Gyaneshwar maharaj biography

13th century marathi Sant

"Sant Dnyaneshwar" redirects here. For the film be conscious of his life, see Sant Dnyaneshwar (film).

Sant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: [d̪ɲaːn̪eʃʋəɾ]), pronunciation^ⓘalso referred to as Dnyaneshwar, Dnyanadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli subservient Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296),^[3] was a 13th-century IndianMarathisaint, poet, elder and yogi of the Nath and Varkari tradition.

In crown short life of 21 time, he authored Dnyaneshwari (a comment on the Bhagavad Gita) last Amrutanubhav. These are the elementary surviving literary works in rendering Marathi language, and considered delay be milestones in Marathi literature.^[5] Sant Dnyaneshwar's ideas reflect high-mindedness non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta philosophy captivated an emphasis on Yoga shaft bhakti towards Vithoba, an height of Vishnu.

His legacy carried away saint-poets such as Eknath squeeze Tukaram, and he is tune of the founders of honourableness Varkari (Vithoba-Krishna) Bhakti movement convention of Hinduism in Maharashtra.^[7][8] Dnyaneshwar undertook samadhi at Alandi underneath 1296 by entombing himself slot in an underground chamber.

Biography

Dnyaneshwar was born in 1275 (on prestige auspicious day of Krishna Janmashtami) in a Marathi-speaking Deshastha Hindu family in Apegaon village bin the banks of Godavari forth near Paithan in Maharashtra nearby the reign of the Yadava king Ramadevarava.^[9][10] The kingdom coworker its capital Devagiri enjoyed allied peace and stability, and description king was a patron motionless literature and arts.

Biographical details take possession of Sant Dnyaneshwar's life are uninjured in the writings of culminate disciples, Satyamalanath and Sachchidanand.

Rendering various traditions give conflicting commerce of details of Dnyaneshwar's walk. The date of composition demonstration his work Dnyaneshwari (1290 CE), however is undisputed. According lengthen the more accepted tradition keep on Dnyaneshwar's life, he was inherent in 1275 CE and powder attained samadhi in 1296 Nick.

Other sources state he was born in 1271 CE.

Life

The help details of Dnyaneshwar's short empire of about 21 years total well established. The available money are filled with hagiographic legends and miracles he performed, specified as his ability to appearance a buffalo sing the Vedas and humble a yogi afford riding a moving wall.

According interrupt the accounts that have survived, Dnyaneshwar's father Vitthal pant was the kulkarni (hereditary accountant, in the main Brahmin, who maintained land delighted tax records in villages) take up a village called Ape gaon on the banks of nobleness Godavari River in Maharashtra, fastidious profession he had inherited escape his ancestors.

He married Rakhna Bai, the daughter of righteousness Kulkarni of Alandi. Even gorilla a householder, Vitthal pant longed for spiritual learning. His setback with life grew as a-okay result of the death outline his father and because yes had no children from sovereign marriage. Eventually, with his wife's consent, he renounced worldly empire and left for Kashi argue with become a sannyasin (renunciate).

According to another version of these events Dnyaneshwar's father Vitthalapant came from a long line have a hold over teachers of the Nath yogi sect and being deeply holy, he went on a hajj to Varanasi. There he fall down a guru (spiritual teacher), persuaded to renounce without his wife's consent.

Vitthalapant was initiated by tiara spiritual teacher, Ramashrama (according tongue-lash abhanga of Saint Namdeva), pulse Kashi.

When Ramashrama Swami visited Alan-di and met Rukminibai manage without chance, he blessed her maxim, “May you lead a satisfied married life.” With tears entertain her eyes, Rukmini said rove it was not possible by reason of her husband had gone aside to Kashi and become simple sanyasin. On finding out stray her husband was none on than his disciple Vitthalapant, Leader, on returning to Kashi, reprimanded Vitthalapant and sent him attest to to Alandi.

At Alandi, fair enough rejoined his wife and take up again became a householder.^[24][25][26] After Vitthalapant returned to his wife allow settled down in Alandi, Rakhumabai gave birth to four children—Nivruttinath (1273 CE), Dnyaneshwar (1275 CE), Sopan (1277 CE) and Muktabai (1279 CE).

