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Dnyaneshwar

Sant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: [d̪ɲaːn̪eʃʋəɾ]), also referred to as Jnaneshwar, Jnanadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296),[2][3] was a 13th-century Indian Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath and Varkari tradition. In his short life of 21 years, he authored Dnyaneshwari (a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita) and Amrutanubhav.[4] These are the oldest surviving literary works in the Marathi language, and considered to be milestones in Marathi literature.[5] Sant Dnyaneshwar's ideas reflect the non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta philosophy and an emphasis on Yoga and bhakti towards Vithoba, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.[6] His legacy inspired saint-poets such as Eknath and Tukaram, and he is one of the founders of the Varkari (Vithoba-Krishna) Bhakti movement tradition of Hinduism in Maharashtra.[7][8] Dnyaneshwar undertook samadhi at Alandi in 1296 by entombing himself in an underground chamber.

Dnyaneshwar Vitthalapant Kulkarni
TitleSant Dyaneshwar
Personal
Born
Dnyaneshwar

Janmashtami, 1275 CE
ReligionHinduism
Parents
  • Vithala Pant (father)
  • Rukmini Bai (mother)
PhilosophyAdvaita, Varkari
Religious career
GuruNivruttinath (elder brother)
Literary worksDnyaneshwari, Amrutanubhav, Changdev Paasashti, Haripath, abhang devotional poetry
HonorsSant (Saint), Dev (God) and Māulī [1]

Biography Edit

Dnyaneshwar was born in 1275 (on the auspicious day of Krishna Janmashtami) in a Marathi-speaking Deshastha Brahmin family in Apegaon village on the banks of Godavari river near Paithan in Maharashtra during the reign of the Yadava king Ramadevarava.[9][10][11] The kingdom with its capital Devagiri enjoyed relative peace and stability, and the king was a patron of literature and arts.[12][13]

Biographical details of Sant Dnyaneshwar's life are preserved in the writings of his disciples, Satyamalanath and Sachchidanand.[14] The various traditions give conflicting accounts of details of Dnyaneshwar's life. The date of composition of his work Dnyaneshwari (1290 CE), however is undisputed.[15][11] According to the more accepted tradition on Dnyaneshwar's life, he was born in 1275 CE and he attained samadhi in 1296 CE.[16] Other sources state he was born in 1271 CE.[17][18]

Life Edit

The biographical details of Dnyaneshwar's short life of about 21 years are contested and its authenticity is in doubt. The available accounts are filled with hagiographic legends and miracles he performed, such as his ability to make a buffalo sing the Vedas and humble a yogi by riding a moving wall.[17][19]

According to the accounts that have survived, Dnyaneshwar's father Vitthalapant was the kulkarni (hereditary accountant, usually Brahmin, who maintained land and tax records in villages)[20] of a village called Apegaon on the banks of the Godavari River in Maharashtra, a profession he had inherited from his ancestors.[21] He married Rakhumabai, the daughter of the Kulkarni of Alandi. Even as a householder, Vitthalapant longed for spiritual learning.[22] His disillusionment with life grew as a result of the death of his father and because he had no children from his marriage. Eventually, with his wife's consent, he renounced worldly life and left for Kashi to become a sannyasin (renunciate).[21] According to another version of these events Dnyaneshwar's father Vitthalapant came from a long line of teachers of the Nath yogi sect and being deeply religious, he went on a pilgrimage to Varanasi. There he met a guru (spiritual teacher), decided to renounce without his wife's consent.[23]

Vitthalapant was initiated as a sannyasin by his spiritual teacher, Rama Sharma,[24] who is also called Ramananda, Nrisimhashrama, Ramadvaya and Shripad in various sources. (He was not Ramananda, the founder of the Ramanandi Sampradaya.)[25] When Ramashrama discovered that Vitthalapant had left his family behind to become a monk, he instructed Vitthalapant to go back to his wife and perform his duties as a householder. After Vitthalapant returned to his wife and settled down in Alandi, Rakhumabai gave birth to four children—Nivruttinath (1273 CE), Dnyaneshwar (1275 CE), Sopan (1277 CE) and Muktabai (1279 CE).[26]

Orthodox Brahmins of the day saw a renunciate returning to his life as a householder as heresy.[27] Dnyaneshwar and his brothers were denied the right to have the sacred thread ceremony for the full admission to the Brahmin caste.[6][28] According to Pawar, this meant excommunication from the Brahmin caste.[6]

Vitthalapant eventually left the town for Nashik with his family. One day while performing his daily rituals, Vitthalapant came face to face with a tiger. Vitthalapant and three of his four children escaped, but Nivruttinath became separated from the family and hid in a cave. While hiding in the cave he met Gahaninath, who initiated Nivruttinath into the wisdom of the Nath yogis.[29][30] Later, Vitthalapant returned to Alandi and asked the Brahmins to suggest a means of atonement for his sins; they suggested giving up his life as penance. Vitthalapant and his wife gave up their lives, within a year of each other by jumping into the Indrayani river in the hope their children might be able to lead lives free of persecution.[29] Other sources and local folk tradition claim that the parents committed suicide by jumping in the Indrayani River.[31] Another version of the legend states that Vitthalapant, the father threw himself into Ganges River to expiate his sin.[28]

Dnyaneshwar and his siblings were accepted by and initiated into the Nath Hindu live tradition to which their parents already belonged, where the three brothers and the sister Muktabai all became celebrated yogis and Bhakti poets.[28]

Travel and demise Edit

After Dnyaneshwar had written Amrutanubhav, the siblings visited Pandharpur where they met Namdev, who became a close friend of Dnyaneshwar. Dnyaneshwar and Namadev embarked on a pilgrimage to various holy centers across India where they initiated many people into the Varkari sect;[32] Dnyaneshwar's devotional compositions called Abhangas are believed to have been formulated during this period.[33] On their return to Pandharpur, Dnyaneshwar and Namadev were honored with a feast in which, according to Bahirat, many contemporary saints such as "Goroba the potter, Sanvata the gardener, Chokhoba the untouchable and Parisa Bhagwat the Brahmin" participated.[34] Some scholars accept the traditional view that Namdev and Dnyaneshwar were contemporaries; however, others such as W. B. Patwardhan, R. G. Bhandarkar and R. Bharadvaj disagree with this view and date Namdev to the late 14th century instead.[35]

After the feast, Dnyaneshwar desired to go into sanjeevan samadhi,[34] a practice to voluntarily leave one's mortal body after entering into a deep meditative state, as practiced in Ashtanga Yoga of ancient India.[36] Preparations for the Sanjeevan Samadhi were made by Namdev's sons.[34] Regarding Sanjeevan Samadhi, Dnyaneshwar himself had emphatically talked about the relationship between higher awareness and light or pure energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation.[37] On the 13th day of the dark half of the Kartik month of the Hindu Calendar, in Alandi, Dnyaneshwar, who was then twenty one years old, entered into Sanjeevan samadhi.[32] His samadhi lies in the Siddhesvara Temple complex in Alandi.[38] Namdev and other bystanders grieved his passing. According to tradition, Dnyaneshwar was brought back to life to meet Namdev when the latter prayed to Vithoba for his return. Dallmayr writes that this testifies to "the immortality of genuine friendship and companionship of noble and loving hearts".[34] Many Varkari devotees believe that Dnyaneshwar is still alive.[39][40]

Miracles Edit

 
The siblings Muktabai, Sopan, Dnyaneshwar and Nivruttinath seated on the flying wall greet Changdev seated on a tiger. In the centre, Changdev bows to Dnyaneshwar.

