Dnyaneshwari
Encyclopedia
The Dnyaneshwari (Marathi
ज्ञानेश्वरी) is the commentary on Bhagavad Gita
written by Marathi
saint and poet Dnyaneshwar
during the 13th century at age 16. This commentary has been praised not only for its scholarly, but also for its aesthetic value.
The original name of the work is Bhavarth deepika , roughly translated as "The light showing the internal meaning" (of the Bhagvad Geeta). But it is popularly called as Dnyaneshwari, based on its creator's name
.
sect which had a lasting effect on the history of Maharashtra
. It became one of the sacred books (i.e. the Prasthanatrai of Bhagawata Dharma) along with Ekanathi Bhagawata and Tukaram Gaathaa. It is one of the foundations of the Marathi language
and literature
, and continues to be widely read in Maharashtra. The Pasayadan or the nine ending verses of the Dnyaaneshwari are also popular with the masses.
According to Vaisnava belief, the Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate statement of spiritual knowledge since it was professed by Lord Krishna who was an Avatar
of Vishnu. Dnyaneshwari is considered to be more than a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita because it was professed by Dnyaneshwar, who is considered to be a saint
.
s (Sanskrit
verses), into around 9999 Marathi verses (ovis). The first line of each ovi rhymes with the next two, rendering a lyrical quality to the entire work.
The first ovi of the Dnyaneshwari follows a rhyme scheme, where the first three lines end in "ā." This ovi is an invocation to OM
, and is followed by an elaborate explanation of LORD SHRI KRISHNA'S's form as the embodiment of the vedas
and PURANAS
, and the complete representation of OM:
Om Namojee Ādyā |
Vedapratipādyā |
Jaya Jaya Swasaṃvedyā |
Ātmarūpā ||1||
ॐ नमोजी आद्या | वेद प्रतिपाद्या | जय जय स्वसंवेद्या | आत्मरुपा
The second ovi and all the ovis after it follow the same rhyme scheme:
Devā Tūchi Gaṇeshū |
Sakalārthamatiprakāshū |
Mhaṇe Nivṛtti Dāsū |
Avadhārijojē ||2||
देवा तूंचि गणेशु | सकलमति प्रकाशु | म्हणे निवृत्ति दासु | अवधारिजो जी
The content of Dnyaneshwari reflects a detailed knowledge of kundalini
, metaphysics
and astrology
. The commentary lays importance on God as energy. It emphasises that although there may be many different living forms, they all breathe oxygen (even fishes under water and reptiles deep inside the earth) and have the same life force within them, which is a part of God, who is energy and intelligence. It states that people can use energy and intelligence to connect with the supreme and provides methodologies to achieve the same.
It is widely studied and regularly cited, read in homes and religious places, all across Maharashtra. It has a special place in the hearts of every Marathi speaking person.
There have been many further commentaries on this commentary, in even simpler language, since the original Marathi language used in the book, is from 12th century and bit different from the normal Marathi language spoken during contemporary times.
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
ज्ञानेश्वरी) is the 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...
written by Marathi
Marathi people
The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
saint and poet Dnyaneshwar
Dnyaneshwar
Dnyāneshwar , also known as Jñanadeva , was born into a Deshastha Brahmin Kulkarni family.He was a 13th century Maharashtrian Hindu saint , poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath tradition whose works Bhavartha deepika teeka ,...
during the 13th century at age 16. This commentary has been praised not only for its scholarly, but also for its aesthetic value.
The original name of the work is Bhavarth deepika , roughly translated as "The light showing the internal meaning" (of the Bhagvad Geeta). But it is popularly called as Dnyaneshwari, based on its creator's name
.
Importance of work
The Dnyaneshwari provides the philosophical basis for the Bhagawata Dharma, a BhaktiBhakti
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...
sect which had a lasting effect on the history of 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...
. It became one of the sacred books (i.e. the Prasthanatrai of Bhagawata Dharma) along with Ekanathi Bhagawata and Tukaram Gaathaa. It is one of the foundations of the Marathi language
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
and 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 :...
, and continues to be widely read in Maharashtra. The Pasayadan or the nine ending verses of the Dnyaaneshwari are also popular with the masses.
According to Vaisnava belief, the Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate statement of spiritual knowledge since it was professed by Lord Krishna who was an Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
of Vishnu. Dnyaneshwari is considered to be more than a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita because it was professed by Dnyaneshwar, who is considered to be a 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...
.
Great Quotes
Dnyaneshwar expanded the Bhagavad Gita, which consisted of 700 shlokaShloka
A ' is a category of verse line developed from the Vedic Anuṣṭubh. It is the basis for Indian Epic verse, and may be considered the Indian verse form par excellence, occurring, as it does, far more frequently than any other meter in classical Sanskrit poetry. The Mahabharata and Ramayana, for...
s (Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
verses), into around 9999 Marathi verses (ovis). The first line of each ovi rhymes with the next two, rendering a lyrical quality to the entire work.
The first ovi of the Dnyaneshwari follows a rhyme scheme, where the first three lines end in "ā." This ovi is an invocation to OM
Aum
Om or Aum Om or Aum Om or Aum (also , written in Devanāgari as and as , in Sanskrit known as (lit. "to sound out loudly"), ', or ' (also as ') (lit. "Auṃ form/syllable"), is a sacred/mystical syllable in the Dharmic or Indian religions, i.e...
, and is followed by an elaborate explanation of LORD SHRI KRISHNA'S's form as the embodiment of the vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
and PURANAS
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
, and the complete representation of OM:
Om Namojee Ādyā |
Vedapratipādyā |
Jaya Jaya Swasaṃvedyā |
Ātmarūpā ||1||
ॐ नमोजी आद्या | वेद प्रतिपाद्या | जय जय स्वसंवेद्या | आत्मरुपा
The second ovi and all the ovis after it follow the same rhyme scheme:
Devā Tūchi Gaṇeshū |
Sakalārthamatiprakāshū |
Mhaṇe Nivṛtti Dāsū |
Avadhārijojē ||2||
देवा तूंचि गणेशु | सकलमति प्रकाशु | म्हणे निवृत्ति दासु | अवधारिजो जी
The content of Dnyaneshwari reflects a detailed knowledge 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...
, metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
and astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
. The commentary lays importance on God as energy. It emphasises that although there may be many different living forms, they all breathe oxygen (even fishes under water and reptiles deep inside the earth) and have the same life force within them, which is a part of God, who is energy and intelligence. It states that people can use energy and intelligence to connect with the supreme and provides methodologies to achieve the same.
In Local Culture
Dnyaneshwari has had a very profound effect on the mind and lives of people, especially in Maharashtra. The book is considered as sacred as the Bhagvad Geeta, of which it is a commentary. Saint Dnyaneshwar, had written the book, in an attempt to make sure that the knowledge from within the Geeta is accessible to all the common people , who had less command or access over Sanskrit, and used Marathi in their day to day life. The attempt has been very successful, due to the nature of the writing and the depth with which the commentary evolves and clarifies the original concepts.It is widely studied and regularly cited, read in homes and religious places, all across Maharashtra. It has a special place in the hearts of every Marathi speaking person.
There have been many further commentaries on this commentary, in even simpler language, since the original Marathi language used in the book, is from 12th century and bit different from the normal Marathi language spoken during contemporary times.
See Also
- ज्ञानेश्वरी (Dnyaneshwari) text in Marathi Wikibook