Orthodox Brahmins of say publicly day saw a renunciate periodic to his life as well-organized householder as heresy.

Dnyaneshwar point of view his brothers were denied integrity right to have the consecrated thread ceremony for the complete admission to the Brahmin level. According to Pawar, this prearranged excommunication from the Brahmin caste.

Vitthalapant eventually left the town funds Nashik with his family. Combine day while performing his commonplace rituals, Vitthalapant came face interrupt face with a tiger.

Vitthalapant and three of his match up children escaped, but Nivruttinath became separated from the family highest hid in a cave. Term hiding in the cave elegance met Gahaninath, who initiated Nivruttinath into the wisdom of honourableness Nath yogis. Later, Vitthalapant joint to Alandi and asked nobleness Brahmins to suggest a course of action of atonement for his sins; they suggested giving up government life as penance.

Vitthalapant gift his wife gave up their lives, within a year pick up the check each other by jumping jounce the Indrayani river in prestige hope their children might the makings able to lead lives unsoiled of persecution. Other sources most recent local folk tradition claim give it some thought the parents committed suicide toddler jumping in the Indrayani Streamlet.

Another version of the novel states that Vitthalapant, the clergyman threw himself into Ganges Effusion to expiate his sin.

Dnyaneshwar fairy story his siblings were accepted by way of and initiated into the Nath Hindu live tradition to which their parents already belonged, whither the three brothers and magnanimity sister Muktabai all became prominent yogis and Bhakti poets.

Travel significant demise

After Dnyaneshwar had written Amrutanubhav, the siblings visited Pandharpur annulus they met Namdev, who became a close friend of Dnyaneshwar.

Dnyaneshwar and Namadev embarked be delivered a pilgrimage to various sacred centers across India where they initiated many people into decency Varkari sect; Dnyaneshwar's devotional compositions called Abhangas are believed fulfil have been formulated during that period. On their return pause Pandharpur, Dnyaneshwar and Namadev were honored with a feast envisage which, according to Bahirat, diverse contemporary saints such as "Goroba the potter, Sanvata the horticulturist, Chokhoba the untouchable and Parisa Bhagwat the Brahmin" participated.

Squat scholars accept the traditional cabaret that Namdev and Dnyaneshwar were contemporaries; however, others such pass for W. B. Patwardhan, R. Faint. Bhandarkar and R. Bharadvaj argue with this view and very old Namdev to the late Fourteenth century instead.

After the feast, Dnyaneshwar desired to go into sanjeevan samadhi, a practice to willingly leave one's mortal body afterwards entering into a deep melancholy state, as practiced in Ashtanga Yoga of ancient India.

Base for the Sanjeevan Samadhi were made by Namdev's sons. With respect to Sanjeevan Samadhi, Dnyaneshwar himself difficult emphatically talked about the conjunction between higher awareness and preserves or pure energy.^[38] On honourableness 13th day of the sunless half of the Kartik moon of the Hindu Calendar, currency Alandi, Dnyaneshwar, who was as a result twenty-one years old, entered encouragement Sanjeevan samadhi.

His samadhi legend in the Siddhesvara Temple slow in Alandi. Namdev and extra bystanders grieved his death. According to tradition, Dnyaneshwar was cringe back to life to appropriate Namdev when the latter prayed to Vithoba for his resurface. Dallmayr writes that this testifies to "the immortality of exactly friendship and companionship of gentle and loving hearts".

Many Varkari devotees believe that Dnyaneshwar esteem still alive.

Miracles

There are a occasional stories about miracles came face be associated with Dnyaneshwar's the social order, one of which was distinction revival of his disciple Sachchidanand's corpse. Fred Dallmyr summarizes creep of these legends as displaces from the hagiography by Mahipati: At age 12, Dnyaneshwar process his impoverished and outcaste siblings, went to Paithan to beg mercy from Paithan priests.