Many miracles came to be associated with Dnyaneshwar's life,[41] one of which was the revival of his disciple Sachchidanand's corpse.[42] Fred Dallmyr summarizes one of these legends as follows from the hagiography by Mahipati:[43] At age 12, Dnyaneshwar with his impoverished and outcaste siblings, went to Paithan to plead mercy from Paithan priests. There, they were insulted and ridiculed. As the children were suffering the bullying, on a nearby road was a man who was violently lashing an old buffalo, and the injured animal collapsed in tears. Dnyaneshwar asked the buffalo owner to stop out of concern for the animal. The priests ridiculed him for being more concerned about a beast and unconcerned about the teachings of the Vedas. Dnyaneshwar retorted that the Vedas themselves held all life to be sacred and a manifestation of the Brahman.[a] The outraged priests pointed out that his logic implied that beasts should be able to learn the Vedas as well. An undeterred Dnyaneshwar then placed his hand on the buffalo's forehead and it started reciting a Vedic verse in a deep voice.[43] According to Fred Dallmayr, one may not be concerned whether this story accurately reflects Dnyaneshwar's biography, the story does have symbolic significance in the same manner as the story about Jesus in Jerusalem in Matthew 3:9.[43]

In another miracle, Dnyaneshwar was challenged by Changdev, an accomplished yogi who rode on a tiger with his magical powers, to replicate this feat. Dnyaneshwar humbled Changdev by riding on a moving wall.[45][46][b] Dnyaneshwar's advice to Changdev was given in 65 verses called the Changdev Pasasthi.[48] Changdev became a disciple of Dnyaneshwar's sister Muktabai.[49]

Writings Edit

According to B. P. Bahirat, Dnyaneshwar was the first known philosopher who wrote in the Marathi language.[50] At about age 16, he composed Dnyaneshwari in the year 1290,[29][51] a commentary on Bhagavad Gita which later became a fundamental text of the Varkari sect.[52] His words were recorded by Sacchidananda, who agreed to become Dnyaneshwar's amanuensis.[30] Dnyaneshwari was written using the Ovi; a metre, which was first used to compose women's songs in Maharashtra, of four lines where the first three or the first and third lines rhyme and the fourth line has a sharp and short ending.[53] According to W. B. Patwardhan, a scholar on Dnyaneshwar, with Dnyaneshwar the ovi "trips, it gallops, it dances, it whirls, it ambles, it trots, it runs, it takes long leaps or short jumps, it halts or sweeps along, it evolves a hundred and one graces at the master's command".[54] In Dnyaneshwari, at last he wrote "Pasaayadana" in which he prayed everything for others and all humanity and nothing for himself. Saint Dnyaneshwar himself believed that "The whole world has one soul- या विश्वाचा आत्मा एक आहे".

O, God! Thou art Ganesha, the illuminator of all intelligence. The servant of Nivritti says, attend to my story. The Vedas in their perfection is as the beautiful image of the god, of which the flawless words are the resplendent body. The Smritis are the limbs thereof, the marking of verses shows their structure, and in the meaning lies a veritable treasure-house of beauty.

Dnyanesvari
Transl: Pradhan, Lambert[55]

His first text Dnyanesvari was in the vernacular Marathi language, as opposed to the classical Sanskrit language.[56] He wrote Dnyaneshwari in the Marathi language so that common people could understand philosophical aspects of life which were then understood only by those who knew Sanskrit (i.e. the higher priestly classes). Thus, this was a significant work in Indian history which simplified philosophy to the common man.

According to Bhagwat, like other Bhakti poets, Dnyaneshwar's choice of the vernacular language was an important departure from the prevailing cultural hegemony of Sanskrit and high–caste Hinduism, a trend which continued with later bhakti poets across India. Dnyaneshwar is to the Marathi literature what Dante is to the Italian, states Bhagwat.[57]

According to tradition, Nivruttinath was not satisfied with the commentary and asked Dnyaneshwar to write an independent philosophical work. This work later came to be known as Amrutanubhava.[58][32] Scholars differ on the chronology of the Dnyaneshwari and Amrutanubhav. Patwardhan has argued that Amrutanubhav is an earlier text than Dnyaneshwari because the latter is richer in use of metaphors and imagery, and displays greater familiarity with many different philosophical systems, such as Samkhya and Yoga.[59] However, both Bahirat and Ranade disagree with this view pointing out that in Amrutanubhava, author displays familiarity with involved philosophical concepts such as Mayavada and Shunyavada, and while the text has simpler language, it reveals Dnyaneshwar's "philosophical depth".[60]

Dnyaneshwar's devotional compositions called Abhangas are believed to have been formulated during his pilgrimage to Pandharpur and other holy places when he got initiated into the Varkari tradition.[33]

Influences Edit

"Like a good farmer giving up his old business and beginning something new every day, the man overpowered by ignorance installs images of gods, often and again and worships them with the same intensity. He becomes the disciple of the guru who is surrounded by worldly pomp, gets initiated by him and is unwilling to see any other person who has got real spiritual dignity. He is cruel to every being, worships various stone images and has no consistency of heart."

Dnyaneshwari
Transl: Fred Dallmayr[19]

The Mahanubhava sect and the Nath Yogi tradition were two prominent movements during Dnyaneshwar's time that influenced his works. Mahanubhavas were devotees of Krishna who disregarded the caste system, the Vedas and the worship of the deity Vitthala.[61] Dnyaneshwar differed significantly from Mahanubhava's religious precepts.[61] His thought was founded on the philosophy of the later Vedic texts such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita,[61] and devotion to Vitthala formed the cornerstone of the egalitarian Varkari sect founded by Dnyaneshwar.[62][63] However, the literary style adopted by Mahanubhava writers influenced Dnyaneshwar's works. According to R. D. Ranade, Dnyaneshwar "stands to Mahanubhavas just in the same relation which Shakespeare stood to Elizabethan writers".[64]

Dnyaneshwar was initiated into the Nath Yogi tradition by his brother Nivruttinath,[65] sometime after the death of their parents;[30] Sopana and Muktabai were initiated into the tradition by Dnyaneshwar himself.[26] Founded by Gorakshanath,[c] the Nath Yogi sect had introduced the system of Hatha Yoga, which emphasised on yogic poses and physical fitness.[66] Gahaninath, a disciple of Gorakshanath, had initiated Nivruttinath into the Nath Yogi tradition.[67] Dnyaneshwar's non-dualistic philosophy, usage of a vernacular language in his writing and an emphasis on yoga and oneness of Vishnu and Shiva were his inheritances from the Nath Yogi tradition.[6]

The values of Universal brotherhood and compassion espoused in his works came from his interactions with the devotional Vitthala sect, a tradition which was already in existence during Dnyaneshwar's time.[68] J. N. Farquhar also notes the influence of Bhagavata Purana on Dnyaneshwar's poetry.[69]

Philosophy Edit

Ontology and epistemology Edit

"It is a pure knowledge itself that is not enlightened by any other knowledge or darkened by ignorance. But can the pure consciousness be conscious of itself? Can the eyeball perceive itself? Can the sky enter into itself? Can the fire burn itself... Therefore, that which is pure consciousness itself, without the quality of being conscious is not conscious of itself.

