International Journal of Applied Social Science RESEARCH ARTICLE Volume 6 (5), May (2019) : 1327-1334 ISSN : 2394-1405 Received : 28.03.2019; Revised : 13.04.2019; Accepted : 28.04.2019 The Caritaputhis and the Mahapurusiya Dharma in Assam ASHRUKONA DEKA Ph.D. Research Scholar Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (India) ABSTRACT The caritaputhis or hagiographic literature associated with the Mahapurusiya Dharma or the Neo-Vaisnaviste movement in Assam are important literary sources that belong to the medieval period of this region. These texts were written to commemorate and remember the lives and activities of the important saints associated with this movement. These texts were, however, composed in a period posterior to the actual lives and times of the saints. Also, in a manner similar to most hagiographic literature, these texts contained many imaginary and fanciful details regarding the lives of the saints. Owing to the said nature of these texts, historians are sometimes skeptical of their credibility in providing an authentic view of the past. However, in the recent decades significant developments have been made in the field of the study of hagiographies in general. Hagiographic texts are now seen as providing a window towards understanding the underlying structures of consciousness of a society. Similarly, the caritaputhis of Assam can also prove to be important sources for understanding the socio-cultural, economic and political background of Assam during the medieval times. A critical analytical approach towards these texts can provide us with invaluable insights into the prevailing atmosphere of the times in general and the Mahapurusia Dharma in particular. Key Words : Caritaputhis , Mahapurusia Dharma , Assam, Bhakti, Neo-Vaisnavism, Hagiographies, Society, Culture INTRODUCTION and Madhavadeva and the vast corpus of hagiographic literature called caritaputhis . It is the latter that I The Mahapurusiya Dharma of Srimanta undertake to discuss in this paper. Sankaradeva came to dominate the religio-cultural terrain The paper has been divided into four sections: in of Assam during the 16 th and the 17 th centuries. This the first section I attempt to give a general introduction movement can be broadly called a way of life that touched to the caritaputhis and as such this section is mostly every aspect of how people thought, behaved and descriptive in nature; in the second the methodology of participated in a particular historical context. Its dealing with these texts has been described; the third emergence had deep roots within the existing socio- section gives an account of the socio-economic and economic and religious context of medieval Assam. The political background of the texts; and the fourth section period of its emergence and growth, i.e. the 15 th and the attempts an enquiry into the functions of these texts and 16 th centuries is also the period when similar socio- their significance for the spread of bhakti . religious reform movements, which have been clubbed under the uniform term Bhakti Movement, were in full The Carita Puthis : swing in the rest of the Indian subcontinent. The caritaputhis or the hagiographic literature of Among the numerous contributions it had made Assam embodies the lives and activities of different towards the cultural fabric of Assam one of the most leaders of the Vaisnavite movement in Assam. 1 They important is the flowering of Assamese literature. The belong to the vast corpus of vernacular Vaisnava literature Vaisnavite texts constituted of the works of Sankaradeva How to cite this Article: Deka, Ashrukona (2019). The Caritaputhis and the Mahapurusiya Dharma in Assam. Internat. J. Appl. Soc. Sci., 6 (5) : 1327-1334. ASHRUKONA DEKA which sprang up during this period and were aimed at Dvija spreading the message of bhakti among the people. 2 6. The caritas of other saints- Vanamalideva, They are found in prose as well as verse. The authorship Yadumanideva, Sriramadeva, Ananta, etc. of some of them is anonymous. Although written by C. Attempts at the histories of the Vaisnava different writers in different spaces they bear significant institutions- Acarya-samhati ; Govindadasa’s similarities in form and content. These texts constitute Santa -sampradaya-katha , Vibhunatha’s Etaka important sources for studying not only the growth and Mahantar Juna . development of the Vaisnavite movement of Sankaradeva D. Spurious works of dubious authorship and with but also provide us with valuable information about the a Chaitanyaite bias- Santa-nirnaya ; Krsna socio-economic, cultural and political atmosphere of Acarya’s Santa-Vamsavali or Santa-carita ; and medieval Assam. Kaviratna’s Sat-Sampradayar Katha . The caritaputhis came to be composed in the post- The two groups of carita texts bear important Sankarite period, i.e. , during the 17 th and the 18 th differences that set them apart from each other. The centuries. Scholars on Assam Vaisnavism mainly early group of carita texts was naturally nearer to categorize these texts into two groups: the early group of Sankaradeva’s life and thus is believed to have contained caritas and the later group of caritas . The first set belongs more authentic information. 