Dnyaneshwar
Encyclopedia
Dnyāneshwar (1275–1296), also known as Jñanadeva , was born into a Deshastha Brahmin
Kulkarni
family.
He was a 13th century Maharashtria
n Hindu
saint
(Sant
- a title by which he is often referred), poet, philosopher and yogi
of the Nath
tradition whose works Bhavartha deepika teeka (a commentary on Bhagavad Gita
, popularly known as "Dnyaneshwari
"), and Amrutanubhav
are considered to be milestones in Marathi literature
.
tradition Sant
Dnyaneshwar http://www.d2i.in/visit/Saint-Dnyaneshwars-Shrine_Aalandi_Pune_Pilgrimage/2184 was the second of the four children of Vitthal Govind Kulkarni
and Rukmini, a pious couple from Apegaon near Paithan
on the banks of the river Godavari. Vitthal had studied Vedas and set out on pilgrimages at a young age. In Alandi
, about 30 km from Pune
, Sidhopant, a local Yajurveda brahmin, was very much impressed with him and Vitthal married his daughter Rukmini.
After some time, getting permission from Rukmini, Vitthal went to Kashi
(Varanasi
in Uttar Pradesh
, India), where he met Ramananda Swami and requested to be initiated into sannyas, lying about his marriage. But Ramananda Swami later went to Alandi and, convinced that his student Vitthal was the husband of Rukmini, he returned to Kashi and ordered Vitthal to return home to his family. The couple was excommunicated from the brahmin caste
as Vitthal had broken with sannyas, the last of the four ashram
s. Four children were born to them; Nivrutti in 1273, Dnyandev (Dnyaneshwar) in 1275, Sopan in 1277 and daughter Mukta in 1279. According to some scholars their birth years are 1268, 1271, 1274, 1277 respectively. It is believed that later Vitthal and Rukmini ended their lives by jumping into the waters at Prayag where the river Ganges meets Yamuna
hoping that their children would be accepted into the society after their death.
The couple set out on a pilgrimage with their children to Tryambakeshwar, near Nashik, where their elder son Nivrutti (at the age of 10) was initiated in to the Nath
tradition by Gahininath. The paternal great grandfather of Dnyaneshwar had been initiated into the Nath cult by Goraksha Nath (Gorakh Nath). The orphan
ed children grew up on alms
. They approached the brahmin community of Paithan to accept them but the brahmins refused. According to the disputed "Shuddhi Patra" the children were purified by the brahmins on condition of observing celibacy
. Their argument with the brahmins earned the children fame and respect due to their righteousness, virtue, intelligence, knowledge and politeness. Dnyaneshwar became the student of Nivruttinath
along with his younger siblings Sopan and Mukta at the age of 8. He learnt and mastered the philosophy and various techniques of kundalini
yoga.
, a village in Ahmednagar district, where Dnyaneshwar began his literary work when Nivruttinath
instructed him to write a commentary on Bhagavad Gita
. The Dnyaneshwari
or Bhavartha Deepika Teeka was written down by Sacchidananandbaba from discourses by Dnyaneshwar. By the time the commentary was complete Dnyaneshwar was only 15 years old.
Considered a masterpieces of Marathi literature, the Dnyaneshwari's 18 chapters are composed in a metre called "ovi
". Dnyaneshwar liberated the "divine knowledge" locked in the Sanskrit language to bring that knowledge into Prakrit
(Marathi) and made it available to the common man. He was confident that he would write in marathi in as good or better manner than Sanskrit.
