Dnyaneshwari

Dnyaneshwari a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita written by poet saint Dnyaneshwar

The Dnyaneshwari (or Jñaneshwari) (Marathi ज्ञानेश्वरी) is a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita written by the Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar during the 13th century at age 16. This commentary has been praised for its aesthetic as well as scholarly value. The original name of the work is Bhavarth Deepika, which can be roughly translated as "The light showing the internal meaning" (of the Bhagvad Geeta), but it is popularly called Dnyaneshwari after its creator.

The Dnyaneshwari provides the philosophical basis for the Bhagawata Dharma, a Bhakti sect which had a lasting effect on the history of Maharashtra. It became one of the sacred books (i.e. the Prasthanatrai of Bhagawata Dharma) along with Ekanathi Bhagawata and Tukaram Gaathaa. It is one of the foundations of the Marathi language and literature, and continues to be widely read in Maharashtra. The Pasayadan or the nine ending verses of the Dnyaaneshwari are also popular with the masses.

According to Vaisnava belief, the Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate statement of spiritual knowledge since it was professed by Lord Krishna who was an Avatar of Vishnu. Dnyaneshwari is considered to be more than a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita because it was professed by Dnyaneshwar, who is considered to be a saint.It contains more easy and lucid examples about the teaching in Bhagavad-Gita as it is said that saint dnyaneshwar composed it for the development in the behaviour of people.It is quite difficult for today's life to understand the concepts clearly as the written text is very old and is written in about 1290 A.D. It is made available by many publications in simplified as well as original form.