Sri Sri Gopal Dev: An apostle of classless, casteless society in Assam

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Sri Sri Gopal Dev, an erudite religious and spiritual scholar who staunchly followed the footsteps of the great Guru Srimanta Sankardev and Sri Madhav Dev, was known to have been born in the year 1540, in a place called Nachonighat on the bank of the river Dikhow of Gargaon, Sibsagar the then the capital of Ahom kingdom. Sri Gopal Dev being an ardent follower of both the Gurus objectified the noble ideals of Srimanta Sankardev and relentlessly worked for the creation of a classless and casteless society in the then seriously faction-ridden and trouble-torn Assam through the Bhakti movement.

Born of a humble family, his father was Kameswar Bhuyan and his mother was Brojangi Bhuyan. No record as to the exact date of his birth was available, after being educated and attaining profound knowledge at a very young age on different religious scriptures, verses etc. preached the philosophical objective of Ek Sharan Nam Dharma as propounded and practized by guru Srimanta Sankardev.

Passing through different trials and tribulations of life at an early young age of 21, Sri Gopal Dev used to live with his mother at a place called Bhabanipur situated in the Koch kingdom of the present Barpeta District. During his stay at Bhabanipur, Sri Gopal Dev left for Patbauchi for the first time with his grandfather to pay obeisance to Srimanta Sankardev. Later on, he had another chance fortune of meeting the guru Srimanta Sankardev. Sri Gopal Dev got intensely attracted to Srimanta Sankardev's scholastic aptitude, legendary personality, profundity and reformist mindset.

Sri Gopal Dev had deep reverence and devotion to Sri Sankar Dev and cherished a long desire 'to be initiated as the Guru's disciple' which however couldn't

be realized because of Sri Sankar's sudden departure to the heavenly abode. Deeply anguished at Sri Sankardev's demise and his unfulfilled passion to be his close adherent he decided to construct a Namghar where he would recite the lyrical hymn composed by Sri Sankardev and profoundly involved in practising and preaching the tenets of the Gurus to the neighbouring people. In due course of time, a close personal and familial relationship grew up between Sri Gopal Dev and his Guru Madhavdeb as both were endowed with a huge wealth of humanism, artistic and literary skills with a principled stand on Neo-Vaishnavism for an emancipated and classless society.

Sri Madhabdev closely observed, appreciated and inferred what Gopal wanted of him and finally, Gopal was 'initiated into the fold and made a disciple. This made Gopal's cherished dream come true. Sri Madhavdev got so stunned and impressed with his eloquence and wide depth of knowledge that Sri Gopal Dev was enjoined to propound and propagate the teachings of Srimanta Sankardeva based on "Ek Sharan Nam Dharma' through the Sankardev's greatest creation Namghar at a wider scale in Assam. Sri Gopal initiated the process very enthusiastically and animatedly from Bhabanipur where he adored Sankar-Madhav with a paean like

Sankar Madhab Oved Iswar

Guru Nahi duit pore.

Dui Hanu Namor Kirton Koria

Krito-Kritiya Howe Nore.

Sri Gopal Dev through his innate skill and artistic brilliance fascinated the seniors and experienced devotees like Sri Narayan Das Thakur Ata, Mathura Das Bura Ata, Purusutom Takur, Borbishnu Ata, and Sri Ram Ata. They were delighted and got to relish the exceptional and mesmeric interpretation of scriptures by Sri Gopal Dev. The greatly confounded Sri Madhav Dev, as a mark of respect, felicitated Gopal and called him 'Kathar Sagar".

In the meantime, Sri Madhavdev breathed his last at Kochbihar in the year 1596 and before his death, Madhavdev wished to surrender the responsibility of overseeing the religious propagation and promotion of Sri Gopal Dev.

Initially, Sri Gopal showed unwillingness to take over and finally after a long deliberation with Narayan Das Thakur Ata, he relented and agreed to take over with a new awakening of mind and the event of shouldering responsibility was marked with a grand celebration by the devotees and the followers.

Sri Gopal Dev, idolized and regarded both the Gurus as the reincarnation of supreme God, dedicatedly followed them and marched ahead with the philosophies and teachings of the two Gurus who heralded the Neo-Vaishnavism cult in Assam through the principle of 'Ek Dev Ek Xeb" and assorted means like Naamprasanga, dance, drama, song, music, ankiyanat amongst all the backward, poor, and exploited & oppressed classes of etc.

A new age of enlightenment and spiritedness swept the region, discarding the dark period of dogmatism, profanity and religious obscurantism and violence.

Sri Gopal Dev postulated and followed the same concept of mankind as an embodiment of supreme God as his two Gurus propounded and preached social cohesion, social peace, social justice, solidarity, human dignity and the ultimate creation of a divine atmosphere free of all social prejudices, mistrust, a misunderstanding which were destructive, regressive and ungodly.

Sri Gopal Dev singled out 12 Bhakats (devotees) who were given the responsibility for shouldering the propagation and promotion of Nam Dharma, who were acknowledged and honoured as 12 Atas (Guru) by their followers. They were Xara Jadumoni Dev, Bor Jadumoni Dev, Narayan Dev, Sanatan Dev, Aniruddha Dev, Murari Dev, Sri Ram Ata, Ramchandra Dev, Paramananda Dev, Ramcharan Dev, Purusuttom Dev and Purnanda Dev.

Meanwhile, Bhabanipur was suddenly struck by a crisis and so Sri Gopal Dev decided to relocate and establish a new Xatra at a place called Kalzar near Bhabanipur and left for Kalzar with 360 no of his ardent followers. At Kalzar Sri Gopal Dev scripted 66 geet (songs), 28 Ghosas (verses) and enacted dramas, bhaonas etc as a medium for the promotion of 'Ek Saran Nam Dharma".

The Kalzar Xatra gradually transformed itself into 'Baikuntha' and there this committed reformist breathed his last at the age of 70 only. After his demise, the adherents continued their works and in due course of time, the inheritors expanded their propagation and promotional works in many parts of Upper and Central Assam.

At present, there are (estimated) more than 220 Xatras across Assam, established by the sect led by Sri Gopal Dev and his inheritors which are exceptional in the sense that people from different walks of life and caste, creed, and communities assemble and chant prayers in unison. The pursuit of 'Ek Sharan Nam Dharma' in scores of village Naamghars across Assam is still radiating a vibrant aura of oneness, generosity, and rich traditional value mixed with social harmony and brotherhood despite the serious assault by some alien forces both internal and external.