Dnyaneshwar Maharaj is a great sant-poet of Maharashtra in the thirteenth century. He was the founder of the Bhagwat sect, a yogi and a philosopher. Gyaneshwar has composed many texts, such as Bhavarthdeepika (Dnyaneshwari), Amritanubhav, Changdev Paschti, and Abhang, collected in Haripath. Gyaneshwar created the belief that spiritual and philosophical ideas can also be expressed through a regional language like Marathi. He inspired people from all regions to adopt global democracy.
Dnyaneshwar Maharaj was born in 1275 (Bhadrapada Krishna Paksha Ashtami, 1332 Vikram Samvat) in Alandi near Pune. His father’s name was Vitthalpant, and his mother’s was Rukmini. Vitthalpant’s family was famous for being pious and virtuous.
Having attained renunciation, Vitthalpant went to Kashi with his wife’s permission and took the initiation of sannyas there, but due to the order of his Guru, he once again entered the householder’s life after that Vitthalpant had a total of four children – Nivriti, Dnyandev, Sopan and Muktabai.
Nivriti was blessed by Shri Gahininath of the Nath sect, and the same Nivritinath became the Guru of Dnyandev and his elder brother.
Dnyaneshwar indicated that ‘the tradition of knowledge is the true heritage and foundation of all mankind’.
Dnyaneshwar and his three siblings paved the way for devotion through kirtan and discourses. 1290 Dnyaneshwar completed his divine commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, famous as ‘Dnyaneshwari’. Here, at the behest of his Guru Nivritinath, Dnyaneshwar composed his independent text, Amritanubhav or Anubhavamrit. Dnyaneshwar Maharaj is fondly called ‘Mauli’ (Mother) by all the devotees, including the Warkari sect. He gave religion a different meaning of duty by removing unnecessary things from religion.
Along with literary creation, he made a successful attempt to sow the seeds of spiritual democracy on the banks of Chandrabhaga. He did an unprecedented job of laying the foundation of the Bhagwat or Warkari sect. Dnyaneshwar Maharaj took informal leadership of sants like Namdev, Goroba Kumhar, Savta Mali, Narhari Sonar, Chokhamela, etc. and tried to establish equality in spirituality. Namdev made a pilgrimage throughout India, spreading the Bhagwat religion and the Warkari sect.
In 1296, at age 21, Gyandev did Sanjeevani Samadhi on the banks of the Indrayani River in Alandi. Within just one year after the setting of this ‘Sun of Knowledge’, his siblings Nivriti, Sopan and Muktabai completed their life journey in this world.
Gyandev, the great preacher of Bhagwat Dharma was a great person. In Dyaneshwari, he has written that,
म्हणोनि कुळ उत्तम नोहावें । जाती अंत्याहि व्हावें ।
वरि देहाचेनि नांवें । पशूचेंही लाभो ।। (अ. ९ : ४४१)
ते पापयोनीही होतु कां । ते श्रुताधीतही न होतु कां ।
परि मजसीं तुकितां तुका । तुटी नाहीं ।। (अ. ९ : ४४९)
म्हणोनि कुळजातिवर्ण । हे आघवेचि गा अकारण ।
एथ अर्जुना माझेपण । सार्थक एक ।। (अ. ९ : ४५६)
जैसें तंवचि वहाळ वोहळ । जंव न पवती गंगाजळ ।
मग होऊनि ठाकती केवळ । गंगारूप ।। (अ. ९ : ४५८)
कां खैरचंदनकाष्ठें । हे विवंचना तंवचि घटे ।
जंव न घापती एकवटें । अग्नीमाजीं ।। (अ. ९ : ४५९)
तैसें क्षत्री वैश्य स्त्रिया । कां शूद्र अंत्यादि इया ।
जाती तंवचि वेगळालिया । जंव न पवती मातें ।। (अ. ९ : ४६०)
(Meaning – Till the water of a stream or river does not merge with Ganga, the water of the stream is called a stream and the water of a river is called a river, but when the same water merges with Ganga, then the same stream or river is called Ganga. Similarly, with the wood of Khair, wood of sandalwood or wood of any other tree, this difference remains till they are not put in a fire together. As soon as they enter the fire, all the woods become the same. Similarly, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, Antyaj, and women are considered different until the devotee becomes one with God. Hence, all the differences of the best caste, lineage, and Varna are useless.)
The word “Samras” is the most interesting word of Dnyaneshwar Maharaj. The joy that is obtained from experience is called ‘Samras’. Sanskar is the root of harmony. Sanskar awakens divinity in man so that he can know God in the person before him. The priority of all sants, including Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, was to awaken the divinity in man. The path of harmony goes through spirituality. Dnyaneshwar Maharaj started the work of religious awakening. He relies more on coordination than opposition. His ideology is not communal, but coordinated and holistic.