Amrutanubhav
, written some time after, is difficult and finds fewer readers. Containing 10 chapters and 806 ovi, the basis of this book is non dualism (advaita siddhanta). The seventh and biggest chapter (295 ovi) is the most important. Apart from Dnyaneshwari and Amrutanubhav works like Changdev Paasashti (a collection of 65 ovi
addressed to an allegedly 1400 years old yogi named Changdev Maharaj
), Haripath
and around 1000 "abhang
a" (authorship of many is disputed due to differences in writing style) are attributed to Dnyaneshwar.
was the elder brother of Dnyaneshwar. Nivrutti was an authority on philosophy of the Nath sect. Gahininath, one of the nine Nath gurus, accepted Nivrutti as his disciple and initiated him into the Nath sect, instructing him to propagate devotion to Krishna
. Dnyaneshwar accepted his elder brother as his own guru. After the early Samadhi of Dnyaneshwar, Nivrutti travelled with his sister Mukta on a pilgrimage along the Tapi river where they were caught in a thunderstorm and Mukta was swept away. Nivrutti took to salvation (Samadhi) at Tryambakeshwar. Around 375 abhang
as are attributed to him but, the authorship of many of them is disputed due to difference in writing style and philosophy.
Sopan
dev was a younger brother Sopandev attained ‘samadhi' at Saswad
near Pune. He wrote a book "Sopandevi" based on the Bhagvadgita's Marathi interpretation along with 50 or so abhangas.
Muktabai
was the youngest of the siblings, Muktai or Muktabai was known for her simple and straightforward expression of thoughts. She could be considered as one of the first poetesses in Marathi along with Mahadamba. There are around 40 abhangas attributed to her. She accepted Yogi Changdev
as her disciple.he taught people bhakti,a simple and easy way
to worship god
Dnyaneshwar was probably introduced into the Vaishnava Sampradaya (or Vitthala Sampradaya) of Pandharpur
(founder of the Varkari
movement), influenced by the piety of contemporary members of the movement such as Namdev, Gora Kumbhar, Savta Mali, Janabai, Narhari Sonar, Chokha Mahar and Sena Nhavi, after his writing of Dnyaneshwari since there is no mention of it in that work. The Varkaris soon considered him their teacher and spiritual leader, who initiated his contemporaries associated with the Dvaita
(dualism
) school of the bhakti
movement into Advaita (non-dualism). He strongly advocated jnana yukta bhakti (devotion guided by knowledge) and believed that one can not be liberated unless one attains the true and divine knowledge of Brahman
.
For year 2011-12 the Palakhi is scheduled on Jun 23 from Alandi.
to northern India with Namdev and other saints. After completing this pilgrimage he expressed his intention to enter into a state of Samadhi because he felt that the mission of his life was complete. Although many scholars believe that his disappearance at a young age could be the handiwork of those who were against his Bhagwat dharma. It is widely propagated that at the age of 21 on 13th day of the second half of Kartik
in Shaka 1218, Dnyaneshwar entered into a permanent state of Sanjeevan Samadhi
http://www.d2i.in/visit/Samadhi-of-Sant-Dnyaneshwar_Aalandi_Pune_Pilgrimage/1736 at Alandi
in Maharashtra
, India
.
An account of this incident is described by the contemporary Saint Namdev
in a set of Abhangas named as Samadheeche Abhanga (translation: The Abhangas of Samadhi
) .
In 1271 AD lived a genius who left this world richer by his thoughts as he left it later at the age of 21.Saint poet Gnyaneshwar- Alandi Pune India. He understood all that Indian thought stood for and gave to the people answers to all their problems then. Even today his Gnyaneshwari Geeta is read across India especially in Maharashtra. He created the most revered creation in literature of Marathi language. He was a social reformer who had to suffer a lot at hands of conservatives then still he ended his life by entering a state of SAMADHI bliss for Eternity- at Alandi pune at a age of 21. His last words after a harrowing time he had with this mission of his life is a sublime poetry of the mankinds' ultimate wish.-Happiness for all peaceful co existence, with all round progress for all by Focus on faith ever increasing within. He prayed for ‘The true knowledge-wisdom’ for us all by continued contact and in 'Touch' of those who are Aware and Awakened- the true saints and the book of Geeta.
The Poetry Prayer
"Pasaay daan" = A boon/alms of ‘Perennial Nectar’ of Bliss asked for all humanity
“O Omnipresent God pervading the Universe & also within all of us living beings,
Whatever efforts I have done by this poetry of life (Gyaneshwari Geeta)
Please elevate it to the heights of YOUR divine satisfaction. only then it can be universal & not mine alone!
