Sarvananda

Sarvananda (15th century) was a Hindu votary of the tantras (religious orders or service-books) who devoted himself to worship at Mehar, the place in Chandpur where he was born. His grandfather, Vasudev Bhattacharya wasa a yogist. Sarvananda was illiterate. Legend has it that he was enlightened by a saint. He claimed to have experienced the ten forms of goddess Bhairabi in 1426 AD. Later, he took Chandrachur Tarkalankar of Senhati village in Khulna as his preceptor and married his daughter Gauri. He compiled a sanskrit book called Sarvollasatantra, a collection of incantations for tantric meditation. The descendants of Sarvananda are now known as the Sarvavidya family. [Satyanarayan Chakraborty]