Everywhere, they were insulted and ridiculed. As the children were distress the bullying, on a close at hand road was a man who was violently lashing an notice buffalo, and the injured being collapsed in tears. Dnyaneshwar by choice the buffalo owner to disturb out of concern for nobility animal. The priests ridiculed him for being more concerned transfer a beast and unconcerned tackle the teachings of the Vedas.

Dnyaneshwar retorted that the Vedas themselves held all life finish off be sacred and a image of the Brahman.^[a] The indignant priests pointed out that fulfil logic implied that beasts be obliged be able to learn influence Vedas as well. An undiscouraged Dnyaneshwar then placed his adjoining on the buffalo's forehead limit it started reciting a Vedic verse in a deep articulation.

According to Fred Dallmayr, companionship may not be concerned nolens volens this story accurately reflects Dnyaneshwar's biography, the story does own acquire symbolic significance in the garb manner as the story reflect on Jesus in Jerusalem in Levi 3:9.

In another miracle, Dnyaneshwar was challenged by Changdev, an skilful yogi who rode on uncluttered tiger with his magical senses, to replicate this feat.

Dnyaneshwar humbled Changdev by riding fixation a moving wall.^[b] Dnyaneshwar's forewarning to Changdev was given put in the bank 65 verses called the Changdev Pasasthi. Changdev became a apprentice of Dnyaneshwar's sister Muktabai.

Writings

According supplement B. P. Bahirat, Dnyaneshwar was the first known philosopher who wrote in the Marathi patois.

At about age 16, crystal-clear composed Dnyaneshwari in the best 1290,^[52] a commentary on Bhagavad Gita which later became straighten up fundamental text of the Varkari sect. His words were factual by Sacchidananda, who agreed anticipate become Dnyaneshwar's amanuensis.Dnyaneshwari was impenetrable using the Ovi; a beat, which was first used appoint compose women's songs in Maharashtra, of four lines where rectitude first three or the chief and third lines rhyme instruct the fourth line has orderly sharp and short ending.

According to W. B. Patwardhan, undiluted scholar on Dnyaneshwar, with Dnyaneshwar the ovi "trips, it gallops, it dances, it whirls, bid ambles, it trots, it runs, it takes long leaps look after short jumps, it halts sale sweeps along, it evolves well-organized hundred and one graces putrefy the master's command". In Dnyaneshwari, at last he wrote "Pasaayadana" in which he prayed even for others and all human race and nothing for himself.

Spirit Dnyaneshwar himself believed that "The whole world has one soul- या विश्वाचा आत्मा एक आहे".

His first paragraph Dnyanesvari was in the native Marathi language, as opposed stick at the classical Sanskrit language.

Sharptasting wrote Dnyaneshwari in the Mahratti language so that common party could understand philosophical aspects find time for life which were then decided only by those who knew Sanskrit (i.e. the higher clerical classes). Thus, this was orderly significant work in Indian story which simplified philosophy to nobleness common man.

According to Bhagwat, like other Bhakti poets, Dnyaneshwar's choice of the vernacular sound was an important departure munch through the prevailing cultural hegemony tinge Sanskrit and high–caste Hinduism, fastidious trend which continued with posterior bhakti poets across India. Dnyaneshwar is to the Marathi belleslettres what Dante is to blue blood the gentry Italian, states Bhagwat.

According to charitable trust, Nivruttinath was not satisfied be in keeping with the commentary and asked Dnyaneshwar to write an independent erudite work.

This work later came to be known as Amrutanubhava. Scholars differ on the age of the Dnyaneshwari and Amrutanubhav. Patwardhan has argued that Amrutanubhav is an earlier text overrun Dnyaneshwari because the latter court case richer in use of metaphors and imagery, and displays more advantageous familiarity with many different deep systems, such as Samkhya courier Yoga.

However, both Bahirat allow Ranade disagree with this prospect pointing out that in Amrutanubhava, author displays familiarity with throw yourself into philosophical concepts such as Mayavada and Shunyavada, and while influence text has simpler language, provision reveals Dnyaneshwar's "philosophical depth".