Please grant me a boon / an alms for these efforts, for all living beings…
(first of all I beseech you to help the unwise unkind unhuman..)
Let their devotion and fondness for good deeds and be of service to all , by their proper actions,(be seeded in them and then..) Increase ever so more..
Come one and all to the 'state' where the The Tree that fulfills all wishes (saints are like a walking ‘forever-giving’ tree= kalpavriksha itself), and the Gem or like a parasmani - gem who can transform matter to divine or Infuse divinity within us ..which fulfills all your Divine desires …are all calling you,
So is the resounding call of this vast ocean of Faith which calls you all to drink this Ambrosia of the divine faith and bliss from its never ending source, (the Geeta)
Through this book Divine, YOU, have written through me..””
So saying The Great Saint gifted this divine commentary of 9000 verses on Shrimad Bhagvad GEETA ,made easy and relevant to the people of the thirteenth century and beyond till today and for the Tomorrow. He dissolved his whole being into this yearning for the Good Of the World, perpetually in pain, bondage and Maya-falsehoods. He felt COMPLETE only when all living beings were truly in bliss ,by following the tenets of GEETA ,he simplified..
Deshastha Brahmin
Deshastha Brahmins are the original and the oldest Hindu Brahmin sub-caste mainly from the Indian state of Maharashtra and some districts of northern Karnataka. The word Deshastha comes from the Sanskrit words Desha and Stha which mean inland or country and resident respectively...
Kulkarni
Kulkarni
Kulkarni Marathi- Kannada- is a common family name in the Maharashtra and Karnataka states of India.The name Kulkarni is believed to be a combination of two words . Kula means the root of the family, and Karanika means one who maintains records or accounts...
family.
He was a 13th century Maharashtria
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
n Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
(Sant
Sant
Sant is an Indian term derived from a Sanskrit verb that means both "to be good" and "to be real". From the fifteenth century the term has often referred to those who sing the name of God and worship Him, particularly the bhakti poets of Marathi...
- a title by which he is often referred), poet, philosopher and yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
of the Nath
Nath
The Sanskrit word nāthá or नाथ, is the proper name of a Hindu initiatory tradition and the word itself literally means "lord, protector, refuge"...
tradition whose works Bhavartha deepika teeka (a commentary on Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
, popularly known as "Dnyaneshwari
Dnyaneshwari
The Dnyaneshwari is the commentary on Bhagavad Gita written by Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar during the 13th century at age 16...
"), and Amrutanubhav
Amrutanubhav
Amrutanubhav or Amritanubhav is a composition by the Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar during the 13th century. It is considered to be a milestone in Marathi literature.-Etymology of the name:...
are considered to be milestones in Marathi literature
Marathi literature
Marathi literature is the body of literature of Marathi, a Sanskrit-derived language spoken mainly in the Indian state of Maharashtra and written in the Devanagari script.-Early Marathi Literature :...
.
Traditional history
According to NathNath
The Sanskrit word nāthá or नाथ, is the proper name of a Hindu initiatory tradition and the word itself literally means "lord, protector, refuge"...
tradition Sant
Sant
Sant is an Indian term derived from a Sanskrit verb that means both "to be good" and "to be real". From the fifteenth century the term has often referred to those who sing the name of God and worship Him, particularly the bhakti poets of Marathi...
Dnyaneshwar http://www.d2i.in/visit/Saint-Dnyaneshwars-Shrine_Aalandi_Pune_Pilgrimage/2184 was the second of the four children of Vitthal Govind Kulkarni
Kulkarni
Kulkarni Marathi- Kannada- is a common family name in the Maharashtra and Karnataka states of India.The name Kulkarni is believed to be a combination of two words . Kula means the root of the family, and Karanika means one who maintains records or accounts...
and Rukmini, a pious couple from Apegaon near Paithan
Paithan
Paithan , formerly Pratishthana, is a city and a municipal council in Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city was the capital of the Sātavāhana empire of ancient India that ruled from 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD...
on the banks of the river Godavari. Vitthal had studied Vedas and set out on pilgrimages at a young age. In Alandi
Alandi
Alandi is a city and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India.-Geography:Alandi is located on the banks of the Indrayani River, east of Pune, India. It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:...
