“SwamiMhane….”.

Bhavarthadeepika or Dnyaneshwari,

by Sant Dnyāneshwar (1275-1296).

Maharashtra can very rightly be described as a heartland in the spiritual map of India, being the area which has produced a large number of saints. Sant Dnyāneshwar happens to be the crowning glory of them all.

Feeling, that, he has accomplished the ordained task of his manifestation, he adapted the path of Yogic salvation (Samadhi), at an early age of 21 yrs of his own volition. No wonder therefore, that, though youngest amongst the saints, to have concluded his earthly mission, he is popularly known as “Maulee”, (Mother).

Greatest of the saint poets so far, his contribution to the Marathi literature is immense and unparallel. Marathi has become richer by his poetic literature.

Major three among these are,(1) “Bhavarthadeepika or Dnyaneshwari”

(2)Amritanubhav, and (3) “Changdev-Pasashti”. These are considered to be three foundation stones of poetic literature by saints, just as “ Bhagawad Geeta”, “Upanishads”and “Brahmasutras”, are known as three foundation stones of Vedic Philosophical literature.

He propounded his vision of “Adwait, as Chidvilasawad” of the “Upanishadic/ Vedic” theory of monism through all his above mentioned major works. According to Sant Dnyaneshwar every living being as well as non living thing that is seen is the manifestation of one reality.

Modern science also supports this view of a monist world, that, there is only one substance that makes the reality. The matter and energy are interchangeable; even the apparently lifeless matter also has consciousness. The consciousness in such lifeless matter may be of very low level but there is nothing that does not have consciousness and therefore up gradation to higher level is possible. This is exactly what the ‘Adwait (monism)’ philosophy of ancient Indian scriptures has explained. Now with the advent of quantum physics, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, particle wave duality, it has been proved that the smallest particle of whatever exists may be a particle or wave with immense potentiality of manifesting into a variety of forms. The observer’s role is also important in what manifests before him. This also conforms to ancient Indian concept that all that is seen undergoes constant change and nothing is perpetual, except the basic reality/genesis. The scientists too are busy working on unified field theory.

Sant Dnyaneshwar was the first noteworthy proponent of Bhagawat sampradaya, a sect of bhakti (devotional worship) tradition in Hinduism. He composed Bhavarthadeepika popularly known as Dnyaneshwari, to explain sacred knowledge of the holy book Bhagavad Gita to the masses. He brought great knowledge of Vedas,Upanishads,Shastras and Bhagvadgita from Sanskrit in his mother tongue Marathi, thereby opening the treasures of the philosophical knowledge of “Geeta” to common people who knew Marathi but did not understand Sanskrit well. He made the recondite subject simple, through everyday examples and common knowledge metaphors, and similes’.

I would like to share with readers some salient points about this magnificent piece of literature by Sant Dnyaneshwar which astonish me, when i attempt to visualise, situation then obtaining.

This magnum opus has been an extempore poetic narration/discourse on “Bhagawad Geeta” in ‘Ovi’ form by Sant Dyaneshwar.

Discourses were made in Mohiniraj temple of Shriskhetra Newase, in Maharashtra.

Narration was complete sometime in the year 1290. Sant Dnyaneshwar at that time was just 15years of age. With no formal schooling, the entire family being socially outcast, his knowledge of Hindu scriptures, command over Sanskrit as well as Marathi, and knowledge of worldly/mundane affairs is astounding, and make reader believe the common belief that he was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Everyone in the audience must have been presumably elder to him, except may be two of his younger siblings who must have been in the audience.

The entire composition has been penned down by a person named Sachhidanand Baba. ( As per hear-say/myth after being declared dead, he was brought to life by Sant Dnyaneshwar.)

This treatise on “Geeta” is considered the best in all the commentaries available on "Geeta".

It has been translated in at least 13 different languages including two or three foreign languages.

Sant Dnyaneshwar has done commentary on each of the 700 verses of “Geeta” besides his prelude to thirteen out of eighteen chapters. (There is no prelude to Chapters- 2,3,5,7,8.)

There are total of 9033 verses/stanzas in “Ovi” metre, in Dnyaneshwari. Considering this fact one can well imagine the period it must have taken to complete the narration/discourse.

A period of 719 years has passed since this composition came into being but till date it has not lost its charm one bit rather it is increasing. With each passing year, the number of pilgrims ( Warkarees ) going from Alandi to Pandharpur is increasing and almost all worship Dnyanadev as well as his Dnyaneshwari. Here i am reminded of words of renowned English poet T S Eliot where he says, "Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood". These words hold good for Dnyaneshwari because Sant Dnyaneshwar has poured his heart into this literary offering hence it touches and fills the heart of the readers.

Innumerable books have been written/published on different aspects of Dnyaneshwari and the flow still continues. While writing about this book, Acharya Vinoba Bhave has written, that, Marathi literature minus Dnyaneshwari= Zero. Sant Namdev who was a staunch devotee of VITHHAL/PANDURANG was a contemporary of Sant Dnyaneshwar and had accompanied him in his pilgrim of North India. He has written a great deal about Sant Dnyaneshwar including the incident of Sant Dnyaneshwar's live Samadhi. He has written that Dnyaneshwari is most valuable piece of literature and one should experience at least one stanza ("Ovi") from it in his/her life time.

The book is not famous by its original name Bhavarthadeepika but is popular as Dnyaneshwari.

Sant Dnyaneshwar gives the credit for this literary work to his Sadguru his own elder brother Sant Niwrattinath and as well as to the audience.

His narration is like an astute cinema director, his words so meaningful and apt that the scene of war at Kurukshetra between Kauravas & Pandavas is recreated in front of readers eyes in such a way, as if one is witnessing a telecast. The poetic strength of this epic is so hypnotising and magnetic that the reader is hooked with rapt attention forgetting that he is learning philosophy of life which is timeless and universal. His unparalleled poetic skill to couch and capsule crux of Vedic/Upanishadic scriptures while conveying/transmitting to his readers through his writing immortalise him and his works.

His definition of non violence is action based. In one of the verses of "Dnyaneshwari", he says, all our actions be it physical,verbal or mental when done resulting in happiness to the world is what is non violence.

The fact that his thoughts are GLOBAL is evident from several verses in his work.

The fact that Earth revolves around the Sun was in his knowledge is amply evident from his verse 4/99 of "Dnyaneshwari" . By writing this, I do not desire to anyway denounce, that, it is Italian physicist/astronomer Galileo Galilei known as the father of modern science who first propounded the theory that it is the Earth which moves around the Sun & that he the exponent of heliocentric nature of the solar system between 1615 to 1632. We must remember, that, Sant Dnyaneshwar was not writing/ publishing a paper on physics/astronomy but was giving discourses on "Geeta", and his knowledge about this fact in the year 1290 made out from this verse as well as another verse in "Amrutanubhav", can not be denied/ignored.

This phenomenal literary work reminds me of William Wordsworth’s words, where he says- “Poetry, is a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotions recollected in tranquility.”

Each fresh reading of this marvelous piece of literature takes me to new heights of ecstasy.

I am keen that readers of this post/blog experience it. Even if some readers feel interested in Dnyaneshwari after reading this blog, I will feel that i have succeeded in my efforts to pass on this baton of happiness/knowledge to the next generation readers.

If the readers find difficulty in understanding the old Marathi language, they can take help of two volumes of “Abhang Dnyaneshwari” written by my Sadguru Swami Swaroopanandjee.