Jnaneshvar

JNANESHVAR
THE LIFE AND WORKS

OF THE CELEBRATED
THIRTEENTH CENTURY
INDIAN MYSTIC-POET
Bo o ks by S. Abhayananda
The Supreme Self
History of Mysticism
The Wisdom of Vedanta
Dattatreya: The Song of The Avadhut
Thomas Kempis: On The Love of God
The Origin of Western Mysticism
Mysticism and Science
JNANESHVAR
THE LIFE AND WORKS
OF THE CELEBRATED
THIRTEENTH CENTURY
INDIAN MYSTIC-POET
by Swami Abhayananda
Co pyright 1989, 1994, 2007 by

Swami Abhayananda
All rights reserved. The reproduction of this book in
whole or in part in any manner whatsoever without
prior permission from the author is prohibited except in
t he case o f brief quot at ions embodied in crit ical
art icles and reviews. Inquiries may be sent to:
Swami Abhayananda
abhayanand@aol.com
CONTENTS
BOOK ONE
The Life of Jnaneshvar
Preface
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
.. 9
The Hist orical Set t ing 14

Vit t hal And Rakhumabai.25
The New King of Devgiri31
Nivrit t i Finds His Guru33
The Deat h o f Vit t hal...42
A New Beginning 45
Jnaneshvar Becomes Enlight ened58
The Creat ions of ThePoet 64
A New Sult an Co mes To Po wer....74
The Pilgrims of Pandharpur.84
On The Ro ad To Kashi.. . 101
Ret urn To Pandharpur.107
The Siege of Devgiri .113
Treachery At Manukpur... 120
Jnaneshvars Samadhi 124
Po st script ..128
No t es.133
Biblio graphy... 135
BOOK TWO
The Works of Jnaneshvar
Preface
139
Amritanubhav
Chapter One: The Union of Shiva and
Shakti..
147
Chapter Two: Salutations To Sri Nivritti 157

Chapter Three: The Requirements of Speech.. 171
Chapter Four: Knowledge and Ignorance.. 180
Chapter Five: Existence, Consciousness, Bliss.. 189
Chapter Six: Inefficacy of The Word.. 202
Chapter Seven: Refutation of Ignorance. 220
Chapter Eight: Refutation of Knowledge 264
Chapter Nine: Secret of Natural Devotion. 268
Chapter Ten: Blessings To The World 280
Haripatha.
288
Changadev Pasashti
308
Notes.
322
About The Author.
327
BOOK ONE:
THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR
PREFACE
PREFACE TO BOOK ONE:
The st ory of t he life of Jnaneshvar is necessarily
sket chy, as many of t he exist ing account s of his life,
writ t en several cent uries ago, are highly imaginat ive,
t o say t he least . Indian hagiographers t radit ionally
wro t e abo ut t heir Medieval saint s as t hough t hey
were celest ial go ds t ranslo cat ed t o eart h t o appear in
human guise for t he benefit o f suffering humanit y.
The st o ry o f t heir lives was relat ed as a series of
miraculous event s from beginning t o end, culminat ing
in t he saint s supernat ural epiphany and resurrect ion
in his celest ial habit at . It is o ft ent imes very difficult,
t herefore, t o reconst ruct from such account s a real,
living, feeling, human being and t o get a clear
underst anding o f what t hat saint s life was really
like. The life of Jnaneshvar is no except ion t o t his
rule; he is pict ured in exist ing icons as t hough he
were a porcelain doll, and represent ed in lit erat ure as
a godlike being who flew about on brick walls,
caused bullo cks t o recit e t he Vedas, and, at t he age
of t went y-five, aft er having left his message fo r
mort als, released his bo dy t o ret urn t o his abo de in
Kailas, his celest ial mount ain paradise.
Fort unat ely, ho wever, t here are eno ugh fact s
preserved from t he recorded recollect ions of his
cont emporaries, and enough dat a available concerning
t he hist o rical period in which he lived t o piece
t oget her a likely st ory of t he life and career of
Jnaneshvar, who emerges as one of t he most brilliant
poet s, sublime myst ics, and fascinat ing figures in all
o f Medieval Indian hist ory. At an age when most
men have scarcely begun t heir lifes wo rk, Jnaneshvar
(Gyan-esh-war), who lived from 1271 t o 1296, a
mere span o f t went y-five years, had ended his; but
not before having built an everlast ing mo nument t o
his memo ry in t he writ t en mast erpieces he left

behind. In so few years, he had est ablished a legacy
t hat was t o revit alize his cult ure, his language, his
religious t radit ion, and make a place for himself as
an enduring presence in t he heart s o f his co unt rymen
fo r all t ime. Had t he t hirt eent h cent ury been blessed
wit h no o t her luminary t han Jnaneshvar, st ill it would
have been a glorious cent ury for t he lit erat ure of
Go d-kno wledge; but Jnaneshvar was not t he only star
in t he worlds sky in t hat shining cent ury.
In Christ ian Europe, at t he same t ime as
Jnaneshvar, t here lived a learned Prior at Erfurt , in
Germany, by t he name o f Jo hann Eckhart (12601327) who had direct ly kno wn and experienced Go d
in myst ical vision, and was embarrassing t he officials
o f t he Cat ho lic church by declaring before all his
co ngregat io n t hat he had done so. Eckhart , known
as Meist er Eckhart , was undoubt edly t he bright st ar
in t he Euro pean firmament of t he t hirt eent h cent ury,
and t he Christ ian equivalent of Jnaneshvar in mystical
knowledge. He was only eleven years older t han
Jnaneshvar, and is cert ainly possible t hat t he
revelat ion of unit y which each of t hem experienced
occurred around t he same period (1288-1293). Like
Jnaneshvar, Eckhart was t o inspire a myst ical
movement wit h a successio n o f genuine myst ics
t railing aft er him, and, lie Jnaneshvar, he was t o
revolut ionize and set t he st andard for a budding
lit erary language. Also, like Jnaneshvar, he was t o
live misunderst o o d, unappreciat ed, and persecut ed
during his own lifet ime.
The wo rld o f Islam also had it s luminaries: t he
great Sufi myst ic-poet s, Farid-uddin At t ar (d. 1230),
Fakhr-uddin Iraqi (d. 1289), and t he incomparable
Jalal-uddin Rumi (d. 1273); but it was t he SpanishArab, Muhi-uddin Ibn al-Arabi (1165-1240), who,
probably more t han any ot her, qualifies for t he
po sit io n o f myst ical influence which Jnaneshvar and
Eckhart came t o ho ld in t heir respect ive wo rlds.
10
PREFACE
Jnaneshvar, Eckhart and Ibn Arabi, t hough born in
widely divergent locat ions and religious t radit ions,
each experienced t he revelat ion of cosmic Unit y; and,
t hough one called t hat Unit y by t he name of Shiva,
and anot her called in Gottheit, and t he ot her called
in Haqq, t he Unit y which t hey experienced was t he
same, and t heir descript io ns o f it were ident ical.
However, t he writ ings of Eckhart and Ibn Arabi
were t he pro duct s o f men well int o t heir mat urit y;
Jnaneshvar was but a bo y when he had co ncluded his
lifes work.
How, we must wonder, did such
profound myst ical knowledge and lit erary genius arise
in t his yo ung, cast eless, peasant boy, orphaned and
living in ut t er povert y o n t he banks o f t he Go davari
River? Ho w is it possible t hat a lad of ninet een
po ssessed t he vast learning and mat ure wisdom t o
writ e
t he
Jnaneshvari,
and
a
year
lat er
Amritanubhav? And why did he choose t o end his
life at t he age o f t went y-five. Why did his sist er and
t wo bro t hers t ake t heir o wn lives sho rt ly t hereaft er?
To t hese quest ions t here will never be conclusive
answers.
But , in piecing t oget her t he t ale of
Jnaneshvars life and t imes, we may find a few clues
which will enable us t o draw our own con-collusions.
It is a t ale Ive chosen t o t ell in a somewhat
unort hodox fashion, weaving t oget her t he chronicles
of hist orical fact wit h t he kind of recreat ive drama
usually reserved for fict ional lit erat ure. I have t aken
t his license as a st oryt eller in order t oo impart a
sense of life and immediat e drama t o a t ale which,
because of it s many diverse element s and eso t eric
t erms, might t en t o be t axing t o t he reader if t o ld
ent irely in t he usual narrat ive st yle o f t he hist o rian.
And while I have t aken st ylist ic license, I have
conscient iously avoided t aking license wit h hist orical
fact . All event s described herein are consist ent wit h
t he
chronicles
of
hist orians
and
reliable
co nt empo raries of Jnaneshvar.
11

It seems t hat , up t o no w, Jnaneshvar has no t been
adequat ely t reat ed or appreciat ed in t he West ; and so
it is my ho pe t hat t his book may serve t o provide
t hat appreciat ion by familiarizing West ern readers
wit h t his best loved poet -saint of India, and wit h
so me o f his lesser known works which right ly
deserve a prominent place among t he worlds great
mast erpieces o f myst ical lit erat ure.
Swami Abhayananda
August , 1983
12
PREFACE
(Map figure 1.)
13

1. THE HISTORICAL SETTING
The lives and works of t he great cannot be viewed
clearly wit ho ut some underst anding o f t he hist o rical
milieu in which such persons lived. Even a yogi and
saint such as Jnaneshvar could not escape t he
influence o f his t imes and t he effect s of his
environment . Jnaneshvars life was a perpetual drama
of st ruggle against povert y and cast e persecut ion,
played out against a backdrop of t he invasion of his
co unt ry by a fo reign power; for India, in t he 13 t h
cent ury, was a land under siege.
Since t he lat t er part o f t he 10 t h cent ury, India and
her peo ple had been under at t ack by t he conquering
Muslims from t he nort hwest ; it was a siege which
was t o cont inue for more t han five cent uries. Will
Durant , in his Story of Civilization, calls it probably
t he bloodiest st ory in hist o ry. And it was just ified
by t he basic co ncept ion of t he Muslim st at e: t hat all
no n-Muslims are it s enemies and are t o be slain. The
ho ly Quran, t he word of t he Prophet , says: Kill
t ho se who jo in ot her deit ies t o Allah, wherever you
shall find t hem. But if t hey shall convert t hen let
And again: Say t o t he
t hem go t heir way. 1
infidel, if t hey desist from t heir unbelief, what is past
is forgiven t hem. But if t hey ret urn t o it , fight
t hen against t hem t o t he end, unt il t he o nly religio n
left is Allahs. 2
The Turkish ruler, Sabukt igin, was t he first of a
long line of Muslim princes who, finding t heir
just ificat ion in t he commands of Muhammed, and
spurred by t heir o wn lust fo r wealt h and new lands,
led t heir co nquering armies int o India by t he gat eway
o f Afghanist an, which lay on her nort hwest ern
bo rder. Making his capit al at Ghazni in Afghanist an,
Sabukt igin led t he first ho ly Muslim campaigns int o
Indias nort hwest ern province, t he Punjab (now in
14
THE HISTORICAL SETTING

