Performing arts The monks of the Sri Sri Auniati Satra have been involved in numerous cultural and literary activities for centuries. The monks are routinely trained in theatre (
bhaona), dance (
Sattriya), singing (
borgeet) and playing instruments (
khol and
taal). Godaporbo, Bhismoporbo, Bhorotagomon etc. by Sri Sri Dattadeva Goswami, Prahlad Soritro, Birat Porbo etc. by Kamalachandradeva Goswami, Tripur Toron by Lilakantadeva Goswami, Dondi Porbo, Droupodir Xomonwoy, Sri Krisnor Jonmolila, Jonmastomi etc. by Sri Sri Hemachandradeva Goswami, Jotanol Gitabhinoy, Dut Krisno, Bolisolon, Mohix Mukti etc. by Vishnuchandradeva Goswami etc. Charita Puthis are a distinctive genre of Ekasarana literature, where hagiograpphies of the faith's gurus are written. Among the Charit Puthis, the charitas of Sri Sri Damodaradeva, Sri Sri Vansigopala Deva and Sri Sri Harideva were composed in the Sri Sri Auniati Satra itself. The Auniati satradhikar Sri Sri Dattadeva Goswami personally oversaw the procurement and use of the "Dharmaprakasha Yantra", a modern printing press, for the purpose. Sutamla established the Sri Sri Auniati Satra and took formal initiation under its first Satradhikar Sri Sri Niranjana Deva Goswami, effectively Sanskritising the dynasty. This was a major event in the
history of Assam. Sutamla adopted the name Jayadhwaj Singha following this. Following this, the Ahom state was largely lenient towards the satras of the Brahma Sanghati, while continuing the persecution of the satras of other sanghatis. Rudra Singha even provided the position of
raj satra to Auniati,
Dakhinpat, Garamur and Kuruwabahi and received initiation from the satradhikar of the Sri Sri Auniati Satra, Sri Sri Harideva Goswami, who was the most prominent of the Brahmin satradhikars of the time. Despite this, the relationship was not always cordial. For example, during the reign of
Gadadhara Singha, even satras of the Brahma Sanghati faced persecution. Even at other times, the Ahom kings kept patronising
Shaktism in opposition to
Vaishnavism.
Conservation of manuscripts and artefacts The satra premises conserve manuscripts and artefacts dating back hundreds of years. These have either been created in the satra itself or gifted by disciples to the satra over the span of several centuries. Almost 150 manuscripts are preserved in the satra's premises, some of which include ankia nats of Srimanta Sankaradeva and Sri Sri Madhavadeva in Brajavali, Adbhut Ramayana by Raghunath Mahanta in old Assamese, Anadi Patan by Sankaradeva in old Assamese, Amara Koshha by Amar Singha in Sanskrit etc. Several of the artefacts are those gifted by
Ahom kings after taking
xoron in the satra. A mat of
ivory tusks, an inscription with the Srihasta Muktavali translated by Suchananda Oja etc. were gifted by
Rudra Singha. He also gifted the plates used by his father
Gadadhara Singha to the satra. Gajendra Chintamani, detailing how elephants are caught and tamed, illustrated by
Mughal painters Dilbar and Dosai, was gifted by
Siva Singha. A musical instrument named Bheri was gifted by
Rajeswara Singha. He also gifted a bortaal, a musical instrument weighing 7.5 kilograms. The
hendang or sword of
Lachit Barphukan is also stored in the satra's museum. The satra has also received gifts from other royalties. The king of
Burma Bodofa had gifted Maan Xofura to the then satradhikar Sri Sri Kusharamadeva Goswami, asking his forgiveness, as he was retreating to Burma after the invasion of Assam. Apart from royal gifts, many of the artefacts also include artistic creations by monks themselves. For example, the Rangoli Xorai, Onaroxi Lota etc. Some gifts from disciples include a Naga spear by
Naga disciples and Khamti da from
Khamti disciples.
Natural environment The grounds of Auniati Satra evoke the tranquility of a countryside retreat, fostering a close harmony with nature. Visitors may encounter a diverse range of animals, including rabbits, cats, dogs, cows, pigeons, as well as fishes housed in ponds and aquariums. The landscape is richly adorned with various trees, plants, and flowers, among them the foxtail orchid (
Rhynchostylis retusa), commonly known in Assamese as Kopouful, which is also the state flower of Assam. This serene, garden-like environment offers refuge from modern urban stress and serves as a place of spiritual renewal. The monks lead lives of striking simplicity, possessing only essential items, devoid of luxury or excess. The Namghar—a vast prayer hall—is entirely empty, reflecting the austere and focused devotional ethos of the satra.
