TRUTH ABOUT SANKARDEW'S TWELVE YEARS' TOUR 

By the desire of the people, Sankardew, as the Chief of the Bhuyas, led them from Ali Pukhuri to Tembuani (Bardowa), the original place of residence of their forefathers (Ram. vs. 1604-14). This was in 1469, and it is here that he came by a black stone having the image of the four -handed Visnu. He placed the image in his prayer-house with the distinct purpose of converting average people to the Vaisnavite faith as they were all addicted to worship of the goddess (Ram, vs. 1615-18). In 1470, he introduced the Fakua festival with a view to propagate Vaisnavism on a wider scale, and when this came to a successful termination he called Jayanta and Madhawa, the two younger brothers of his grand-father, who earlier held the charge of his hereditary office of Siromani Bhuya, and expressed his desire to lead the life of a religious teacher transferring the secular affairs to them once again. The two elderly members of the family took a note of it and rather thought it fit and proper to bind this young religious enthusiast in the silken tie of matrimony (Ram, vs. 1653-55).

Sankardew was married to one Suryawati who conceived on the ninth day of Baisag, and a daughter, Manu, was born to them about 23 December, 1471. On the second day of Aswin, 1472, her mother died, and Sankardew's cup of sorrow was now full to the brim. His own mother died on the fifteenth day of his birth and his father followed her when Sankardew was a lad of five years. And his wife now died leaving their first child in its ninth month. He wanted, as we have seen, to shake off secular affairs even one year earlier; but the time was then not fully ripe. In Agrahayan, 1478, Manu was given in early marriage (Ram,vs.1820-22), and leaving his son-in-law, Hari in the charge of his office and home Sankardew presently left for a long tour on a Saturday with a large retinue (Ram, vs. 1836-54 ff).

The biographers have given all details of their journeyings and have made no secrets of anything. And if we read between their lines we find that it was not really a pilgrimage, at least in its orthodox sense, and if it is to be called a pilgrimage at all in any extended meaning, it must have been a camouflage of it. For having already initiated people to his Ekasaran faith, he could not make obeisance to those external objects, at least in spirit. There is of course no point why such Bhaktas (saints) should not go to such places of pilgrimage even if not for their own urge. They had sometimes positive duties to go there and to quote Naradiya Bhakti Sutra, "Sat tirtham kurvanti tirthani" (they turn the places of pilgrimage into better ones).

The biographers detail that Sankardew with his retinue came to the Ganges after two months and twenty one days and then made for Gaya, where they stayed for three nights. Once more they came to the Ganges for ten days and then reached Puri after twenty one days (Ram, vs. 1849-1931). Instead of Sankardew making any obeisance, Ganga herself is described as praying to Sankardew:

"Tayu dasi kinkari janaha Narayan:
Pavitra kariba mok aila ehi than". 1915
"Sankarak Ganga devi bahu stuti kare." 1927.

'Know me, O Narayan (Sankardew), to be thy female slave. Thou hast come to purify me. (Thus) the goddess Ganga offered long prayers to Sankar(-dew).'

Even traditions do not venture to suggest that Sankadew ever cared to get into the temple of Jagannath where he had been twice. It is said that he saw the image just standing at the door. And what had been the idea of his party seeing him there? It is voiced by Mahendra Kandali himself:

"Mahendra Kandali bole kino mor Sankar:
Jagannath same duiro tulya kalewar. 1907
Jagannath prabhu pase yao kika lagi:
Nicinilo Sankarak ami mandabhagi". 1908

'Mahendra Kandali says, Oh, what our Sankar(-dew) must be. His person is the same as that of Jagannath. Why should we have come to Jagannath at all? Unfortunate as we had been, we could not know Sankar(-dew) earlier'.

Nor is it purely sentimental and physical. Sankardew's astounding scholarship and dynamic personality touched every intelligent person who came by. They were as eloquent in their praise as his own admirations of Jagannath:

'Pandagane bole suna dvitiya Thakur:
Jagannath tumi same nuhika bidur. 1948.
Mukhya Pandasave lag nere Sankarar. 2126
Brahma-Puranak cai Sankare kahanta:
Yena mate Jagannatha saksat bhailanta,
Sisawa brtanta katha sunia samasta:
Ksanapray gaila din savare manata. 2127.