Pakist an), in t he year 986 of our Current Era. (See
t he map in figure 1.)
In t he following year, Sabukt igin was succeeded
by his son, Mahmud, known as t he idol-breaker,
who declared:
The whole count ry of India is full of
go ld and jewels, and of t he plant s which
gro w t here are t hose fit for making
wearing apparel, and aromat ic plant s and
t he sugar cane; and t he who le aspect o f
t he count ry is pleasant and delight ful.
Now since t he inhabit ant s are chiefly
infidels and idolat ers, by t he order of God
and His Prophet , it is right for us t o
co nquer t hem. 3
Mahmuds ho rdes of Turkish cavalry were far
t oo many, t oo swift , and t oo skilled for t he peaceful
and unsuspect ing Indian peoples, and he was able t o
push his raiding part ies furt her and furt her int o
nort hern India, harvest ing immense wealt h from t he
t emples cont aining t reasures accumulat ed over
cent uries. From t he cit y of Kangra, Mahmud carried
back t o Ghazni jewels and unbored pearls and
rubies, shining like sparks of fire, or like iced wine;
emeralds like sprigs of fresh myrt le; and diamonds
t he size and weight o f po megranat es. 4
In 1018 C.E., Mahmud direct ed his at t ack
against t he sacred cit y of Mat hura. According t o
hist orians,
The cit y was surrounded by a
massive st one wall, in which were t wo
loft y gat es o pening o n t o t he river.
There were magnificent t emples all
over t he cit y and t he largest of t hem
st ood in t he cent er of it . The Sult an
15

was very much st ruck by it s grandeur.
In his est imat e, it cost not less t hen
100 million red dinars, and even t he
most skillful of masons must have
t aken 200 years t o complet e it .
Amo ng t he large number of idols in t he
t emples, five were made of pure gold,
t he eyes of one of t hem were laid wit h
t wo rubies wort h 1000 t housand
dinars, 5 and anot her had a sapphire of
a very heavy weight . All t hese five
ido ls yielded gold weighing 98,300
miskals. 6 The idols of silver numbered
200.
The cit y is said t o have been wit hin t he
Kingdo m of t he Raja of Delhi, but t he
Sult an capt ured it wit hout meet ing any
opposit ion. He seized all t he gold and
silver idols and ordered his soldiers t o
burn all t he t emples t o t he gro und. The
idols in t hem were deliberat ely broken
int o pieces. The cit y was pillaged for
20 days, and a large number of buildings
were reduced t o ashes. 7
In 1023 C.E., Mahmud st ormed Somnat h, t he
holy place of pilgrimage o f t he Shaivit es, wit h
30,000 of his t roops, report edly killing 50,000
Hindus, and dest ro ying t he huge st o ne Shiva-lingam
wo rshipped t here. He caused it t o be broken int o
pieces, which were t hen carried back t o Ghazni t o
pave t he ent ranceway t o t he Jami mosque, so t hat
t he fait hful o f Islam might daily t rample on it .
One might wonder why t he provincial Rajas of
India did no t gat her t o get her t heir forces t o fight
off t his invader, which t hey co uld have do ne easily.
But t he Rajas seemed incapable of envisualizing at
t hat t ime a unit ed nat io nal int erest t hat t o o k
16

precedence o ver t heir individual provincial interests,
and incapable of relaxing t heir cent uries-o ld feuds
wit h one anot her lo ng eno ugh t o unit e against a
co mmo n enemy.
Also, t he Indian people were
unaccust omed
t o t his kind of fight ing.
From
ancient t imes, defense was t he special t ask of t he
kshatrya cast e, and o f no o t her. And t hey fo ught
according t o an ancient chivalric code. A not ed
hist o rian o f t he Medieval perio d o f India po int s o ut
t hat
The Indian kings, all of whom accept ed,
at any rat e in t heory, t he law of t he
Dharma-shastras as inalienable, waged
wars according t o cert ain humane rules.
War being a special privilege of t he
mart ial classes, harassment of t he civilian
po pulat ion during milit ary operat ions was
co nsidered a serious lapse from t he code
of hono r. The high regard which all t he
kshatryas had for t he chast it y of women
also ruled out abduct ion as an incident of
war. The wars in Cent ral Asia, on t he
ot her hand, were grim st ruggles for
survival, for t he dest ruct ion of t he
enemies and for appropriat ing t heir
wo men-folk. No code circumscribed t he
dest ruct ive zeal of t he conqueror; no
canon rest rained t he rut hlessness of t heir
hordes. When, t herefo re, Mahmuds
armies swept over Nort h India, it saw
t o rrent s of barbarians sweeping across it s
rich plains, burning, loot ing, indulging in
indiscrim-inat e massacre; raping women,
dest roying fair cit ies, burning do wn
magnificent shrines enriched by cent uries
o f fait h; enforcing an alien religion at t he
point of sword; abduct ing t housands,
17

fo rcing t hem int o unwilling marriage or
co ncubinage; capt uring hundreds of
t housands o f men, wo men and children,
t o be sold as slaves in t he market s of
Ghazni and ot her Cent ral Asian market s.
Aft er Mahmud died in 1030 C.E., India enjoyed

a brief respit e unt il t he rise of Muhammed Ghori,
who, in 1182, conquered Sind and t he Punjab. One
by o ne, t he great Indian cit ies fell; Ajmir, Delhi,
Benares. And in 1199, t he Buddhist st ro ngho ld o f
Bihar was t aken, most of t he Buddhist monks
slaught ered, and wit h t hem t he last vest ige o f
Buddhism disappeared from India.
The few
remaining survivors fled t o Tibet where t hey made a
new home for t he t eachings of t he Buddha. Soon
aft er 1200, t he whole of nort hern India, except for
Rajput ana, Malwa, and part of Gujerat , was under
t he rule o f t he Muslim conquerors. Muhammed
Ghori was assassinat ed in 1206, and his general,
Kut b-uddin Ibak, became t he first Mohammedan
Sult an o f Delhi.
During t he reign of Ilt ut mish (1211-1236), t he
ulama, t he o fficials of Islamic law, made a unit ed
demand t o t he Sult an t hat t he Hindus sho uld be
confront ed wit h t he Quranic injunct io n o f Islam o r
deat h. The Sult an referred t he quest ion t o his
wazir,
Nizam-ul-Mlk
Junnaidi,
who,
while
concurring wit h t he ulamas int erpret at io n o f t he
law, and agreeing t hat t he Hindus sho uld eit her
convert t o Islam o r be put t o deat h, said:
However, at t he moment , India has
newly been conquered, and t he Muslims
are so few t hat t hey are like a sprinkle
o f salt amid t he sands of t he desert . If
t hese orders are applied t o t he Hindus,
18

it is po ssible t hat t hey might combine
and a general co nfusio n might ensue,
and t he Muslims would be t oo few in
number t o suppress t hem. Lat er, aft er
a few years, when in t he capit al and in
t he regions and small t owns t he
Muslims are well est ablished and t he
t ro o ps are larger, it will be possible t o
give Hindus t he choice of deat h or
Islam. 9
The Sult ans were t herefore compelled t o allow
t he Hindus t o live as zimmis, or second-rat e
cit izens, who were required t o pay t he jiziya, a pollt ax o f 48, 24, and 12 silver coins for t he rich, t he
middle class, and t he po o r, respect ively.
Only
Brahmins, mo nks, beggars, children, and t he blind
were exempt fro m it . In addit ion t o t his, Hindus
were not permit t ed t o co nduct o pen wo rship, no r t o
t each t heir religion. Their t est imony in court was
not considered legally valid, t heir t emples and
images were frequent ly dest royed, t heir wealt h
co nfiscat ed, and t he priest s and worshippers put t o
deat h.
Ilt ut mish, like many of t he Delhi Sult ans, was a
man of cont radict ory element s; alt hough a st rong
ruler and defender of t he t errit ories under t he
Sult anat e, he was also an aspirant t o t he at t ainment
of divine Trut h.
One religio us t eacher and
co nt empo rary o f Ilt ut mish, Minhaj-us-Siraj, said of
him, The probabilit y is t hat t here was never a
sovereign of such exemplary fait h and of such
kindheart edness and reverence t oward recluses,
devot ees, divines, and doct ors of religion ever
enwrapped by t he mot her of creat ion I t he swaddling
clo t hes o f do minion. 1 0 It is said t hat whenever
Ilt ut mish heard about t he arrival of some saint from
Cent ral Asian lands, he went o ut fo r miles t o
19

receive him and insist ed on his st ay at t he palace;
and t hat he used t o visit paupers, mendicant s and
dest it ut es at night under disguise in order t o
dist ribut e money t o t hem.
In 1246, Ilt ut mishs son, Nasir-uddin Mahmud,
was named Sult an, but having lit t le inclinat ion
t o ward rulership, he ent rust ed t he affairs o f t he
government t o Balban, his Deput y o f St at e, while he
devot ed himself ent irely t o spirit ual st udies and t he
discipline o f his soul. He wore his royal robes
only for public appearances; at o t her t imes he wo re
only an old ragged garment , and t ended t o his
almo st co nst ant prayers ad fast s. Much of his day
was spent making hand-writ t en co pies o f t he Quran,
o f which he co mplet ed t wo or t hree a year. These
copies were sold in t he bazaar and t he Sult an
subsist ed mainly on t heir proceeds. He allowed no
o ne t o serve him but his wife, who co o ked his fo o d
and perfo rmed t he t asks of a maidservant .
Nasir-uddins Deput y, Balban, who was very
much inclined t o govern, cajoled Nasir-uddin int o
allo wing him t o display t he royal canopy over his
own heat at court , and it is indicat ive of t he
consolidat ion of Balbans power t hat , when one
noble snickered upon seeing t he whit e and gold
canopy over his head, he was immediat ely killed by
t wo assassins wit h daggers. Event ually, Nasir-uddin
proved superfluo us, and Balban arranged t o have
him eliminat ed by poison.
In 1265, Balban became in name what he already
was in fact : t he Sult an o f Delhi and Empero r o f
India. Fo r Balban, t he Muslim saying, al Sultan
zill allah f il arz (The Sult an is t he shadow of
God o n eart h), was t o be t aken serio usly. He
assert ed his divine st at us by placing aro und himself
a picked band of uniformed soldiers who went
everywhere wit h him, surrounding him wit h t heir
glit t ering sabers held at t he ready. In public, he
20

