Srimanta Sankardev was an Assamese polymath of the 15th–16th century who was a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist, social-religious reformer, and significant figure in the cultural and religious history of Assam, India. This article will explain about Sankardev which will be helpful in Indian Art and Culture preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Sankardev (1449 - 1568)

• According to traditional accounts, Sankardev, then known as Sankara, was born in 1449 CE in Alipukhuri near Bordowa in the present-day Nagaon region of Assam.
• His father, Kusumvar Bhuyan, was the Shiromani (head) of the region's Baro-Bhuyans clans (the Baro-Bhuyans were independent landlords in Assam).
• He is largely recognized for inventing new types of music (Borgeet), theatrical performance (Ankia Naat, Bhaona), dance (Sattriya), and literary language (Brajavali).
• In addition, he left a large literary corpus that included trans-created scriptures, poetry, and theological writings written in Sanskrit, Assamese, and Brajavali.
• The Bhagavatic religious movement he founded, Ekasarana Dharma, is also known as the Neo-Vaishnavite movement.
• Influenced two medieval kingdoms - Koch and the Ahom kingdoms and the assembly of devotees he founded, evolved over time into monastic centers known as Sattras, which remain important socio-religious institutions in Assam and, to a lesser extent, North Bengal.
• Sankardev influenced the Bhakti movement in Assam in the same way as Guru Nanak, Ramananda, Namdev, Kabir, Basava, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inspired it throughout the Indian subcontinent.
• His ideas were approved by the Matak Kingdom, which was formed by Bharat Singha and consolidated by Sarbananda Singha in the late 18th century.

Srimanta Sankardeva

Ekasarana Dharma

• Ekasarana Dharma is a neo-Vaishnavite religion founded in the 15th-16th centuries in the Indian state of Assam by Srimanta Sankardeva.
• It focuses on devotion (bhakti) to Krishna in the form of congregational listening (sravan) and singing his name and deeds rather than vedic ritualism.
• The major sacred text of this religion is the Bhagavat of Sankardeva, which was translated from the Sanskrit Bhagavata Purana by Srimanta Sankardeva and other early Eka Sarana school members.
• The Ekasarana religion emphasized religious practices of bhakti rather than systematically expounding philosophical viewpoints.
• Though Ekasarana recognizes the impersonal (nirguna) god, it recognizes the personal (saguna) one as worshipful.
• Krishna, the supreme entity himself, is the target of adoration in Ekasarana, according to the Bhagavata Purana.

Literary works

• His major literary creations include the 'Kirtana Ghosha,' 'Gunamala,' and others.
• His holy songs are referred to as 'Borgeet.'
• His plays are known as 'Ankia Naat,' and Sattriya Dance was a feature of them at the time.
• Srimanta Sankardev adopted the art of tale-telling through drama in the 'Ankhiya Naats,' largely illustrating the lives of Lord Krishna and Lord Rama.
• 'China Jatra' was his debut dramatic piece. Among his 'Ankia Naats' are 'Kaliya Daman,' 'Patni Prasad,' 'Keli Gopal,' 'Rukmini Haran,' 'Parijat Haran,' and 'Rambijay.'
• When he started school at the age of twelve, he wrote a poem in praise of Lord Vishnu called 'Karatala Kamala Kamala Dala Nayana' without using any vowels because he had only learned consonants up to that point.

Conclusion

Sankardev left an indelible imprint on Assam's religious and cultural life. Through his teachings, he united various castes and groups of people into a single cultural unit. He established monasteries in even the most remote villages, bringing Bhakti to the common people.