The Economic Aspects of Sankaradeva’s NeoVa...

The Economic Aspects of Sankaradeva’s NeoVaishnavism: An Annalysis in the Light of National Education Policy 2020

Author Name : Krishna Kumari Deka, Dr. Priti Deka

ABSTRACT Srimanta Sankaradeva was a great Vaishnavite scholar, saint, poet, artist, economist, educationist, and sociocultural reformer of 15th-century Assam. The emergence of Sankaradeva was a historical event for the entire human society. He initiated a socio-religious movement called the Neo-Vaishnavite movement in the later part of the 15th century, which is officially known as Eka Sarana Hari Nama Dharma. The roots of his Neo-Vaishnavite movement were in the Pan-Indian Bhakti movement, despite the fact that it has some uniqueness. The NeoVaishnavite movement played a major role in forming the socio-economic foundation of Assam. The teaching and preaching of Sankaradeva had an impact not only on the socio-cultural life of the people of Assam but also on its economic condition. Although it was based on spirituality, the movement has some socio-economic aspects, and because of this character of the movement, Sankaradeva could gain the fame of a great social reformer. He earned fame as a skilled carpenter, weaver, instrument maker, painter, singer, actor, poet, litterateur, and an expert in the field of agriculture. As a means of generating income and as an expression of his art, Sankaradeva taught the masses skills and vocational education. It's interesting to note that the current educational system places a strong emphasis on vocational training and skill development. This paper tries to find out the economic aspects of Sankaradeva’s Neo-Vaishnavism and how they compare to National Education Policy 2020, particularly in terms of skill development initiatives