed such sense of religious order which is very simple and cushy. His religious order is known as “Nama Dharma”. His religion is the combination of humanity and spirituality. He projected humanity in every phase of his life. Equality, fraternity, impartiality, positivity, kindness, are some of the basic pillars of his humanistic approach. He built such a structure of society where he made all kinds of arrangement for assimilation of people irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. He tried to eradicate social evils like caste system by assembling people together through Bhakti cult. ... more
by Rupam Kumar Boro
Hagiography is a treasure-trove of moral values and a correct path of leading one’s life, among others, as shown by the saints themselves. Saints occupy a prominent place of worship and is treated as an incarnation of God. When the lives of the saints are penned down in the form of the above genre, the devotees as well as the admirers tune in with the words inscribed on it.
The chief aspect in a hagiography is the element of unquestioning factor. Astounding events and miracles form one of the constituents of this genre. Hagiographers are often direct devotee or disciple. This world of spirituality is an access to enlightening journey for someone while someone may be a doubting Thomas.... more
by Krishnasarana Bhakat (Edgar Faingor)
I am originally from Moscow, Russia, born in a non-religious family. From my early teenage years I was interested in spirituality, as I had pressing questions regarding the nature of our being, and the meaning of life. As Russia is historically and predominantly a Christian country, naturally at first I was exploring Christianity, and joined a course in a Catholic Church. Later on, I felt the need to study other spiritual paths, and therefore engaged in long-term studies of Hinduism and then Buddhism. While still in Moscow, I became interested in the teachings of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and Vedanta, and visited the Hare Krishna temple as well as Ramakrishna Mission centre.... more
प्रो. वीरेन्द्र कुमार अलंकारः, संस्कृत विभाग, पंजाब विश्वविद्यालय, चण्डीगढ
नाट्यकृद् भक्तिविल्लोकसंस्कारकृत्
गीतसंगीतकाव्येष्वधीती सुधीः।
धर्मविद् भेदभिन्नृत्यकृद् गायकः
देवदेवो हृदा स्तूयते शङ्करः।।१।।
लेभे यो वै जनुः श्रीप्रसिद्धेऽसमे
घोरकालेऽपि यो भास्वरो भायुतः।
मेने ह्येकं हि धर्मं सदा जीवने ... more
SPIRITUAL HUMANIST SRIMANTA SANKARADEVA
by Dr Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti
Dear friends from North America, I am highly priviledged to address you today on the life and works of Srimanta Sankaradeva, especially how he was a spiritual humanist. I am grateful to Naamghar Association of America for this great opportunity. The members of this Association deserve accolades for their sincerity in preserving and spreading the legacy of Srimanta Sankaradeva in foreign shore. Discussion about the saint is very scanty. Naamghar Association of America has done a commendable job by organising this dialogue. ... more
by Dr Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti
The Thân or Sattrainstitution is a living heritage bequeathed to the posterity by Srimanta Sankaradeva (1449 AD - 1568 AD). Unlike most heritages, which are long dead, the Thân or Sattrainstitution continues to be a vibrant one. Earlier, it was known only as Thân. Later on the name Sattra also came to be used. The religious order Eka Sarana Nâma Dharma of Srimanta Sankaradeva sustained itself for more than five centuries on the strength of the Thân or Sattra. ... more
by Dr Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti
Srimanta Sankaradeva (1449-1568), the founder of the Vaishnavite order Eka Sarana Nāma Dharmawas a multi-faceted person whose works had different dimensions. In spite of being a religious preceptor, he included aesthetic activities like Sattriyādance, Bargeetsong, Sankari music, Ankiyāplays, painting and sculpture in his scheme of things. Needless to say, all these were his own compositions. Even mundane activities like agricultural production found place in this pattern. Obviously he was a man of the world as well as man for the world. He wanted to make life good and beautiful for people around him. Therein lay his aesthetic approach to life. One who finds beauty in life cares for the quality of other peoples’ lives. Srimanta Sankaradeva did that. He cared for the quality of life for people around him.... more
(Continued from part I)
भकतेसेमोरहृदिजानिबानिश्चय
भकतजनरजानाआमिसेहृदय
मइबिनाभकतेनिचिन्तेकिछुआन
भकततपरेमइनिचिन्तोहोआन ll १८२९
I forever am enshrined in the heart of My devotees. Devotees, forever are
enshrined in My Heart! My devotees think of nothing but Me, and I, nothing but
them!"
Now compare the above with Abhang 2622 from Sant Eknath's collection. The language is nectarine Marathi: ... more
by Rohit Venkateshwaran
Sant Eknath was an epoch-making saint, social reformer as well
as literary figure in the Vaishnavite Bhakti Movement of Maharashtra. Like our
Mahaguru Srimanta Sankaradeva, he too was a poet par excellence who
rendered the essence of the Srimad Bhagavatam in the language of the masses:
Marathi.
