Music was totally a focus of spirituality in the medieval period of India. In the growth of such musical genres we find many forms of songs and music. The content of the lyrics and the style of the music of medieval times were attached to spiritualism alienating the enjoyment of lunatic success. In these categories we can count at least 4000 songs written during the period from the 6th to the 12th century by the Vaishnavite Alluwars of North India and the Acharjyas. But in a later period it has changed its nature and culture according to the depth and wishes of modern evaluations, being assimilated with various streams of music such as Iranian, Afghan, Kasmirian, etc. The History of Musicology of Medieval India relates that the period between the 13th century and the last decades of the 16th century can be said to be the core of Indian music. It is noted that Sangeet Ratnakara, the great book on musicology was written during the said period. Medieval Indian music can be classified as North Indian and East Indian music, where the names of musicians such as Swami Haridas (1512 – 1607), Tansen (1506 – 1586) and Baiju Bhawra (1542 – 1613) should see themselves as interpreters and innovators. of North Indian music and the name of the great Saint Shankardeva (1449 – 1568) must be taken for the same sake of interpretation and innovation as the medieval music of East India. Swami Haridas, Tansen and Baiju Bhawra were musicians, instrumentalists and singers almost contemporary with Shankardeva. Shankardeva invented new raagas (melodic modes), taals (rhythms) and musical forms, as well as the most valuable Assamese musical instrument Khol. The themes of his songs were based on spiritual achievement backed by practical life.
The songs that were composed by Shankardeva are known as Borgeet among the people of Assam. Bar or Bor means superior and geet means song. So that Borgeet or Bargeet can be said as superior song, heavenly song, great or sacred. These are superior treatises due to their spiritual content and classical melody. Borgeets are composed in the Vajrawali language. Although the reason for naming Shankardeva’s songs as Borgeet is not apparent enough, he is popular under such name. It is stated in the Guru Charit (sort of biographical writings) that Shankardeva composed 240 Borgeets. Kamala Gayan from Borpeta, a disciple of Shankardeva, went to find the script of her teacher’s songs to practice the same, but unfortunately Kamala Gayan’s house caught fire and the script of 240 Borgeets was completely burned. The Borgeets that are available now are mementos of the people who practiced in that period. But the memory of 240 Borgeets was not possible at all. The recollection of 34 Borgeets of Shankardeva’s disciples was made possible by Madhabdeva through whom such numbers of Borgeets are available to this day. The name Borgeet was not mentioned by Shankardeva, it was a denotation from a later period made by Shankardeva’s disciples to keep their songs in a reverential position. In this context, many academics are giving comments to define Borgeet from their point of view, but these do not perfectly explain the issue at hand. Dr. Dilip Kr Dutta, Dept. of Mathematics, Road Island University, Kingstone America, explained that Borgeet means a stream of music devised by Shankardeva that was nurtured in a later period by his disciples with more creations of such songs and music. The theme of these songs is Vaishnavite based on the Shankarian culture. Dr. Dutta’s comment is acceptable from all analytical angles. Shankardeva abandoned the effort to compose Borgeets after the loss of the song script from him and advised Madhabdeva to compose to his design. Madhabdeva composed about 157 songs and then the other disciples increase their number with qualities of transcendence. Today all the songs are known as Borgeet.
Borgeets are also known as a Vaishnava devotional song which is unlike other songs in the same series due to its unique exceptionality. The melody and lyrical quality lead everyone to transcendental unity. There is no hard and fast rule of instrumental accompaniment in Borgeet’s playing. However, the use of instruments like khol, taal (cymbal), khuti taal (palm-sized cymbal), flutes are used in the time of Borgeet performances. Shankardeva composed Borgeets depending on the situations he faced as a man. When the Ahom king executed the capital punishment of his son-in-law Hari (Hari junwai) without having any crime, he composed the following Borgeet where the truth of Krishna culture is observed.
