Manipuri Nata Sankirtana As A Mahayajna

The NataSankirtana style of singing which was introduced during the reign of RajarshiBhagyachandra (1763-1798 A.D.). The great masters and scholars of that period composed and sang the padavali strictly after the Bhagavata tradition and other major Vaishnavite text and based the composition also on the traditional Ragas and Raginis of classical music tradition. Modern research has discovered a lot of regional overtones in the architecture of the particular Ragas and Raginis. The Manipuris call the NataSankirtana singing their own and it is clearly a form of collective prayer, a Mahayajna as they call it, lasting for about 5 hours at a stretch with a lot of rituals, movements and rhythmic pattern, strictly after the vaishnavite faith. NataSankirtana is a composite version of music, dance and tala; a Sangeet in the true sense of the term. It is also DrishyaKavya, a poem made visible. NataSankirtana to the followers of GoudiyaVaishnavism is a form of worship. It is considered as a Mahayajna (complete sacrifice). The Vaishnav architects trace its origin to the aesthetics and philosophy of ShrimadBhagavata. In ShrimadBhagavata the only merit in Kaliyuga is HariSankirtana (chanting the name of the lord) and through Sankirtana a person can reach his ends and attain moksha. A person in Satyayuga attains mukti through dhyan, in Treta Yuga by yajnas and Dwarpur Yuga through puja and in Kali yuga through HariSankirtana. The above dhyan, Puja, Yajana, etc., are all combined or merged in the form of HariSankirtana in Kali Yuga to attain salvation. Sri Chaitanya or Lord Gouranga preached the value and importance of Sankirtana to liberate the mortal and attain moksha.In this manner, for Meitei Vaishnavites living in the society today, NataSankirtanaMahayajna was become an indispensable event in the lives of the people since time immemorial. In short, NataSankirtana is the only highest karma for the Meitei society. This paper attempts to discuss the NataSankirtana as a Mahayajna in Manipuri society. Key words:natasankirtana, manipur, mahayajna, vaishnavism, shrimadbhagavat, harisankirtana, ghandharbam, vaishnavasampradaya, mahamantra, sadhana, mahapurush, paramatama, pritilok, devalok, sangskar, tulsi, urik ,lukun,devatas,abhinandan, sruti, smriti, mandapmapu,moibungkhonga, arangpham,khonghampham, guru-sishyaparampara Policy