Amrutanubhava.
Translator: B.P. Bahirat[70]

Dnyaneshwar takes up the examination of being or brahman[d] in Amrutanubhava. He considers being to be the substratum of thought which enables thought and cognition. Since being is prior to thought and concepts, it is distinct from Kantian categories, and methods of thought such as epistemological analysis cannot be applied to it.[72] Dnyaneshwar believes that reality is self–evident and does not require any proof.[73] It antedates dualistic divisions into knower and known, existence and nonexistence, subject and object, knowledge and ignorance.[74]

Dnyaneshwar highlights the limitations of the traditional epistemological methods (pramanas) used in Indian philosophy.[e] He points out that any perception is validated only by another deeper understanding, while in establishing the rationality of reason, reason itself is transcended. Dnyaneshwar even cautions against reliance on scriptural testimony, which is accepted as a valid source of knowledge by philosophers of Vedanta and Mīmāṃsā schools of philosophy. Scriptural validity, to him, stems from its congruence with experiential truth and not vice versa.[72]

Ethics Edit

Dnyaneshwar's moral philosophy comes out in his exposition of the 13th of Bhagavad Gita, in his commentary on the book Dnyaneshwari.[76] He considers humility; non–injury in action, thought and words; forbearance in the face of adversity; dispassion towards sensory pleasures; purity of heart and mind; love of solitude and devotion towards one's Guru and God as virtues; and their corresponding moral opposites as vices.[77] A pessimistic view of one's life is considered as a necessary condition for spiritual growth in Dnyaneshwari.[78] Dnyaneshwar writes that saints do not perceive distinctions and are humble because they identify all objects, animate or inanimate, with their own Self.[79]

Devotion to Guru occupies an important place throughout the commentary. Many of its chapters begin with an invocation to his Guru Nivruttinath, who is eulogized by Dnyaneshwar as the person who helped him "cross the ocean of existence".[80] The discussion on virtue and vices continues in his elucidation of the 16th chapter of Bhagavad Gita, where virtues and vices are called divine heritages and demonic heritages respectively.[81] Divine heritage comprises fearlessness, which comes from a belief in unity of all objects; charity; sacrifice,[f] which comes from performing one's duties and compassion in addition to virtues already enumerated;[83] while demonic heritage consists of six vices— ignorance, anger, arrogance, hypocrisy, harshness and pride.[84]

 
Dnyaneshwar's ideas are based on the Bhagavad Gita. Above: Dnyaneshwari pages in Devanagari script, Marathi language.

The doctrine of Karma Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita is resurrected in Dnyaneshwari and its utility as a means of achieving actionlessness through action and in establishing harmony between the two is examined.[85] In the fourth chapter, the ideal karma yogi's actions are compared to the apparent movement of the Sun, which while appearing to rise and set is actually stationary;[g] similarly, a karma yogi, though appears to act, doesn't really act.[86] Performance of one's duties, acting without egoism, renunciation of the fruits of one's actions and offering one's actions to God are four ways which, according to Dnyaneshwar, result in actionlessness and Self–realisation.[87] Dnyaneshwar's metaphysical conclusion that the world is a manifestation of the divine, and not an illusion, also creates an ethical framework which rejects renunciation and recommends performing one's duties and actions in the spirit of worship.[88]

Traditional Indian scriptures see Ṛta, a Hindu theological term similar to dharma, as a natural law that governs both the cosmos and human society. Performance of one's duties to uphold social institutions, such as marriage and family, thus becomes imperative, and duty overrides individual freedom.[89] Dnyaneshwar is in agreement with tradition; he believes that divine order and moral order are one and the same and are inherent in the universe itself. He, therefore, recommends that all social institutions be protected and preserved in their totality. However, when it comes to the institution of caste, his approach becomes more humanitarian and he advocates spiritual egalitarianism.[90]

Reception and legacy Edit

 
Dnyaneshwar's palkhi (palanquin), carrying the sandals of the saint, in a silver cart pulled by Oxen on a journey from Alandi to Pandharpur.

Elements of Dnyaneshwar's life and writings, such as his criticism of parochialism of the priestly elite, a celebration of the family life and spiritual egalitarianism, would shape the culture of the Varkari movement.[91][92] According to Dallmayr, Dnyaneshwar's life and writings have "developed into primary exemplars of genuine religiosity for the Varkari movement, as well as crucial sources and focal points of bhakti devotion".[92]

Devotees of the Varkari sect in the Hindu Shaka month of Ashadh join an annual pilgrimage called the Wari with symbolic Sandals (called Paduka in Marathi) of Dynaneshwar carried in a palkhi from Dnyaneshwar's shrine in Alandi to the Vitthala temple in Pandharpur .[93] The Padukas (sandals) of Dnyaneshwar are carried in a Palkhi (palanquin) for the Dnyaneshwar inspired works of later poet-saints of the Varkari movement.

His philosophy of chidvilas was adapted by Varkari writers, such as Namdev and Eknath, to their own works. Amrutanubhava's influence is visible in Eknath's Hastamalak and Swatmsukha. Tukaram's works imbibe and explain Dnyaneshwar's philosophical concepts such as the refutation of Mayavada.[94]

In popular culture Edit

A 1940 Marathi film, Sant Dnyaneshwar, directed by Vishnupant Govind Damle and Sheikh Fattelal, was a biopic on Sant Dnyaneshwar's life. Since 2021, a Marathi language TV serial named 'Dnyaneshwar Mauli' is airing on the Sony Marathi channel.

Works Edit

Undisputed authorship[95][96]

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

Works attributed to Dnyaneshwar[97]

See also Edit

References Edit

Notes

  1. ^ According to Jeaneane D. Fowler, former Head of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Wales, brahman is the "ultimate Reality, the Source from which all emanates, the unchanging absolute".[44]
  2. ^ The story of the holy man riding a tiger /lion and the other encountering him on a moving wall has been found in many other religions including Buddhism, Sikhism, and the Abrahamic religions as well.[47]
  3. ^ Matsyendranath is often called the founder of the Nath Yogi sect. However, his historicity is uncertain.[65]
  4. ^ Amrutanubhav doesn't explicitly use the word brahman.[71]
  5. ^ Sense–perception (pratyaksha), inference (anumana), scriptural testimony (shabda), analogy (upamana), presumption (arthapatti) and non–apprehension (anupaladbdhi) are the six sources of knowledge accepted to varying degrees in various schools of Indian philosophy.[75]
  6. ^ According to Dnyaneshwar, true sacrifice is one in which there is no yearning for results of one's actions and in which the sattva dominates.[82]
  7. ^ Ranade is struck by the reference to the heliocentric model in Dnyaneshwari. He writes that "It is a matter of great astronomic interest that this mystic philosopher should have put forth a heliocentric theory at a time when heliocentrism was hardly recognized in Europe. This is, however, by the bye.".[86]

