Srimanta Sankardeva

Srimanta Sankardeva, a revered saint, is regarded as the Architect of Assam’s spiritual, cultural, and Social Renaissance. Read here to know more about him.

The redevelopment of Batadrava Than in Assam’s Nagaon district has garnered national attention, focusing on Srimanta Sankardeva, one of the most influential figures in the religious and cultural history of eastern India.

Revered as a saint, reformer, poet, playwright, and institution-builder, Sankardeva reshaped Assamese society through a distinctive Bhakti movement that combined spiritual devotion with social reform.

Who was Srimanta Sankardeva?

Srimanta Sankardeva (1449-1568) was a 15th-16th century Bhakti saint and the founder of the Neo-Vaishnava movement in Assam.

His multifaceted contributions marked a decisive turning point in Assamese literature, art, religion, and social organisation, placing him among the most significant figures of the pan-Indian Bhakti tradition.

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Early Life and Travels

Born in October 1449 into a Siromani Bhuyan family (local landed gentry), Sankardeva was educated in Sanskritic learning as well as indigenous traditions.

In 1481, he undertook an extensive pilgrimage across North India, visiting major Vaishnava centres. During this journey, he composed his first Borgeet (devotional song) at Badarikashrama (Badrinath), marking the beginning of his lifelong spiritual and artistic mission.

His reformist ideas often faced resistance from orthodox religious elites and political authorities, forcing him to relocate frequently. He passed away in 1568, leaving behind a vibrant spiritual and cultural legacy.

Philosophical and Religious Contributions

Neo-Vaishnavism (Ekasarana Dharma)

Srimanta Sankardeva founded and propagated eka-sarana-nama-dharma (also called Mahapurushiya Dharma), whose core principle was exclusive surrender to a single deity-Vishnu, worshipped as Krishna.

Key features include:

• Single-minded devotion (ekasarana) to one God
• Rejection of ritualism, caste hierarchy, and idol worship
• Emphasis on dasya bhava (devotion as humble servitude)

Unlike classical Bhakti traditions that recognised nine forms of devotion, Sankardeva emphasised only two:

• Śravaṇa (listening to the name and deeds of God)
• Kīrtana (chanting and singing God’s name)

Through these simple, collective practices, he sought to unite Assam’s ethnically and linguistically diverse society under a shared spiritual framework.

Institutional Innovations by Srimanta Sankardeva

One of Sankardeva’s most enduring contributions lies in the institutions he established:

• Namghars: Community prayer halls that became centres of congregational worship, social dialogue, moral discipline, and cultural expression. Open to all castes and communities, Namghars played a crucial role in promoting social equality and inclusivity.
• Satras: Vaishnava monasteries that evolved into hubs of religious learning, artistic production, and community organisation.

Together, these institutions provided a decentralised, community-based religious structure that continues to shape Assamese public life.

Literary Contributions

Srimanta Sankardeva revolutionised Assamese literature by making sacred texts accessible to the masses.

He translated eight of the twelve books of the Bhagavata Purana into Brajavali, a literary language blending Maithili and Assamese elements.

• Kirtana-ghosha: His magnum opus, a collection of devotional songs used in daily congregational worship. It is one of the four most sacred texts in Assam.
• Gunamala: A concise rendering of the Bhagavata Purana, reportedly composed in a single night.
• Nimi Nava Siddhi Samvada: A doctrinal-philosophical text.
• Bhakti Pradipa: A work critiquing polytheistic worship and reaffirming exclusive devotion to Krishna.
• Bhatimas: A poetic form innovated by him for praising God or the guru.
• Hariścandra-upākhyāna, Rukmini Harana Kavya: Early narrative compositions.

Through these works, Sankardeva laid the foundations of a standardised Assamese literary tradition.

Contributions to Art, Music, and Performance

Srimanta Sankardeva integrated spirituality with aesthetics, creating new cultural forms that remain vibrant today:

• Ankiya Naat: One-act religious plays written in Brajavali, blending Vaishnava philosophy with classical Sanskrit dramaturgy and folk elements.
• Bhaona: The theatrical performance tradition of Ankiya Naat, staged primarily in Namghars.
• Sattriya Dance: A highly codified classical dance form that emerged from Satra traditions and is now recognised as one of India’s classical dances.
• Borgeets: Devotional songs composed in specific ragas and talas. Sankardeva is credited with composing around 240 Borgeets, many of which continue to be sung daily.

Social and Cultural Legacy

Srimanta Sankardeva’s movement transcended religion to become a vehicle of social integration. By rejecting caste discrimination, ritual excesses, and sectarian divisions, he fostered a sense of collective Assamese identity.

The institutions and traditions he established, Satras, Namghars, Sattriya dance, Bhaona theatre, Borgeets, and the Kirtana-ghosha, remain living, dynamic elements of Assam’s cultural landscape.

Significance in Indian Bhakti Tradition

While Shaivism and classical Vaishnavism flourished across India, Sankardeva’s Neo-Vaishnavism stands out for its emphasis on:

• Egalitarian congregational worship
• Absence of idol worship
• Community participation over priestly mediation

Along with his foremost disciple Madhavdeva, Sankardeva occupies a unique place among Bhakti saints such as Ramanuja, Chaitanya, and Madhva, representing a distinctly northeastern articulation of devotional humanism.

Conclusion

Srimanta Sankardeva was far more than a religious saint; he was a civilisational reformer who reimagined faith as a tool for social cohesion, cultural creativity, and moral regeneration.

The redevelopment of Batadrava Than is thus not merely a heritage project, but a reaffirmation of values, devotion, equality, and cultural synthesis that continue to define Assam’s identity and enrich India’s pluralistic tradition.

Related articles:

• Women of the Bhakti Movement
• Adi Shankaracharya
• Medieval India: Regional Cultures
• Regional Kingdoms of Medieval India