Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva (1449-1568) is a colossal figure in the cultural and religious history of Assam, India. He is credited with providing a thread of unity to Assam straddling two major kingdoms, building on past literary activities to provide the bedrock of Assamese culture, and creating a religion that gave shape to a set of new values and social synthesis. The religion he started (Eka Sarana Hari Naam Dharma) was part of the Bhakti movement then raging in India, and he inspired bhakti in Assam just as Ramananda, Kabir, Basava and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inspired it elsewhere. Events January 6 - Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor. ... Events March 23 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. ... Assam (Assamese: অসম, Hindi: असम; Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... Bhakti movements are Hindu religious movements in which the main spiritual practice is the fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. ... Ramananda was a vaishnava saint, a Ramayat - devotee of Lord Rama. ... Kabir (also Kabira, Hindi: , Punjabi: , Urdu: , 1440 - 1518) was an Indian mystic who preached an ideal of seeing all of humanity as one. ... Basaveshvara Basava (also known as Basaveshwara or Basavanna) is known as the founder of the lingayat (Lingayats) religious movement in India. ... Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST ) (Bangla ) (1486 - 1534), was an ascetic Hindu monk and social reformer in 16th century Bengal, India (present-day West Bengal and Bangladesh). ...

His literary and artistic contributions are living traditions in Assam today. The religion he preached is practiced by a large population, and monasteries (sattras) that he started sustain his legacy.

In reverence to his personality, teachings and oeuvre, he is a Mahapurusha---'Great Man'.

Eka Sarana

Sankaradeva used the form of Krishna to preach devotion to a single God (eka sarana), who can be worshiped solely by uttering His various names (naam). In contrast to other bhakti forms, eka sarana follows the dasya attitude (a slave to God). Moreover, unlike the 'Gaudiya Vaishnavism' of Bengal, Radha is not worshiped along with Krishna. In uttering the name of God, Hari, Rama, Narayana and Krishna are most often used. Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, IAST ) is according to various Hindu traditions the eighth or the ninth avatar of Vishnu. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hari is another name of Vishnu or God in Vaishnavism, Smarta or Advaitan Hinduism, Ayyavazhi and appears as the 650th name in the Vishnu sahasranama. ... Lord Rama (center) with wife Sita, brother Lakshmana and devotee Hanuman. ... Narayana (नरायण; ) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu and is in many contemporary vernaculars, a common Indian name. ...

Sankaradeva himself and the religion in general are particularly antagonistic to saktism which was strongly prevalent in Assam at the time. This probably explains the non-use of Radha as an icon. His famous debate with Madhavadeva, who was a staunch sakta earlier, and Madhavadeva's subsequent conversion to Vaishnavism, is often cited as the single most epoch-making event in the history of the neo-Vaishnavite movement in Assam. Madhavadeva, an equally multi-talented person, became his most celebrated disciple. Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ...

A non-brahmin, Srimanta Sankaradeva started a system of initiation (saran lowa) into his religion. He initiated people of all castes and religions, including even Muslims. After initiation, the devotee is expected to adhere to the religious tenets of eka sarana. Failure to adhere to these tenets led to ex-communication in certain cases. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social stratification, such as clans, gentes, or the Indian caste system. ...

Though he himself married (twice), had children and led the life of a householder, his disciple Madhavadeva did not. Some of his followers today follow celibate monkhood (kevaliya bhakat) in the Vaishnavite monasteries---the sattras.

The people who practice his religion are called variously as Mahapurushia, Sarania or Sankari.

Works

Literary

Sankaradeva produced a large body of work. Though there were others before him who wrote in the language of the common man---Madhav Kandali who translated the Ramayana into Assamese in the 14th century, Harivara Vipra and Hema Saraswati---it was Sankaradeva who opened the floodgates and inspired others like Madhavadeva to carry on where he left off. The Rāmāyaņa (Sanskrit: रामायण (a sandhi form of rāma-ayana = march or journey (Āyana) of Rāma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ...

His language is lucid, his verses lilting, and he infused bhakti into everything he wrote. His magnum opus is his Kirtana-ghosha, a work so popular that even today it is found in nearly every household in Assam. It contains narrative verses glorifying Krishna meant and is meant for community singing. It is a bhakti kayva par excellence, written in a lively and simple language, it has "stories and songs for amusement [for children], it delights the young with true poetic beauty and elderly people find here religious instruction and wisdom".