, about 30 km from Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Sidhopant, a local Yajurveda brahmin, was very much impressed with him and Vitthal married his daughter Rukmini.
After some time, getting permission from Rukmini, Vitthal went to Kashi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
(Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India), where he met Ramananda Swami and requested to be initiated into sannyas, lying about his marriage. But Ramananda Swami later went to Alandi and, convinced that his student Vitthal was the husband of Rukmini, he returned to Kashi and ordered Vitthal to return home to his family. The couple was excommunicated from the brahmin caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
as Vitthal had broken with sannyas, the last of the four ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
s. Four children were born to them; Nivrutti in 1273, Dnyandev (Dnyaneshwar) in 1275, Sopan in 1277 and daughter Mukta in 1279. According to some scholars their birth years are 1268, 1271, 1274, 1277 respectively. It is believed that later Vitthal and Rukmini ended their lives by jumping into the waters at Prayag where the river Ganges meets Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
hoping that their children would be accepted into the society after their death.
The couple set out on a pilgrimage with their children to Tryambakeshwar, near Nashik, where their elder son Nivrutti (at the age of 10) was initiated in to the Nath
Nath
The Sanskrit word nāthá or नाथ, is the proper name of a Hindu initiatory tradition and the word itself literally means "lord, protector, refuge"...
tradition by Gahininath. The paternal great grandfather of Dnyaneshwar had been initiated into the Nath cult by Goraksha Nath (Gorakh Nath). The orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed children grew up on alms
Alms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
. They approached the brahmin community of Paithan to accept them but the brahmins refused. According to the disputed "Shuddhi Patra" the children were purified by the brahmins on condition of observing celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
. Their argument with the brahmins earned the children fame and respect due to their righteousness, virtue, intelligence, knowledge and politeness. Dnyaneshwar became the student of Nivruttinath
Nivruttinath
Nivruttinath was a saint in the Varkari tradition. He was born in to a Deshastha Brahmin family and was the elder brother and the guru of Dnyaneshwar, the first Varkari saint....
along with his younger siblings Sopan and Mukta at the age of 8. He learnt and mastered the philosophy and various techniques of kundalini
Kundalini
Kundalini literally means coiled. In yoga, a "corporeal energy" - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, lies coiled at the base of the spine. It is envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent...
yoga.
Writings
The child moved to NevasaNevasa
Nevasa is a city in Nevasa tehsil of Ahmednagar district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.A famous temple of Shani, Shani Shingnapur is located near Sonai in Nevasa Taluka. Saint Dnyaneshwar wrote a dnaneshwari in Newasa beside a pole which is still there...
, a village in Ahmednagar district, where Dnyaneshwar began his literary work when Nivruttinath
Nivruttinath
Nivruttinath was a saint in the Varkari tradition. He was born in to a Deshastha Brahmin family and was the elder brother and the guru of Dnyaneshwar, the first Varkari saint....
instructed him to write a commentary on Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
. The Dnyaneshwari
Dnyaneshwari
The Dnyaneshwari is the commentary on Bhagavad Gita written by Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar during the 13th century at age 16...
or Bhavartha Deepika Teeka was written down by Sacchidananandbaba from discourses by Dnyaneshwar. By the time the commentary was complete Dnyaneshwar was only 15 years old.
Considered a masterpieces of Marathi literature, the Dnyaneshwari's 18 chapters are composed in a metre called "ovi
OVI
OVI may refer to:* Ohio Volunteer Infantry, volunteer regiment during the American Civil War* Operating a Vehicle under the Influence * Optically Variable Ink, anti-counterfeiting measure in currencyOvi may refer to:...
". Dnyaneshwar liberated the "divine knowledge" locked in the Sanskrit language to bring that knowledge into Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
(Marathi) and made it available to the common man. He was confident that he would write in marathi in as good or better manner than Sanskrit.