never spoke t o anyo ne, even his no bles, except
t hro ugh
his
Grand
Chamberlain.
Anyone
approaching t he t hrone was required t o prost rat e
himself and kiss t he t hro ne o r t he Sult ans feet .
And because o f t he Mongol invasions of Cent ral
Asia, all t he refugee princes and nobles, as well as
t he poet s and scholars, of Turkey, Persia, Arabia
and Afghanist an flocked t o Delhi t o assemble at his
richly fest o oned court . All t his went t o maint ain the
semblance of divinit y and absolut e aut horit y which
Balban int ended.
His ext reme formalit y and
dignified demeanor st ruck awe and t error int o t he
heart s o f t he people and kept everyone precisely in
t heir pro per place.
Despit e all t his, Balban seems t o have been
genuinely humane and eminent ly just in all his
dealings wit h t hose around him. He had a great ly
developed sense, no t o nly o f t he need fo r respect
t o ward t he sovereignt y, but also o f t he mo ral
responsibilit y t hat went wit h so exalt ed a posit ion.
He seems t o have been t o t ally dedicat ed t o
performing his dut y as t he shadow of God, and
t his made o f him a st rong and respect ed leader.
Tho ugh no t a myst ic like Ilt ut mish or Nasir-uddin,
he had a great fait h in God and in t he life of virt ue.
Always so ber, dignified, Balban could not bear
t he co mpany o f t he lowborn. But he was ever
friendly t oward t he ort hodox, respectable theologians
and scholars of his day, and never failed t o at t end
t he funerals o f t he Shaikhs and ot her divines,
o ffering co nso lat ion and st ipends of money t o t heir
surviving family members.
In a speech t o his son, Mahmud, he advised him
t o commit himself t o t he prot ect ion of some holy
perso n who has really renounced t his world and
who has dedicat ed himself complet ely t o t he
devot ional worship o f Go d. Beware t hat yo u never
at t ach yo urself t o a man of t he world. But , in
21

t he same speech, he sho wed himself abo ve all a
Muslim, saying: Keep t he infidels and idolwo rshipers degraded and dishonored so t hat you may
get a place in t he company of t he prophet s, and
crush and upro ot t he Brahmins so t hat infidelit y
vanishes 1 1
It was Balbans dedicat ion t o t he virt ues of
divine sovereignt y and t he principles o f respo nsible
government t hat wo n fo r himself high regard as a
noble and capable ruler. During t he previous reign
o f Sult an Ilt ut mish, a sort o f no n-aggressio n pact
had been est ablished wit h Genghis Khan; but during
Balbans reign, t he Mo ngo ls were again at t empt ing
in earnest t o est ablish t heir st ro ngho ld in India. Cut
off from t heir own homeland, t he Turkish Muslims
of India had now t o repel t he Mo ngo l ho rdes fro m
t he nort h who were breat hing do wn t heir necks, and
it is t o t he credit of Balbans foresight and st rat egy
t hat it was accomplished.
The t errit o ry of India under Muslim rule at t hat
t ime can be seen on t he map in figure 2.
It
ext ended as far so ut h as t he Vindhya mo unt ain
range, which, because of t he t remendous obst acle it
present ed, prevent ed t he furt her encro achment o f
Muslim rule int o sout hern India. The Deccan (from
Dakshinapath, t he Sout hland), bordered on t he
nort h by t he Vindhyas and o n t he so ut h by t he
Tungabhadra river, was t hen, as it is t oday, a rich
lava-based plain, a fert ile valley of rice and wheat
pro ducing land. The Deccan was prot ect ed from
Muslim encro achment , not only on t he nort h, but on
t he west and east coast s by t he Ghat s, t he nat ural
high cliff barriers creat ed by t he build-up of
geo lo gical layers along t he shores of t he cont inent .
Here, in t his bount iful plain, t his peaceful oasis,
unspoiled by t he Muslim invaders, lay t he vast Hindu
kingdo m o f t he Yadavas, ruled from t he great
fo rt ressed palace at Devgiri (t he mount ain of
22

God). The kingdom of t he Yadavas ext ended from
t he sout hern fo ot hills of t he Vindhya mount ains
do wn t o t he Krishna river. This vast kingdom had
been ruled by t he Yadava clan, said t o be descended
from t he legendary king of Dwarka, Lord Krishna
himself, since Billama Yadava seized it and declared
himself king in 1191. The Yadava kings ruled from
t he great walled cit y of Devgiri, presiding over all
t he rural po pulat ion of t he t owns and villages
surro unding it .
It was in such a t own, called Appegaon, sit uat ed
on t he banks of t he Go davari river, o nly a days
ride so ut h o f Devgiri, t hat t here lived a young
Brahmin named Vit t hal, who was t o become t he
fat her
o f Jnaneshvar.
And,
because t he
circumst ances o f Vit t hals early life were so great ly
t o affect t ho se o f his fut ure sons, our st ory begins
wit h t he t ale o f Vit t hal and his yo ung wife,
Rakhumabai.
23
(Map figure 2)
24
VITTHAL AND RAKHUMABAI
2.
VITTHAL AND RAK HUMABAI
In t he year 1265t he same year t hat Balban was

proclaimed Sult an in t he nort h, young Vit t hal, who
was t hen in his t eens, co uld be seen running alo ng
t he dirt ro ad of Appegaon behind a small band of
it inerant mo nks who had just ent ered t he t own.
When t hese sannyasins passed t hro ugh Appegao n,
covered wit h ashes and carrying t heir begging bowls
and st affs, Vit t hals mot her would rush out of her
ho use, calling out , Vit t hal! Vit t hal! Come home
at once! I need you here t his minut e! For she
knew Vit t hal loved t o run aft er t he wandering
sadhus who perio dically t raipsed t hro ugh t o wn in
t heir pale orange robes and t heir mat t ed hair and
beards. Vit t hal loved t o sit wit h t hem and list en t o
t heir myst erious t alk of Maheshvar, t he great Lord
of t he universe. He always bro ught t he swamis
what he coulda few chappat is, a mango or some
jack-fruit ; and t hey allowed him t o st ay among
t hem as t hey at e, list ening wit h rapt at t ent ion t o
t heir st o ries.
Vit t hals mo t her knew t hat he would gladly go off
wit h t hese monks and t ake up t heir life of
wandering. But Vit t hal was t he so n o f Go vinda,
t he kulkarni o f Appagao n, and he also wo uld
become t he headman of t he village one day, wit h a
go o d wife and many children That was a good life
fo r a man; not t his good-for-not hing life of
wandering, hunger, and pret ent io us ho liness. She
felt a lit t le const rict io n in her heart whenever she
imagined her so n running o ff o ne day wit h t hese
Go d-fo rsaken men.
It was just such fears which prompt ed Vit t hals
parent s t o arrange for t he boys marriage t o a
25

lovely girl from t he t own of Alandi, t he daught er of
Siddho pant , who was t he kulkarni o f t hat t o wn. It
was a very good marriage for bot h children, and
everyo ne t urned out for t he large wedding
celebrat io n bet ween t he t wo leading Brahmin
families of Appegaon and Alandi.
Vit t hal was
eight een and Rakhumabai was t hirt een, a mere
child, and st ill very much at t ached t o her parent s.
Therefore, it was only nat ural t hat , immediat ely
aft er t heir marriage, Vit t hal and Rakhu went t o live
at t he home o f her parent s, Siddho pant and
Kamaladev, in Alandi.
Rakhu was a good wife t o Vit t hal and she loved
him wit h all her heart , but Vit t hal was scarcely at
home; he was always meet ing wit h t he Brahmin
priest s at t he t emple, or st udying t he books t hat the
priest s gave him, or engaged in conversat ions deep
int o t he night wit h what ever scho lar o r swami
happened t o be passing t hrough t own. And, in t he
early ho urs o f t he morning, he would arise before
Rakhu awo ke, and go out among t he t rees t o
medit at e in t he silent hours before dawn. One day,
however, inst ead o f rushing o ff in t he mo rning as
he usually did, Vit t hal remained sit t ing quiet ly
befo re Rakhu as she awoke.
Rakhu knew
immediat ely t hat he had somet hing important to say.
It was t hen t hat Vit t hal t o ld her o f his decisio n t o
reno unce his place in her heart and home t o become
a sannnyasin, a renunciant , t o st udy t he sacred
script ures under t he t ut elage of a Mast er in
Benares, t o seek salvat ion from t he sorrows of t his
wo rldly exist ence in medit at ion and prayer.
Rakhu could not believe her ears. She was t o
become a childless widow at t he age of fourt een?
What was he saying? Could he wish t o leave t his
wonderful life in t heir beaut iful home? She wept
and pleaded wit h him, but finally she saw t hat he
was no t t o e dissuaded. When her fat her heard of
26
it , he became very angry and st alked abo ut , yelling

at everyone. The night , he sat up arguing wit h
Vit t hal unt il quit e lat e; but Rakhu knew t hat it was
of no use. In t he morning, Vit t hal put a few
clot hes in a co t t o n bag, and Rakhu, wiping t he
t ears from her eyes, began making chapat t is fo r him
t o t ake o n his jo urney t o Kashi, t he dist ant ho ly
cit y of Benares. There is a great Ashram t here,
he t o ld her; t hat is where I am going. It is t he
Ashram o f Ramanand Swami. If he will accept me,
I will st ay t here as his pupil, and serve him unt il I
have at t ained Brahman.
He t o o k up his bag
st uffed wit h t he chappat is and some bananas t hat
Rakhu had put t here, and, holding his palms
t o get her befo re his face, he made a namaskar t o his
wife, and t hen went o ff t hrough t he t o wn t o ward
t he road t hat led east ward t o Benares.
Rakhumabai st ayed wit h her parent s, who did their
best t o bring some cheer back int o her life, but
Rakhu had suffered a deep wound, and found it
impossible t o reco ver her gayet y.
She lo ved
Vit t hal, and t heir life t oget her, and now she had
neit her Vit t hal no r t he children she lo nged t o bear.
She fell int o dark mo o ds o f depressio n fro m which
no one was able t o ro use her.
As fo r Vit t hal, he was successful in convincing
Ramanand Swami o f his sincere desire fo r Go d, and
o f his willingness t o serve and t o learn. As it
happened, however, Swami Ramananda was just
preparing a t o ur of some monast eries t o which he
had been invit ed as an honored guest ; for he was
well known t hro ugho ut t he regio n as a ho ly and
learned scho lar and speaker. And it was not long
aft er Vit t hal had been accept ed at t he Ashram in
Benares, and had passed t hrough t he init iat ion int o
brahmacharya, t he prerequisit e t o sannyasa, t hat
Swami Ramananda left fo r his t o ur which led him
27

t hrough t he cit ies o f Prayag, Bhilsa, Devgiri, Nasik
and Alandi.
In Alandi, it was t he cust om, when a famous or
highly revered person came t o t own, for t he family
o f t he kulkarni, who was t he chief official and
represent at ive o f t he government in t he t o wn, t o
ent ert ain and ho use t he guest o f ho no r in his o wn
home. And so , when Swami Ramananda event ually
reached t he holy t own of Alandi on t he Indrayani
river, he was escort ed t o t he home of Siddhopant ,
who, along wit h his ent ire family including
Rakhumabai, was st anding befo re t heir ho me
respect fully await ing his arrival.
He was duly
welco med and shown where he could rest and
refresh himself fro m his lo ng jo urney.
At t he evening meal, Swami Ramananda was given
t he place o f honor, wit h Rakhu seat ed just opposit e
him. The Swami, acco rding t o cust o m, gave his
blessings
to
Siddhopant s
family;
and
to
Rakhumabai, whose red-bordered sari and vermillion
mark o n her forehead marked her as a married
woman, he said, May your children grow t o be
no ble and saint ly examples t o all t he world.
Rakhu, wit h t ears forming in her eyes, bowed her
head, saying, I pray, Swamiji, t hat your words
co uld pro ve t rue, but I am childless, and Vit t hal,
my husband, has gone t o Kashi t o become a
sannyasin.
Wit ho ut providing you wit h children?
Yes, sir.
Co uld t his be t he Vit t hal of Alandi who came t o
my Ashram just a few mont hs ago?
Yes, he is my husband.
Swami Ramananda seemed t o squint up his eyes,
looking fo r so me t ime at Rakhumabai, who was
co nt ro lling her t ears as best she could; t hen he
said, My dear, my wo rds t o yo u were no t false;
28
Vit t hal will ret urn t o yo u, and yo u will have yo ur