For most of his works, he used the Assamese language of the period so the lay person could read and understand them. But for dramatic effect in his songs and dramas he used Brajavali, an artificial mixture of Braj language and Assamese. Assamese (অসমীয়া) or Ôxômiya (IPA [ɔxɔmija]) is the language spoken by some of the natives of the state of Assam in northeast India. ... Brajavali is the language used by Srimanta Sankardeva, Madhabdev and other composers who belonged to the religious sect started by Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th-16th century in Assam. ... Also spelled Braj Bhasha, or Braj Bhakha, Indo-Aryan language spoken around Mathura, Uttar Pradesh state, India, and commonly viewed as a western dialect of Hindi. ...

Other literary works include the rendering of eight books of the Bhagavata Purana including the Adi Dasama (Book X), Harishchandra-upakhyana (his first work), Bhakti-pradip, the Nimi-navasiddha-samvada (conversation between King Nimi and the nine Siddhas), Bhakti-ratnakara (Sanskrit verses, mostly from the Bhagavata, compiled into a book), Anadi-patana (having as its theme the creation of the universe and allied cosmological matters), Gunamala and many plays like Rukmini haran, Patni prasad, Keli gopal, Kurukshetra yatra and Srirama vijaya. There was thus an efflorescence of great Bhakti literature during his long life of 120 years. The Bhagavata Purana (sometimes rendered as Bhagavatha Purana), also known as the Srimad Bhagavatam, written c. ... Harishchandra, in Hindu mythology was one of the kings of the Solar Dynasty. ...

Poetic works (Kavya)

• Kirtana-ghosha
• Harischandra-upakhyana
• Rukmini-harana
• Ajamilopakhyana
• Bali-chalana
• Kurukshetra-yatra
• Gopi-uddhava-samvada
• Amrta-manthana
• Krishna-prayana-pandava-niryana
• Kamajaya

Bhakti Theory

• Bhakati-pradipa
• Anadi-patana
• Nimi-navasiddha-samvada
• Bhakti Ratnakara (in Sanskrit)
• Gunamala Text

Transliteration

• Bhagavat (Book VI, VIII, I, II, VII, X, XI, XII; IX not available)
• Ramayana (uttarakanda, supplemental to Madhav Kandali's Katha Ramayana)

His translation of the Bhagavata is actually a transcreation, because he translates not just the words but the idiom and the physiognomy too. He has adapted the original text to the local land and people and most importantly for the purpose of bhakti. Portions of the original were left out or elaborated where appropriate. For example, he suppressed the portions that revile the lowers castes of sudra and kaivartas, and extols them elsewhere. The Bhagavat of Sankardeva is the adaptation of the Bhagavata Purana made by Srimanta Sankardeva in 15th-16th century in the regions that form present-day Assam and Cooch Behar. ... The Rāmāyaņa (Sanskrit: रामायण (a sandhi form of rāma-ayana = march or journey (Āyana) of Rāma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Kotha Ramayana is written by powerful Assamese poet Madhava Kandali during 14 th century. ... Shudra, or Sudra, is the fourth caste, or varna, in the traditional four-caste division among Indian castes. ...

Drama (Naat)

• Patni-prasada
• Kali-damana
• Keli-gopala
• Rukmini-harana
• Parijata-harana
• Srirama-vijaya

Sankaradeva was the fountainhead of the Ankiya naat, a form of one-act play. In fact, his Cihna Yatra---staged by him when he was only 19---is regarded as one of the first open-air theatrical performances in the world. Cihna yatra was probably a dance drama and no text of that show is available today. Innovations like the presence of a Sutradhara (narrator) on the stage, use of masks etc. were used later in the plays of Bertolt Brecht and other eminent playwrights. Bertolt Brecht. ...

These cultural traditions still form an integral part of the heritage of the Assamese people. Assamese (অসমীয়া) or Asamiya is the language spoken by some of the natives of the state of Assam in northeast India. ...