Citations

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  9. ^ Living Through the Blitz. Cambridge University Press. 1976. p. 39. ISBN 9780002160094.
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  15. ^ Ranade 1933, p. 31.
  16. ^ Ranade 1933, p. 31–2.
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  18. ^ Ranade 1933, pp. 31–32.
  19. ^ a b Dallmayr 2007, p. 46.
  20. ^ Attwood 1992, p. 333.
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  55. ^ Pradhan & Lambert 1987, p. 1.
  56. ^ Balasubramanian 2000, p. 545.
  57. ^ Bhagwat 2002, p. 74.
  58. ^ Bahirat 2006, p. 14.
  59. ^ Bahirat 2006, p. 23–4.
  60. ^ Bahirat 2006, p. 24–6.
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  62. ^ Ganesh & Thakkar 2005, p. 168.
  63. ^ Dhongde & Wali 2009, p. 3.
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  65. ^ a b Bahirat 2006, p. 6.
  66. ^ Kohn 2008, p. 18.
  67. ^ Bahirat 2006, pp. 5–6.
  68. ^ Pawar 1997, pp. 350–2.
  69. ^ Farquhar 1984, p. 235.
  70. ^ Bahirat 2006, p. 176.
  71. ^ Dallmayr 2007, p. 49.
  72. ^ a b Dallmayr 2007, pp. 49–50.
  73. ^ Bahirat 2006, p. 39.
  74. ^ Dallmayr 2007, p. 50.
  75. ^ Bahirat 2006, p. 37.
  76. ^ Ranade 1933, p. 71.
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  78. ^ Ranade 1933, p. 80.
  79. ^ Ranade 1933, p. 72.
  80. ^ Ranade 1933, pp. 48–50, 75.
  81. ^ Ranade 1933, p. 86.
  82. ^ Ranade 1933, pp. 94–5.
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  84. ^ Ranade 1933, p. 91.
  85. ^ Ranade 1933, pp. 98–100.
  86. ^ a b Ranade 1933, p. 98.
  87. ^ Ranade 1933, pp. 101–2.
  88. ^ Bahirat 2006, pp. 143–4.
  89. ^ Prasad 2009, pp. 376–7.
  90. ^ Prasad 2009, pp. 377–8.
  91. ^ Glushkova, Irina. "6 Object of worship as a free choice." Objects of Worship in South Asian Religions: Forms, Practices and Meanings 13 (2014).
  92. ^ a b Dallmayr 2007, p. 54.
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  95. ^ Pawar 1997, p. 353.
  96. ^ Datta 1988, p. 1848.
  97. ^ Sundararajan & Mukerji 2003, pp. 34–5.

Bibliography

  • Attwood, Donald W. (1992), Raising cane: the political economy of sugar in western India, Westview Press, ISBN 978-0-8133-1287-3
  • Bahirat, B. P. (2006), The Saint heritage of India, Cosmo Publications, ISBN 978-81-307-0124-0
  • Balasubramanian, R. (2000), "2", Advaita Vedānta, vol. 2, Project of History of Indian Science Philosophy and Culture, ISBN 978-81-87586-04-3
  • Berntsen, Maxine (1988), The Experience of Hinduism: Essays on Religion in Maharashtra, SUNY Press, ISBN 978-0-88706-662-7
  • Bobde, P. V. (1987), Garland of Divine Flowers: Selected Devotional Lyrics of Saint Jnanesvara, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0390-9
  • Cashman, Richard I. (1975), The Myth of the Lokamanya: Tilak and Mass Politics in Maharashtra, University of California Press, ISBN 978-0-520-02407-6
  • Claus, Peter J.; Diamond, Sarah; Mills, Margaret Ann (2003), South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia : Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 978-0-415-93919-5
  • Dallmayr, Fred (2007), In Search of the Good Life: A Pedogogy for Troubled Times, University Press of Kentucky, ISBN 978-0-8131-3858-9
  • Datta, Amaresh (1988), Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, Sahitya Akademi, ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0
  • De Smet, Richard V.; Malkovsky, Bradley J. (2000), New Perspectives on Advaita Vedānta: Essays in Commemoration of Professor Richard De Smet, S.J., BRILL, ISBN 90-04-11666-4
  • Bhagwat, R.K (2002), Indian Literary Criticism: Theory and Interpretation (Editor: G.N. Devy), Orient Blackswan, ISBN 978-81-250-2022-6
  • Dhongde, Ramesh Vaman; Wali, Kashi (2009), Marathi, John Benjamins Publishing Company, ISBN 978-90-272-8883-7
  • Farquhar, John Nicol (1984), An Outline of the Religious Literature of India, Motilal Banarsidass Publ, ISBN 978-0-89581-765-5
  • Fowler, Jeaneane D. (2002), Perspectives of Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Hinduism, Sussex Academic Press, ISBN 978-1-898723-93-6
  • Ganesh, Kamala; Thakkar, Usha (2005), Culture and the Making of Identity in Contemporary India, SAGE Publications, ISBN 978-0-7619-3381-6
  • Glushkova, Irina (2014), Objects of Worship in South Asian Religions: Forms, Practices and Meanings, Routledge, ISBN 978-1-317-67595-2
  • Grover, Verinder (1990), Mahadev Govind Ranade, Deep & Deep Publications, ISBN 978-81-7100-245-0
  • Harrisson, Tom (1976), Living Through the Blitz, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-00-216009-4
  • Kohn, Livia (2008), Chinese Healing Exercises: The Tradition of Daoyin, University of Hawaii Press, ISBN 978-0-8248-3269-8
  • Michell, George; Zebrowski, Mark (1999), Architecture and Art of the Deccan Sultanates, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-56321-5
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  • O'Connell, Joseph T. (1999), Organizational and institutional aspects of Indian religious movements, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Manohar, ISBN 9788185952628
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  • Prasad, Rajendra (2009), A Historical-developmental Study of Classical Indian Philosophy of Morals, Concept Publishing Company, ISBN 978-81-8069-595-7
  • Dnyaneshwar, Shri (1987). Jnaneshvari (Bhavarthadipika). Pradhan, Vitthal G. (Transl); Lambert, Hester M. (Transl, Editor). State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-88706-487-6.
  • Ranade, Ramchandra Dattatraya (1933), Mysticism in India: The Poet-Saints of Maharashtra, SUNY Press, ISBN 978-0-87395-669-7
  • Schomer, Karine; McLeod, W. H. (1987), The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0277-3
  • Sharma, Arvind (1979), Thresholds in Hindu-Buddhist Studies, T.K. Mukherjee, ISBN 9780836404951
  • Sundararajan, K. R.; Mukerji, Bithika (2003), Hindu Spirituality: Postclassical and Modern, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-1937-5

Further reading Edit

  • Khandarkar, Shri Shankar Maharaj (2018). Sant Jnaneswara's Pasayadana: Divine Blessings. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-8120842083.
  • James Fairbrother Edwards (1941). Dnyāneshwar: The Out-caste Brāhmin. J.F. Edwards, Office of the Poet-Saints of Mahārāshtra Series, United Theological College of Western India.

External links Edit

  • sant dyaneshwar full information, books etc in marathi
  • Jnaneshwari (Bhavartha Dipika) English translation by R. K. Bhagwat, 1954 (includes glossary)
  • Extracts from Amritanubhav
  • Biography of Dnyaneshwar by V.V. Shirvaikar
  • Sant Dnaneshwar on Hindupedia, the online Hindu Encyclopedia
  • Pasayadan in Marathi
  • Sant Dnyaneshwar information in Marathi