children.
In t he mo rning, as Ramanand Swami was
preparing t o leave fo r his jo urney ho me, Rakhu fell
pro st rat e at his feet and t ouched his sandals. As
he lift ed her up, he said, There is not hing more t o
cry about ; you and Vit t hal will pro duce beaut iful
children whose fame and glory will shine like he
Sun and st ir t he heart s o f men fo r all t ime.
Wit hin a mo nt hs t ime t hereaft er Vit t hal ret urned to
Alandi as his Guru had inst ruct ed him t o do, and,
resigned now t o living t he life of a householder, he
t ook Rakhu away from her parent s home in Alandi
t o live in Appegaon where he went t o work for his
fat her. There t oo, he earnest ly set about t he t ask
o f pro ducing t he children his Guru had inst ruct ed
him t o fat her.
The first child was a boy, born in 1269. So quiet
and calm he was, so pure and undist urbed by even
t he flicker of a t hought were his wide, unblinking,
brown eyes, t hat Vit t hal named him Nivrit t i (Nivrit -t ee), which means wit hout t he st irring of a
t hought . Two years lat er, in 1271, a seco nd bo y
was born. This o ne, t ho ught Vit t hal, has t he lo o k
of wisdom; his face shines wit h a kind of glow
resembling t he glow of t he jnanis, t he knowers of
God. I shall call him Jnaneshvar (Gyan-esh-wor),
t he Lord of knowledge.
One year t hereaft er, a girl was born t o Vit t hal
and Rakhu; she was, fro m her very birt h,
independent , indrawn, alo o f fro m everyo ne and
everyt hing. Tho ugh she was very beaut iful, wit h
her wispy coal-black hair and go lden co mplexio n,
Vit t hal felt sure she wo uld never be snared by
anyone, but would always remain pure and free.
He called her Mukt abai (Mook-t a-bi) Sist er
freedom. And, in 1273, yet anot her boy was born;
it was Rakhu who chose t he name t his t ime. She
29

called him So panadev (So-ponn-uh-dev), one of t he
names of t he Lord, Krishna.
30
THE NEW KING OF DEVGIRI

3.
THE NEW K ING OF DEVGIRI
Only a days ride t o t he nort h of Appegaon was

t he palat ial cit y of Devgiri. And in t he year of
Jnaneshvars birt h, t he kingdo m o f Devgiri saw t he
co ro nat io n o f a new king. In 1271, Ramachandra,
known affect io nat ely by his peo ple as Ramadeva,
was crowned Raja o f all t he Yadava t errit o ries. Up
t ill 1261, Ramachandras fat her, Krishna Yadava,
had ruled.
But he had become old and infirm
befo re Ramachandra became of age t o inherit t he
t hrone, and king Krishna had appo int ed his o wn
brot her, Mahadev, as t empo rary heir t o t he t hro ne
at t hat t ime. Then, when Mahadev died in 1271,
inst ead o f t urning t he t hrone over t o Ramachandra,
who had since come of age and was t he right ful
heir, he appo int ed his own son, Amana, t o t he
t hro ne.
Ramachandra was enraged at his uncles deceit ,
but he lacked an army of necessary st rengt h t o t ake
t he t hrone by fo rce.
Det ermined, ho wever, t o
reclaim his right ful herit age, he devised a
st rat agem: he sent a few of his soldiers int o t he
court during t he fest ive celebrat ions disguised as
dancers in t he musical program, and, at a signal,
t hey t ook t he guards by surprise. Ramachandra
t hen capt ured his cousin, Amana, had him blinded,
and lat er execut ed; and t hus acquired t he t hrone of
Devgiri fo r himself.
Over t he eight y years o f Yadava rule, t he kingdom
o f Devgiri had accumulat ed a fort une beyond
imaginat io n. Vault s full o f precio us st o nes and
go ld and silver in unbelievable quant it ies were kept
in t he kings possession at t he palace. Some of it
had been acquired by plunder; much of it from
revenues co llect ed from t he t errit ories of t he vast
kingdom. In t he fert ile Deccan plains, from t he
mo unt ains in t he nort h t o t he Krishna river in t he
31

so ut h, rich crops of rice, corn, lent ils, sugar cane,
co t t o n, and spices were grown in abundance. In
t he cit y, manufact urers of brass, silver and gold
art icles, makers of silk and cot t on clot hs, art isans,
builders, and archit ect s all flourished. It was a
busy cit y of commerce and a cent er of cult ure; and
t he reign of Ramachandra signaled it s golden age.
Archit ect ure and t he art s set new st andards, wealt h
increased t hro ughout t he land, and t he people were
prosperous and co nt ent .
Ramachandra was ruler of t he great est kingdom,
t he most impregnable fo rt ress, t he mo st prized
jewel o f all India; and, during his long reign, he
was t o prove himself a just , inno vat ive, and po pular
king. At t he t ime of his coronat ion he won t he
support of t he peo ple and t he religio us co mmunit y
by building t hree villages of houses for 71
Brahmins, and lat er donat ing a large amount of
gold t o t he t emple o f Vit t hala at Pandharpur for it s
upkeep. Jnaneshvar would lat er writ e of him: Shri
Ramachandra, t he king o f t he universe, ruled wit h
just ice. He was t he delight of t he race of t he
Yadavas and t he abode of all t he art s. 1 2
32
NIVRITTI FINDS HIS GURU

4.
Despit e t he general prosperit y of t he kingdom,

prospect s were looking rat her bleak for Vit t hal and
Rakhu in Appegaon. In India, t o t his day, when a
person is excommunicat ed from t he cast e into which
he was born, he is ost racized from all social
co nt act , and deprived of his livelihood. No one
will eat wit h him, or share wat er wit h him, or
marry his children; he is avoided by everyone,
point ed at wit h scorn, and regarded even by t he
peo ple o f t he lowest cast es as an unt ouchable, an
o ut cast . Such a sent ence was passed upon Vit t hal
by t he chief Brahmins of Appegaon.
Vit t hal, t hey said, had volunt arily abandoned his
Brahmin cast e when he submit t ed t o t he brahmacharya init iat io n, during which t he sacred t hread of
t he Brahmin cast e was cut along wit h t he t uft of
hair o n t he crown of t he head significant of his
cast e. Acco rding t o t he Dharma-shastras, t he laws
o f cast e, by his ret urn t o t he life of a householder,
Vit t hal had sacrificed his brahmacharya st at us as
well. He was now an out cast e, and his children
were also out cast es.
Vit t hal pro t est ed t his decisio n, but t o no avail.
And when Nivrit t i, his eldest son, reached t he age
of eight , and it was t ime for his upanayana, t he
ceremo ny fo r t he invest it ure of t he sacred t hread of
t he Brahmins, t he Brahmin priest s of Appegaon
refused t o perfo rm it . Ho wever, Vit t hal knew a
Brahmin priest fro m Alandi who no w lived in
Nasik, and who was aware of t he st range
circumst ances whereby he had ret urned t o his family
at t he direct ion of his Guru; and t his priest ,
sympat het ic t o Vit t hals plight , had co nsent ed t o
perform t he sacred t hread ceremony for his son.
So , while Rakhu remained at home wit h t he
yo unger children, Vit t hal set o ut wit h Nivrit t i o n
33

fo o t t o t he cit y o f Nasik. Nasik, kno wn as t he
Kashi of west ern India, fo r it s many ancient and
holy t emples, lies, like Appegao n, o n t he banks o f
t he Go davari river. Appegaon is a small village
near Pait han, and Nasik is just 25 miles nort hwest
of Appegaon, along a narrow dust y road, scarcely
mo re t han a pat h, which, at t hat t ime, made it s way
t hro ugh a deep lush jungle t eeming wit h parrots and
mynah birds, monkeys, hyenas, elephant s and t igers.
St art ing early in t he morning, Vit t hal and
Nivrit t i made it t o Nasik by evening o f t he next
day, and t he invest it ure ceremony was performed
o n t he fo llo wing day. The ceremony it self did
not t ake long, and Nivrit t i underst o o d no ne o f
it , as t he priest chant ed in Sanskrit t hro ugho ut .
There were a few balls of rice offered t o his
ancest ors, a sip from a bit t er drink, more
chant ing in Sanskrit , part s o f which Nivrit t i was
asked t o repeat , and t he double t hread was
placed over his left shoulder. Vit t hal paid t he
priest , and t hey made t heir namaskars t o t he
priest s small murti of Shiva, and t hen depart ed.
On t heir ret urn jo urney, t hey made a st o p at a
small village along t he way, called Nevasa.
Vit t hal had purchased a coconut in Nasik, which
he now o ffered at t he fo o t o f a small murti in
t he square Devi t emple facing t he road on t he
o ut skirt s o f t o wn. Then, t aking Nivrit t is hand,
Vit t hal led him t o t he small monast ery building
behind t he t emple. There, st anding wit h t wo
children, fo ur or five years old, was a kindly
faced man of middle age, wearing an o chre
lunghi wrapped abo ut his waist . As t he man
saw Vit t hal, his eyes lit up in recognit ion;
t urning t oward him, he bro ught his hands
t oget her before his face, making a namaskar.
Vit t hal! t he man called warmly.
34