Songs

• Borgeet (composed 240, but only 34 exist now)
• Bhatima
  • Deva bhatima -- panegyrics to God
  • Naat bhatima -- for use in dramas
  • Raja bhatima -- panegyrics to kings (to king Naranarayana)

The Borgeets (literally: great songs) are devotional songs, set to music and sung in various raga styles. These styles are slightly different from either the Hindustani or the Carnatic styles[1]. The songs themselves are written in the 'Brajavali' language. Raga (rāg /राग (Hindi), raga (Anglicised from rāgaḥ/रागः (Sanskrit)) or rāgam /ராகம் (Tamil)) are the melodic modes used in Indian classical music. ... Timeline and Samples Genres Classical (Carnatic and Hindustani) - Rock - Pop - Hip hop Awards Bollywood Music Awards - Punjabi Music Awards Charts Festivals Sangeet Natak Akademi – Thyagaraja Aradhana – Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana Media Sruti, The Music Magazine National anthem Jana Gana Mana, also national song Vande Mataram Music of the states Andaman and... Timeline and Samples Genres Classical (Carnatic and Hindustani) - Rock - Pop - Hip hop Awards Bollywood Music Awards - Punjabi Music Awards Charts Festivals Sangeet Natak Akademi – Thyagaraja Aradhana – Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana Media Sruti, The Music Magazine National anthem Jana Gana Mana, also national song Vande Mataram Music of the states Andaman and...

For a sample of a borgeet written by Sankaradeva, listen to xuna xuna re xura vairi pramana (help· info) sung by Bhupen Hazarika. Image File history File links Xunaxunarexurahalf. ... Bhupen Hazarika is a multi-faceted artist from Assam. ...

Dance

Sattriya dance, that Sankaradeva first conceived and which was later developed by the sattras, is now among the classical dance forms of India. image of Sattriya dance Sattriya dance or Sattriya Nritya is one among the eight principal classical dance traditions of India. ... Indian classical dance is performed in different styles. ...

Visual Art

• Sapta vaikuntha -- part of the Cihna yatra production, does not exist today.
• Vrindavani vastra -- parts of this work is preserved in London.

The famous Vrindavani Vastra---the cloth of Vrindavan---a 120 cubits long and 60 cubits broad tapestry depicted the lilas of Lord Krishna at Vrindavan through richly woven and embroidered designs on silk. A specimen, believed to be a part of this work, is at the Association pour l'Etude et la Documentation des Textiles d'Asie collection at Paris (inv. no. 3222). Lila is a concept from Hinduism that explains the universe as a cosmic puppet theater or playground for the gods. ... Vrindavan, in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh is a town on the site of the original forest of Vrindavana. ... The Eiffel Tower, the international symbol of the city For other uses, see Paris (disambiguation). ...

The vastra, commissioned by Chilarai, was woven by twelve master weavers in Barpeta under the supervision of Sankaradeva probably between 1565 and 1568. It was housed in the Madhupur sattra but it disappeared at some point. It is believed this cloth made its way to Tibet and from there to its present place. Shukladhwaj, or more popularly Chilarai, was the younger brother of Nara Narayana, the king of Koch Behar in the 16th century. ... Barpeta is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. ... Events The pencil is first documented by Conrad Gesner March 1 - the city of Rio de Janeiro is founded April 27 - Cebu City is established becoming the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. ... Events March 23 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. ... Tibet (older spelling Thibet; Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, Pinyin: Xīzàng or Chinese: 藏区, Pinyin: Zàngqū [the two names are used with different connotations; see Name section below]) is a region in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ...

Reference: Vrindavani Vastra: Figured Silks from Assam, Rosemary Crill, Hali 62: 14(2): 1992: 76-83.

Biography

Srimanta Sankaradeva was born into the Shiromani (chief) Baro-Bhuyans family, near Bordowa in Nagaon in a village called Ali-pukhuri in c1449. The Baro-Bhuyans were independent landlords in Assam, and belonged to the kayastha Hindu caste. His family-members, including parents Kusumvara and Satyasandhya Devi, were saktas. The Saint lost both his father and his mother at a very tender age and was raised by his grandmother Khersuti. He began attending the tol or chatrasaal(school) of the renowned scholar Mahendra Kandali at the age of twelve and soon wrote his first verse beginning as: Nagaon is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. ... Events January 6 - Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor. ... Kāyastha or Kayasth is a Indo-Aryan clan (Maha-parivar) who claim to be Brahmins of Aryavarta (Vedic India), but eventually came to be regarded in the Kaliyuga as a mixed group of Vaishyas and Shudras, and originally served Brahmins. ...

karatalakamala kamaladalanayana |
bhavadavagahana gahanavanasayana ||
..

