>Dawnseeker2000 at 06:10, 2 July 2020

2020-07-02T06:10:57Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
'''Gunamala''' ({{lang-as|গুণমালা}}) is a scripture written by [[Sankardev]] within one night at the request of [[Kamata Kingdom|Koch king]] [[Nara Narayan]] in 1552.<ref name="atributetosankaradeva">{{cite web|url=http://www.atributetosankaradeva.org/gunamala.htm |title=Gunamala |publisher=atributetosankaradeva |date=2008-04-16 |accessdate=2013-05-26}}</ref><ref name="Maheswar1980">{{cite book|author=Neg Maheswar|title=Early History of the Vaiṣṇava Faith and Movement in Assam: Śaṅkaradeva and His Times|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DcReZM-rI0MC&pg=PA182|year=1980|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0007-6|page=182}}</ref> It is an abridged version (handbook) of [[Bhagavata Purana]] capturing in racy, rhyming and sonorous verses. The poet recounts many incidents from Lord [[Krishna]]'s life making them easy to remember in this book.<ref name="atributetosankaradeva"/>
[[File:Gunamala.JPG|250px|thumb|A copy of Gunamala, in the museum of [[Bengenati Sattra]] written in [[Sachipaat]]]]

==Background==
One day, King Naranarayan held some debates in his court between the Pandits and Sankardev. King Naranarayan once asked the court poets to give him, in one day, a condensed version of the entire ten cantos of the Bhagawat Purana. When all Pundits said it was not possible to do so in such a short time, Sankardev took up the challenge and accomplished the feat in one night.

After he had condensed the substance of the ten chapters of the Bhagawat Purana into a small booklet, he put it into a small wooden box. Then he painted the box with hengul-haital (yellow and red) an elephant squeezed inside a circle. He called it ''Bhurukaat Haathi''- meaning an elephant squeezed in the Lime-pot (in Assamese: হাতী মাৰি ভুৰুকাত ভৰোৱা)! The pleased King Naranarayana honoured Sankardev.

==Translation==
In 1923, [[Benudhar Rajkhowa]] translated this book for the first time into English subtitled as '''Garland of Praises''' in verse.<ref name="SankaradevaRajkhowa1923">{{cite book|author1=Sankaradeva|author2=Benudhar Rajkhowa|title=Gunamala|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XIeztgAACAAJ|year=1923|publisher=Assam Commercial}}</ref>

Again the English translation of this book in prose subtitled as '''Garland of Virtues''' was released on 7 April 2013. The translation has been done by Dr. Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti, who has translated Sankardev's [[Borgeet]]s and [[Madhavdev]]'s [[Namghosha]] a few years back.<ref name="assamtimes">{{cite web|url=http://www.assamtimes.org/node/8151 |title=English translation of Gunamâlâ released |work=Assam Times|accessdate=2013-05-26}}</ref>

In 2010, ''[[Devi Prasad Bagrodia]]'' translated this book into Hindi and published keeping the same name '''''Gunamala''''' in both book as well as audio CD form.<ref>http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=may2114/state05</ref>

==Usage==
This book is greatly revered by the followers of [[Eka Sharana Nama Dharma]], who keep it at the ''Guru asana'' (altar) in the congregational prayer-house called [[Namghar]] as the symbol of God.<ref name="assamtimes"/>

==See also==
* [[Bhagavat of Sankardev]]
* [[Kirttan Ghosha]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikisourcelang|as|গুণমালা}}
* [http://www.atributetosankaradeva.org/Gunamala_trans.pdf English translation of Sankardev's Gunamala]
* [http://issuu.com/ashimdutta/docs/gunamala2/1 Ebook version in Assamese] at issuu.com.

[[Category:Books from Assam]]
[[Category:Ekasarana Dharma]]
[[Category:1552 books]]
[[Category:Assamese literature]]

Gunamala - Revision history

>Dawnseeker2000 at 06:10, 2 July 2020