Xuna Xunare, xura bairi promana, nixasara nasha nidana
Rama nama jama samaraka xaji, xomodole koyali payana
Thata prokota patu kauti kauti kopi
Giri goro goro padoghawe I
Baridhi shot tori kore guru toro giri
Dhari dhari Xomoroka dhawe II
Substance: – Listen, oh enemy of Saint, the enhancer of darkness, listen to the message of your beheading. – Ram as the gigantic Yama (king of death) comes to fight and in the marching steps of heartbreaking monkey soldiers the hills and mountains are trembling.
hata ghata stout robe biyapi
Chowgore berholi Lanka I
Ghana Guru Ghana ghuxo Ghorixana garjana
Shravane Janamoya Shanka II
Substance: – Stretching for thousands of miles, they are blockading Lanka. In their gallops the hills and mountains are making noises of thunder that are scary to be heard.
Dhira bira xura Shekhara Raghava
Ravana tuwa pori jhampe I
Xura Nara Kinnara Phana dhara thara thara
Mahidhara taroxi prokampe II
Substance:- O Ravana, the great Hero Rama will jump on you and you will be killed. Deities, Men, Kinnar, the snakes and the owner of the mountains, all are trembling as they observe the fearful situation.
Andha mugudha dasakandha papo buddha
Janokika shirata sorai I
Raghupati padaboro Dhara rajaniswara
Shankara kahotu upai II
Substance:- O blocky head, blind, sinful and ten-headed Ravana, carry Janaki (Sita) on your head and deliver him to Lord Rama. O God of darkness, submit to the lotus feet of Raghupati, that is the only path for you. Shankara says.
Borgeets are generally known as devotional songs of the Vaishnavite culture. Bring the sense of devotion to the Almighty by surrendering everything related to worldly affairs. But looking at some aspects of Borgeet, it can be mentioned that Shankardeva’s Borgeets have other aspects as well. After the loss of 240 Borgeets, discussions on the thematic aspects of Shankardeva’s Borgeet will not have the essence of the required qualification. However, it should be noted that all Borgeets are not completely devotional in nature. We get this essence in the aforementioned Borgeet. In said Borgeet, everyone will observe Shankardeva’s explicit control of the King due to his injustice, in enacting the story of Rama and Ravana, rather than devotion to the supreme. The theme and expression of this Borgeet carry certain aspects of sociocultural alert and the gloomy result of Kings who practice injustice and inequality. The ancient culture tune of Krishna shown by Srimad Bhagawat Geeta can also be heard here. As Geeta says:-
Yada Yadahi Dharmashya Glani Bhawati Bharata
Abuthanama Dharmashya Tadatmanam Srijamahyam
Paritranaya Sadhunam Binasaya in Duskritam
Dharma Sansthapanathaya Sambhawami Youge Youge.
Substance: – When justice declines and injustice seizes power, to establish justice and for the destruction of evils, for the sake of saints and sermons, for the dissolution of the devil’s keepers, I myself am born age after age.
So it should be noted here that there could be more Borgeets like the one mentioned, which were unfortunately burned. Borgeets are devout in nature but some revolutionary sociological tendencies are also to be found in them. It was mentioned before that the themes of his songs were based on spiritual entertainment backed by practical life. It means that spirituality should be achieved through pragmatic living, not by escaping from it. We have an important example in support of this fact. Shankardeva’s play kaliya damana it gives us an allegorical expression of the victory of popular culture over anticulture. Through the defeat of the deleterious Kali (Serpent King) the fear of being unbalanced or swooned by vile things such as intolerance, impiety, cruelty has been removed and mastery of such power is encouraged. It is the Kaliya that resides in every man. On the other hand, the Kaliya who creates unexpected and unbelievable atrocities in society depending on power and greed for unlimited profit will also be defeated by the unifying effort of the mass of people who will be known as Krishna at the time of battle against evils. . May it be the victory of Krishna’s culture over all the acts of demons that obstruct the path of liberation. That is the message carried by Shankardeva’s Borgeets in lyrical form showing the path of spiritual attainment through scientific social attachment and engagement.