The complete poem was written before he was taught the vowels except, of course, the first one, and is presented here as an example of his poetic genius.

He was physically very able, and according to legend, he could swim across the Brahmaputra while it was in spate. The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ...

He left the tol in his late teens (c1469) to attend to his responsibilities as the Shiromani Bhuyan. He moved from Alipukhuri to Bordowa, and wrote his first work, Harishchandra upakhyan. He produced a dance-drama called Cihna yatra, for which he painted the Sapta vaikuntha (seven heavens), guided the making of musical instruments and played the instruments himself. Events July 26 - Battle of Edgecote Moor October 17 - Prince Ferdinand of Aragon wed princess Isabella of Castile. ... Vaikunta is the abode of Lord Vishnu, one of the Trimurti Hindu Gods. ...

At Bordowa, he constructed a dharmagrha or a Hari-grha (house of the Lord) in which he installed an image of Vishnu that was found during the construction of the grha. He married Suryavati when he was in his early twenties. His wife died soon after his daughter Manu was born. For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ...

Alipukhuri and Borduwa

It is possible the death of his wife increased his spiritual inclination as his mind began to focus, more than ever before, on the transcendental. When his daughter turned nine, he married her off to Hari, handed over the Shiromaniship to his grand uncles and left for a pilgrimage (a religious tour rather) (c1482). At this point of time, he was thirty two. The pilgrimage took him to Puri, Mathura, Dwaraka, Vrindavan, Gaya, Rameswaram, Ayodhya, Sitakunda and almost all the other major seats of the Vaishnavite religion in India. At Badrikashrama, he composed his first bargeet---mana meri ram charanahi lagu---in Brajavali. He returned home to Ali-pukhuri after 12 years (his family had moved back from Bordowa in his absence). During his pilgrimage, he witnessed the Bhakti movement that was in full bloom in India at that time. Events Portuguese fortify Fort Elmina on the Gold Coast Tizoc rules the Aztecs Diogo Cão, a Portuguese navigator, becomes the first European to sail up the Congo. ... Puri is a city in the Indian state of Orissa. ... Mathura (मथुरा) is a city in India, located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and south of Delhi. ... Dwarka is a city in Gujarat, India. ... Vrindavan, in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh is a town on the site of the original forest of Vrindavana. ... Gaya is a city in Bihar, India, and it is also the headquarters of Gaya District. ... Rameswaram is a town in the southern part of India in the state of Tamil Nadu, on an island separated from the mainland by the Pamban channel. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sitakunda (Bangla: সীতাকুন্ড) is a upazilla (literally sub-district) of the district of Chittagong, Bangladesh. ... Brajavali is the language used by Srimanta Sankardeva, Madhabdev and other composers who belonged to the religious sect started by Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th-16th century in Assam. ...

After his return, he refused to take back the Shiromaniship. On his grandmother's insistence, he married Kalindi at the age of forty four. Finally, he moved back to Bordowa and constructed his first naamghar (prayer hall), and began preaching. He wrote Bhakti pradipa and Rukmini harana. Soon after, he received a copy of the Bhagavata Purana from Jagadisa Misra of Tirhut which had in it commentaries from Sridhara Swami of Puri, an Advaita scholar, and began rendering it into Assamese. He also began composing the Kirtana ghosha. The thirteen years at Ali-pukhuri was the period during which he reflected deeply on Vaishnavism and on the form that would best suit the spiritual and ethical needs of the people. The Bhagavata Purana (sometimes rendered as Bhagavatha Purana), also known as the Srimad Bhagavatam, written c. ... Advaita Vedanta is probably the best known of all Vedanta schools of Hinduism, the others being Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita. ...

