Jñāneśvar

Jñāneśvar (ज्ञानेश्वर, 1275–1296), also known as Dnyaneshwar or Jñānadeva, was a 13th-century Marathi saint, poet, philosopher, and yogi of the Nath and Varkari traditions, best known for the Jñāneśvarī — a commentary on the Bhagavad Gītā in Marathi verse. He took samādhi at Alandi in 1296, entombing himself in an underground chamber, at the age of twenty-one.

Life/History

Jñāneśvar was born in Apegaon, Maharashtra, into a Brahmin family that had been ostracized by society. His elder brother and guru Nivruttinath, his brother Sopandev, and his sister Muktābāī became fellow saints of the Varkari tradition.

After composing the Jñāneśvarī, Jñāneśvar and his siblings traveled to Paithan, where he had a famous encounter with the yogi Changdev, who was over a hundred years old. Changdev was humbled by the young siblings and eventually became a disciple.

Teachings/Contributions

The Jñāneśvarī (also called Dnyaneshwari) is a Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gītā. Together with the Amrutanubhav, it is among the oldest surviving literary works in the Marathi language and a milestone of Marathi literature. His ideas reflect the non-dualistic Advaita Vedānta philosophy with an emphasis on yoga and bhakti towards Vithoba. Key themes include:

1. The identity of the individual soul (ātman) with Brahman
2. Devotion (bhakti) as the highest path
3. The accessibility of divine realization to all, regardless of caste
4. The integration of knowledge (jñāna) and devotion (bhakti)

He also composed the Amrutanubhava (Experience of Immortality), the Changdev Pasashti (65 verses addressed to the yogi Changdev), and a body of devotional songs (Abhang Gatha).

Legacy

Jñāneśvar is one of the founders of the Varkari (Vithoba-Krishna) Bhakti movement in Maharashtra, and his legacy inspired later saint-poets such as Eknath and Tukaram. His Jñāneśvarī set the standard for Marathi devotional poetry and brought the Gītā to the common people in their own language. His samādhi at Alandi is a major pilgrimage site.

Verification notes

• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).
• Dates (1275–1296), Nath tradition, works (Jñāneśvarī, Amrutanubhav, Changdev Pasashti), and Alandi samādhi per Wikipedia.
• The encounter with Changdev is documented in Varkari hagiographic literature.
• His dates are approximate; traditions vary on the exact year of his samādhi.