Naam Ghosa: Hymns to the Blessed Lord Hardcover

Naam Ghosa is a poem in praise of Lord Krishna and of Vaishnavism or the Bhakti cult. Written in Assamese in the sixteenth century by Shree Shree Madhabdeva, it extols the practice of devotion to the deity and chanting hymns in praise of the Lord, as the only way to attain moksha or salvation. Shree Shree Madhabdeva was inspired by and became a disciple of Shree Shree Shankardeva, the poet and mystic of Assam who introduced and propagated the Bhakti cult of Vaishnavism. This cult enjoins one to surrender oneself to, and sing the praises of Lord Krishna. The present author Pranabananda Pathak was introduced to these verses by his mother. Pathak's translation of the 1001 stanzas has been a labour of love which he accomplished with total devotion. It was an urge that made him work night and day at the translation so that he could complete it. The author has attempted to keep the simplicity of the original Assamese while bringing out the philosophy embedded in the verses. The books should be of interest to Indologists and students of religion and philosophy as well as the general reader.