Ranoj Pegu highlights Nirupama Mahanta’s ‘Sarbagunakara’ to mark Srimanta Sankardeva’s birth anniversary

Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu on Monday, September 21, highlighted Dr Nirupama Mahanta’s novel Sarbagunakara, based on the life of Srimanta Sankardeva, on the occasion of the Vaishnav saint’s 578th birth anniversary.

In a post on X, Pegu said he wanted to draw attention to the 2007-published novel, which traces major events in Sankardeva’s life and offers an account of his spiritual pursuits and contributions.

Pegu noted that Sarbagunakara is divided into three sections — Uday, Madhyahna and Aparahna. The novel covers Sankardeva’s childhood and education, family life, pilgrimages, propagation of his faith, literary and cultural works, establishment of naamghars and satras, his historic relationship with Madhavdeva and the final phase of his life.

He said the novel also brings the social and cultural setting of medieval Assam into its narrative, including folk life, religious beliefs, social customs and cultural traditions.

According to Pegu, one of the notable aspects of Sarbagunakara is its portrayal of Sankardeva not only as a religious leader but also as a socially conscious, compassionate and creative personality.

The novel explores Sankardeva’s ideas on caste divisions, social inequality, superstition and access to knowledge, as well as his efforts to take knowledge and devotion to ordinary people and promote learning through the mother tongue.

Pegu also mentioned Syed Abdul Malik’s Dhanya Naratanu Bhaal and Lakshminandan Bora’s Jakheri Nahike Upam as two other popular novels based on Sankardeva’s life and works.

He said Sarbagunakara can be seen as both a biographical novel on Sankardeva and a broader account of the society, religion and culture of medieval Assam.