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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.
Each of these saints of medieval India was unique, and their talents are beyond comparison. Every person is born under certain circumstances, but each great individual is shaped by the contemporary times, society, and their response to the natural and normal rules of conscience. Since the geopolitics, socioeconomic backgrounds, cultural heritage, and historical situations of each region in medieval India were different, each saint responded to them in their own unique way. As such, they embraced new ideologies and philosophies, working towards the metamorphosis of society.
The vast body of works composed by Srimanta Sankaradeva was not in Sanskrit; it was written in the refined literary form of Assamese, handed down to him through the Charyapada, Hema Saraswati, Rudra Kandali, Harihara Bipra, and Madhava Kandali of the pre-Sankari era. He wrote his plays (Ankiya Naats) and his Borgeets in the Brajawali form of Assamese language – which was understandable in all over the Northern India.
Srimanta Sankaradeva brilliantly captured the pulse of folk life—its rhymes, sounds, rhythms, and expressions. He created literature for common people—the workers, the oppressed, the neglected, and the marginalized. It was the literature for those who had forgotten how to laugh under the unbearable weight of pain and suffering, providing them with the mental nourishment that made their difficult lives more bearable. Through this literature, the illiterate masses could grab the essence of life and realize the beauty and pain of earthly livelihood. That is why his works are not simply sermons or religious tales—they are rich with the pure essence of literature. He saw himself as a poet, as reflected in his own words:
“Bhagavata pada shobi / Rachila Sankara kabi”
(The poet Sankara has composed the Bhagavata verses), or
“Krishnaro Kingkaro Sewi / Rachila Sankara kabi.” (the servant of Krishna, the poet Sankara has composed the verses)
This literature enriched the masses. The workers, who were largely illiterate, experienced and appreciated it. The right to education was not granted to the so-called lower-caste people, and for the masses at that time, education was neither accessible nor deemed necessary. Education was primarily reserved for the royal family, feudal lords, courtiers, officers, and high-caste Brahmins.
The question arises: if there are no readers, what is the point of writing? If we compile all of Srimanta Sankaradeva’s writings, excluding his Sanskrit works, the collection would still amount to more than 1,000 pages in Crown Size format with a 14-point font. This does not include his Sanskrit compositions or the compilation Bhakti Ratnakara.
Scholars, creativity, and social responsibility come together in a remarkable blend of talents in Srimanta Sankaradeva’s works, seeking new avenues—constructing a performing text alongside the literary text. There was also a need to give voice to the voiceless in the creation of both forms. His works gave music to the lips of a weeping crowd, and courage to the hearts of the desperate --through the power of storytelling. The resonance of sound and the rhythm of rhyme in Srimanta Sankaradeva’s tales brought the supernatural world to the masses in a profoundly literary way. The masses understand the celestial world with the help of the earthly experiences. For example, Indra, despite being a deity, behaves like an ordinary man—venting his emotions and becoming intoxicated with pride and anger.
Aji tor koro uli/ Krodhe Indra ehi buli
(becoming very angry Indra says today I will destroy you).
Again, in the ‘Haramohana’ episode of Kirtana, Srimanta Sankaradeva has written,
Krira dekhi Chandra kame bimohito ati
Stambhailanto rotho nupuhai jito rati.
Seeing the erotic behavior of Siva, Chandra (The deity Moon) is stung by the cupid and lingers, the day fails to break! ----In this regard, the poet’s imagination is both primitive and beautiful, much like the imagery found in folktales.
The illiterate masses enjoyed this beautiful literature of Srimanta Sankaradeva. The way to overcome the obstacles, to bringing such pleasant texts to the public was by listening and chanting. In the words of Srimanta Sankaradeva, among the nine forms of devotion, "hearing (shravan) and chanting (kirtan) are the best.” The purpose of this is - if the literate sings/reads (kirtan), the illiterate will hear (shravana). From a religious point of view, hearing and chanting are two expressions of devotion. But socio-culturally it is an innovative way of public education. In the devotional tradition of Assam, devotion to God is personal but a major system of worship - 'Nam Prasang' is always collective. In other words, Kirtan or chanting the name of God is done in ‘Satsang’ (saintly association) or with the gathering of the bhakatas. Its social significance is that if one recites kirtan, the assembled crown will listen. Therefore - Srimanta Sankaradeva paid a lot of attention to the Satsang. He prompted in various ways to take association with the bhakatas. For example,
‘Kato Mahabhagye bhakatoko log pai
Atopore jibaro paramo bhagya nai
(to meet the Bhaktas is a rare luckiness)
Sri Krishna himself said (in Srimanta Sankaradeva’s writing),
‘Bhakato Janese moro hridai’ (Bhakta is my heart)
The dream of transcendental liberation is possible through listening and chanting in the company of devotees. Behind this philosophy, Srimanta Sankaradeva gave the Assamese society a joyful tradition of public education and regular practice of reading and listening. It continues to follow the same ideals today.