With all humility, I render in English the most widely quoted part of Gurujana's "Kirtana Ghosha": the 4th Kirtan of the 26th Section "Sri Krishnar Vaikuntha Prayan", and compare it with Abhang no' 2622 of Sant Eknath’s collection (the “Eknathi Gatha”). Both are magnificent pieces of poetry which encompass Lord Sri Krishna's final teachings to Uddhava (in the 11th Canto of the Bhagavatam) before He ascended to Vaikuntha. This will be a long read, but the experience for sure, will be delightful! ... more
by Dr Pabitrapran Goswami,
We find altogether 36 ragas attached to the Bargits and the Ankar gits: Ahir, Asowari, Barari, Basanta, Belowar, Bhatiyali, Bhupali, Dhanasri, Gandhar, Gauri, Kalyan, Kamod, Kanara, Kau, Kau-Kalyan-Sindhura, Kedar, Karunyakedar, Lalit, Mahur or Maur, Mahur-Dhanasri, Mallar, Nat, Nat-Mallar, Purbi, Saranga, Sindhura, Sri, Sri-Gandhar, Sri-Gauri, Sripayar, Suhai, Syam, Syamgera, Tur, Tur-Basanta and Tur-Bhatiyali. Out of these some are unitary in character and some others are of mixed or compound nature, involving the fusion of two or more ragas. ... more
by Dr Pabitrapran Goswami
Prabandha Gana:
Dhrupadaand Kirttana or Kriti are the earliest forms of music extant today in the Hindusthani and the Karnatik systems. The Prabandha Gana evidently represented a stage in the evolution of Indian music prior to that of Dhrupada and Kirttana, a stage till which perhaps the ragas and the talas enjoyed uniformity in almost all parts of India. sarngadeva, the 13th century scholar cum musician, in his encyclopaedic work Sangita Ratnakara, speaks of three chief types of Prabandha, viz., Suda, Ali and Biprakirna and of two chief sub-divisions of Suda-Prabandha : suddha-suda and Salaga-suda. ... more
by Dr Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti
Srimanta Sankaradeva is generally remembered as a religious preceptor, who founded the Eka Sarana Nâma Dharma order. But that is not his only identity. His activities were not confined to the realm of religion alone. His activities were multi-dimensional. He contributed so many things to the society, or to be more precise to the humanity. He created many new things, new type of building structure, new social structure, new type of social management, new educational system, new food, new health care, new musical instrument, new music, new dance form, new form of play, new form of textile art, new form of painting and so on. There was innovation in almost all his activities. Very often he did not follow the beaten track. He charted his own path. His new path was always so attractive and suitable that people soon started to follow him in the new path.... more
by Dr Pabitrapran Goswami
Nothing can be definitely said about the exact form of Assamese music in the pre-Sankaradeva time. However, scholars have often tried to trace back the lineage of classical art and music in Assam right from the days of Bharata’sNatya sastra. Out of the four different forms of drama, viz., Daksinatya, Awanti, Pancal-Madhyama andOdra-Magadhi, referred to in the Natyasastra, the form called Odra-Magadhi was, according to Bharata, in vogue in the entire north-eastern region covering Anga, Banga, Kalinga, Magadh, Nepal and Pragjyotispur (ancient Assam). During those days dance and music were indispensable parts of a drama.... more
By Dr Pabitrapran Goswami
The name Bargit is popularly ascribed to a special set of devotional songs composed during the late 15th and the early 16th centuries A.D. by Srimanta Sankaradeva and his disciple Sri Sri Madhavadeva, the two chief exponents of Vaishnavism in Assam. According to the Carita Puthis1, Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva referred to their songs as git only. The adjectival prefix Bar2, therefore, must have been a later reverential addition by the devout disciples of the two Vaishnava priests, which might bear upon the musical grandeur3 of the songs too. ... more
The literary and cultural contributions by the saint continue to influence the modern creative works. But strangely very little is known about him outside the state. ... more
by
Dr Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti
Srimanta Sankaradeva was one of the foremost religious philosophers in the world. His religion Eka Sharana Nâma Dharma laid the foundation for a new religious philosophy. The present author has named this philosophy as Vivartanavâda as it facilitates the elevation of the Jîva from the primary dual state to the non-dual state of identity with Brahma. The pertinent features of this philosophy are : ... more
by Dr Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti
Srimanta Sankaradeva was the first playwright in all modern Indian languages. It started with his play Chihna-yatra, which was enacted in 1468 AD at Bordowa in front of 10,000 audience. His plays are known as Ankiya play. Enactment of the Ankiya plays authored by Srimanta Sankaradeva and his successor-disciple Madhavadeva is called Bhaona. Many plays have been written since then by different Assamese playwrights in the style of the Ankiya plays. But these later compositions are not called Ankiya play. So Ankiya Bhaona means the enactment of only the Ankiya plays authored by Srimanta Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva. ... more
by Dr Madan Sarma
Translation has played a crucial role in the development of Assamese literature. In fact, translation and adaptation of important Sanskrit texts-both religious and secular-have helped the growth and development of various forms/genres of literature in a number of Indian languages. ... more
by Dr Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti
Srimanta Sankaradeva created a new religion, Eka Sarana Nâma Dharma. But he was not a religious preceptor alone. He had multi-faceted talent in the disciplines of dance, music, drama, verses etc. He also created a new social structure. He may be placed among the all time greats in the world for his role in social reform alone. The time when he was born in was a time of terror and tyranny. ... more
by Dr Ananyaa Barua
Srimanta Sankaradeva's Eka Sarana Nama Dharma was an attempt to revive the pristine aspect of Gita's philosophy of complete self-surrender in Love. God to Srimanta Sankaradeva was above duality, above Purusha and Prakriti. 'There was none but One' was his creed. Mahapurushiya or Eka Sarana Nama Dharma centers round this core principle. In the Shvetashvataropanishad, it is found : ... more
by Dr Arshiya Sethi
The Sattras were born out of the Bhakti movement as it came to Assam. Like the Bhakti movements in many other parts of India, the Bhakti movement in Assam, called the Eka Sarana Nama Dharma, had a creative audio visual aspect for its propagation. Through his creative genius Sankaradeva was able to mould the Cultural life of Assam. The epicenter of the cultural life of Assam was the Sattra, which for five centuries has been the crucible of the Sattriya cultural tradition. ... more