dnyaneshwar, sant, redirects, here, film, about, life, sant, film, sant, marathi, pronunciation, ɲaːn, eʃʋəɾ, also, referred, jnaneshwar, jnanadeva, dnyandev, mauli, vitthal, kulkarni, 1275, 1296, 13th, century, indian, marathi, saint, poet, philosopher, yogi,. Sant Dnyaneshwar redirects here For the film about his life see Sant Dnyaneshwar film Sant Dnyaneshwar Marathi pronunciation d ɲaːn eʃʋeɾ also referred to as Jnaneshwar Jnanadeva Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni 1275 1296 2 3 was a 13th century Indian Marathi saint poet philosopher and yogi of the Nath and Varkari tradition In his short life of 21 years he authored Dnyaneshwari a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita and Amrutanubhav 4 These are the oldest surviving literary works in the Marathi language and considered to be milestones in Marathi literature 5 Sant Dnyaneshwar s ideas reflect the non dualistic Advaita Vedanta philosophy and an emphasis on Yoga and bhakti towards Vithoba an incarnation of Lord Vishnu 6 His legacy inspired saint poets such as Eknath and Tukaram and he is one of the founders of the Varkari Vithoba Krishna Bhakti movement tradition of Hinduism in Maharashtra 7 8 Dnyaneshwar undertook samadhi at Alandi in 1296 by entombing himself in an underground chamber Dnyaneshwar Vitthalapant KulkarniTitleSant DyaneshwarPersonalBornDnyaneshwarJanmashtami 1275 CEApegaon Yadava dynasty present day Paithan Taluka Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Maharashtra India ReligionHinduismParentsVithala Pant father Rukmini Bai mother PhilosophyAdvaita VarkariReligious careerGuruNivruttinath elder brother Literary worksDnyaneshwari Amrutanubhav Changdev Paasashti Haripath abhang devotional poetryHonorsSant Saint Dev God and Mauli 1 Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Life 1 2 Travel and demise 1 3 Miracles 2 Writings 2 1 Influences 3 Philosophy 3 1 Ontology and epistemology 3 2 Ethics 4 Reception and legacy 5 In popular culture 6 Works 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksBiography EditDnyaneshwar was born in 1275 on the auspicious day of Krishna Janmashtami in a Marathi speaking Deshastha Brahmin family in Apegaon village on the banks of Godavari river near Paithan in Maharashtra during the reign of the Yadava king Ramadevarava 9 10 11 The kingdom with its capital Devagiri enjoyed relative peace and stability and the king was a patron of literature and arts 12 13 Biographical details of Sant Dnyaneshwar s life are preserved in the writings of his disciples Satyamalanath and Sachchidanand 14 The various traditions give conflicting accounts of details of Dnyaneshwar s life The date of composition of his work Dnyaneshwari 1290 CE however is undisputed 15 11 According to the more accepted tradition on Dnyaneshwar s life he was born in 1275 CE and he attained samadhi in 1296 CE 16 Other sources state he was born in 1271 CE 17 18 Life Edit The biographical details of Dnyaneshwar s short life of about 21 years are contested and its authenticity is in doubt The available accounts are filled with hagiographic legends and miracles he performed such as his ability to make a buffalo sing the Vedas and humble a yogi by riding a moving wall 17 19 According to the accounts that have survived Dnyaneshwar s father Vitthalapant was the kulkarni hereditary accountant usually Brahmin who maintained land and tax records in villages 20 of a village called Apegaon on the banks of the Godavari River in Maharashtra a profession he had inherited from his ancestors 21 He married Rakhumabai the daughter of the Kulkarni of Alandi Even as a householder Vitthalapant longed for spiritual learning 22 His disillusionment with life grew as a result of the death of his father and because he had no children from his marriage Eventually with his wife s consent he renounced worldly life and left for Kashi to become a sannyasin renunciate 21 According to another version of these events Dnyaneshwar s father Vitthalapant came from a long line of teachers of the Nath yogi sect and being deeply religious he went on a pilgrimage to Varanasi There he met a guru spiritual teacher decided to renounce without his wife s consent 23 Vitthalapant was initiated as a sannyasin by his spiritual teacher Rama Sharma 24 who is also called Ramananda Nrisimhashrama Ramadvaya and Shripad in various sources He was not Ramananda the founder of the Ramanandi Sampradaya 25 When Ramashrama discovered that Vitthalapant had left his family behind to become a monk he instructed Vitthalapant to go back to his wife and perform his duties as a householder After Vitthalapant returned to his wife and settled down in Alandi Rakhumabai gave birth to four children Nivruttinath 1273 CE Dnyaneshwar 1275 CE Sopan 1277 CE and Muktabai 1279 CE 26 Orthodox Brahmins of the day saw a renunciate returning to his life as a householder as heresy 27 Dnyaneshwar and his brothers were denied the right to have the sacred thread ceremony for the full admission to the Brahmin caste 6 28 According to Pawar this meant excommunication from the Brahmin caste 6 Vitthalapant eventually left the town for Nashik with his family One day while performing his daily rituals Vitthalapant came face to face with a tiger Vitthalapant and three of his four children escaped but Nivruttinath became separated from the family and hid in a cave While hiding in the cave he met Gahaninath who initiated Nivruttinath into the wisdom of the Nath yogis 29 30 Later Vitthalapant returned to Alandi and asked the Brahmins to suggest a means of atonement for his sins they suggested giving up his life as penance Vitthalapant and his wife gave up their lives within a year of each other by jumping into the Indrayani river in the hope their children might be able to lead lives free of persecution 29 Other sources and local folk tradition claim that the parents committed suicide by jumping in the Indrayani River 31 Another version of the legend states that Vitthalapant the father threw himself into Ganges River to expiate his sin 28 Dnyaneshwar and his siblings were accepted by and initiated into the Nath Hindu live tradition to which their parents already belonged where the three brothers and the sister Muktabai all became celebrated yogis and Bhakti poets 28 Travel and demise Edit After Dnyaneshwar had written Amrutanubhav the siblings visited Pandharpur where they met Namdev who became a close friend of Dnyaneshwar Dnyaneshwar and Namadev embarked on a pilgrimage to various holy centers across India where they initiated many people into the Varkari sect 32 Dnyaneshwar s devotional compositions called Abhangas are believed to have been formulated during this period 33 On their return to Pandharpur Dnyaneshwar and Namadev were honored with a feast in which according to Bahirat many contemporary saints such as Goroba the potter Sanvata the gardener Chokhoba the untouchable and Parisa Bhagwat the Brahmin participated 34 Some scholars accept the traditional view that Namdev and Dnyaneshwar were contemporaries however others such as W B Patwardhan R G Bhandarkar and R Bharadvaj disagree with this view and date Namdev to the late 14th century instead 35 After the feast Dnyaneshwar desired to go into sanjeevan samadhi 34 a practice to voluntarily leave one s mortal body after entering into a deep meditative state as practiced in Ashtanga Yoga of ancient India 36 Preparations for the Sanjeevan Samadhi were made by Namdev s sons 34 Regarding Sanjeevan Samadhi Dnyaneshwar himself had emphatically talked about the relationship between higher awareness and light or pure energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation 37 On the 13th day of the dark half of the Kartik month of the Hindu Calendar in Alandi Dnyaneshwar who was then twenty one years old entered into Sanjeevan samadhi 32 His samadhi lies in the Siddhesvara Temple complex in Alandi 38 Namdev and other bystanders grieved his passing According to