Dhuwahat

From Ali-pukhuri he moved again to Gajalasuti and then back to Bordowa. In the mean time the Bhuyans were getting weak politically and Bordowa was attacked by the neighboring tribes. Sankaradeva had to move again from place to place. At Gangmau he stayed for five years where his son Ramananda was born. While at Gangmau, the Koch king Viswa Singha attacked the Ahoms. The Bhuyans fought for the Ahoms and the Koch king was defeated. Due to the unsettled situation at Gangmau Sankaradeva next moved to Dhuwahat, present day Majuli, now an island on the Brahmaputra. At Dhuwahat, he met his spiritual successor Madhavadeva. Madhavadeva was a sakta and he got into a religious altercation with his brother-in-law Ramadasa who had recently converted to Vaishnavism. Ramadasa took him to Sankaradeva, who, after a long debate, could finally convince him of the power and the efficacy of Naam Dharma. At Dhuwahat he initiated many others and continued composing the Kirtana ghosha. He tried to appease the brahmans by gentle persuasion and debate, but they felt threatened by the emergence of a new religion propagated by a non-brahmin. Some brahmans submitted a complaint with the Ahom king Suhungmung, who summoned Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva to court. They gave adequate replies to the royal queries and were let off. Koch is German for cook. Koch can refer to the following: Bill Koch - cross-country skier Billy Koch - Major league baseball relief pitcher Carl Ludwig Koch and his son Ludwig Carl Christian Koch - German entomologists specializing in arachnology Carl Wilhelm Otto Koch, (1810 - 1876), mayor of Leipzig Charles G. Koch... The Tai Ahoms ruled parts of present day Assam for nearly 600 years: from 1228 to 1826. ... Majuli or Majoli is a river island in the Brahmaputra river, in the Indian state of Assam. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ...

Though the relationship with the Ahom royalty began cordially, it soon deteriorated. Once on the charge of dereliction of duty, Hari, Sankaradeva's son-in-law, and Madhavadeva were arrested and sent to the capital Garhgaon, where Hari was executed. Madhavadeva's life was spared but he was imprisoned for a year. This incident pained Sankaradeva much and he, along with his family and Madhavadeva, journeyed toward the Koch kingdom.

At Dhuwahat, he wrote the drama Patniprasada.

Patbausi

At Sunpora he initiated Bhavananda, a rich trader who had extensive business interest in the Garo and Bhutan hills besides Kamarupa. Named Narayana Das, he settled at Janiya near Barpeta and took to agriculture. A man of the world otherwise, he soon flourished and became a provider to Sankaradeva and his devotees. He came to be known popularly as Thakur Ata.

After a great deal of moving, Sankaradeva settled at Patbausi near Barpeta and constructed a Kirtanghar (house of prayer). Some of the people he initiated here are Chakrapani Dwija and Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, brahmins; Ketai Khan, a kayastha; Govinda, a Garo; Jayarama, a Bhutia; Murari, a Koch and Chandsai a Muslim. He also befriended Ananta kandali, a profound scholar of Sanskrit, who translated parts of the Bhagavata Purana not translated by Sankardev. Damodardeva, another brahmin, was initiated by Sankaradeva and he later became the founder of the Brahma Sanghati sect of Sankaradeva's religion.

Among his literary works, he completed his rendering of the Bhagavata Purana and wrote other independent works and continued composing the Kirtana Ghosha. He further translated the first book of the Ramayana (uttarakanda) and instructed Madhavadeva to translate the last book (adikanda), portions that were left undone by 14th century poet Madhav Kandali. He wrote four dramas: Rukmini harana, Parijata harana, Keligopala and kalidamana. Another drama written at Patbausi, kamsa vadha, is lost. At Patbausi, he had lent his bargeets numbering aroung 240 to Kamala Gayan. But unfortunately, his house was gutted and most of the bargeets were lost. Since that incident Sankaradeva stopped composing bargeets. Of the 240, 34 remains today. The Rāmāyaņa (Sanskrit: रामायण (a sandhi form of rāma-ayana = march or journey (Āyana) of Rāma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... This article is in need of attention. ...

Sankaradeva once again left for a pilgrimage with a very large party of 117 disciples that included Madhavadeva, Ramarama, Thakur Ata and others. Madhavadeva, on the request of Sankaradeva's wife Kalindi urged him to return from Puri and not proceed to Vrindavana. He returned to Patbausi within six months.