Amrutanubhav
Amrutanubhav
Amrutanubhav or Amritanubhav is a composition by the Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar during the 13th century. It is considered to be a milestone in Marathi literature.-Etymology of the name:...
, written some time after, is difficult and finds fewer readers. Containing 10 chapters and 806 ovi, the basis of this book is non dualism (advaita siddhanta). The seventh and biggest chapter (295 ovi) is the most important. Apart from Dnyaneshwari and Amrutanubhav works like Changdev Paasashti (a collection of 65 ovi
OVI
OVI may refer to:* Ohio Volunteer Infantry, volunteer regiment during the American Civil War* Operating a Vehicle under the Influence * Optically Variable Ink, anti-counterfeiting measure in currencyOvi may refer to:...
addressed to an allegedly 1400 years old yogi named Changdev Maharaj
Changdev Maharaj
Changdev Maharaj was a mystical yogi turned saint who is believed to have lived in the village of Vateshwar along the banks of the Tapti River for 1,400 years...
), Haripath
Haripath
The Haripath is a collection of 28 abhangas composed by the thirteenth-century Marathi saint, Dnyaneshwar. It is recited by Varkaris daily.-Bibliography:...
and around 1000 "abhang
Abhang
Abhang or Abhanga is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthala also known as Vithoba. Bhajans focus on the inward journey, abhangs are more exuberant expressions of the communitarian experience.-History:...
a" (authorship of many is disputed due to differences in writing style) are attributed to Dnyaneshwar.
Siblings
NivruttinathNivruttinath
Nivruttinath was a saint in the Varkari tradition. He was born in to a Deshastha Brahmin family and was the elder brother and the guru of Dnyaneshwar, the first Varkari saint....
was the elder brother of Dnyaneshwar. Nivrutti was an authority on philosophy of the Nath sect. Gahininath, one of the nine Nath gurus, accepted Nivrutti as his disciple and initiated him into the Nath sect, instructing him to propagate devotion to Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
. Dnyaneshwar accepted his elder brother as his own guru. After the early Samadhi of Dnyaneshwar, Nivrutti travelled with his sister Mukta on a pilgrimage along the Tapi river where they were caught in a thunderstorm and Mukta was swept away. Nivrutti took to salvation (Samadhi) at Tryambakeshwar. Around 375 abhang
Abhang
Abhang or Abhanga is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthala also known as Vithoba. Bhajans focus on the inward journey, abhangs are more exuberant expressions of the communitarian experience.-History:...
as are attributed to him but, the authorship of many of them is disputed due to difference in writing style and philosophy.
Sopan
Sopan
Sopan was a Hindu bhakti Saint and also younger brother of Sant Dnyaneshwar.Sopan means a new chapter in India, and means polite in Indonesian....
dev was a younger brother Sopandev attained ‘samadhi' at Saswad
Saswad
Saswad is a city and a municipal council in Purandhar taluka of Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-Geography:Saswad is located at . It has an average elevation of 769 metres .-Demographics:...
near Pune. He wrote a book "Sopandevi" based on the Bhagvadgita's Marathi interpretation along with 50 or so abhangas.
Muktabai
Muktabai
Muktabai or Muktai was a saint in the Varkari tradition. She was born in a Deshastha Brahmin family and was the younger sister of Dnyaneshwar, the first Varkari saint. Muktabai wrote forty-one Abhang throughout her life span. "Tati ughada dnaneshwara" is one her most insightful works, being a...
was the youngest of the siblings, Muktai or Muktabai was known for her simple and straightforward expression of thoughts. She could be considered as one of the first poetesses in Marathi along with Mahadamba. There are around 40 abhangas attributed to her. She accepted Yogi Changdev
Changdev Maharaj
Changdev Maharaj was a mystical yogi turned saint who is believed to have lived in the village of Vateshwar along the banks of the Tapti River for 1,400 years...
as her disciple.he taught people bhakti,a simple and easy way
to worship god
Varkari Movement
Pandharpur
Pandharpur is an important pilgrimage city on the Bhimā river in Solāpur district, Maharashtra, India. The Vithoba temple attracts about half a million Hindu pilgrims during the major yātrā in the month of Ashadh ....