Om namo Narayanaya! said Vit t hal, returning
t he salut at io n. The man clasped Vit t hal t o his
bare chest ; Ho w are you, Vit t halji?
Im very well, Swamiji, Vit t hal laughed.
Id like yo u t o meet my eldest son, Nivrit t i.
Nivrit t i bowed his head and made his namaskar
t o t he Swami. This, said Vit t hal, is Swami
Sat chidananda; he is an o ld friend.
Ah, what a handsome boy, Vit t hal! said t he
Swami, appraising Nivrit t i; and int elligent t oo,
is he not ?
Indeed he is, Vit t hal replied proudly; and I
have t hree more at ho me just as handso me and
just as int elligent .
Fo ur! Ah, Vit t hal, has it been so long since
we part ed at Kashi?
It is nearly nine years, said Vit t hal.
The Swami t urned t o t he small children pulling
at his legs; These, he said, are my children
at least for t he day. While t heir parent s work
in t he fields, I care for t he lit t le rascals.
Nivrit t i and t he children had been sizing up each
ot her; now t he lit t le o nes, giggling, ran o ff
t oward t he rear of t he monast ery building. Go
alo ng wit h t hem, Nivrit t i, Vit t hal said, pat t ing
t he boys back; t he Swami and I would like t o
t alk. Nivrit t i ran aft er t he giggling children,
while t he Swami led Vit t hal inside t he
monast ery.
A lit t le while lat er, t he Swami had prepared a
lunch fo r his guest s, and t hey all sat down t o a
dish o f rice, dal (a t hick lent il soup), chappat is,
and a bit o f mango pickle. Nivrit t i list ened
while his fat her and t he Swami spoke of t heir
days t o get her at t he Ashram o f Ramananda, and
when t hey had finished t heir lunch and washed
t heir mout hs, Vit t hal t o ld t he Swami t hat t hey
would have t o leave right away if t hey were t o
35

make it ho me by night fall. And so t hey made
t heir farewells t o t he Swami and t o Nevasa, and
st art ed o ut o nce again on t heir journey home.
Fo r Nivrit t i, t he long t rek t hrough st ret ches o f
wilderness was a great advent ure, as wondrous
as t he visit t o Nasik wit h it s many beaut iful
t emples and endless st reet s; but as t he day wore
on, he saw o nly t he mo no t o no us dust y ro ad
befo re him, and his fat her had t o call him
repeat edly t o hast en his st eps. Vit t hal was well
aware o f t he dangers of t he jungle aft er
night fall, and t ho ugh t hey were yet far fro m
home, darkness had already begun t o fall.
All at once, a t iger appeared in t he pat h befo re
t hem.
Vit t hal sho ut ed behind him, Run,
Nivrit t i! Run int o t he forest ! Nivrit t i ran and
kept on running, blindly past t rees and t hen up a
ro cky slo pe t o a place bet ween t wo large rocks
where he could hide. And as e crawled int o
what looked like a crevice, he found himself
ent ering a large cave. Just t hen, t he shado wy
figure o f a man sit t ing inside t he cave lift ed up
it s head, and, showing a large delight ful grin,
raised a hand in salut at io n t o Nivrit t i. Co me
in, my boy, t he man said; dont be
fright ened.
Nivrit t i cro uched just inside t he cave,
breat hlessly, while t he man inside produced a
flame, seemingly fro m no where, and passed t he
flame t o a candle nearby. In t he growing light
Nivrit t i co uld see t he man was huge; he was a
po werfully built man wit h a large belly, but his
face was so gent le, so like a child in it s radiant
delight , t hat Nivrit t i could not feel afraid. The
man sat o n a deerskin, wearing not hing at all on
his body. Nivrit t i reco gnized by his beard and
high-piled hair t hat he was o ne o f t he ho ly men
such as t ho se his fat her had point ed o ut t o him
36

in Nasik. The man cocked his head t o one side
and smiled so lo vingly t hat Nivrit t i t ho ught he
had never seen such a kindly lo o king man.
Then, t he man mot io ned for Nivrit t i t o come
fo rward and t ake a seat before him. Nivrit t i
mo ved caut io usly.
What brings you t o my cave, my son? t he man
asked.
A t iger chased me, Nivrit t i said in a weak
voice.
A t iger?
Really?
The man sho o k wit h
laught er.
Well, he wo nt bo t her yo u here.
Youre welcome t o st ay t he night if you like.
But my fat her will be worried, said Nivrit t i.
And he t o ld t he man of his journey wit h his
fat her t o Nasik, and ho w t hey were just o n t he
way home t o Appegaon. Aft er hearing his t ale,
t he man t ho ught for a moment , t hen said, It s
dark now in t he jungle; Ill t ake you t o your
village in t he morning. For t onight , you can
remain here. Will t hat be alright ?
Nivrit t i want ed very much t o st ay in t he cave;
Yes, sir; I would like t o st ay, he said. He
knew somehow t hat his fat her was alright and
t hat it was right for him t o st ay. There was a
magical somet hing about t he cave and t he man
t hat at t ract ed and also puzzled Nivrit t i. He had
never known such a pleasant at mosphere, or
such an inner gladness, as he had experienced
since ent ering t he cave. What magical world
had he st umbled upon? Who was t his man for
whom he felt such affect ion? Who are you?
he asked t he man.
My name is Gahinanat h, he said in his low,
pleasant vo ice.
Are you a yogi? Nivrit t i asked. It was a
wo rd his fat her had used when he point ed out
t he wandering ho ly men t o him.
Again
37

Gahininat h laughed, while his belly sho o k
Nivrit t i co uldnt help smiling himself.
I am a Nat h. My Guru is Go rakhnat h, and his
Guru was Mat syendranat h. We are yogis, yes.
And you, t oo, are a yogi; and I am your Guru.
Do yo u underst and?
Nivrit t i looked at Gahinis eyes, and again, he
wo re t hat lo o k of sweet care and t ender love
t hat he had seen before; but now, it seemed t wo
rays of shimmering light sho ne fro m t he yo gis
eyes int o Nivrit t is o wn, ent ering deep int o his
very so ul and awakening in Nivrit t i a feeling he
had never kno wn befo re.
There was, fo r a
mo ment , a t rembling wit hin, like fear, and t hen
it was go ne, and he felt light as a feat her and
exhilarat ed, happy. Gahininat hs hand flo at ed
o ut gent ly and rest ed co o lly o n his bro w, and
Nivrit t i was flo o ded wit h memories o f t his very
same scene, but from long, long ago. Something
alt o get her unexpect ed was happening t o him; he
remembered t hat t his cave was his home, t his
man his dearest friend. Heavenly joys came
flooding int o his heart and he co uld no t ho ld
back t he t ears which burst fort h as t hough a
river had been unleashed behind his eyes.
Nivrit t i lay for some while, curled up on t he
ground.
He had been riding high o n t he
shoulders of Gahini, high o n a mo unt aint o p,
while purple clouds swirled around t hem and
bo lt s o f light ning split t he skies.
He
remembered t he brilliant light , so lo vely, so co o l
and Gahininat h was bending o ver him no w,
covering him wit h a so ft t iger skin. Nivrit t i
t urned on his side and clo sed his eyes.
II
38

Dawn was just st reaking t he sky wit h lavender
and gold when Jnaneshvar, ret urning fro t he well
wit h a jug of wat er, saw his bro t her running up
t he pat h t o t heir home.
Fat her!
Fat her!
Jnaneshvar sho ut ed; it s Nivrit t i!
And, as
bot h Vit t hal and Rakhu rushed o ut o f t he ho use,
Nivrit t i ran t oward t hem, and hugged his mot her
aro und t he waist .
Where on eart h have yo u been? Weve been up
t he whole night searching fo r yo u! his fat her
demanded.
Fat her, I ran and ran and climbed int o a big
cave.
Well, t hank God, youre alright ! exclaimed
Rakhu. I searched and shout ed half t he night
and was just preparing t o st art out again ,
Vit t hal put in; but just t hen he saw t he huge
half-naked yogi st anding in t he pat h befo re him.
Fat her, said Nivrit t i, proudly, t his is Gahini;
he brought me back. He lives in t he cave I
found.
Vit t hal went forward at once, bowing t o t ouch
t he t oes of Gahininat h and raise his fingers t o
his forehead. You are Gahini, t he famous yogi
of t he Nat ha lineage?
Yes, fat her, said Gahini in a voice so sweet
t hat Rakhu, who had been ho lding her breat h in
fear no w expelled it , and came forward t o t ouch
his feet also.
This is my wife, Rakhumabai, said Vit t hal;
we are very grat eful t o you for bringing
Nivrit t i back t o us, Yogiji. May we offer you
so met hing t o drink? Please honor us by t aking
a lit t le t ea wit h us. Vit t hal led t he way inside,
while Rakhu scrambled t o prepare a hot t ea for
Gahininat h.
As t hey sat and t alked, Vit t hal relat ed t o t he
yo gi, Gahini, t he st ory of his discipleship t o
39

Ramanand Swami, and his subsequent ret urn t o
Appegaon.
Nivrit t i and Jnandev respect fully
remained out side wit h t he younger children,
Mukt abai and Sopan, but t hey leaned close t o
t he window, list ening t o t he co nversat io n
bet ween t heir fat her and Gahininat h.
Then
Nivrit t i heard Gahini say, Nivrit t i is an
except io nal child; I have offered t o become his
Guru.
Will you allow him t o visit me on
o ccasio n? There was a moment of silence.
Rakhu, st irring a po t o f kheer (a sweet
porridge) o ver t he fire, st opped, holding her
breat h once more.
It would be a great honor t o our family, said
Vit t hal, if you wo uld serve as Guru t o Nivrit t i.
He may visit you whenever you wish.
Out side t he window, Nivrit t i hugged Jnandev,
and jumped up and down wit h him, allowing a
lit t le squeal o f delight t o pass his lips. The,
rushing back t o t he windo w, he list ened o nce
more, as Vit t hal asked, Will you honor his
brot her, Jnaneshvar, also wit h yo ur grace,
Maharaj? Again, Rakhu st opped her st irring,
and her eyes began t o blink nervo usly.
How old is t he boy, asked Gahininat h.
When Vit t hal t old him, Six years, Gahini
smiled, and let out a deep Hmmm. Then he
said, Let Nivrit t i be his Guru. I will t each
Nivrit t i and Nivrit t i can t each yo ur Jnaneshvar.
As yo u wish, said Vit t hal; and he was great ly
pleased. Rakhu st opped blinking, and brought t he
kheer in bowls, placing one before t he yogi, and
one before her husband.
Out side t he windo w,
Nivrit t i and Jnaneshvar danced round and round,
holding each o t her in a brot herly embrace.
40
THE DEATH OF VITTHAL

5. THE DEATH OF VITTHAL
Since t heir t rip t o Nasik, Vit t hal not iced t he
men o f t he village were even more det ermined t o
scorn him and his family. They were resent ful of
t he fact t hat he had gone t o anot her t own and
obt ained for his son t he ceremony of t he sacred
t hread despit e t heir decision, and regarded his
refusal t o acquiesce t o t he judgment of t he
Brahmin elders o f Appegao n as an insult and
grave offence.
Recent ly, Vit t hals fat her had
reluct ant ly announced t o him t hat he could no
longer allow him t o work for him, for t he
Brahmins had pronounced against it , and nearly all
o f t he peo ple o f t he village were refusing t o deal
wit h him. Vit t hal now had no work as a Brahmin,
fo r in t he eyes of t he people he was no longer a
Brahmin; and neit her co uld he claim any o t her
cast e as his o wn.
Soon t here was no food;
Vit t hal was fo rced t o ask his own fat her and t he
fat her o f Rakhu for charit able assist ance.
But t his was no t t he wo rst o f it ; because he
had obeyed his mast er, Swami Ramananda, his
wife and t he children were now branded wit h
unt o uchabilit y. No ot her villagers or children
would come near t hem; even t he lo w cast e
children, such as t he cobblers children and t hose
o f t he sweepers, jeered at t hem, oft en t hrowing
co w dung at t he younger ones.
Nivrit t i and
Jnandev seemed not t o mind so much t he
unfriendliness of t heir peers; t hey were far t oo
preo ccupied wit h t heir yoga and wit h t heir
excursio ns int o t he forest t o not ice. But Vit t hal
knew t hat , as t hey grew older, t his anat hema
wo uld beco me more painful; t hey would find no
way t o live amo ng t he people of Appegaon. It
was all his fault he was a millst one about t heir
41

