Kirtan Ghosha

The Kirtan Ghosha[1] (Assamese: [kiɹ.tɔn.ɡʱʊ.xa]) is a collection of poetical works, primarily composed by the medieval saint Srimanta Sankardev in the Brajavali language.

[2] Sankardev had instructed Madhabdev 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 Ramcharan Thakur, the nephew of Madhabdev.

[3] All the kirtans were composed by Srimanta Sankardeva, except for one by Ratnakar Kandali and another by Madhabdeva.

[4] 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 namo goparupi meghasama syama tanu | gawe pitvastra hate singa veta venu || pitavastra sobhe syamala kaya | tadita jadita jalada praya || sundara hasikaka alpa hasa | caru syama tanu pitabasa || pache trinayana divya upavana dekhilanta vidyamana | phala phala dhari jakamaka kari ache yata vriksamana || hena maha divyavana dekhilanta trinayana divya kanya eka ache tate | koti lakshmi sama nohe katashe trailokya mohe bhanta kheri kheli duyo hate ||