Sant Dnyaneshwar, also known as
Jnaneshwar, Dnyandev, Mauli or Jnanadeva was a 13th-century Marathi saint, yogi
and philosopher of the Nath Vaishnava tradition. He lived just 21 years and
authored Dnyaneshwari, a commentary
on Bhagavad Gita and Amrutanubhav. He was born in 1275 on the
occasion of Krishna Janmashtami in a Marathi-speaking Brahmin family.
Significance of the Day
Shri Dnyaneshwar Jayanti is held
every year during the month of Bhadrapada Krishna Paksha Sashti Tithi. Sant Dnyaneshwar
was amongst the first to use the Marathi language to spread the message of
Bhagavad Gita. He also popularised the teachings of Sanatana Dharma.
Sant Dnyaneshwar’s Dnaneshwari or
Jnaneshwari is a simplified version of Bhagavad Gita in Marathi to reach out to
those who have not read Gita. The original Gita contains 700 verses but Sant
Dnyaneshwar’s Jnaneshwari contains 900 verses. Dnyaneshwari is still popular
among Maharashtrians and is translated into various languages.
This day marks the birth anniversary
of Sant Dnyaneshwar.
After writing Amritanubhava, the spiritual leader went to pilgrimage with other saints and later felt that the mission of his life is over. He then decided to take Samadhi and entered the path of salvation also called as Sanjeevan Samadhi (a practice to voluntarily die) at the age of 21 at Alandi on the banks of River Indrayani. Several religious events are observed on Shri Dnyaneshwari Jayanti 2020 to pay tribute to the spiritual leader.