Bhattadeva (1558-1638) (Baikunthanatha Bhagavata Bhattacharya) was the renowned Sanskrit scholar and father of Assamese prose.
Early life
Bhattadeva was born to Chandra Bharati and Tara Devi in a Brahmin family of Bheragaon/Bheragram in Barpeta of Kamrup.1 After finishing his education he became a disciple of Damodaradeva and succeeded him as the head of Patbausi Satra at Barpeta. He established the Vyasakuchi Satra some time later where he died. He is best known for Katha Bhagavat and Katha Gita, though some minor works like Saranamalika and Prasangamala are also ascribed to him.
Works
Though Bhaktiratnakar-Katha, the Kamrupi1 translation of Sankar Deva's Sanskrit composition Bhaktiratnakar by Gopala Charana Dvija preceded the works of Bhattadeva. Bhattadeva's prose had an influence in the development of a high and dignified style. Bhattadeva's and Gopala Charana Dvija's 16th century works are considered to be the earliest examples of prose in Indian languages. Bhattadeva's erudition in Sanskrit grammar and literature, and his command over the Bhagavata earned him the title of Bhagavata Bhattacharya.
Bhattadeva began translating the Sanskrit Bhagavata into Kamrupi prose at the bidding of Damodaradeva, who wanted it to be accessible to
the common man. He rendered Katha Bhagavata in a discursive style that is dignified and balanced. He maintains the same sense of dialogue in the Katha Gita. Though he uses short sentences, popular vocabulary and the expressive cadence of the colloquial, he uses Sanskrit vocables heavily and his language is an elevated one.
After completing the Bhagavata and the Gita, he rendered the
Bhaktiratnavali into elegant prose. He also compiled a book of
devotional verses in Sanskrit gleaned from the Upanishads, Puranas
and Samhitas illustrating all the elements of Bhakti. The work,
Bhakti-Viveka reveals extensive knowledge and erudition of Bhattadeva,
from the vedic to the puranic literature. Bhattadeva's contributions are
not confined to prose literature, he wrote poetry also.
Sources
- Medhi, Kaliram (1936), Assamese Grammar and Origin of the Assamese Language, Publication Board, Assam, p.78 Bhatta Deva stood in the same relation to Sri Damodar Deva, as Madhava Deva to Sri Sankara Deva. He maybe truly styled the father of Assamese prose. He was a contemporary of Madhava deva and was born in Bheragaon in the Barpeta sub-division. The most important of his works are the Katha Bhagavata and Katha Gita
- Goswami, Upendranath (1970), A study on Kāmrūpī: a dialect of Assamese, Department of Historical Antiquarian Studies, Gauhati, p.6 Rama Sarasvati, Ananta Kandali, Sridhara Kandali, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Dvija Kalapacandra and Bhattadeva, the father of Assamese prose, all hailed from the present district of Kamrup. In the writings of the early Assamese writers mentioned above reflections of the Kamrupi dialect are evident.
