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(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 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

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

Hail Krishna, Vishnu Achyuta, the Supreme Lord.

Mounted on the shoulders of Garuda, he struck down his

enemy.

In his joyful lila the son of Devaki

carried off the parijata flower for the sake of his beloved.

Victory to Krishna.... more

Translated by Dr. Satyendranath Sarma

[Reproduced from https://atributetosankaradeva.org with thanks]

A complete translation of the above named play, minus its verse portions which are meant to be sung in appropriate rāgas, is given below. The verse portions are metrical renderings of the prose dialogue and Sutradhāra’s commentaries.... more

[Reproduced from https://atributetosankaradeva.org with thanks]

Jaya Guru Sankara / sarva-gunākara / 

yākeri nāhike upām:
Tohāri caranaka / renu satakoti /
bāreka karoho pranām.... more

[Adapted from https://atributetosankaradeva.org with thanks] 

Chapter 'Haramohana' (2nd Kirttana)
Pada

 Namo Namo Madhava vidhira vidhidata

Tumi Jagatara gati-mati pita mata

Tumi paramatma jagatara esha eka

Eku bastu nahike tumaka byatireka-9

Tumi karya karana samasta sarasara... more