necks, depriving t hem o f any chance fo r even a
lit t le happiness in t his life.
Such were t he
t ho ught s in Vit t hals mind as he slo wly went o ne
morning down t he pat h t o t he river t o bat he.
Jnaneshvar and Nivrit t i, however, were unaware
o f t heir fat hers dist ress, and of t he t orment he
felt o ver t he pro spect o f his childrens fut ure.
They scarcely paid any at t ent ion t o t he nast y
pranks o f t he o t her children of t he village, and
were only vaguely aware t hat so met hing was
amiss. It was only when t hey went t o t he t emple
t o bow t o t he st at ue o f t he Devi, t he Go ddess,
t hat t hey felt most st rongly t he st range
unwarrant ed rancor of ot hers t oward t hem, for the
priest would not allow t hem t o ent er as t hey had
before, and he had shout ed at t hem, calling t hem
mlecchas.
But t hey were so engro ssed in t heir sadhana,
t heir spirit ual pract ices, t hat t hey scarcely gave a
t ho ught t o t he st range behavior of t he villagers.
Once a week, somet imes t wice a week, Nivrit t i
went t o see Gahininat h in his cave in t he jungle.
There he wo uld st ay for t he whole day, while
Gahini t aught him, no t fro m bo o ks, but fro m t he
st ore of his accumulat ed knowledge and
experience.
Nivrit t i learned of t he various
post ures and exercises for t he purificat ion of t he
nerves, t o bet t er enable him t o medit at e. He
learned how t o sit fo r lo ng perio ds in t he
vajrasana po st ure, wit h his back st raight , and his
gaze indrawn. And he learned t o hold his mind
fixed o n t he mantram Gahini had t aught his t o use
as a means o f st illing and focusing his t hought s.
Then, aft er t heir medit at io n t o get her, Gahini
would t ell Nivrit t i st o ries fro m t he ancient yo gic
script ures o r from his own experience in his
yo ut hful t ravels. He t old him about Krishna and
his t eachings in t he Gita; he t old him of t he
42
THE DEATH OF VITTHAL

ancient sages, like Yajnavalkya and Asht avakrya
who lived even before Rama and t he wicked
Ravana. And, above all, he t aught him t o love
God above everyt hing, and t o underst and His
ways, seeing Him in every creat ure and in
everyt hing t hat appeared on eart h.
Fo r t he rest of t he week, Nivrit t i became Guru
t o Jnaneshvar. In t he early mornings, long before
t he Sun came up, t hey would sit t oget her,
medit at ing in st illness on t he glimmering light t hat
sho ne wit hin t hem. And t hen, aft er t heir mo rning
t ea, t hey would run o ff t o a secret spo t in t he
fo rest where t hey would pract ice t heir yogic
exercises, and where, lat er, Jnaneshvar would
list en rapt ly t o t he st ories and t eachings Nivrit t i
passed o n t o him. And t here t hey were, in t his
beaut iful secret spot , deep in t he green jungle,
when t heir fat hers lifeless body, dripping wit h
wat er, was carried by t he villagers up t he pat h t o
his ho use, where Rakhu st ood speechless and
horrified, wit h o ne hand o ver her mo ut h and t he
ot her clut ching her bo so m.
43
6.
A NEW BEGINNING
In 1287, Rakhu also passed away. Since her

husbands deat h, Rakhu had beco me pro gressively
weaker, and when t he fever epidemic hit
Appegao n, she caught it and seemed t o just give
up, dying t wo days lat er. The children were now
orphans, remaining t empo rarily in t he care o f their
pat ernal grandparent s.
Nivrit t i was now eight een; Jnandev was
sixt een, and Mukt abai and Sopan were fift een and
fourt een respect ively.
They were exceedingly
handsome children, each o ne o f t hem. Nivrit t i, a
Caprico rn, was t all, lean and st rong.
In
demeanor, he was so ber and aust ere; he was a
yogi. Nivrit t is mind was cont inually engrossed in
cont emplat ion, co nt inually discriminat ing bet ween
t he et ernal and t he non-et ernal. When someone
spoke t o him, he looked at t hem t hrough halfclosed eyes, as t hough st ruggling t o see t hrough
t he appearance t o t he et ernal realit y beyond. He
was very st rict wit h himself, and fo llo wed an
aust ere discipline; giving lit t le t ime t o frivolity, he
could be rude t o t ho se who at t empt ed t o draw
him int o it .
Jnaneshvar, o n t he o t her hand, was a
devot ional t ype, drawn t o t he wo rship o f Go d in
so me fo rm o r o t her. He was a Leo , and great ly
at t ract ed t o t he idealized st ories of t he gods and
go ddesses who walked t he land long, long ago,
such as Rama and Krishna. His was t he vision of
t he poet , t he lover, and his only discipline was t o
see everyt hing before him as a manifest at ion of
Go d. He had t ransferred much of his devot ion t o
Nivrit t i, whom he regarded as his divinely
appoint ed Guru. Though he was also his brot her,
44
A NEW BEGINNING
Nivrit t i had become, in Jnaneshvars eyes, a very
special manifest at io n o f Go d, a divine perso nage
who was t o be worshipped and served as t he Lord
Himself.
Mukt abai, a Piscean, was deep as t he ocean
and beaut iful as a young goddess. Her dark,
luxuriant , t resses haloed a face of angelic beaut y;
yet she was always modest and unassuming. She
had a quiet , co nfident air about her even at so
young an age, and her o ne desire and religio us
pract ice was t o serve her brot hers in what ever
way she could. Mukt abai was t heir cook, maid,
nurse and co nfidant ; and t his was t he means of
her ado rat io n and t he pract ice of her devot ion t o
God.
Sopan, t he youngest , was a Cancer. He was a
boy of many mo o ds, and t ho ugh he ido lized his
brot hers and wished he could be more like t hem,
he was o ft en swayed by irresist ible moods which
caused him t o become confused and dist ract ed.
This oft en result ed in some wild fit of rebellion,
fo llo wed by a deep sense of sorrow and guilt t hat
pit ched him int o a prolonged period of silent
wit hdrawal. He found he could best cont rol t his
wild vacillat io n of mood by following Mukt abais
lead, remaining silent , and giving himself
generously in humble service.
Since Vit t hals deat h, t he at t it ude of t he
villagers t o ward t he children had no changed.
They were st ill regarded as cast eless, illegit imat e.
And no w t hat Rakhu was also gone, Nivrit t i had
become t he head of t he family, and was expect ed
t o pro vide fo r t he welfare of all.
And he
recognized t hat it was clearly t ime t o do what ever
could be done t o rest o re t he Brahmin st at us o f
t he family. It was decided, t herefore, t hat Nivritti
and Jnandev would go int o t he t own of Pait han, a
few miles away, and pet it ion t he pandit s t here t o
45

give t hem a let t er cert ifying t o t heir purit y and t o
t heir membership in t he Brahmin cast e. There
was much at st ake. Wit h such a let t er, t hey co uld
go elsewhere, where t heir fat hers infractions were
unknown, and t hey could begin anew.
They
wo uld be able t o secure posit ions as priest s or
t eachers, and Mukt abai would be eligible t o marry
if she so chose.
But Nivrit t i would do not hing unt il he had
spo ken t o Gahininat h; wit h his blessing, t heir
endeavo r co uld not fail; wit hout it , it was a
mat t er of great uncert aint y. One mo nt h aft er
Rakhus body had been cremat ed, Nivrit t i went t o
see Gahininat h. When he arrived, he fo und Gahini
lo unging o ut side t he cave wit h several young
disciples sit t ing around him. Nivrit t i approached
and knelt t o his knees befo re his Guru, t aking t he
dust from his feet and t o uching it t o his fo rehead.
Gahini smiled happily at his disciple and mo t io ned
for him t o sit alo ngside t he o t hers. I was just
speaking o f my plans t o t ravel sout h, he said.
Go vinda will accompany me and Nit yananda will
remain in my cave while I am go ne.
Nivrit t i suddenly realized t hat a great change
was abo ut t o o ccur in his life; so me unavo idable
dest iny was depriving him, not only of his
parent s, but o f his Guru as well. And when will
you be ret urning, Babaji? he asked as calmly as
he could.
Gahini wagged his head, no nco mmit t ally. He
looked at Nivrit t i for a long t ime wit h t hat st ern
co ncent rat ed gaze t hat Nivrit t i knew so wella
searching gaze t hat went deep int o his soul,
beyond t he boundaries o f shift ing t ime. Then
Gahini rose suddenly from his seat , and beckoned
Nivrit t i t o follow him. He walked along t he pat h
t hat led t o t he roadway, and when t hey reached it,
he t ook Nivrit t is hand in his own. I am going
46
A NEW BEGINNING
t o visit many places, he said; who kno ws
when I will co me back t o t his place. And yo u
you have many responsibilit ies now, do you not ?
Yes, Gurudev.
They walked o n no w, slo wly, hand in hand.
Gahini spo ke again; It would be good, Nivrit t i, if
yo u co uld clear up t his family problem. God t o
Pait han; t alk t o t he Brahmin pandit s t here. Ask
t hem t o grant you a cert ificat e of cast e. Then
you should t ake your family t o Nasik. Yes, t o
Nasik. Everyt hing will be fine.
Gahini had never befo re o ffered direct io ns t o
him regarding his worldly life, and Nivrit t i knew
t hat his Gurus words carried t he power of
dest iny, and were unfailing in t heir blessing. Tears
were now beginning t o blur Nivrit t is vision; Am
I never t o see you again, Guruji? he asked in a
wavering voice.
Gahini pat t ed t he hand of Nivrit t i, t hen hugged
him t o his chest . Of co urse yo u will. Do yo u
t hink I will ever leave you?
Then he t ook
Nivrit t i by t he shoulders at arms lengt h, looking
knowingly and lovingly int o his eyes; God now,
he said, and do as Ive said. Everyt hing will be
fine; yo u and your family will be t aken care of.
God will bless you.
Nivrit t i brought his hands t o get her befo re him
and made namaskar t o his Guru. A bit er lump
was growing in his t hroat , and t ears were
beginning t o floo d his eyes.
Go o n, no w, said Gahini, mot ioning him
away wit h a swishing mot ion of his hand. And,
as Nivrit t i t urned and disappeared down t he
roadway, Gahini mut t ered, Go d will bless yo u,
my son.
Pait han is a very ancient and holy cit y, locat ed
on t he nort h bank o f t he Go davari. During t he
47