tradition Dnyaneshwar was brought back to life to meet Namdev when the latter prayed to Vithoba for his return Dallmayr writes that this testifies to the immortality of genuine friendship and companionship of noble and loving hearts 34 Many Varkari devotees believe that Dnyaneshwar is still alive 39 40 Miracles Edit nbsp The siblings Muktabai Sopan Dnyaneshwar and Nivruttinath seated on the flying wall greet Changdev seated on a tiger In the centre Changdev bows to Dnyaneshwar Many miracles came to be associated with Dnyaneshwar s life 41 one of which was the revival of his disciple Sachchidanand s corpse 42 Fred Dallmyr summarizes one of these legends as follows from the hagiography by Mahipati 43 At age 12 Dnyaneshwar with his impoverished and outcaste siblings went to Paithan to plead mercy from Paithan priests There they were insulted and ridiculed As the children were suffering the bullying on a nearby road was a man who was violently lashing an old buffalo and the injured animal collapsed in tears Dnyaneshwar asked the buffalo owner to stop out of concern for the animal The priests ridiculed him for being more concerned about a beast and unconcerned about the teachings of the Vedas Dnyaneshwar retorted that the Vedas themselves held all life to be sacred and a manifestation of the Brahman a The outraged priests pointed out that his logic implied that beasts should be able to learn the Vedas as well An undeterred Dnyaneshwar then placed his hand on the buffalo s forehead and it started reciting a Vedic verse in a deep voice 43 According to Fred Dallmayr one may not be concerned whether this story accurately reflects Dnyaneshwar s biography the story does have symbolic significance in the same manner as the story about Jesus in Jerusalem in Matthew 3 9 43 In another miracle Dnyaneshwar was challenged by Changdev an accomplished yogi who rode on a tiger with his magical powers to replicate this feat Dnyaneshwar humbled Changdev by riding on a moving wall 45 46 b Dnyaneshwar s advice to Changdev was given in 65 verses called the Changdev Pasasthi 48 Changdev became a disciple of Dnyaneshwar s sister Muktabai 49 Writings EditAccording to B P Bahirat Dnyaneshwar was the first known philosopher who wrote in the Marathi language 50 At about age 16 he composed Dnyaneshwari in the year 1290 29 51 a commentary on Bhagavad Gita which later became a fundamental text of the Varkari sect 52 His words were recorded by Sacchidananda who agreed to become Dnyaneshwar s amanuensis 30 Dnyaneshwari was written using the Ovi a metre which was first used to compose women s songs in Maharashtra of four lines where the first three or the first and third lines rhyme and the fourth line has a sharp and short ending 53 According to W B Patwardhan a scholar on Dnyaneshwar with Dnyaneshwar the ovi trips it gallops it dances it whirls it ambles it trots it runs it takes long leaps or short jumps it halts or sweeps along it evolves a hundred and one graces at the master s command 54 In Dnyaneshwari at last he wrote Pasaayadana in which he prayed everything for others and all humanity and nothing for himself Saint Dnyaneshwar himself believed that The whole world has one soul य व श व च आत म एक आह O God Thou art Ganesha the illuminator of all intelligence The servant of Nivritti says attend to my story The Vedas in their perfection is as the beautiful image of the god of which the flawless words are the resplendent body The Smritis are the limbs thereof the marking of verses shows their structure and in the meaning lies a veritable treasure house of beauty DnyanesvariTransl Pradhan Lambert 55 His first text Dnyanesvari was in the vernacular Marathi language as opposed to the classical Sanskrit language 56 He wrote Dnyaneshwari in the Marathi language so that common people could understand philosophical aspects of life which were then understood only by those who knew Sanskrit i e the higher priestly classes Thus this was a significant work in Indian history which simplified philosophy to the common man According to Bhagwat like other Bhakti poets Dnyaneshwar s choice of the vernacular language was an important departure from the prevailing cultural hegemony of Sanskrit and high caste Hinduism a trend which continued with later bhakti poets across India Dnyaneshwar is to the Marathi literature what Dante is to the Italian states Bhagwat 57 According to tradition Nivruttinath was not satisfied with the commentary and asked Dnyaneshwar to write an independent philosophical work This work later came to be known as Amrutanubhava 58 32 Scholars differ on the chronology of the Dnyaneshwari and Amrutanubhav Patwardhan has argued that Amrutanubhav is an earlier text than Dnyaneshwari because the latter is richer in use of metaphors and imagery and displays greater familiarity with many different philosophical systems such as Samkhya and Yoga 59 However both Bahirat and Ranade disagree with this view pointing out that in Amrutanubhava author displays familiarity with involved philosophical concepts such as Mayavada and Shunyavada and while the text has simpler language it reveals Dnyaneshwar s philosophical depth 60 Dnyaneshwar s devotional compositions called Abhangas are believed to have been formulated during his pilgrimage to Pandharpur and other holy places when he got initiated into the Varkari tradition 33 Influences Edit Like a good farmer giving up his old business and beginning something new every day the man overpowered by ignorance installs images of gods often and again and worships them with the same intensity He becomes the disciple of the guru who is surrounded by worldly pomp gets initiated by him and is unwilling to see any other person who has got real spiritual dignity He is cruel to every being worships various stone images and has no consistency of heart DnyaneshwariTransl Fred Dallmayr 19 The Mahanubhava sect and the Nath Yogi tradition were two prominent movements during Dnyaneshwar s time that influenced his works Mahanubhavas were devotees of Krishna who disregarded the caste system the Vedas and the worship of the deity Vitthala 61 Dnyaneshwar differed significantly from Mahanubhava s religious precepts 61 His thought was founded on the philosophy of the later Vedic texts such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita 61 and devotion to Vitthala formed the cornerstone of the egalitarian Varkari sect founded by Dnyaneshwar 62 63 However the literary style adopted by Mahanubhava writers influenced Dnyaneshwar s works According to R D Ranade Dnyaneshwar stands to Mahanubhavas just in the same relation which Shakespeare stood to Elizabethan writers 64 Dnyaneshwar was initiated into the Nath Yogi tradition by his brother Nivruttinath 65 sometime after the death of their parents 30 Sopana and Muktabai were initiated into the tradition by Dnyaneshwar himself 26 Founded by Gorakshanath c the Nath Yogi sect had introduced the system of Hatha Yoga which emphasised on yogic poses and physical fitness 66 Gahaninath a disciple of Gorakshanath had initiated Nivruttinath into the Nath Yogi tradition 67 Dnyaneshwar s non dualistic philosophy usage of a vernacular language in his writing and an emphasis on yoga and oneness of Vishnu and Shiva were his inheritances from the Nath Yogi tradition 6 The values of Universal brotherhood and compassion espoused in his works came from his interactions with the devotional Vitthala sect a tradition which was already in existence during Dnyaneshwar s time 68 J N Farquhar also notes the influence of Bhagavata Purana on Dnyaneshwar s poetry 69 Philosophy EditOntology and epistemology Edit It is a pure knowledge itself that is not enlightened by any other knowledge or darkened by ignorance But can the pure consciousness be conscious of itself Can the eyeball perceive itself Can the sky enter into itself Can the fire burn itself Therefore that which is pure consciousness itself without the quality of being conscious