'The Pandas said, 'Listen to us, O Second Jagannath, you are not separate from him(the first)'. The prominent ones among them would not leave his company. Sankar(-dew) would describe, in interpreting Brahma Purana, how Jagannath came to be met. Listening to all these descriptions, days would pass as moments as it were.' Bhusan Dvija exactly confirms:

"Brahma Puranak cai Sankare kahanta:
Ksanapray yay din savaro manata."135

'As Sankar(-dew) would interpret Brahma Purana, days would pass as moments for all.' Ramananda Dvija further corroborates:

"Mas cari panca taita karila bancan:
Mahanta bulia save kare adaran.
Panda samastara age karanta bekata. 219
Yatek pandit ache Oresa purar:
Maha sneh badhi gaila lage Sankarar. 220
Ratri-dine sastra-byakhya karia thakanta:
Ksatrabasi loke yena amrta piyanta". 221

'(Sankardew) stayed there for months four or five. People used to respect him as saint that he had been. (Sankardew) would interpret the glories of Jagannath according to Brahma Purana before all the Pandas. A great adoration of Sankar(-dew) began to grow among all the scholars that were there in Orissa. He would interpret the scriptures day and night and the inhabitants of the ksatra(Puri) would drink nectar as it were'.

From Puri Sankardew is said to have travelled to Brndaban with a fraction of his followers while others returned home. After five fortnights in their journey they met Rupa and Sanatana:

"Rupe bole cai/ki karo Gosai/tumi jagatar nath". 2021.
"Ek Nam Dharma/an nahi karma/kahicho ek saran:
Tayu ajnacay/dhari Krpamay/kahilo nij vacan". 2023

'Rupa says looking (at Sankardew): 'What can we do, O Lord ! You are the Saviour of the world. We preach the same Nam Dharma and self-surrender to the one, leaving off all rituals, by your command, O the compassionate one, but in our words.' Thence Sankardew now with only four companions returned and made for Uttarabahini Ganga where he stayed for a night. Then he came to Barah Ksetra where he entered the fortieth year of his life. Thence again he made for Prayag, Puskarini and Mathura in which last place he is said to have stayed for six months. Last of all, he left for Dwaraka on the Caitra Bihu, Sunday, and then going to Gokul he completed his long twelve year's journey. Ramananda mentions further that Sankardew also visited Setukhanda, Baranasi and Badarikasram during his journeys. Any way, Sankardew must have returned from this long tour about 1490 A.D.

These and such details about his long and wide travels must remove any misgivings in ignorant minds about the consistency of Sankardew's teachings that pilgrimage as such is futile, and to consider bathing as purification from sins is un-Vaisnavite. So it stands. Uncritical critics of Sankardew, who have nothing like personal acquaintance even with the early biographies, lose sight of the fact that he preached his faith even before he set out his extensive travels, and that there is absolutely no room for imagining that he ever came under the influence of anybody during his travels. On the contrary, it is found that Sankardew wielded immense influence in all religious and cultural centres of India with the result that he had a good number of converts even in those places that may be detailed in the next chapter. It may suffice to say here that a study of Sankardew's works alone must open the eyes of unbelievers to the faith that scholars of his rank and file are hardly come across throughout the contemporary Vaisnavite India. But he wrote them all in the vernacular of his State; and that even then his astounding scholarship reached some responsible quarters where it roused unprecedented enthusiasm. We quote a few instances in this regard too in the next chapter.

Assam has since fallen into a deep depravity so-much-so that the people usually startle now at their own shadow. Sankardew had himself been the centre of radiation of all energy. He had no need to go out in search of light. The early biographers and Sankardew's own works are eloquent as to how Sankardew had himself been a moving institution of learning, if only there were ears to hear. He had intuition and practical sagacity enough for doing what he did. He did not imitate anything. Imitation is apish. There is no founder but finds, no genius but creates. And his achievements are proofs in themselves of his exceptionally high attainments. ##