Dnyaneshwari

by Dnyaneshwar Kulkarni

The Dnyaneshwari (or Jñaneshwari) (Marathi ज्ञानेश्वरी) is a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita written by the Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar during the 13th century at age 16. This commentary has been praised for its aesthetic as well as scholarly value. The original name of the work is Bhavarth Deepika, which can be roughly translated as "The light showing the internal meaning" (of the Bhagvad Geeta), but it is popularly called Dnyaneshwari after its creator. .

Genres: Spirituality, Marathi, Religion, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1291

About the author

Dnyāneshwar (Jñāneshvar, Jnandev, Jnanesvar, Jñanadeva) ("ज्ञानेश्वर", "ज्ञानदेव") (1275–1296)[1][2] was a 13th-century Maharashtrian Hindu saint (Sant – a title by which he is often referred), poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath tradition whose works Bhavartha Deepika (a commentary on Bhagavad Gita, popularly known as "Dnyaneshwari"), and Amrutanubhav are considered to be milestones in Marathi literature.

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're interesting in the Bhagavad Gita, this is a comprehensive source. The Bhagavad Gita is considered the crest jewel of Hinduism, a few short chapters (18 I think) set in the middle of the great epic Mahabharata, capture the hear of one of the world's great religions. This book contains the Gita in Sanskrit, Hindi, and English. Contains Jnanesh Maharaj's commentary on each verse of the Gita, the Janeshwari. Jnanesh Maharaj was a poet saint in India. His words are unbelievably beautiful.

[Aniket Amdekar · Rating 5 out of 5]

the most amazing book i have ever read. really deep philosophy and beautify way to present the ancient wisdom of Bhagwad Geeta.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The commentary added so much to the understanding of this sacred text. However, it was still difficult to follow and grasp the intended concepts and teachings at times. Thankfully I was reading this as part of a course on the Gita which helped fill in the remaining gaps. It was interesting to see how much similarity there was with Christian teachings. The world religions have much in common if we take the time to look.

[Shreekant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually people in Maharashtra start reading this after retirement, one should start reading this at early stage of life. Life will become easy.

[Jessica Fleet · Rating 5 out of 5]

'tangled up in blue.'

[Sotiris Makrygiannis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The influence of Dnyaneshwari poet and saint in India is tremendous. The 22-year-old saint lived in the 13th century, at the same time the Eastern Roman Empire was collapsing by the conquest of Muslims, the same was happening in the east with the Muslims invading India.

At that time, a kind of rebel child wrote a poem that is actually an interpretation of one of the holiest books of Hinduism, the Gita. Just like Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, the poem is written in verses, the original Gita contains 700 of them, and his interpretation was expanded to 9000 verses. Just imagine the memory capacity of those priests and followers to be able to recite 9000 verses.

Here comes the secret, the language that Dnyaneshwari used is one of the oldest and constitutionally accept languages of India, the Marathi language.

The Marathi language (Evolution of Prakrit, a poetic language) is like the Cypriot Greek dialect and is melodic. In fact, if you trace the tribes and their contribution to humanity, one could find that Phrygians (an ancient tribe of Anatolia, closest relative to the Greeks) look very much related to the Marathi people of India. The link can be established from the old worship of the Sacred Bull and much more.

I find this musical connection of verses and tunes a very fascinating subject that I need to study more.

Nevertheless, the point of the book is about the change that his poem brought, starting from casting doubt into the cast system by exposing the bad parts of it or used to inspire nationalistic sentiment against the Muslim conquerors. By all means, his poems have changed the course of India by simplifying the Gita, making it more accessible to the masses. His life was inspirational, full of struggle and hardship, like Christ, he died because the others (the crowd and the established priesthood) cast him as a heretic, just because he wrote a poem!!!

Very interesting story of an Indian saint that motivates me to read the 9000 verses to understand better the profound change that his writing had on billions of Indians.

[Samir Pakojwar]

good

[Tejas · Rating 2 out of 5]

जर तुम्ही हिंदू तत्वज्ञानात विश्वास ठेवत असाल, तर ही साहित्य रचना तुमच्या साठी आहे. पण मला हे तत्व ज्ञान मुळात पटत नसल्याने, २ अंकन केलं आहे. चातुर्वर्ण्य व्यवस्थेचा पुरस्कार आणि स्रीदक्षिणात्य हे सध्याच्या कालखंडाला अनुसरून नाही. या गोष्टी ज्ञानेश्वरीत जाणवल्या. सुख झाले तरी सोडून द्या आणि दुःख झाले तरी सोडून द्या, अशी विचारसरणी बिंबवली जाते. मनुष्य आहे म्हटल्यावर सुख, दुःख, हे विषयांच्या संगतीने होणारच. उगाच मी कर्म करून देखील सगळं कसं सोडून दिलं, यामुळे प्रथम माणसाची महत्वकांक्षा निघून जाते, तसेच दुःख सोडून देताना दुःख निवारण कसे करावे हे गीता सांगत नाही. १३व्या शतकातील साहित्य आणि लेखकाच्या वयाच्या मानाने रुपकांचा उत्तम वापर, या साठी २ अंकन तर बनतेच!

[sagar shirke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The **Dnyaneshwari** is a profound Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, written by the 13th-century saint Sant Dnyaneshwar. It makes the teachings of the Gita accessible to the common people through its poetic and relatable language. The text emphasizes themes of devotion (Bhakti), selfless action (Karma), knowledge (Jnana), and spiritual practices (Yoga). It is celebrated not only for its spiritual depth but also for its literary beauty, making it a cornerstone of Marathi culture and Hindu spirituality. The Dnyaneshwari continues to be a guiding light for devotees and scholars alike.

[Gaurav Dhage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who am I to give ratings, nothing short of a miracle what 16 years old can do!

[Evan Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This kid was brilliant.