Kirtan Ghosha Explained

The Kirtan Ghosha (Assamese: in Assamese pronounced as /kiɹ.tɔn.ɡʱʊ.xa/) is a collection of poetical works, primarily composed by the medieval saint Srimanta Sankardev in the Brajavali language. It was meant for community singing in the Ekasarana religion. Its importance in the religion is second only to the primary text, the Bhagavat of Sankardeva.

Textual history

The text of the kirtan ghoxa consists of twenty six sections and thirty one kirtans (or narratives of Krishna). Sankardev had instructed Madhabdev during his last visit to Patbausi to compile the kirtans that were scattered then at different places - and they were posthumously compiled into a single text by Ramcharan Thakur, the nephew of Madhabdev. All the kirtans were composed by Srimanta Sankardeva, except for one by Ratnakar Kandali and another by Madhabdeva. Two of Sankardeva's kirtans were later additions to Ramcharan Thakur's compilation. In some versions, there is an additional kirtan composed by Sridhar Kandali.

Textual description

Each kirtan consists of a ghoxa or refrain followed by a number of verses, called padas, written in different meters. Some of the meters used, with examples

namo goparupi meghasama syama tanu |gawe pitvastra hate singa veta venu ||

Jhuna

pitavastra sobhe syamala kaya |tadita jadita jalada praya ||

Laghu payara

sundara hasikaka alpa hasa |caru syama tanu pitabasa ||

Dulari

pache trinayana divya upavana dekhilanta vidyamana |phala phala dhari jakamaka kari ache yata vriksamana ||

Chabi

hena maha divyavana dekhilanta trinayana divya kanya eka ache tate |koti lakshmi sama nohe katashe trailokya mohe bhanta kheri kheli duyo hate ||

The Kirtans history


  1. Chaturvimsati avatara varnana
  2. Pasanda mardana
  3. Namaparadha
  4. Dhyana Varnana
  5. Ajamilopakhyana
  6. Prahlada carita
  7. Haramohana
  8. Balichalana
  9. Gajendropakhyana
  10. Sisulila
  11. Rasa krida
  12. Kamsa vadha
  13. Gopi udhava samvada
  14. Kujir vancha purana
  15. Akrurar vancha purana
  16. Jarasandhar yuddha
  17. Kaalyavana vadha
  18. Mucukunda stuti
  19. Syamanta harana
  20. Naradar krishna darsana
  21. Vipra putra anayana
  22. Damodara upakhyana
  23. Daivakir putra anayana
  24. Veda stuti
  25. Krishna lilamala
  26. Srikrishnar vaikuntha prayana
  27. Bhagavatar tatparya
  28. Uresa varnana

External links