is not conscious of itself Amrutanubhava Translator B P Bahirat 70 Dnyaneshwar takes up the examination of being or brahman d in Amrutanubhava He considers being to be the substratum of thought which enables thought and cognition Since being is prior to thought and concepts it is distinct from Kantian categories and methods of thought such as epistemological analysis cannot be applied to it 72 Dnyaneshwar believes that reality is self evident and does not require any proof 73 It antedates dualistic divisions into knower and known existence and nonexistence subject and object knowledge and ignorance 74 Dnyaneshwar highlights the limitations of the traditional epistemological methods pramanas used in Indian philosophy e He points out that any perception is validated only by another deeper understanding while in establishing the rationality of reason reason itself is transcended Dnyaneshwar even cautions against reliance on scriptural testimony which is accepted as a valid source of knowledge by philosophers of Vedanta and Mimaṃsa schools of philosophy Scriptural validity to him stems from its congruence with experiential truth and not vice versa 72 Ethics Edit Dnyaneshwar s moral philosophy comes out in his exposition of the 13th of Bhagavad Gita in his commentary on the book Dnyaneshwari 76 He considers humility non injury in action thought and words forbearance in the face of adversity dispassion towards sensory pleasures purity of heart and mind love of solitude and devotion towards one s Guru and God as virtues and their corresponding moral opposites as vices 77 A pessimistic view of one s life is considered as a necessary condition for spiritual growth in Dnyaneshwari 78 Dnyaneshwar writes that saints do not perceive distinctions and are humble because they identify all objects animate or inanimate with their own Self 79 Devotion to Guru occupies an important place throughout the commentary Many of its chapters begin with an invocation to his Guru Nivruttinath who is eulogized by Dnyaneshwar as the person who helped him cross the ocean of existence 80 The discussion on virtue and vices continues in his elucidation of the 16th chapter of Bhagavad Gita where virtues and vices are called divine heritages and demonic heritages respectively 81 Divine heritage comprises fearlessness which comes from a belief in unity of all objects charity sacrifice f which comes from performing one s duties and compassion in addition to virtues already enumerated 83 while demonic heritage consists of six vices ignorance anger arrogance hypocrisy harshness and pride 84 nbsp Dnyaneshwar s ideas are based on the Bhagavad Gita Above Dnyaneshwari pages in Devanagari script Marathi language The doctrine of Karma Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita is resurrected in Dnyaneshwari and its utility as a means of achieving actionlessness through action and in establishing harmony between the two is examined 85 In the fourth chapter the ideal karma yogi s actions are compared to the apparent movement of the Sun which while appearing to rise and set is actually stationary g similarly a karma yogi though appears to act doesn t really act 86 Performance of one s duties acting without egoism renunciation of the fruits of one s actions and offering one s actions to God are four ways which according to Dnyaneshwar result in actionlessness and Self realisation 87 Dnyaneshwar s metaphysical conclusion that the world is a manifestation of the divine and not an illusion also creates an ethical framework which rejects renunciation and recommends performing one s duties and actions in the spirit of worship 88 Traditional Indian scriptures see Ṛta a Hindu theological term similar to dharma as a natural law that governs both the cosmos and human society Performance of one s duties to uphold social institutions such as marriage and family thus becomes imperative and duty overrides individual freedom 89 Dnyaneshwar is in agreement with tradition he believes that divine order and moral order are one and the same and are inherent in the universe itself He therefore recommends that all social institutions be protected and preserved in their totality However when it comes to the institution of caste his approach becomes more humanitarian and he advocates spiritual egalitarianism 90 Reception and legacy Edit nbsp Dnyaneshwar s palkhi palanquin carrying the sandals of the saint in a silver cart pulled by Oxen on a journey from Alandi to Pandharpur Elements of Dnyaneshwar s life and writings such as his criticism of parochialism of the priestly elite a celebration of the family life and spiritual egalitarianism would shape the culture of the Varkari movement 91 92 According to Dallmayr Dnyaneshwar s life and writings have developed into primary exemplars of genuine religiosity for the Varkari movement as well as crucial sources and focal points of bhakti devotion 92 Devotees of the Varkari sect in the Hindu Shaka month of Ashadh join an annual pilgrimage called the Wari with symbolic Sandals called Paduka in Marathi of Dynaneshwar carried in a palkhi from Dnyaneshwar s shrine in Alandi to the Vitthala temple in Pandharpur 93 The Padukas sandals of Dnyaneshwar are carried in a Palkhi palanquin for the Dnyaneshwar inspired works of later poet saints of the Varkari movement His philosophy of chidvilas was adapted by Varkari writers such as Namdev and Eknath to their own works Amrutanubhava s influence is visible in Eknath s Hastamalak and Swatmsukha Tukaram s works imbibe and explain Dnyaneshwar s philosophical concepts such as the refutation of Mayavada 94 In popular culture EditA 1940 Marathi film Sant Dnyaneshwar directed by Vishnupant Govind Damle and Sheikh Fattelal was a biopic on Sant Dnyaneshwar s life Since 2021 a Marathi language TV serial named Dnyaneshwar Mauli is airing on the Sony Marathi channel Works EditUndisputed authorship 95 96 Dnyaneshwari or Bhavarthdipika 1290 CE Amrutanubhava or Anubhavamrita 1292 CE Changdev Pasashti 1294 CE Haripath AbhangasWorks attributed to Dnyaneshwar 97 Commentary on Yoga Vasistha Pavana Vijaya PancikaranaSee also EditBhakti movement Chokhamela Eknath Janabai Muktabai Namdev Nivruttinath Pandharpur Wari the largest annual pilgrimage in Maharashtra that includes a ceremonial Palkhi of Tukaram and Dnyaneshwar Sant Mat Sant Soyarabai Sopan Tukaram Sant Gulabrao MaharajReferences EditNotes According to Jeaneane D Fowler former Head of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Wales brahman is the ultimate Reality the Source from which all emanates the unchanging absolute 44 The story of the holy man riding a tiger lion and the other encountering him on a moving wall has been found in many other religions including Buddhism Sikhism and the Abrahamic religions as well 47 Matsyendranath is often called the founder of the Nath Yogi sect However his historicity is uncertain 65 Amrutanubhav doesn t explicitly use the word brahman 71 Sense perception pratyaksha inference anumana scriptural testimony shabda analogy upamana presumption arthapatti and non apprehension anupaladbdhi are the six sources of knowledge accepted to varying degrees in various schools of Indian philosophy 75 According to Dnyaneshwar true sacrifice is one in which there is no yearning for results of one s actions and in which the sattva dominates 82 Ranade is struck by the reference to the heliocentric model in Dnyaneshwari He writes that It is a matter of great astronomic interest that this mystic philosopher should have put forth a heliocentric theory at a time when heliocentrism was hardly recognized in Europe This is however by the bye 86 Citations Berntsen amp 1988 p 143 Mokashi 1987 p 39 W Doderet 1926 https www jstor org stable 607401 The Passive Voice of the Jnanesvari Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies Cambridge University Press Vol 4 No 1 1926 pp 59 64 Ranade 1933 pp 31 34 D C Sircar 1996 Indian Epigraphy Motilal