The Kirtan Ghoxa (Assamese: কীৰ্তন ঘোষা) is a collection of poetical works, primarily composed by the medieval saint Srimanta Sankardev meant for community singing in the Ekasarana religion. Its importance in the religion is second only to the primary text, the Bhagavat of Sankardeva.
Contents
Texual history
The text of the kirtan ghoxa consists of twenty six sections and thirty one kirtans (or narratives of Krishna). Sankardev had instructed Madhavdev 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 Ramcaran 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.
Texual 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 are:
The Kirtans
- Caturvimsati avatara varnana
- Pasanda mardana
- Namaparadha
- Dhyana Varnana
- Ajamilopakhyana
- Prahrada carita
- Haramohana
- Balichalana
- Gajendropakhyana
- Sisulila
- Rasa krida
- Kamsa vadha
- Gopi udhava samvada
- Kujir vancha purana
- Akrurar vancha purana
- Jarasandhar yuddha
- Kalyavana vadha
- Mucukunda stuti
- Syamanta harana
- Naradar krishna darsana
- Vipra putra anayana
- Damodara upakhyana
- Daivakir putra anayana
- Veda stuti
- Krishna lilamala
- Srikrishnar vaikuntha prayana
- Bhagavatar tatparya
- Uresa varnana