TheKirtan Ghosha[1] (Assamese:[kiɹ.tɔn.ɡʱʊ.xa]) is a collection of poetical works, primarily composed by the medieval saintSrimanta Sankardev in theBrajavali language. It was meant for community singing in theEkasarana sect. Its importance in the religion is second only to the primary text, theBhagavat of Sankardeva.
The text of thekirtan ghoxa consists of twenty six sections and thirty onekirtans (or narratives ofKrishna).[2] Sankardev had instructedMadhabdev 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 ofMadhabdev.[3] All thekirtans were composed bySrimanta 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 additionalkirtan composed bySridhar Kandali.[4]
Eachkirtan consists of aghoxa or refrain followed by a number of verses, calledpadas, written in different meters. Some of the meters used, with examples
namo goparupi meghasama syama tanu |
gawe pitvastra hate singa veta venu ||
pitavastra sobhe syamala kaya |
tadita jadita jalada praya ||
sundara hasikaka alpa hasa |
caru syama tanu pitabasa ||
pache trinayana divya upavana
dekhilanta vidyamana |
phala phala dhari jakamaka kari
ache yata vriksamana ||
hena maha divyavana dekhilanta trinayana
divya kanya eka ache tate |
koti lakshmi sama nohe katashe trailokya mohe
bhanta kheri kheli duyo hate ||