Kochbehar

On hearing complaints that Sankaradeva was corrupting the minds of the people by spreading a new religion, Naranarayana the Koch king, ordered Sankaradeva's arrest. Sankaradeva managed to go into hiding, but Narayan Das Thakur Ata and Gokulchand were captured. They were taken to Kochbehar and subjected to inhuman torture, but they did not divulge the location where their Guru was staying, and the royals soon gave up.

In the meantime Chilarai, the general of the Koch army and brother of Naranarayana, who had been influenced by the religion and had married Kamalapriya, the daughter of Sankaradeva's cousin Ramaraya, arranged for Sankaradeva's audience with Naranarayana. As he moved up the steps to the throne, Sankardev sang his Sanskrit totaka hymn (composed extempore) to God, Shukladhwaj, or more popularly Chilarai, was the younger brother of Nara Narayana, the king of Koch Behar in the 16th century. ...

madhu daanava daarana deva varam |
vara vaarija locana cakra dharam ||
dharani dhara dhaarana dheya param |
paramaartha vidyaashubha naasha karam ||
kara churnita chhedipa bhuri bhagam |
bhaga bhushana karchhita paada yugam ||
yuga naayaka naagara vesha ruchim |
ruchiraanshapidhaanam sharira suchim ||
..

and as he sat down, he sang a borgeet, narayana kahe bhakati karu tera. Naranarayana was overwhelmed by the Saint's personality. The king then asked Sankaradeva's opponents to prove their complaint. After Sankaradeva defeated them in the debate, Naranarayana declared him free from all allegations. Sankaradeva began attending Naranarayana's court at the king's request. When he met Naranarayana, he was well over a hundred years old and had just three more years to live.

After the debate, Sankaradeva shuttled between Kochbehar and Patbausi. On the request of Naranarayana and Chilaria he supervised the creations of the 60mx30m woven Vrindavani vastra, that depicted the playful activities of Krishna in Vrindavana. This was presented to the Koch king.

End

He made arrangements with Madhavadeva and Thakur Ata and gave them various instructions at Patbausi and left the place for the last time. He set up his home at Bheladonga in Kochbehar. During his stay at Kochbehar, Naranarayana expressed his wish to be initiated. Sankaradeva was reluctant to convert a king and declined to do so. According to one of the biographers (Ramcharan Thakur), a painful boil—a visha phohara—had appeared in some part of his body and this led to the passing away of the Saint. According to other accounts (Guru Charit Katha et al), Naranarayan's adamance that he be initiated into the new religion led the saint to surrender his life to the Lord, by way of meditative communion. Thus, in 1568, the Mahapurusha passed away- within six months of his stay at Bheladonga - at the remarkable age of 120 years. Boil or furuncle is a skin disease caused by the inflammation of hair follicles, thus resulting in the localized accumulation of pus and dead tissues. ...

References

• An Unsung Colossus: An Introduction to the Life and Works of Sankaradeva, Sivanath Barman, Guwahati 1999.

Notes

• The name 'Sankaradeva' is pronounced in Assamese as 'Xonkordev'; is also spelt by many people as 'Sankardev', 'Sankardeva' (as in this heading) or maybe even as 'Sankaradev' and 'Shankardeva'.The traditional (and,hopefully,the correct) one , however, is always 'Sankaradeva'.
• Similarly, in spite of having 'Madhavdev', 'Madhabdev' et al, the correct spelling is always 'Madhavadeva'

External links

• Srimanta Sankaradeva Sangha Home Page - contains an excellent introduction to the Mahapurusiya Dharma - its main tenets, principles, etc - as well as other very nice articles.
• The Srimanta Foundation Website - contains crisp, concise and informative articles on various facets of Sankari culture.
• Songs Of Devotion A scholarly article on 'Bargeet' by Birendranath Dutta
• Majuli-The epitome of satriya culture
• The Satras of Assam - By BK Barua and HV Sreenivasa Murthy, pages from hindubooks.org
• Forum for Sankaradeva Studies- A research-oriented institution-established in 1988- dedicated to promoting the message of the Sankaradeva Movement.