Nata Sankirtan Maha Jeigya in the Manipuri societyA passage from the Manipuri book Nata Sankritana by Sanakshya Ibotombi Haorokcham

    10-Jul-2021
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Yumnam Suren
Contd from previous issue
of it by the Nata Sankirtan Mahayagya in which all present in the wedding ceremony could avail the benefits equally by all.
In case of death, the burning of the dead body was regarded as offering of it to the fire-god whom he worshipped when has was alive and this practice had been followed by the Manipuris irrespective of Gouriya Vaisnavism followers or not.
In this regard, the followers of Gouriya Vaisnavism used to let the dying persons hear Hari Nam Sankirtan before they had fallen unconscious so that they might breath their last with total absolution from sins by hearing the sacred name of Hari, and after death the family of the deceased carry the corpse to the cremation ground by singing Hari Nam Sankirtan and burn the dead body by putting it on the funeral pyre.
For the Manipuris following Gouriya Vaisnavism Nata Sankirtan has been an unavoidably important part of a Shradha ceremony (the final obsequies). In the Shradha involving Pinda Dan, the offering of the panda cannot begin until the Nata Sankirtan is sung invoking Ista Devata (the tutelary deity).
Again, when the panda offering is complete the offerer will take a bath, change a new clothe and bow down before the sankirtan by entering into the mandap (pavillion), and after this the singers will sing ‘Vijay’ song to conclude the function and at this stage the Mandap Mapu (the person presiding the function) will convey the pretatma (soul of the deceased) to Vaikuntha Dham (abode of Hari) and the function concludes here.
In a family occurring death of a member ‘Dashahan’ (a ritual for mitigation of misfortune and miseries due to the death) is performed by reading of Shri Madbhagavat every day until the day of the Shradha Karma and the performance of the ritual is necessarily preceded by singing Nam Sankirtan always. In case a Shradha karma is to be associated with the offering of Pinda, in offering of the pinda in the morning every day by the ‘Gira’-man (the member of the family chosen to be the Pinda offerer who should observe continuously during the period of the funeral services by keeping aloof from his family temporarily), the event is preceded by Name Sankirtan. In performing Ashthi Sanchay (literally means collection of bones, and it is a ritual performed on the sixth day after death) Nam Sankirtan leads the event and sometimes circum ambulates of a Hari Mandir (temple of Hari) is also added.
Nam Sankirtan is a miniature form of Dhruvamel Mahasankirtan and it has may kinds varying in size and quality. They are used in different purposes for the rituals, such as Gira-Thangba (performing of Shradh with Pinda da Lairik Taba (reading and hearing of holy scriptures and Asti Sanchay (bone collection performed on the sixth day after death) etc. The most extensive form of Dhruvamel Sankirtan is divided into four, as (i) Maha Dhruvamel (ii) Gow Dhruvamel (iii) Nityai Dhruvamel and (iv) Devi Dhruvamel, and they are in vogue among Gouriya Vaisnavites of Manipur. It is strongly believed that by performing such a grand Dhruvamel Hari Sankirtan the sins committed by a person is completely exonerate it is capable of doing it. In ancient India kings after fighting fierce homicidal wars used to perform Ashwamedha Yagya in expiation of the cruel and violent act committed in the fights, and likewise, in Manipur also kings in imitation of it, introduced the performance of Dhruva MahaSankitan after fierceful fightings for the cause of their country to expiate for the cruel and sinful acts committed in the fightings. After the war again the Awa (Burmese) Bhagyachandra Maharaj perform Maha Dhruva-Mel. After the period of devastated and desolation of Manipur, Gambhir Singh  defeated the enemy and regained the throne and he performed Goura Dhruvamel Mahasankirtan In the like manner Narsingh organized Nityai Dhruvamel Maha Sankirtan. Again Chandrakirti Maharaj, when he became king after a long exile in Cachar, performed Devi Dhruvam Maha Sankirtan to atone for his wrongs and sins. Thus, later, the descendants of Karta Maharaj, in arranging Ningthem Kirtan (Royal Feast) they did it with Maha Dhruvamel Sankirtan, and in Ningthem Kirtans performed by the scions of Narsingh Maharaj, they did it with Goura Dhruvamel Mahasankirtan. In Maha Dhruvamel and Goura Dhruvamel the raga part of  Sankirtan is elaborately done and in Nityai Dhruvamel the elaboration is done in the Vijay (concluding) part.
Ahoratra Kirtan is a kind of great Hari Sankirtan prevalent in Goura Vaisnavite society of Manipur. This is performed by the Manipuris on an auspicious day as a remedial measure for poverty, miseries and misfortunes etc. (To be contd)