t ime of Pt olemy, it was called Bait han, and served
as t he capit al of t he Sat avahana kings. Now, it
was just ano t her busy t own, a cent er of commerce
where o ne co uld buy bolt s of silk and cot t on, fine
brassware, leat her goods, and foodst uffs of every
variet y. It was also a t own of many hist oric
t emples, and it was t he home of a number of
it inerant ho ly-men, Gurus, and Pandit s. Two such
Pandit s were Hemopant h and Bapudev. They were
t he accept ed aut ho rit ies o n t he Dharmashastras,
t he laws o f co rrect conduct and cast e rest rict ions.
Therefore, it was t o t hem t hat Nivrit t i and
Jnandev went o ne morning t o obt ain a let t er of
cert ificat ion.
Aft er inquiring in several t emples, t hey fo und
t he est ablishment of t hese Pandit s in a room
behind a t ext ile and clo t hing st o re, and ent ered.
Revered sirs, Nivrit t i began, addressing t he t wo
st o ut men who sat o n t he flo o r at t heir low desks,
my name is Nivrit t i, so n o f t he lat e Vit t halpant h
of Appegaon, and t his is my brot her, Jnaneshvar.
We wo uld like t o speak wit h if we may on a
mat t er requiring your expert and learned
judgment .
You are a Brahmin? o ne o f t he men asked.
Yes, sir; o f t he family of t he kulkarnis of
Appegao n.
Yet yo ur brot her does not wear t he sacred
t hread? t he man challenged.
It is just t hat I wish t o speak t o yo u abo ut ,
sir.
Very well, t he Pandit said, pushing aside his
papers; Be seat ed. Tell me what is on your
mind.
Nivrit t i and Jnaneshvar t ook t heir places on the
flo o r befo re t he t wo Pandit s My fat her, said
Nivrit t i, many years ago went t o Benares, where
he was init iat ed by a Swami
48
A NEW BEGINNING
Wait ! int errupt ed t he ot her Pandit , who had
been silent t ill t hen; You are t he children of t hat
married Swami of Appegaon! Turning now t o
t he o t her man, he said, You remember, t he one
who changed his mind aft er t aking vows of
renunciat ion, and t hen went back t o his wife and
had a flock of children
Sir, Nivrit t i int erposed, my fat her was asked
by his Guru t o ret urn; it was beyond his decision.
Besides, he has been dead no w fo r t en years, and
his deeds have died wit h him. Whet her t hey were
good or bad, only God can judge. My brot her
and I are no t here t o plead for him nor t o ask for
any judgment co ncerning him; we are her t o ask
t hat yo u grant us a let t er of cert ificat ion, so t hat
my family may be free of t his st igma.
Yo ur mo t her?
She did over a mont h ago. There is only
myself, Jnaneshvar, and t wo ot hersa brot her and
a sist er. We are st aying wit h o ur grandparent s,
but we are a burden t o t hem. Since we are
considered out cast es, we are unable t o earn any
money t o assist t hem, and because of us, t hey are
t reat ed badly by t he communit y.
We feel, sir, t hat we have co mmit t ed no sin,
t hat we are guilt less; yet because of our fat hers
o bedience t o t he command of his Guru, we are
regarded as unclean. If we are grant ed, sir, a
cert ificat e from t he hands o f such respect ed
Pandit s as yourselves, we shall be able t o seek
employment in Nasik and t hus pro vide fo r o ur
family. Ot herwise, I do not see how we can
survive.
The t wo Pandit s sat quiet ly for a moment ,
considering what t he boy had said. Then one of
t hem spoke up.
How would you gain
employment ? Have yo u any learning?
49

Yes, sir, Nivrit t i answered; I, and my
brot her as well, have st udied t he Srutis and t he
Smritis also, and we are proficient in t he writ ing
of Sanskrit .
Indeed? one o f t he Pandit s quest io ned. And
who t aught you so much?
Sir, I have learned everyt hing from my Guru,
Sri Gahininat h, answered Nivrit t i.
The yogi?
Yes, sir.
And yo u, young man, t he Pandit said, eyeing
Jnaneshvar, do you also claim t o be learned in
t he Srutis and t he Smritis?
Sir, said Jnaneshvar, I am not nearly so
well learned as my brot her.
Yet you call yourself t he Lord of
knowledge!
Sir, it is my firm convict ion t hat all of us,
including t he birds and animals, are manifest at ions
o f t he Lord o f kno wledge.
Oh, it is, is it ? t he Pandit chuckled; and,
spying out side his windo w a passing buffalo
pulling a cart , he said, And I suppo se t hen t hat
we sho uld call t hat buffalo Jnaneshvar also?
Sir, if yo ull pardon me, said Jnandev, I
will remind yo u t hat Krishna t old Arjuna, No
being eit her mo ving o r unmo ving, can ever be
apart fro m me. I am t he beginning, middle and
end o f all t hat lives. Sir, he said t hat in t he
t ent h chapt er o f t he Gita. And, in t he elevent h
book of Srimad Bhagavatam, t he Lord said t o
Uddhava, O Uddhava, t his whole universe exist s
in me and is an expression of my divine power.
Therefore, he said, learn t o lo o k wit h an equal
eye upo n all beings, seeing t he one Self I all. I
regard t his as t he t ruest o f t rut hs, sir, and I am
cert ain t hat even t hat buffalo is a manifest at ion of
50
A NEW BEGINNING
t he o neself, t he Lord of t he universe, and is as
wort hy of t he name o f Jnaneshvar as I am.
The t wo Pandit s sat quiet ly and t hought fully.
Wit h a glance at t he ot her for confirmat ion one of
t hem drew o ut a parchment and spread it on his
desk. I will give you your cert ificat e, he said;
but t here is a penance which each o f yo u are
required t o o bserve for t he remainder of you
lives. Whenever you observe a man, woman, or
child, a dog, pig, horse, ass or buffalo, or even a
bird in t he sky, you are t o make obeisance t o it in
yo ur heart as you would t o t he Lord of t he
universe. Do you underst and?
Yes, sir! bot h Nivrit t i and Jnaneshvar
answered in unison.
And do you agree?
Yes, sir, t hey answered once again; and t hen
t hey fell t o t heir knees at once, and bowed t o
bot h t he Pandit s, t o uching t heir heads t o t he flo o r
and salut ing t hem wit h genuine lo ve and gratitude.
The Pandit wrot e out t he let t er, confirming and
cert ifying t heir Brahmin st at us, signed it , and
place o n it his seal. Then he passed it t o t he
ot her Pandit , who added his signat ure and seal
beneat h. Yo u are Brahmins in t he eyes of man
and God, he said, handing t he parchment t o
Nivrit t i. When you get t o Nasik, present t his t o
t he co uncil o f elders t here, and I sure t hey will
help yo u t o find some employment and will assist
you in every way.
You are t ruly inst rument s of t he mercy of
God, said Nivrit t i; may He keep you in His
care, and best o w on you His grace. The boys
and t he Pandit s salut ed each ot her wit h great
affect ion, and t hen t he boys depart ed, eager t o
ret urn ho me wit h t heir wonderful news.
The t wo Brahmin Pandit s remained unable t o
wo rk fo r so me t ime; t hough each pret ended t o
51

work on some document before him, neit her could
see for t he moist ure t hat clouded t heir vision.
Finally, each simult aneously sat back against t heir
cushions, and gave o ut a sigh.
II
Wit h t heir few possessions in clot h bags on
t heir backs, t he four youngst ers set o ut early o ne
morning on t he road t o Nasik. It was a longer
jo urney t han t he o ne Nivrit t i had t aken wit h his
fat her many years ago, because t hey needed t o
st op oft en t o rest from t he burdens t hey carried.
It was lat e, and t he Sun had already set belo w t he
ho rizo n when t hey arrived at t he junct ion of t he
Pravara and Godavari rivers. Nivrit t i recalled that
t he mo nast ery of Nevasa was just a short way
from t here.
Well st op at t he monast ery of
Swami Sat chidananda, he t old t he ot hers; we
should be able t o spend t he night t here.
When t hey arrived, it was nearly dark, but t hey
co uld see no light in t he small kutir o f t he
mo nast ery. Perhaps it s desert ed, Jnaneshvar
said, when no one answered his knock. Nivrit t i
t ried t he door, and finding it o pen, led t he way
inside. There was no one at home; but t here
were several mat s o n t he flo o r fo r sleeping, and
t o one side a small cook st ove wit h a chimney.
Well sleep here t onight , said Nivrit t i; bring
everyt hing inside.
Jnandev fo und a t inderbox on t he cook st ove
heart h, and t o ld Sopan t o gat her some st icks
out side for a fire. Nivrit t i, st ill explo ring t he
monast ery, went t o a do o r at t he rear and peered
int o a small dark room. Jnandev! he shout ed,
52
A NEW BEGINNING
co me here! And he disappeared int o t he room.
When Jnaneshvar ent ered, he saw a man lying o n
a mat o n t he flo o r wit h Nivrit t i kneeling o ver
him. It s t he swami, Nivrit t i said; hes sick!
They so o n had a t allow candle burning and
were able t o see mo re clearly. The Swami was
occasionally conscious, but he was delirious wit h
fever.
Nivrit t i st ayed wit h him, holding him,
while Jnandev managed t o get a fire go ing in t he
cook st ove.
So pan went fo r wat er, while
Mukt abai rummaged in t heir bags for her herbs
and co o king ut ensils.
The bo ys rinsed t he Swamis face and brow
wit h cool wat er, and Mukt abai prepared a soup of
t hick rise brot h and herbs. Sit t ing him up, t hey
managed t o get him t o swallow some of t he hot
liquid. When he would t ake no more, t hey laid
him do wn and covered him well wit h some of t he
clot hing which t hey had unpacked. And t hen t hey
t o o t o o k so me nourishment o f rice and cold
chappat is which t hey had bro ught wit h t hem.
Though t he Swamis fever seemed t o have
bro ken and he was sleeping peacefully, Jnandev
t ho ugh it best t o remain wit h him t hro ugh t he
night , and so he spread his mat in t he back room
alongside t he Swami, while t he ot hers, exhaust ed
from t heir long journey, made t heir beds in t he
larger ro o m.
In t he mo rning, t he Swami was given more of
t he hot brot h, while So pan was sent int o t he
village t o purchase some milk.
The Swami
seemed t o be reviving no w, and Nivrit t i and
Jnandev wat ched o ver him, so o t hing him and
keeping him co vered and warm. When Sopan
ret urned wit h t he milk, Mukt abai warmed it and
made a milk t ea which seemed t o have a very
go o d effect o n t he Swami. He sat t here, looking
around at t he children ho vering o ver him so
53

solicit ously. Who are you? he finally managed
t o ask.
Do nt yo u remember me? asked Nivrit t i; my
name is Nivrit t i.
I came here once wit h my
fat her, Vit t hal fro m Appegao n, many years ago .
And t hese are my brot hers and sist er.
Nivrit t i yes, o f co urse, I remember t he
Swami said. Where is your fat her?
He died quit e a few years ago, Swamiji.
Im so rry, he said.
This is Jnaneshvar; he st ayed in here wit h you
last night . And t his is Mukt abai, and t his is
So pan, said Nivrit t i, pulling each of t hem
forward in t urn. We were on our way t o Nasik,
and since it was get t ing lat e, we st opped here for
t he night .
Im very glad you did, said t he Swami.
Ive been alone here fo r quit e so me t ime, and I
havent been feeling very well
Just rest , said Jnandev.
Mukt abai spoke from t he doorway, If you
t hink yo u co uld eat somet hing solid, Swamiji, I
will bring you some rice.
Yes, ... I t hink so, t he Swami replied. And
t hey knew t hen t hat he was going t o be alright .
In t he next few days, t he Swami gradually
regained his st rengt h, and was mo ving abo ut
slowly on his own. Mukt abai coked chappat is and
rice and dal for him and brought him ginger t ea in
t he mo rnings.
She and Sopan at t acked t he
monast ery wit h bro o ms and cleaned it o ut , and
aired t he bedding and washed t he Swamis clot hes
in t he river and laid t hem o ut in t he Sun t o dry.
Nivrit t i and Jnandev had gone t o Nasik, which
was o nly a sho rt dist ance away, and had spoken
wit h so me o f t he council elders and had shown
t hem t he let t er of cert ificat ion from t he Pandit s of
Pait han; but t he Brahmins were wary and
54
A NEW BEGINNING
suspicio us. There was no work for t hem just
no w, t hey said; t here were already t oo many
young Brahmins around seeking work as priest s
and assist ant s. Nivrit t i and Jnandev ret urned t o
t he mo nast ery in rat her low spirit s aft er t raipsing
around Nasik all day. They had inquired at all
t he t emples and schools, and revived t he same
answer from everyone. That evening, aft er t heir
dinner, t hey sat o ut side in t he co o l night air wit h
t he
Swami,
and
recount ed
to
him t he
unencouraging result s of t heir daylong search.
Why not st ay here! t he Swami said, aft er
list ening t o t heir st o ry.
Yo u are very kind, Swamiji, said Nivrit t i,
and we are very grat eful for your hospit alit y, but
No w list en, t he Swami int errupt ed; you

