It is very important that we acquaint ourselves
with the precise words used by the biographers of Sankaradeva if we are to make
any serious study of the Sankaradeva movement. These are the key terms of the
literature. Certain passages from the caritas are invaluable in this
respect. The following passage from Daityari, for instance:
বিচাৰ কৰিয়া পাছে ভাগৱত গ্ৰন্থ |
কৰিলন্ত শঙ্কৰে প্ৰকাশ ভক্তি-পন্থ || ৩২ ||
হৰিত ভকতি আবে কৰিবে প্ৰবন্ধ |
প্ৰথমতে কৰিলন্ত কীৰ্ত্তনৰ ছন্দ ||
অনন্তৰে কিছু লোকে ভকতি ধৰিল |
তেবে আনো নানাবিধ ছন্দ নিৰুপিল || ৩৩ |
কতো গীত পদ কতো ভট্টিমা চপয় |
কথা শ্লোক আদি কৰিলন্ত মহাশয় ||
নিজ কৃপাগুণে লোক তাৰিবাক মনে |
প্ৰচাৰিলা ভক্তিধৰ্ম্ম তাৰিবাক মনে[1] || ৩৪ ||
কৰিলন্ত শঙ্কৰে প্ৰকাশ ভক্তি-পন্থ || ৩২ ||
হৰিত ভকতি আবে কৰিবে প্ৰবন্ধ |
প্ৰথমতে কৰিলন্ত কীৰ্ত্তনৰ ছন্দ ||
অনন্তৰে কিছু লোকে ভকতি ধৰিল |
তেবে আনো নানাবিধ ছন্দ নিৰুপিল || ৩৩ |
কতো গীত পদ কতো ভট্টিমা চপয় |
কথা শ্লোক আদি কৰিলন্ত মহাশয় ||
নিজ কৃপাগুণে লোক তাৰিবাক মনে |
প্ৰচাৰিলা ভক্তিধৰ্ম্ম তাৰিবাক মনে[1] || ৩৪ ||
Then, examining the contents of the Bhagavata,
Sankara revealed the path of bhakti. [32]
Endeavouring, now, for bhakti to Hari,
he first composed the verses of kirttana.
In the course of time, some persons embraced bhakti.
Then he laid down more metres of diverse kinds. [33]
Some were gitas, padas, some bhattimas, capayas.
Kathas, slokas and others the great-minded one did compose.
Moved by his own compassionate nature, with a view to save the people,
he propagated bhakti-dharma (the religion of devotion). [34]
(Daityari, pp.20)
This passage is, of course, of great biographical value. It speaks of the efforts made by the Saint to propagate the message of devotion through various literary means. The caritakara seems to have reproduced a certain image of Sankaradeva etched in the minds of the members of the early (oral) carita tradition. It is the image of the poet-saint or rather the poet-propagator.
Sankaradeva, Daityari tells us, embarked on his mission of propagating bhakti to Hari among the people by first composing the verses of kirttana (prathamate karilanta kirttanara canda). It is not clear whether the term kirttana in the passage refers to the verses contained in the Saint’s Kirttana Ghosa or is used more generally. It is apparent that Sankaradeva employed a wide range of metres (nanabidha canda) in his (verse) compositions and that he also wrote in various forms such as song (gita), verse (indicated by the term pada), prose (katha) and (the Sanskrit) sloka.
But more than its biographical value, this passage is perhaps more significant on account of two important terms contained in it—terms which are key to understanding the position of Sankaradeva in relation to the Eka-Sarana faith, in the eyes of its followers. Do the followers of the faith view Sankaradeva as the creator of a new religion? The answer is found in these terms of the passage (highlighted in bold in the translation above).
Daityari says that Sankara, examining (bicara kariya) the contents of the Bhagavata, revealed the path of bhakti (karilanta sankare prakasa bhakti-pantha). The specific word used is prakasa which, in this context, would translate into ‘revealed’ or ‘brought to light’. Thus, Sankaradeva has only revealed or brought to light (and not created) the path of bhakti. Further, he has not only revealed the path of bhakti but also propagated it (pracarila bhakti-dharma, v. 34). The word pracara would indicate ‘propagation’, ‘spreading’ or ‘dissemination’ of the message of bhakti.
Sankaradeva is thus, in the caritakara’s view, the revealer as well as the (first) propagator of the religion of devotion. He may have created (karilanta) the verses of kirttana and laid down (nirupila) various metres—perhaps even devised new literary forms—but when it comes to the path itself, he has done only its prakasa and pracara. In short, he has created the medium, but not the message.
Understanding the passage in the light of these key terms also enables us to better appreciate the systematic approach of Sankaradeva which the caritakara, it seems, wants us to understand. First, Sankaradeva reveals the path of bhakti by examining the contents of the Bhagavata and then he proceeds to the next logical step of his mission which is the propagation of this message. A slow re-reading of the passage given above at this point might enable one to comprehend this subtle shift more easily:
...examining the contents of the Bhagavata,
Sankara revealed the path of bhakti. [32]
Endeavouring, now, for bhakti to Hari,
he first composed ...
Propagation is following revelation and it is in this perspective that the rest of the passage must be understood. The Saint must now assume the role of a spreader or broadcaster and for that, he would require a medium. This medium he can now create. The revealed message (of devotion) is now given out through songs and verses, poetry and prose; there is the efflorescence of varied literary forms—
all for the purpose of spreading the message.
However, one would not do so—i.e. assume the role of a propagator—if one were not seriously concerned about the plight of the people of the world; one would have felt no need of doing so if one were not truly and fully compassionate as Sankaradeva is. It is this fully compassionate nature of the Saint (nija krpagune) that motivates him to propagate his own discovery among the masses ‘with a view to save the people’ (loka taribaka mane) and take the revelation to its logical conclusion. After all, what is information without dissemination? And it is this point and higher purpose that the caritakara highlights in the final lines of the passage.
[1] The Candrakānta
abhidhāna defines the words প্ৰবন্ধ
and কতো as, among others:
প্ৰবন্ধ: চেষ্টা কৰ্; to exert; to endeavour. ক্ৰি. বিণ. প্ৰবন্ধে চেষ্টা কৰি; শ্ৰম কৰি; যত্নেৰে (পু. অ.);
কতো, কতোহো: (পু. অ.) বিণ. বিবিধ; কত কি; হৰেক ৰকমৰ। 2। কিছুমান। 3। কোনোটো; কেতবোৰ।
প্ৰবন্ধ: চেষ্টা কৰ্; to exert; to endeavour. ক্ৰি. বিণ. প্ৰবন্ধে চেষ্টা কৰি; শ্ৰম কৰি; যত্নেৰে (পু. অ.);
কতো, কতোহো: (পু. অ.) বিণ. বিবিধ; কত কি; হৰেক ৰকমৰ। 2। কিছুমান। 3। কোনোটো; কেতবোৰ।
http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/candrakanta/