It is noteworthy that, kirtan means singing/chanting, not reading. This means that there is music in the kirtan. Assamese devotional tradition holy scriptures must be listened to, and if the listening is not enjoyable, it will be boring. Therefore, Srimanta Sankaradeva added a beautiful performance text in each literary text.
The tone and melody are deferent according to the context. For instance, the tune in which the Bhagavata, is recited differs from the recitational tune of the Kirtana Ghosa written by Srimanta Sankaradeva. Similarly, the recitational style of Namghosha, composed by Madhavadeva, follows a different pattern. The same variation applies within a single text as well. For example, the recitation of the Kirtana-ghosa differs depending on whether it is used during Nam prasanga or a regular reading. Likewise, the recitation of Namghosha varies depending on the context—whether it is sung in a khol prasanga, a nam prasanga, or simply recited as a prayer by a householder. The vast, varied, and deeply appealing musical arrangement in literary readings enhanced the emotional expression of Bhagavad-bhakti, making it a powerful and immersive experience.
The compassion in the Bargit 'Pave Pari Hari' is expressed with equal intensity in the Namghosha. It is remarkable that the Namghosha is a theory-based doctrine and prayer book. It does not have a narrative tale. Ordinary people are lovers of narrative tales. Therefore, all the literature of Srimanta Sankaradeva is basically narrative tales. But there is no narrative in the Namghosa. However, it is very popular in Assam. So, the difficult philosophical tatta are become easy to realise through the repeated chanting with this kind of musical performance.
Nirguna Howai jibo tuwa guno gai.
(the creature becomes attributeless by chanting your name and fame)
Another notable feature of the 'Namghosa' is the rhythm of the odd circle. For example, there is no match between syllables and the unit of musical measure between the following lines
Karmat biswas jaro hiyato thakonta hari
Atisai duro hunta taro/ Duroto biduro hunta taro.
The last line is extra according to Assamese prosody, as the first line should have 14 syllables but currently has 16. There are several inconsistencies in the rhythmic arrangement in the final section of the Namghosha, known as Namchanda. Without proper rhyme, the reading experience is affected. However, the musical performance of the Namghosha remains unaffected by these rhythmic irregularities due to its perfomance text.
Through Srimanta Sankaradeva’s linguistic transformation, medieval Assamese became so enriched that it could convey profound philosophical theories, tragic stories, themes of love and desire, picturisation of the beauty of nature and vivid descriptions of unfamiliar figures such as Surpanakha, Aghasura, Baghasura, and Nrisingha, as well as depictions of fire, war, and physical conditions of characters previously unknown to Assamese audiences.
As Srimanta Sankaradeva preached his new religion to uplift the common people, he used the literature, music, acting, and visual art as tools to convey his message. His language was simple and accessible, even when expressing the profound teachings of the Bhagavata, the Gita, and Vedantic monotheistic philosophy.
Despite its simplicity, his language effectively conveyed complex concepts such as Brahma, Maya, the nature of the world, Ekasarana, Nishkam Bhakti, the classical foundation of castelessness, the futility of Brahminism, and the essential attributes of God—nirguna, nirakar, nirvishesha (formless, without attributes, and beyond specificity). His ability to express these intricate philosophical ideas with clarity and conviction is truly remarkable.
In his writings we find the scholar philosopher Srimanta Sankaradeva. Yet he is sensitive towards the happiness and sorrow of the people, their poverty and therefore is not into showing off his scholarship. The intellectualism of the historical great man is evident in his Sanskrit work called Bhakti-Ratnakara, a scholarly work with commentaries and annotations. This was meant for scholars to read and not for ordinary people.