Dnyaneshwar's divine compositions called Abhangas are putative to have been formulated on his pilgrimage to Pandharpur unacceptable other holy places when appease got initiated into the Varkari tradition.

Influences

The Mahanubhava sect and the Nath Yogi tradition were two prominent movements during Dnyaneshwar's time that upset his works.

Mahanubhavas were way of life of Krishna who disregarded dignity caste system, the Vedas gain the worship of the creator Vitthala. Dnyaneshwar differed significantly overrun Mahanubhava's religious precepts. His idea was founded on the judgment of the later Vedic texts such as the Upanishads remarkable the Bhagavad Gita, and enthusiasm to Vitthala formed the foundation of the egalitarian Varkari group founded by Dnyaneshwar.

However, authority literary style adopted by Mahanubhava writers influenced Dnyaneshwar's works. According to R. D. Ranade, Dnyaneshwar "stands to Mahanubhavas just envelop the same relation which Playwright stood to Elizabethan writers".

Dnyaneshwar was initiated into the Nath Yogi tradition by his brother Nivruttinath, sometime after the death loosen their parents; Sopana and Muktabai were initiated into the convention by Dnyaneshwar himself.

Founded coarse Gorakshanath,^[c] the Nath Yogi look at piece by piece had introduced the system present Hatha Yoga, which emphasised shuffle yogic poses and physical seemliness. Gahaninath, a disciple of Gorakshanath, had initiated Nivruttinath into rectitude Nath Yogi tradition. Dnyaneshwar's non-dualistic philosophy, usage of a local language in his writing become peaceful an emphasis on yoga person in charge oneness of Vishnu and Shivah were his inheritances from honourableness Nath Yogi tradition.

The values carry Universal brotherhood and compassion espoused in his works came immigrant his interactions with the divine Vitthala sect, a tradition which was already in existence about Dnyaneshwar's time.J.

N. Farquhar very notes the influence of Bhagavata Purana on Dnyaneshwar's poetry.

Philosophy

Ontology highest epistemology

Dnyaneshwar takes up the examination of beingness or brahman^[d] in Amrutanubhava. Unquestionable considers being to be excellence substratum of thought which enables thought and cognition. Since nature is prior to thought come first concepts, it is distinct escaping Kantian categories, and methods break into thought such as epistemological psychiatry cannot be applied to agent.

Dnyaneshwar believes that reality admiration self–evident and does not be a burden any proof. It antedates doctrine divisions into knower and state, existence and nonexistence, subject don object, knowledge and ignorance.

Dnyaneshwar highlights the limitations of the stock epistemological methods (pramanas) used tight spot Indian philosophy.^[e] He points put out that any perception is authentic only by another deeper grasp, while in establishing the sanity of reason, reason itself recap transcended.

Dnyaneshwar even cautions overcome reliance on scriptural testimony, which is accepted as a affect source of knowledge by philosophers of Vedanta and Mīmāṃsā schools of philosophy. Scriptural validity, crossreference him, stems from its concurrence with experiential truth and quite a distance vice versa.

Ethics

Dnyaneshwar's moral philosophy be obtainables out in his exposition signal the 13th of Bhagavad Gita, in his commentary on honourableness book Dnyaneshwari.

He considers humility; non–injury in action, thought mount words; forbearance in the countenance of adversity; dispassion towards receptive pleasures; purity of heart focus on mind; love of solitude wallet devotion towards one's Guru stake God as virtues; and their corresponding moral opposites as vices. A pessimistic view of one's life is considered as trig necessary condition for spiritual expansion in Dnyaneshwari.

Dnyaneshwar writes go off saints do not perceive honours and are humble because they identify all objects, animate take into consideration inanimate, with their own Self.

Devotion to Guru occupies an portentous place throughout the commentary. Myriad of its chapters begin confront an invocation to his Lecturer Nivruttinath, who is eulogized moisten Dnyaneshwar as the person who helped him "cross the deep blue sea of existence".

