Jñāneśvarī – Unsullied by Time (Part 1)

Jñāneśvarī – Unsullied by Time^[1]

Jñāneśvara is widely known for being the founding father of the Bhāgavata tradition in Maharashtra. In him we see a culmination of the Nātha tradition, the Śāṅkara [Advaita] tradition, and the bhakti tradition. His vision was naturally gifted with samanvya (harmonious reconciliation) without dichotomies as regards to various prasthānas (schools of thought). Nāmadeva famously said, “Viveka sāgara sakhā majhā Jñāneśvara”^[4] – My friend Jñāneśvara is an ocean of sad-asad-viveka (the wisdom to discern between the real and the unreal). Tukārāma has said, “Jñāniyāñcā guru rājā mahārāv”^[5] – Among the wise ones, he is a guru and a peerless emperor! Ekanātha has showered praises on Jñānadeva, calling him a “śreṣṭha-mūrti”^[6] – an embodiment of greatness.

The Jñāneśvarī is not merely a work of philosophy composed for the sake of explaining the Bhagavad-gītā. It is also the first major work of Marathi literature.

taiseṃ jī na baḍabaḍīṃ। padācī kora na sāṃḍīṃ।
parī mūḻadhvanīṃciye vāḍhī। nimitta jāhaloṃ॥^[7]

I’m not chattering sans reason; I haven’t
deviated from the original meaning of the words
I’ve only tried to capture their essence in my work
I’m only an instrument in doing so!

There is a befitting synonym to this work – ‘Bhāvārtha-dīpikā’ (suggesting that it captures the meaning of the spirit of the Gītā and illumines our path to comprehension).

People’s Respect for the Work

The Jñāneśvarī is an ever-glowing lamp that has shed light on the depths of the meaning of the Gītā in the language of the common masses, i.e. Marathi. There is no dearth of people who have memorized all the nine thousand ovīs^[8] composed by Jñāneśvara. The language he has used is deśi (regional dialect) but it has captured the profundity of the Gītā. In fact, it transcends all language barriers.

mājhā marāṭhāci bolu kautukeṃ। pari amṛtāteṃhī
paijāṃ jiṃkeṃ aisīṃ akṣareṃ rasikeṃ। meḻavīna॥^[9]

My language is Marathi, but it can
well compete with amṛta and surpass it
Because of the aesthetic usage of words
that I’ve put together

jaiseṃ śāradīciye caṃdrakaḻe। māji amṛtakaṇa koṃvaḻe।
te veṃcitī maneṃ mavāḻeṃ। cakoratalageṃ॥^[10]

Like Cakora fledglings skilfully drink the amṛta-like tender rays of the full moon in autumn,
listeners should experience the meaning of the Gītā using their sharp intellect

Even after seven hundred years of its composition, thousands of families perform a nitya-pārāyaṇa (daily recitation) of the Jñāneśvarī, even today. There aren’t many works that have earned such respect from the masses. The philosophy-tree that originated because of Jñāneśvara had its ramifications on the Vārkarī tradition^[11]. The annual Vārkarī-yātra that proceeds from Dehu—the birthplace of Saint Tukārāma—and heads towards Āḻandī—the samādhi (final resting place) of Jñāneśvara—and the procession of Jñāneśvara’s pādukās (sandals) that starts from Āḻandī and heads towards Pandharpur on the Jyeṣṭha-bahula Aṣṭami (eighth day of the lunar fortnight starting from the new moon in the month of Jyeṣṭha), accompanied by a continuous, energetic singing of abhaṅgs  (devotional poetry in Marathi; the poetic meter is a variation of the Ovī) – these are elevating experiences in the lives of āstikas (those endowed with faith in the Vedas).

Gītā – the Mother

The Jñāneśvarī is hailed as ‘māulī’ (mother) in Maharashtra. Jñānadeva was neither a yogi nor a sādhaka (seeker, practitioner) but is considered to be a jñāna-rāja, the emperor of wisdom – so says Nāmadeva out of his reverence in his abhaṅg “Jñānarāja mājhī yogyāṃcī māulī”^[12] Just as little children enjoy and forget themselves in their mother’s lap, hordes of devotees too experience untainted bliss when they are enveloped by the Jñāneśvarī. Jñāneśvara considered Pāṇḍuraṅga—his beloved deity—as his mother. The motherly love that he thus attained, he shared it freely with all other seekers. Just as a child that spends all its time with its mother receives unconditional motherly love constantly, one who takes refuge in the Bhagavad-gītā definitely gains the guidance required to tread the rightful path of life. This is the assurance given by Jñāneśvara. His request and his command was “Maga mātāci te bhajāvī”^[13] – always respect your mother.

devī lakṣmīyevaḍhī javaḻika। parī tehī na dekhe yā
premāceṃ sukha। āji kṛṣṇasnehāceṃ pika। yāteṃci āthī॥^[14]

Even Lakṣmī-devī, always in the company of Mahāviṣṇu
did not obtain such love-laden peace
Such is the extraordinary compassion that
Arjuna received from Śrīkṛṣṇa!

Jñānadeva says that the fruit of all the good deeds that he had performed in his previous births is the refuge he got in the island of Bhagavad-gītā in this birth.

Jñāneśvara has employed the word ‘mother’ as a technical identifier to allude to all those things he considers extraordinary. He has called even his guru as ‘mother.’

Jñāneśvara composed his commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā at an astonishingly young age. No other evidence seems necessary to establish that this work was a result of divine inspiration.

heṃ gītānāma vikhyāta। sarvavāṅmayāceṃ mathita।
ātmā jeṇeṃ hastagata। ratna hoya॥^[15]

Upon churning the ocean of words called the Vedas,
what was obtained was the amṛta of Bhagavad-Gītā
Upon consuming this, knowledge of the Self
becomes as sure as a jewel placed in one’s palm

buddhyādikeṃ ḍoḻaseṃ। heṃ jayāceṃ kā kaḍavaseṃ।
mī sarvadraṣṭāhī diseṃ। pāhalā jayā॥^[16]

In the face of this wisdom,
all worldly knowledge driven by the intellect
becomes as insignificant as an atom
He who enters this temple finds no distinction between
Experience, Experiencer, and Experienced!

paiṃ jaḻā āpaṇapeṃ detāṃ। lavaṇa bhulaleṃ paṃḍusutā।
kīṃ āghaveṃ tayāceṃ hotāṃ। na lajeci teṃ॥^[17]

Once salt is dissolved in water,
it loses the memory of its previous identity
It feels no shame in merging with water

This is at once an extraordinary example of deep spiritual insight and talented poetic expression.