(founder of the Varkari
Varkari
Varkari is a Vaishnava religious movement within the bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the Indian states of Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. Varkaris worship Vithoba , the presiding deity of Pandharpur, regarded as a form of Krishna, an Avatar of Vishnu...
movement), influenced by the piety of contemporary members of the movement such as Namdev, Gora Kumbhar, Savta Mali, Janabai, Narhari Sonar, Chokha Mahar and Sena Nhavi, after his writing of Dnyaneshwari since there is no mention of it in that work. The Varkaris soon considered him their teacher and spiritual leader, who initiated his contemporaries associated with the Dvaita
Dvaita
Dvaita is a school of Vedanta founded by Shri Madhvacharya....
(dualism
Dualism
Dualism denotes a state of two parts. The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general or common usages. Dualism can refer to moral dualism, Dualism (from...
) school of the bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
movement into Advaita (non-dualism). He strongly advocated jnana yukta bhakti (devotion guided by knowledge) and believed that one can not be liberated unless one attains the true and divine knowledge of Brahman
Brahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
.
For year 2011-12 the Palakhi is scheduled on Jun 23 from Alandi.
Entering into a state of Samadhi
After having composed Amritanubhava, Dnyaneshwar made a pilgrimagePilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to northern India with Namdev and other saints. After completing this pilgrimage he expressed his intention to enter into a state of Samadhi because he felt that the mission of his life was complete. Although many scholars believe that his disappearance at a young age could be the handiwork of those who were against his Bhagwat dharma. It is widely propagated that at the age of 21 on 13th day of the second half of Kartik
Kartika (month)
Kartika , is a month of Hindu and Bengali calendars, named after the Hindu god, Kartikeya....
in Shaka 1218, Dnyaneshwar entered into a permanent state of Sanjeevan Samadhi
Samadhi
Samadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
http://www.d2i.in/visit/Samadhi-of-Sant-Dnyaneshwar_Aalandi_Pune_Pilgrimage/1736 at Alandi
Alandi
Alandi is a city and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India.-Geography:Alandi is located on the banks of the Indrayani River, east of Pune, India. It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:...
in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
An account of this incident is described by the contemporary Saint Namdev
Namdev
Sant Namdeo or Bhagat Namdeo was born on October 29, 1270 in the state of Maharashtra village of Narasi-Bamani, in Hingoli district . His father, a calico printer/tailor, was named Damshet and his mother's name was Gonabai...
in a set of Abhangas named as Samadheeche Abhanga (translation: The Abhangas of Samadhi
Samadhi
Samadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
) .
Miracles
Stories recounted in many holy books of the Bhagawata Sampradaya sect about Dnyaneshwar’s life are full of miracles, such as the baking of bread (mānde, or roti in Hindi) on his heated back, and his making a wall move.Pasayadan
Dnyaneshwar wrote the Pasayadan which is a prayer for the general well being of the people. Pasaydan is included at the end of the Dynaneshwari.In 1271 AD lived a genius who left this world richer by his thoughts as he left it later at the age of 21.Saint poet Gnyaneshwar- Alandi Pune India. He understood all that Indian thought stood for and gave to the people answers to all their problems then. Even today his Gnyaneshwari Geeta is read across India especially in Maharashtra. He created the most revered creation in literature of Marathi language. He was a social reformer who had to suffer a lot at hands of conservatives then still he ended his life by entering a state of SAMADHI bliss for Eternity- at Alandi pune at a age of 21. His last words after a harrowing time he had with this mission of his life is a sublime poetry of the mankinds' ultimate wish.-Happiness for all peaceful co existence, with all round progress for all by Focus on faith ever increasing within. He prayed for ‘The true knowledge-wisdom’ for us all by continued contact and in 'Touch' of those who are Aware and Awakened- the true saints and the book of Geeta.
