INTRODUCTION I home at Bandule in the Ranpur district, By birth he was a worshipper of Goddess Dura, but later converted to Vaisnavism by Santar Deva. In him Sanar Deva found a most powerful disciple and an aponent of his faith. He gave a great impetus and publicity to the religion preached by Sankar Deva and it was he who spread it far and wide. He himself wrote in his Namghos :- “Hari nama rase Vaikuntha Pralease Prema amtara nadi : Sankara swarupe | Par bhang da Bahe brahmandaka bhedi.” Madhava Deva was a poet and a philosopher. His Barts are of exquisite beauty and his Namghos highly philosophical. Take for ins- tance the following verse :- “Tumi gittabytti mora Pravartaka Narayana | Tumi natha mai rathavanta.” This is an echo of the 2nd sutra of the Patanjala Yoga philosophy. “Yogah gittavitti-nirodhan.” Such philosophical ideas are common in the Namghosa. The most impor- tant works of Madhava Deva, from religious standpoint, are the Namghosa and Ratnavali. His literary genius is most conspicuous in his Bargit and dramas. He is also a humorist. Ananta Kandali - He was a contemporary of Sankar Deva, He was born in Hazo, Kamrup. His other names were Sri gandra Bharati, Candra Bharati, Kavi Candra, Sidhar Kandali, Su-Kavi-sekhar, Bhagavata Bhattaparya, Kavi sekhar, Ratnakara Kandali, Hari garana and Bhagavata Ararya. He was a voluminous writer and his poems were so very fascinating that Sankar Deva had to allow incorporation of his Sahasra Nam and Ghumua in his kirtan. His Kumar Harana and Kankhoa, an Assamese lullaby, are of exquisite beauty. Ram Sarasvatiঃ- He was junior to Sankar Deva and a court-poet of king Nar Narayana. He was born in Pachara not far from Fajo in the amrup district. Under orders of Nar'Nayana be translated the Mahabharata into Assamese, He paid hih tribute to Sanar Deva earding him as an incanation of God. Like Ananta Kandali he was a voluminous writer, The most important of his work are the Baghsur Vadh, Mabarta and Vyadha Cart.