4 These texts contain a more to the early 17 th century and the later group belongs to sober account of the lives of the saints and are not the late 17 th century and the 18 th century. Apart from the encumbered with the supernatural feats and miraculous chronological factors there are also other perceivable events present in the later day puthis . The texts of differences between the two sets of texts. The later day Daityari, Bhusana, Ramananda and Vaikuntha see both texts are more elaborate both in detail and fantasy. Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva as incarnations of lord Maheshwar Neog organizes the known caritaputhis Visnu. However, these texts are ever aware of them as according to their nature and chronology 3 : mortals of flesh and blood. For e.g. Daityari Thakur A. Caritas of Sankara, Madhava and their mentions the event of Sankaradeva seizing a wild bull by immediate followers: its horns and throwing it away with his bare hands.5 The 1. Early group comprising of the writings of Daityari event speaks of Sankaradeva’s sheer physical strength Thakur, Bhusana Dvija, Ramananda Dvija, and but not of any superhuman or extra-worldly ability. These Vaikuntha Dvija; texts also do not read supernatural puranic episodes into 2. Later group comprising Guru-Varnana by the lives of the saints. 6 Aniruddha Dasa; the anonymous prose caritas - The later group of caritas shows certain very Katha -guru-carita or Guru Carita Katha , the important new elements and modifications in contrast to second Katha-guru-carita and the Bardowa- the early texts. These differences are very significant carita ; Sankaradeva-carita in synopsis found for understanding the changing environment and the in Barpeta; the verse biography ascribed to corresponding changes in bhakti ideals in the succeeding Ramcarana Thakur; Saru-svarga -khanda and period after Sankaradeva’s death. Certain important Bar-svarga-khanda ascribed to Sarvabhauma features of the later day texts that have been outlined by B. Independent biographical works on the apostles Maheshwar Neog are as follows 7 : of Sankaradeva and other religious leaders: 1. These texts see Sankara (Assam), Caitanya 1. The caritas of Damodaradeva by Ramaraya and (Bengal), Harivyasa (Nimbarka School) and NilakanthaDasa; Ramananda (Northern India) as the quadruple 2. The caritas of Harideva by DhanesvaraDvija, incarnations of God for the purpose of the spread VanesvaraDvija and DivakaraDvija; of bhakti. 3. The caritas of Gopaladeva of Bhavanipur by 2. The tracing back of the origin of the bhakti cult RamanandaDvija; to Sankaracarya. 4. The caritas of PurusottamaThakura and 3. The mention of a number of holy people from CaturbhujaThakura by Vidyananda Ojha; and the outside Assam as disciples of Sankaradeva: for later portion of VaikunthaDvija’s Santamala; e.g. Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, 5. The carita of Vamsi-gopaladeva by Ramananda Vrndavanadasa of Vrndavana etc. Internat. J. Appl. Soc. Sci. | May, 2019 | 6 (5) (1328) THE Caritaputhis & THE Mahapurusiya Dharma IN ASSAM 4. The increase in the number of Vaikunthas being within a particular context drew from their own personal mentioned from 7 to 35 with the highest of them experience which led to further re-modelling of the being described as the GolokaVaikuntha where stories. 12 Infact the main motive of the hagiographical Radha and Krsna reside. A prominent place to literature was to popularize the ideals of bhakti among Radha is being accorded in this works unlike the people. Thus, motifs and episodes familiar and popular orthodox Vaisnava literature. among people were incorporated from time to time so 5. The mention of Chihnayatra as the first play that the people could relate to them better. being composed by Sankaradeva. The present study is based on four important 6. The story of the fisher woman Radhika passing caritaputhis : Sri SriSankaradeva-Madhavadeva an ordeal of chastity. Carita by Daityari Thakur; Guru-carita by Ramcarana 7. The passing away of Sankaradeva being ascribed Thakur; Guru CaritaKatha and Bardowa-carita . to the pressure of Koch king Naranarayana for Daityari Thakur, the earliest of the biographers, was his acceptance as a convert. the son of Ramcarana Thakur, who was the nephew of The caritaputhis were compiled within the precincts Madhavadeva and spent most of his life with the latter. of the sattras or the Vaisnava monastic institutions. 8 By Daityari acknowledges that his work was composed after the time the later carita texts were composed the sattras discussions with several learned men including his had greatly multiplied. The Vaisnava monastic order father. 13 Thus his text deals at length with the life of became split into four important samhatis : the Brahma, Madhavadeva and gives only a brief account of the Purusa, the Kala and the Nika samhatis.