The Poetry Prayer
"Pasaay daan" = A boon/alms of ‘Perennial Nectar’ of Bliss asked for all humanity
“O Omnipresent God pervading the Universe & also within all of us living beings,
Whatever efforts I have done by this poetry of life (Gyaneshwari Geeta)
Please elevate it to the heights of YOUR divine satisfaction. only then it can be universal & not mine alone!
Please grant me a boon / an alms for these efforts, for all living beings…
(first of all I beseech you to help the unwise unkind unhuman..)
- Let the knots of vices be undone in the hearts of the unwise and the cruel
Let their devotion and fondness for good deeds and be of service to all , by their proper actions,(be seeded in them and then..) Increase ever so more..
- Let the friendship between all the Living beings /mankind increase ever under your divine grace.
- Let those wretched & unkind wallowing in the darkness of their vices-(laziness, Greed, Anger, Egotism, Jealousy, excess Desires, Ignorance of all these and their cures),see the LIGHT of truth,(by continued focus on this 9,000 verse simplification of the GEETA, The Gnyaneshwari.)
- So let Everyone, thus ,get this 'sunrise of knowledge of his /her own duties= Swadharama' and way of life, (having this now..)and Let Everyone get this Godly goodness (of Swadharma) within and let all their wishes and their unselfish desires come true,
- Let YOU shower the purest ecstasy of divine true Devotion on each of the Devotees we meet on this earth, and so let their Faith in HIM and each other, increase forever and ever.
Come one and all to the 'state' where the The Tree that fulfills all wishes (saints are like a walking ‘forever-giving’ tree= kalpavriksha itself), and the Gem or like a parasmani - gem who can transform matter to divine or Infuse divinity within us ..which fulfills all your Divine desires …are all calling you,
So is the resounding call of this vast ocean of Faith which calls you all to drink this Ambrosia of the divine faith and bliss from its never ending source, (the Geeta)
- Let the Wise good men who are like spotless full Moon giving us cool light within or heatless Sun which sheds its power to reveal all by removing the darkness , or are like oceans of wisdom and faith be omnipresent-readily available for the needy masses and be Active for benefit of all,
- Let all these people in the Bliss of the divine feel 'complete'=one with You in all the three Worlds of their existence , by worshiping YOU in their hearts always..
- Let this book of love and universal happiness lead you ALL to be masters of your Outer and the Inner worlds, THE MIND ,by conquering all the vices and distractions ,seen and unseen and thus be able to see the PURE TRUTH,
- O Kings (Lord) of All the Three Worlds! Almighty omnipresent! Nivrutti nath my GURU ..This is the only boon I ask from you ever, nothing else can please me now than bliss for all. I am happy O God for your grant of this boon of love within, True Faith, Truth, to the humanity..
Through this book Divine, YOU, have written through me..””
So saying The Great Saint gifted this divine commentary of 9000 verses on Shrimad Bhagvad GEETA ,made easy and relevant to the people of the thirteenth century and beyond till today and for the Tomorrow. He dissolved his whole being into this yearning for the Good Of the World, perpetually in pain, bondage and Maya-falsehoods. He felt COMPLETE only when all living beings were truly in bliss ,by following the tenets of GEETA ,he simplified..
External links
- Extracts from Amritanubhav
- Biography of Dnyaneshwar by V.V. Shirvaikar
- Lata Mangeshkar's rendering of some of Sri Jñāneshwar's abhangas
- Bhakti movementBhakti movementThe Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main spiritual practice is loving devotion among the Shaivite and Vaishnava saints. The Bhakti movement originated in ancient Tamil Nadu and began to spread to the north during the late medieval ages when north India was under Islamic...
- Sant Dnaneshwar on Hindupedia, the online Hindu Encyclopedia
- Pasayadan in Marathi
- Samadhi of Sant Dnyaneshwar
- dasbodh.com - Site dedicated to Dasbodh and Samarth Ramdas Swami (contains Dasbodh in various languages plus all the liturature of Samarth Ramdas Swami)