Srimanta Sankaradeva’s Gajendra Upakhyan, Shyamantak Haran, and Balichalan are pure tales of enjoyment, appealing to both young and old alike. As a narrator, Srimanta Sankaradeva is remarkably creative. The narratives he reconstructed from Sanskrit contain all the fundamental elements of a wholesome social life rooted in moral values. Undoubtedly, these stories have played a significant role in shaping the moral and social fabric of Assamese society. Prahlad, though persecuted, remained steadfast in his faith, trust, and idealism as a devoted follower—yet he remained calm, humble, and patient. Bipra Damodar, despite his poverty, upheld his self-respect. His friendship with Sri Krishna of Dwaraka was never diminished by financial inequality. Throughout these narratives, there is a continuous flow of devotional ideals and philosophical insights, much like how proverbs are woven into the folktales of everyday life.
Nature is physically and humanly integrated into the ranks. There is an elegant expression of physical pleasure in the description. Translating such verses into English is very difficult due to their cultural context and linguistic construction. But it is possible to translate it meaningfully into any regional Indian language.
It is very interesting to observe about the musical awareness in Srimanta Sankaradeva's literature. This musicality of his texts is associated with the association of sound with the sense –the pleasure of listening to best words in best order. The rhythm of a Borgeet, the repetition of a syllable and the pace/tempo of a song has direct link with the content. After hearing a song anyone can understand the content. The sound pattern and musical structure of Srimanta Sankaradeva’s compositions themselves help convey their meaning and context. Similarly, he demonstrates remarkable skill in crafting non-musical literary texts.
In his songs, the words and their musical arrangement form an integral part of the context. Likewise, his non-musical literary works incorporate vivid sound and pictorial descriptions that enhance their depth and expression. Srimanta Sankaradeva built the foundation of his philosophy through rigorous study, and the precision with which he references authoritative texts to support each of his views is unparalleled among his contemporaries. He says,
Amar bole jittaneda thari.
Ekadash kondhe chowa bisari.
Padma puranato namato ashe
Napaile akhyak nindiba pashe.
(You can vilify me if you could not find it in Padma purana)
He criticized the pan Indian casteism by referring to the scriptures:
Antajayu jiba kori ase geeta
Taka ninda kore jitu kumar.
Punyako lagi jai adhogati.
Amaro bole patiyano nai.
Dekhiyo suto samhitaka chai.
It means, who censure the low caste people for their chanting of Hari-naam, they are go to the hell. If you do not believe me, please see the Suta samhita.
Yet, these narratives are not merely read but also sung. Through songs, these otherwise unlyrical narratives reach common people, making them more accessible—a truly noble venture. Close readers of Srimanta Sankaradeva might be observing his genuine fascination and curiosity about the world, as well as his deep interest for the mystery of human beings. Of course, we must view this within the medieval context. In Bhakti literature, characters attain Baikuntha (heaven) through the power of their devotion to God. Here, Baikuntha represents the ultimate bliss.
But what did happiness mean to people at that time? It could be as simple as having rice when hungry, a remedy for the sick, or a cure for mental distress. Could the contemporary kings, priests, or Tantrics offer solutions to such problems beyond what Srimanta Sankaradeva provided? The same question applies to saints like Guru Nanak and Kabir as well. Srimanta Sankaradeva may not have been able to feed the poor with rice, but he could inspire them to detach from material gains and pleasures. He advocated for a simple life, an ideal of equality, humanistic inclusiveness, and lessons of tolerance—values that transcended the elaborate and costly rituals of the Brahminical tradition.
Through literature and music, he enriched the everyday lives of common people by adding an artistic dimension. It is this cultural and spiritual treasure bestowed by Srimanta Sankaradeva that continues to keep Assamese society rich to this day. For this reason, he is revered as our ‘ultimate Guru’ and is celebrated as the greatest figure Assam has ever produced. He was instrumental in introducing India to the Assamese people. By composing Raga music with uniqueness, he held a significant place in the world of Indian music.
[Lecture delivered in Srimanta Sankaradeva chair at Panjab University, Chandigarh]