Words of wisdom There are 56 moral verses in assamese inscribed on Goldfish-shaped panels, arranged along the path leading to the Namghar (prayer hall), 28 on each side. The 56 maxims displayed along the path to the Namghar reflect the ethical and spiritual vision of the Assamese saint-scholar Srimanta Sankardev (1449–1568) and the Ekasarana Dharma (Neo-Vaishnavism), which emerged from the broader Shakta–Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis of medieval Assam. They emphasise selfless service, moral discipline, and the cultivation of
vidyā – knowledge understood not merely as intellectual learning, but as transcendent wisdom that leads to liberation (moksha). This knowledge is seen as an inalienable treasure, attained through righteous conduct, self-discipline, and the company of the virtuous, devotion to the Guru, and above all exclusive surrender to Krishna, here referred to as Govinda, regarded as the ultimate source of liberation. Many of these aphorisms promote altruism, compassion towards all beings, detachment from material greed, and the remembrance of God as the central path to spiritual fulfilment. • Treat your mother as a goddess, your father as a god, your teacher as a god, and your guest as a god (
Taittiriya Upanishad XI.2). • From knowledge comes growth; from growth comes righteousness; from righteousness comes happiness. Therefore, acquire knowledge through effort and study. • To the narrow-minded, people are divided into “mine” and “others”; to the noble-minded, the whole world is one family (Maha Upanishad, Chapter 6). • Avoid the company of the wicked, seek the company of the virtuous, perform good deeds day and night, and remember always the impermanence of life (
Brihaspati Niti Sāra). • Righteousness is the wish-fulfilling cow, contentment is the Nandana forest, desire is the river Vaitarani, and knowledge is said to grant liberation. • The essence of righteousness lies hidden in a cave; the path is that which the great ones have trodden. • In Kali Yuga, man lies down; in Dvapara, he begins to rise; in Treta, he stands; in Krita, he walks (Aitareya Brāhmaṇa 33.3). • Whatever the best man does, others imitate; the world follows the standard he sets (Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3, Verse 21). • Rivers flow for the benefit of others; cows give milk for the benefit of others. • A snake is calmed by mantras and medicine; why then can a wicked man not be restrained? • The hand is adorned by giving, not by bracelets; purity comes from bathing, not sandal paste; satisfaction comes from eating, not merely seeing; peace comes from renunciation, not decoration. • An elephant is bound by a thousand hands, a horse by a hundred, and a wicked man by simply being sent away. • All this belongs to the Lord; enjoy what is given, and covet not another’s wealth. • Even if a crow’s beak is made of gold, its wings inlaid with jewels, and its feet studded with pearls, it is still not a royal swan. • Of what use is scripture to one without understanding, just as a mirror is useless to the blind? • The jewel of knowledge is the greatest wealth—it is neither stolen by thieves nor diminished by giving nor divided among relatives. • Even if Mount Meru moves and the seven seas dry up, a steadfast seeker never swerves from his goal. • However much sugar you heap on a neem tree, however much milk you pour on it daily, its bitterness will not become sweetness. • For the first five years, love your child unconditionally, for the next ten years, discipline him. From the sixteenth year onwards, treat him as a friend. • The moon adorns the night, a husband adorns a woman, a king adorns the earth, and learning adorns a gentleman. • Shun a friend who speaks sweetly to your face but works against you behind your back—like milk poisoned by a snake’s fang. • Even small things, when united, can accomplish great tasks; a rope made of small strands can bind a mad elephant. • As fragrance is in the flower, oil in the sesame seed, fire in wood, sugar in sugarcane—so in the body, seek the self through discrimination (Chanakya Neethi - Chapter 7 verse 21). • In righteous conduct resides Lakshmi (fortune); in righteous conduct resides Saraswati (learning); all gods dwell in righteous conduct, and in unrighteous conduct is downfall. • The tongue of the wise may slip, the foot of the elephant may slip. • Even Bhima may be broken in battle; even sages may lose their judgment. • One good tree with fragrant flowers scents the whole forest; likewise, one good son ennobles the whole family. • As water enters the ground through a spade, so knowledge from the teacher enters the disciple through service. • A well-refined untruth may seem sweeter than truth and even fit for the gods; hence it is called “the divine speech.” • A learned man and a king are never equal—the king is honored in his own land, the learned everywhere. • The father is heaven, the father is dharma, the father is the supreme austerity; when the father is pleased, all gods are pleased (
Padma Purana Verse 1.50.9). • Lakshmi dwells in trade, half in agriculture, and half in royal service—never in begging. • From knowledge comes wisdom; from wisdom comes righteousness; from righteousness comes happiness. Therefore, acquire knowledge through effort and study. • Milk to a serpent is only a binding of poison; advice to a fool causes anger, not peace. • Learning is a friend in exile, a mother is a friend at home, medicine is a friend in sickness, righteousness is a friend after death. • Trees bear fruit for the benefit of others; this body exists for the benefit of others. • Avoid a wicked man even if learned—like a snake with jewels, he is still dangerous. • The wise give away wealth for others’ benefit while alive; better to give for a cause than to lose it in destruction. • There is no mother equal to forgiveness, no wealth equal to fame. • One’s own dharma, even if imperfect, is better than another’s dharma well performed; dying in one’s own dharma is better, for another’s dharma is dangerous. • Words without truth do not shine; a man without wisdom does not shine. • A flower without fragrance does not please; a face without teeth does not please. • All sins, such as killing a Brahmin, reside in food on the day of Hari’s worship. • The poison of the Takshaka snake is in its fangs, of the fly in its head, of the scorpion in its tail, but the wicked have poison throughout their body. • In the three ages, truth, knowledge, and renunciation were means to liberation; in Kali Yuga, only devotion to Brahman leads to it. • Negligence causes loss of work, loss of growth, poverty, begging, loss of honor, and total ruin by evil deeds. • Scholars have all virtues but only faults in speech; thus among a thousand speakers, one wise man is distinguished. • Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness, wealth; from wealth, righteousness; from righteousness, happiness. • There is no friend like knowledge, no enemy like disease, no love like that for a child, and no power greater than fate. • There is no holy place like the Ganga, no mother like one’s own, no guru like one’s own. • A true friend stands by you in festivals, in misfortune, in famine, in political upheaval, at the king’s gate, and at the cremation ground. • The jewel of knowledge is not divided among relatives, stolen by thieves, or diminished by giving—it is the greatest treasure. • The faithful, devoted, and self-controlled attain knowledge; through knowledge, they quickly reach supreme peace. • One cannot act for the dead, just as one cannot reverse death; mourning the departed is futile—so say the knowers of the Veda. • Nothing is as pure as knowledge; through self-discipline, in time one realizes it within oneself. • The gift of ten million cows, the observance of a month at Prayag in Magha, the gift of gold equal to Mount Meru—none equal the utterance of the name of Govinda. == References ==