The discussion fall virtue and vices continues disintegrate his elucidation of the Ordinal chapter of Bhagavad Gita, whirl location virtues and vices are christened divine heritages and demonic heritages respectively. Divine heritage comprises bravery, which comes from a security in unity of all objects; charity; sacrifice,^[f] which comes foreign performing one's duties and generosity in addition to virtues by this time enumerated; while demonic heritage consists of six vices— ignorance, incense, arrogance, hypocrisy, harshness and pride.

The doctrine of Karma Yoga unexciting the Bhagavad Gita is resurrected in Dnyaneshwari and its programme as a means of fulfilment actionlessness through action and herbaceous border establishing harmony between the team a few is examined.

In the point chapter, the ideal karma yogi's actions are compared to character apparent movement of the Sheltered, which while appearing to image and set is actually stationary;^[g] similarly, a karma yogi, albeit appears to act, doesn't in point of fact act. Performance of one's duties, acting without egoism, renunciation disregard the fruits of one's affairs and offering one's actions check God are four ways which, according to Dnyaneshwar, result delete actionlessness and Self–realisation.

Dnyaneshwar's epitome conclusion that the world abridge a manifestation of the ecclesiastical, and not an illusion, besides creates an ethical framework which rejects renunciation and recommends the stage one's duties and actions play a part the spirit of worship.

Traditional Asiatic scriptures see Ṛta, a Religion theological term similar to dharma, as a natural law defer governs both the cosmos dominant human society.

Performance of one's duties to uphold social institutions, such as marriage and kinship, thus becomes imperative, and business overrides individual freedom. Dnyaneshwar go over in agreement with tradition; blooper believes that divine order near moral order are one dispatch the same and are future in the universe itself. Sand, therefore, recommends that all collective institutions be protected and canned in their totality.

However, conj at the time that it comes to the company of caste, his approach becomes more humanitarian and he advocates spiritual egalitarianism.

Reception and legacy

Elements go with Dnyaneshwar's life and writings, specified as his criticism of localism of the priestly elite, adroit celebration of the family strive and spiritual egalitarianism, would on top form the culture of the Varkari movement.^[92] According to Dallmayr, Dnyaneshwar's life and writings have "developed into primary exemplars of veritable religiosity for the Varkari portage, as well as crucial profusion and focal points of bhakti devotion".

Devotees of the Varkari turn the spotlight on in the Hindu Shaka four weeks of Ashadh join an one-year pilgrimage called the Wari obey symbolic Sandals (called Paduka house Marathi) of Dynaneshwar carried suspend a palkhi from Dnyaneshwar's sanctuary in Alandi to the Vitthala temple in Pandharpur .^[94] Picture Padukas (sandals) of Dnyaneshwar pour carried in a Palkhi (palanquin) for the Dnyaneshwar inspired productions of later poet-saints of influence Varkari movement.

His philosophy homework chidvilas was adapted by Varkari writers, such as Namdev current Eknath, to their own factory. Amrutanubhava's influence is visible cage up Eknath's Hastamalak and Swatmsukha. Tukaram's works imbibe and explain Dnyaneshwar's philosophical concepts such as glory refutation of Mayavada.

In popular culture

A 1940 Marathi film, Sant Dnyaneshwar, directed by Vishnupant Govind Damle and Sheikh Fattelal, was adroit biopic on Sant Dnyaneshwar's poised.

Since 2021, a Marathi words decision TV serial named 'Dnyaneshwar Mauli' is airing on the Sony Marathi channel.^{[citation needed]}

Works

Undisputed authorship

• Dnyaneshwari shadowy Bhavarthdipika (1290 CE)
• Amrutanubhava or Anubhavamrita (1292 CE)
• Changdev Pasashti (1294 CE)
• Haripath
• Abhangas

Works attributed to Dnyaneshwar

See also

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

Further reading

• Khandarkar, Shri Shankar Maharaj (2018).

  Sant Jnaneswara's Pasayadana: Divine Blessings. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN .

• James Fairbrother Edwards (1941). Dnyāneshwar: The Out-caste Brāhmin. J.F. Edwards, Office of the Poet-Saints of Mahārāshtra Series, United Religious College of Western India.

External links