Banarsidass pp 53 54 ISBN 978 81 208 1166 9 a b c d Pawar 1997 p 352 J Gordon Melton 2011 Religious Celebrations An Encyclopedia of Holidays Festivals Solemn Observances and Spiritual Commemorations ABC CLIO pp 373 374 ISBN 978 1 59884 206 7 R D Ranade 1997 Tukaram State University of New York Press pp 9 11 ISBN 978 1 4384 1687 8 Living Through the Blitz Cambridge University Press 1976 p 39 ISBN 9780002160094 Karhadkar K S 1976 Dnyaneshwar and Marathi Literature Indian Literature 19 1 90 96 JSTOR 24157251 a b Bahirat 2006 p 1 Bahirat 2006 p 2 Pradhan amp Lambert 1987 pp xiv xvi Bahirat 2006 p 8 Ranade 1933 p 31 Ranade 1933 p 31 2 a b Pradhan amp Lambert 1987 p xv Ranade 1933 pp 31 32 a b Dallmayr 2007 p 46 Attwood 1992 p 333 a b Ranade 1933 p 30 Bahirat 2006 p 9 Pradhan amp Lambert 1987 p xvi Bahirat 2006 p 11 Bahirat 2006 p 9 11 a b Sundararajan amp Mukerji 2003 p 33 Bahirat 2006 p 12 a b c Pradhan amp Lambert 1987 pp xvi xvii a b c Bahirat 2006 p 13 a b c Ranade 1933 p 33 Glushkova 2014 p 110 120 a b c Ranade 1933 p 34 a b Bobde 1987 p xxii a b c d Dallmayr 2007 pp 46 7 Schomer amp McLeod 1987 p 218 Sharma 1979 p 13 Samadhi State of self realization enlightenment Yogapoint com Retrieved 12 August 2017 Ranade 1933 p 35 Novetzke 2009 p 218 Glushkova 2014 p 116 Harrisson 1976 p 39 Sundararajan amp Mukerji 2003 p 34 a b c Dallmayr 2007 p 44 Fowler 2002 p 49 Mokashi Punekar 2005 p 72 Grover 1990 p 220 Digby Simon 1994 Callewaert Winand M ed According to tradition hagiographical writing in India Chapter To ride a tiger or a wall Wiesbaden Harrassowitz pp 100 110 ISBN 9783447035248 Retrieved 18 July 2017 Bahirat 2006 p 15 O Connell 1999 pp 260 1 Bahirat 2006 pp 2 3 Shri Jnaneshvar 1987 Lambert H M ed Jnaneshvari Bhavarthadipika in Marathi Pradhan V G translator Albany N Y State University of New York Press p xvii ISBN 978 0887064883 Schomer amp McLeod 1987 p 4 Claus Diamond amp Mills 2003 pp 454 5 Ranade 1933 p 36 Pradhan amp Lambert 1987 p 1 Balasubramanian 2000 p 545 Bhagwat 2002 p 74 Bahirat 2006 p 14 Bahirat 2006 p 23 4 Bahirat 2006 p 24 6 a b c Ranade 1933 p 28 Ganesh amp Thakkar 2005 p 168 Dhongde amp Wali 2009 p 3 Ranade 1933 p 27 a b Bahirat 2006 p 6 Kohn 2008 p 18 Bahirat 2006 pp 5 6 Pawar 1997 pp 350 2 Farquhar 1984 p 235 Bahirat 2006 p 176 Dallmayr 2007 p 49 a b Dallmayr 2007 pp 49 50 Bahirat 2006 p 39 Dallmayr 2007 p 50 Bahirat 2006 p 37 Ranade 1933 p 71 Ranade 1933 pp 71 86 Ranade 1933 p 80 Ranade 1933 p 72 Ranade 1933 pp 48 50 75 Ranade 1933 p 86 Ranade 1933 pp 94 5 Ranade 1933 pp 86 91 Ranade 1933 p 91 Ranade 1933 pp 98 100 a b Ranade 1933 p 98 Ranade 1933 pp 101 2 Bahirat 2006 pp 143 4 Prasad 2009 pp 376 7 Prasad 2009 pp 377 8 Glushkova Irina 6 Object of worship as a free choice Objects of Worship in South Asian Religions Forms Practices and Meanings 13 2014 a b Dallmayr 2007 p 54 Perur Srinath 5 July 2014 The road to Pandharpur The Hindu Retrieved 1 April 2015 Bahirat 2006 pp 144 5 Pawar 1997 p 353 Datta 1988 p 1848 Sundararajan amp Mukerji 2003 pp 34 5 Bibliography Attwood Donald W 1992 Raising cane the political economy of sugar in western India Westview Press ISBN 978 0 8133 1287 3 Bahirat B P 2006 The Saint heritage of India Cosmo Publications ISBN 978 81 307 0124 0 Balasubramanian R 2000 2 Advaita Vedanta vol 2 Project of History of Indian Science Philosophy and Culture ISBN 978 81 87586 04 3 Berntsen Maxine 1988 The Experience of Hinduism Essays on Religion in Maharashtra SUNY Press ISBN 978 0 88706 662 7 Bobde P V 1987 Garland of Divine Flowers Selected Devotional Lyrics of Saint Jnanesvara Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 978 81 208 0390 9 Cashman Richard I 1975 The Myth of the Lokamanya Tilak and Mass Politics in Maharashtra University of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 02407 6 Claus Peter J Diamond Sarah Mills Margaret Ann 2003 South Asian Folklore An Encyclopedia Afghanistan Bangladesh India Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Taylor amp Francis ISBN 978 0 415 93919 5 Dallmayr Fred 2007 In Search of the Good Life A Pedogogy for Troubled Times University Press of Kentucky ISBN 978 0 8131 3858 9 Datta Amaresh 1988 Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature Sahitya Akademi ISBN 978 81 260 1194 0 De Smet Richard V Malkovsky Bradley J 2000 New Perspectives on Advaita Vedanta Essays in Commemoration of Professor Richard De Smet S J BRILL ISBN 90 04 11666 4 Bhagwat R K 2002 Indian Literary Criticism Theory and Interpretation Editor G N Devy Orient Blackswan ISBN 978 81 250 2022 6 Dhongde Ramesh Vaman Wali Kashi 2009 Marathi John Benjamins Publishing Company ISBN 978 90 272 8883 7 Farquhar John Nicol 1984 An Outline of the Religious Literature of India Motilal Banarsidass Publ ISBN 978 0 89581 765 5 Fowler Jeaneane D 2002 Perspectives of Reality An Introduction to the Philosophy of Hinduism Sussex Academic Press ISBN 978 1 898723 93 6 Ganesh Kamala Thakkar Usha 2005 Culture and the Making of Identity in Contemporary India SAGE Publications ISBN 978 0 7619 3381 6 Glushkova Irina 2014 Objects of Worship in South Asian Religions Forms Practices and Meanings Routledge ISBN 978 1 317 67595 2 Grover Verinder 1990 Mahadev Govind Ranade Deep amp Deep Publications ISBN 978 81 7100 245 0 Harrisson Tom 1976 Living Through the Blitz Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 00 216009 4 Kohn Livia 2008 Chinese Healing Exercises The Tradition of Daoyin University of Hawaii Press ISBN 978 0 8248 3269 8 Michell George Zebrowski Mark 1999 Architecture and Art of the Deccan Sultanates Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 56321 5 Mokashi Digambar Balkrishna 1987 Palkhi An Indian Pilgrimage SUNY Press ISBN 978 0 88706 461 6 Mokashi Punekar Rohini 2005 On the Threshold Rowman Altamira ISBN 978 0 7591 0821 9 Novetzke Christian Lee 2009 Shared Idioms Sacred Symbols and the Articulation of Identities in South Asia Routledge ISBN 978 1 135 90477 7 O Connell Joseph T 1999 Organizational and institutional aspects of Indian religious movements Indian Institute of Advanced Study Manohar ISBN 9788185952628 Pawar G M 1997 Medieval Indian Literature Surveys and selections Sahitya Akademi ISBN 978 81 260 0365 5 Prasad Rajendra 2009 A Historical developmental Study of Classical Indian Philosophy of Morals Concept Publishing Company ISBN 978 81 8069 595 7 Dnyaneshwar Shri 1987 Jnaneshvari Bhavarthadipika Pradhan Vitthal G Transl Lambert Hester M Transl Editor State University of New York Press ISBN 978 0 88706 487 6 Ranade Ramchandra Dattatraya 1933 Mysticism in India The Poet Saints of Maharashtra SUNY Press ISBN 978 0 87395 669 7 Schomer Karine McLeod W H 1987 The Sants Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 978 81 208 0277 3 Sharma Arvind 1979 Thresholds in Hindu Buddhist Studies T K Mukherjee ISBN 9780836404951 Sundararajan K R Mukerji Bithika 2003 Hindu Spirituality Postclassical and Modern Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 978 81 208 1937 5Further reading EditKhandarkar Shri Shankar Maharaj 2018 Sant Jnaneswara s Pasayadana Divine Blessings Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 978 8120842083 James Fairbrother Edwards 1941 Dnyaneshwar The Out caste Brahmin J F Edwards Office of the Poet Saints of Maharashtra Series United Theological College of Western India External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dnyaneshwar sant dyaneshwar full information books etc in marathi Jnaneshwari Bhavartha Dipika English translation by R K Bhagwat 1954 includes glossary Extracts from Amritanubhav Biography of Dnyaneshwar by V V Shirvaikar Lata Mangeshkar s rendering of some of Sri Jnaneshwar s abhangas Sant Dnaneshwar on Hindupedia the online Hindu Encyclopedia Pasayadan in Marathi Sant Dnyaneshwar information in Marathi Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dnyaneshwar amp oldid 1174001685, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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