Mahapurusa Sankaradeva (Life, Teaching and Contribution)

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

This monograph on the Assam saint, Sankaradeva, was prepared by Dr Kesavananda Dev Goswami, when he was working in Punjabi University as Fellow and, then, Reader for Sankaradeva studies in the Guru Gobind Singh Department of Religious Studies. The work was completed as early as in 1974; but for various reasons its publication has not so far been found possible. We do now feel happy to be presenting it to the reading public.

There are quite a good number of publications, big and small Sankaradeva in Assamese and English. But Dr Goswami's book on possesses one marked character. It is that he has tapped the latter- day sources (metrical and prose chronicles of sattras or Assamese Vâiṣṇava maths) and even oral tradition, to which he has been born and brought up very close, as he hails from a family claiming descent from a grand daughter of Sankaradeva himself. These sources have, of course, only confirmed the earlier authorities on the life and activities of the saint and his immediate circle. The culling of a number of lines from Sankaradeva's poetical works and their reproduction in simple English rendering is another feature of Dr Goswami's pages, which would make for a proper introduction to the saint's works and teachings.

I do only believe, this book will be received by all scholars of Indian Vaisnava history with warmth and approbation.

This monograph was prepared in 1974 when I was serving as the founder Reader of the saint Sankaradeva studies in the department of Religious stud- ies, Punjabi University at patiala, Punjab. But for some reasons, the publica- tion was much delayed. After my return to the parent Department, i.e.. Dibrugarh University in 1977, there was no body to look after and take care of the works I have done and deposited to the university authority. When professor Dr. Maheswar, my late lamented guru joined and assumed the charge as Saint Sankaradeva Professor, he took initiative to bring out this book and accordingly, it was published in 1982 by the Punjabi Universily. The book was not available in Assam and the limited number of copies also exhausted by the time. On the occasion of the 550th anniversary of Mahapurusa Sankaradeva's birth, only two titles in English was published and this one, even though a reprint, was one of the two. I remember that more than our humdred litles in different languages were published on the occasion of Guru Nanak's 500th birth anniversary. When the preparation for celebration of Sankaradeva's 550th birth anniversary was going on, I mentioned this point to some entightened persons and suggested them to prepare some books on Sankaradeva in English and Hindi. Because people outside Assam confuse Srimanta Sankaradeva with the Vedantist Sánkaracarya of the 7th century A.D. The Guwahati based forum for Sankaradeva studies inteded to publish this monograph and promptly I aggred to that, Even though some revision was necessary, that could not be done because of shortage of time and also due to my impaired health at that time. The second edition, without any change in the original form, was thus published in 1999, But limited copies of it also being exhausted, I thought of bringing out an enlarged and revised edition of the monograph. My attempt was to provide an outline of the teachings and contributions of Mahāpurusa Śrimanta Šankaradeva along with a life sketch of the saint in plain and simple way for the common people. I hope, this will serve the purpose of English readers who are not aware of the life and activi- ties of this great saint-poet and artiste of rare genius of Assam of the 15th century A.D.

The Publication Board, Govt. of Assam has some forward to bring out the monograph in their annual publication project for which I am thankful to its Secretary and also to Sri Bhuban Kalita of the Board for taking very keen interest in bringing it out. I hope, like the earlier two editions, it will also be accepted by the reader.

**Contents and Sample Pages**