ಜ್ಞಾನೇಶ್ವರ: ಪರಿಷ್ಕರಣೆಗಳ ನಡುವಿನ ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸ

 

 

Saint Dnyaneshwar was the second of the four children of Vithalpant and Rukminibai Kulkarni, a pious couple from the village Apegaon near Paithan (old Pratishthan) in Maharashtra on the banks of River Godavari.

 

 

 

All the four children were very intelligent and pious. They studied the Vedas and Shastras under their father but because they were excommunicated they could not join the brahmin community or study in schools run by them. In desperation Vithalpant went to Apegaon and appealed to the brahmins there who after studying the shastras opined that death was the only atonement for the sin. In a hopeless state of mind Vithalpant and Rukminibai abandoned their children at Apegaon, travelled to Prayag and drowned themselves in the River Ganges.

 

 

 

There is a legend regarding Sacchidanandababa mentioned above. On the day Nivrutiinath, Dnyandeo etc. entered Nevase, Sacchidanandababa had died and was being carried to the cremation ground accompanied by his wife Soudamini who wanted to commit Sati. Somebody suggested that a saint had come and she should get his blessings before going as Sati. She found Dnyandeo sitting in meditation under a tree. She bowed to him when he blessed her with the words "Akhand Saubhagyavati Bhava" meaning may you never be a widow. When he came out of meditation he realised the odd situation but praying to God and Guru and using his powers he brought back Sacchidanandababa to life. The latter remained his devotee for life.

 

 

 

Sant Dnyaneshwar’s writing is a combination of scholarly intelligence and poetic beauty.

 

 

 

Nivruttinath: Elder brother of Dnyaneshwar, Nivrutti Nath was an authority in nath sect. Dnyaneshwar accepted his elder brother as his guru. After Dnyaneshwar, Nivrutti Nath travelled with his sister on a pilgrimage along Tapi river where they were caught in a thunderstorm and Mukta lost in it without a trace. Nivrutti nath took to salvation (Samadhi) at Triambakeshwar.

Sopandev: Younger brother Sopandev attained ‘samadhi' at Saswad near Pune.

 

 

The stories by believers in Bhagawata Sampradaya (sect) about Saint Dnyaneshwar’s life are full of miracles. These stories mentioned in many scriptures and include : baking bread (mānde, or roti in Hindi) on his heated back, making a wall move and making a bull recite vedic hymns. Logic and rational thought have denied such miracles. But it should be noted that yogic texts describe these abilities and say they can be acquired at an advanced stage in yogic practices although the verification of such abilities has not been proven and is most likely a pseudoscience

 

 

 

John Noyce, Gyaneshwara: a Western-language bibliography (Melbourne: Noyce Publishing, 1995)

M. V. Dhond "Dnyaneshwari: Swarup, Tatvadnyan ani Kavya" (Majestic Book Stall, 1980)

P.V.Bobde (trans), Garland of Divine Flowers: selected devotional lyrics of Saint Jnanesvara (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1987) ISBN 8120803906

 

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