About Dnyaneshwar
Dnyāneshwar (Jñāneshvar, Jnandev, Jnanesvar, Jñanadeva) (1275–1296) 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.
Biography
Dnyaneshwar was born in 13th-century Maharashtra, before the Muslim invasions of the region started. During this period, arts and sciences prospered under the patronage of the newly ascended Yadava kings. However, this period also witnessed religious degeneration, superstitions, and rituals which involved animal sacrifices and worship of many deities. Dnyandeva emerged as one of the first original philosophers to write in Marathi language in this era.
According to Nath tradition, Dnyaneshwar was the second of the four children of Vitthal Govind Kulkarni and Rukmini, a pious couple from Apegaon near Paithan on the banks of the river Godavari. Vitthal had studied Vedas and set out on pilgrimages at a young age. In Alandi, about 30 km from Pune, Sidhopant, a local Yajurveda Brahmin, was very much impressed with him and Vitthal married his daughter Rukmini.
After some time, getting permission from Rukmini, Vitthal went to Kashi, where he met Ramananda Swami and requested to be initiated into sannyas, lying about his marriage. But Ramananda Swami later went to Alandi and, convinced that his student Vitthal was the husband of Rukmini, he returned to Kashi and ordered Vitthal to return home to his family. The couple was excommunicated from the Brahmin caste as Vitthal had broken with sannyas, the last of the four ashrams. Four children were born to them; Nivrutti in 1273, Dnyandev (Dnyaneshwar) in 1275, Sopan in 1277 and daughter Mukta in 1279. According to some scholars their birth years are 1268, 1271, 1274, 1277 respectively. The couple set out on a pilgrimage with their children to Tryambakeshwar, near Nashik, where their elder son Nivrutti (at the age of 10) was initiated into the Nath tradition by Gahininath. The paternal great grandfather of Dnyaneshwar had been initiated into the Nath cult by Goraksha Nath (Gorakh Nath). It is believed that later Vitthal and Rukmini ended their lives by jumping into the waters at Prayag where the river Ganges meets Yamuna hoping that their children would be accepted into the society after their death. The orphaned children grew up on alms. According to Mahipati, the 18th century biographer of Bhakti Saints, including Dnyaneshwar, they approached the Brahmin community of Paithan to accept them but the Brahmins refused. This is when Sant Dnyaneshwar asked them why they can't be taken back into the Hindu community and given the sacred thread. The Brahmins said they can't as Dnyaneshwar and his brothers were sons of a sanyasi. Dnyaneshwar replied, that for that sin, His parents have already given up their body, to be absolved of their sins. Sant Dnyaneshwar further said that Bhagwaan Shree Krishna in the Bhagwad Gita Has also said that the soul is present in everyone in the universe. To which a the miracle took place. There was man passing with a buffalo, the Brahmins asked him is there the Supreme Soul (Parameshwar) in this buffalo as well? Sant Dnyaneshwar replied in the affirmative and started reciting the Vedas, the Brahmins tried to stop Him, to which He replied, doesn't every soul have the right to sing praises towards God. He resumed reciting the Vedas, they stopped Him again and then a Buffalo started continuing the Vedas, from where Sant Dnyandev stopped! According to the disputed "Shuddhi Patra" the children were purified by the Brahmins on condition of observing celibacy. Their argument with the Brahmins earned the children fame and respect due to their righteousness, virtue, intelligence, knowledge and politeness.
Dnyaneshwar became the student of Nivruttinath along with his younger siblings Sopan and Mukta at the age of 8. He learned and mastered the philosophy and various techniques of Kundalini yoga.
Dnyāneshwar (Jñāneshvar, Jnandev, Jnanesvar, Jñanadeva) (1275–1296) 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.
Biography
Dnyaneshwar was born in 13th-century Maharashtra, before the Muslim invasions of the region started. During this period, arts and sciences prospered under the patronage of the newly ascended Yadava kings. However, this period also witnessed religious degeneration, superstitions, and rituals which involved animal sacrifices and worship of many deities. Dnyandeva emerged as one of the first original philosophers to write in Marathi language in this era.
According to Nath tradition, Dnyaneshwar was the second of the four children of Vitthal Govind Kulkarni and Rukmini, a pious couple from Apegaon near Paithan on the banks of the river Godavari. Vitthal had studied Vedas and set out on pilgrimages at a young age. In Alandi, about 30 km from Pune, Sidhopant, a local Yajurveda Brahmin, was very much impressed with him and Vitthal married his daughter Rukmini.
After some time, getting permission from Rukmini, Vitthal went to Kashi, where he met Ramananda Swami and requested to be initiated into sannyas, lying about his marriage. But Ramananda Swami later went to Alandi and, convinced that his student Vitthal was the husband of Rukmini, he returned to Kashi and ordered Vitthal to return home to his family. The couple was excommunicated from the Brahmin caste as Vitthal had broken with sannyas, the last of the four ashrams. Four children were born to them; Nivrutti in 1273, Dnyandev (Dnyaneshwar) in 1275, Sopan in 1277 and daughter Mukta in 1279. According to some scholars their birth years are 1268, 1271, 1274, 1277 respectively. The couple set out on a pilgrimage with their children to Tryambakeshwar, near Nashik, where their elder son Nivrutti (at the age of 10) was initiated into the Nath tradition by Gahininath. The paternal great grandfather of Dnyaneshwar had been initiated into the Nath cult by Goraksha Nath (Gorakh Nath). It is believed that later Vitthal and Rukmini ended their lives by jumping into the waters at Prayag where the river Ganges meets Yamuna hoping that their children would be accepted into the society after their death. The orphaned children grew up on alms. According to Mahipati, the 18th century biographer of Bhakti Saints, including Dnyaneshwar, they approached the Brahmin community of Paithan to accept them but the Brahmins refused. This is when Sant Dnyaneshwar asked them why they can't be taken back into the Hindu community and given the sacred thread. The Brahmins said they can't as Dnyaneshwar and his brothers were sons of a sanyasi. Dnyaneshwar replied, that for that sin, His parents have already given up their body, to be absolved of their sins. Sant Dnyaneshwar further said that Bhagwaan Shree Krishna in the Bhagwad Gita Has also said that the soul is present in everyone in the universe. To which a the miracle took place. There was man passing with a buffalo, the Brahmins asked him is there the Supreme Soul (Parameshwar) in this buffalo as well? Sant Dnyaneshwar replied in the affirmative and started reciting the Vedas, the Brahmins tried to stop Him, to which He replied, doesn't every soul have the right to sing praises towards God. He resumed reciting the Vedas, they stopped Him again and then a Buffalo started continuing the Vedas, from where Sant Dnyandev stopped! According to the disputed "Shuddhi Patra" the children were purified by the Brahmins on condition of observing celibacy. Their argument with the Brahmins earned the children fame and respect due to their righteousness, virtue, intelligence, knowledge and politeness.
Dnyaneshwar became the student of Nivruttinath along with his younger siblings Sopan and Mukta at the age of 8. He learned and mastered the philosophy and various techniques of Kundalini yoga.
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