youngst ers need a place t o st ay; I need t he
company. Besides, t heres go ing t o be plent y t o
do around here no w t hat ho t weat hers o n t he
way.
Therell be many peo ple st o pping here,
want ing somet hing t o eat , and parent s want ing t o
leave t heir children here wit h me. Well have a
lit t le scho o l here. Well have plent y t o eat ; t he
elders bring foo d fo r t he o rphans, and t heres a
huge mango orchard out back. We can put some
co rn and peppers and squash in t he field What
do you say? Please say youll st ay. I would love
fo r all o f yo u t o st ay!
The youngst ers lo o ked aro und at o ne ano t her.
Finally Jnaneshvar said, Well, if you st ill want us
t o st ay even aft er t ast ing Mukt is cooking, t hen I
guess yo uve got it coming.
And t hey all
laughed, as Mukt abai squealed and pret ended t o
pull at Jnandevs hair. It was decided; t hey had a
new homeone in which t hey wo uld remain fo r
t he next six wonderful years o f t heir lives.
55
7. JNANESHVAR BECOMES
ENLIGHTENED
They were quiet years for t he youngst ers from
Appegaon; Jnandev and Nivrit t i grew int o
manhood, Mukt abai became a living goddess of
beaut y and grace, and So pan became st ro ng in
body and mind. Sat chidananda had never in
his life been so happy as he was wit h his
newly adopt ed family; and now t hat t hey were
free t o devo t e t hemselves ent irely t o t heir
sadhana, t heir search for God, all t he children
had become filled wit h knowledge and light .
Peo ple fro m nearby villages had begun making
pilgrimages t o Nevasa t o visit t he lit t le
mo nast ery where t he young yogis dwelt , and
t here was always a cheerful welco me fro m t he
Swami, and a ready cup of t ea and a smile
from t he lovely Mukt abai. If so meo ne needed
so lace o r advice, t hey would come and t alk
wit h any o ne of t he children or t he Swami, and
wo uld leave refreshed, wit h t heir fait h and
co nfidence rest ored. Some came just t o spend
some t ime in t he ho ly and peaceful at mo sphere
of t he monast ery and t emple grounds; t his, by
it self, seemed t o answer t heir quest ions and
resolve t heir confusion.
There was always eno ugh t o eat and eno ugh
t o provide for necessit ies. Those who came
usually brought a lit t le gift for t he
mo nast erya basket of fruit , a bag of flour, a
co co anut ; and t here was always plent y t o
share, as mo re and mo re o f t he t o wnspeo ple
56
JNANESHVAR BECOMES ENLIGHTENED

came t o kno w of t he rare family of orphans
and t he go o d Swami who lived in t he lit t le
monast ery.
So pan was responsible for keeping t he place
clean and beaut iful; but his great est int erest
was in t ending t he orchard and t he small
garden which he creat ed in back o f t he
monast ery. He grew spinach and green beans,
cauliflo wer and eggplant , and okra as well.
He seemed never t o t ire o f wo rking, and never
t o be quit e at ease unless he was. He was a
t rue karma-yogin, ent irely devot ed t o t he
service o f God in t he form of his family and
t he ot hers who came t o Nevasa. He had found
his own way t o be very happy; and all who
saw him remarked how cheerful and sweet he
always seemed, how kind and loving t o all.
Mukt abai had now ent ered t hose years when
most young girls become vain, impert inent and
flirt at io us; but Mukt i was no ordinary girl.
She was ent irely self-possessed, always
co nsiderat e, gracious, and never presumptuous.
The t rut h is t hat she simply had no int erest in
t he prospect of marriage or in any kind of
familiarit y which would t ae her mind from t he
joy she felt in t he love and service of God.
She lo nged t o merge, like Radha, wit h t he
adorable Krishna; she longed t o serve chast ely,
like Sit a, t he divine Rama. Yet she t ruly felt
just as fort unat e and blessed as Radha o r Sit a
in her ro le as sist er, friend, and servant t o her
divine brot hers, who seemed t o her t he very
incarnat io n o f Rama and Krishna in t his world.
She loved, like t hem, t o medit at e in t he early
mo rning, t o offer worship wit h flowers and
kum-kum in t he t emple, and t o spend t he day
in service, lo ving God and offering Him her
57

heart wit h every t hought . Who, she wondered,
co uld ever wish for more t han t his?
Her brot her, Nivrit t i, was t he quiet o ne.
He felt st ill such a st rong bond of love for his
Guru, Gahini, t hat he t ho ught almo st
cont inually of him, sensing his presence wit h
him at all t imes. He reflect ed oft en on t he
t eachings he had received at t he feet of his
mast er, and oft en reminisced on t heir many
privat e moment s t o get her in t he hidden cave.
He lived for no t hing else but his perio ds o f
deep medit at ion, and t he divine experiences
which came t o him unbidden at t hose t imes.
He felt no at t ract ion at all t o t he world, and
regarded it wit h supreme det achment . The
ext raordinary peace and jo y which he derived
fro m his pro lo nged perio ds o f medit at io n far
out weighed any delight he had ever fo und
t hro ugh t he senses. His inner joy was so full
t hat no amo unt of occurrences in t he out er
wo rld co uld eit her add t o or det ract from it .
The parade of t he world he viewed as a magic
lant ern sho w of ephemeral forms which
appeared and disappeared as mere images upo n
t he cosmic screen while he, t he et ernal
wit ness, remained blissfully unchanged.
In t his respect , Jnaneshvar was much like
Nivrit t i; so absorbed was he in his inner joy
t hat he could sit for hours and hours just
wat ching t he play o f t ho ught s, images and
revelat io ns,
or
engrossed
in
int ense
concent rat ion on t he ever-fascinat ing light t hat
hovered just inside his fo rehead, and which
revealed t o him so many hidden wo nders and
delight s. Indeed, it seems t hat it was at t his
wonderfully peaceful t ime in his life t hat
Jnaneshvar realized his ident it y wit h t he
universal Self.
58

Of course, t here is no reco rd o f t he dat e
and
circum-st ances
of
Jnaneshvars
enlight enment , but t he evidence would seem t o
indicat e t hat it occurred around t his period,
from 1287 t o 1288, at Nevasa.
The
Jnaneshvari, which he wrot e in 1290, at t he
age of ninet een, is sufficient evidence t o t he
wise t hat Jnandev had fully realized t he Self
so me t ime prior t o it s writ ing. He had also
o bt ained co nsiderable learning t o subst ant iat e
his own experience in t he meanwhile, and was
able in Jnaneshvari t o speak wit h t he ut mo st
confidence of t he knowledge of t he Self, bot h
from his own first -hand experience and fro m
t he reco rded experiences of his predecessors.
Therefore, it is safe t o assume t hat at least a
few years had elapsed bet ween his own
realizat ion and t he writ ing o f Jnaneshvari.
It is also apparent t hat , from Jnaneshvars
perspect ive, such experience came t o him by
t he grace o f his Guru and beloved brot her,
Nivrit t i. We must assume, t hen, t hat Nivrit t i
himself had at t ained Samadhi previous t o
Jnaneshvars at t ainment , and had closely
supervised his younger brot hers sadhana,
encouraging him, and deeply influencing, by his
own example, Jnaneshvars profound longing
for God-kno wledge. Perhaps it happened
so met hing like t his:
In t he early morning, long before dawn,
Nivrit t i and Jnandev had bat hed silent ly in t he
moonlit river, and had t aken t heir accust omed
seat s on t he riverbank. Bo t h bo ys were so
inwardly co ncent rat ed t han no word was
spo ken, yet bot h sensed t he ext raordinary
co ndit io n o f st illness and int ense clarit y which
seemed t o pervade no t o nly t heir o wn
co nscio usness, but also t he whole universe.
59

Jnaneshvars at t ent ion was ent irely cent ered on
t he spreading whit e light which he could see
and feel gat hering at t he crown of his head.
Wit h his eyelids light ly clo sed, and his gaze
fixed o n t hat clear, co o ling light , his breat h
became so ft and gent le, nearly suspended in
t he pure silence and calm of his uplift ed
awareness.
O what a pure and perfect st at e! What
loving sweet ness filled his mind and body! He
felt balanced, poised, on t he t hreshold of
abso lut e purit y and clarit y of mind, and he
looked t o t he infinit e height s of light and
silence above wit h all t he desperat e longing of
his being. O Lo ving Fat her, lift me up t o
Thyself so t hat I may know Thee and proclaim
Thee t o all Thy children! It was a prayer
t hat spo ke it self from his soul t o t he
impenet rable light int o which he peered. And
suddenly, as he leaned wit h all his
co ncent rat io n int o t hat ut t er st illness, his mind
grew bright wit h clarit y, and he knew t he
Et ernit y from which his so ul was bo rn.
O my Go d, even I am Thine o wn! I have
been like a pebble yearning fo r t he st o ne o f
which it is made. Or like a wave yearning for
t he ocean. Thou art t he One in whom all
exist s! I and Thou are not t wo, but have
always been one. How had I imagined t hat I
was separat e, apart ? Like a man who dreams
he is fallen int o a dit ch, and dreams a cast of
t housands t o inhabit his dream alo ng wit h him,
I have dreamt I was a player among ot hers in
my o wn drama. I am t he Dreamer and t he
dream.
All t his is myself, and not hing is
o ut side o f me ever.
I am t his gossamer
universe of worlds upon worlds, drama upon
drama. All is me! Yet all is but a bubble of
60

my o wn fant asy; I remain forever pure and
free, unmanifest and unseen, silent ly upho lding
in myself t his vast array o f fo rm and life.
There is no ot her, but only Me It is my Life
which sings and dances in a million million
fo rms, fo rever unt ouched and unchanged.
Clearly he saw t he myriad universe
emerging from and ret urning t o himself, as a
breat h passes out and is t hen indrawn again.
All was known, all was himself, and he was
exquisit ely, happily, alo ne, co nt aining all.
When, at last , he raised his eyelids, t he
daylight had long since come; and here he was,
once again, amid t he world of forms. But
no t hing had changed; it was all himself, only
now he was seeing fro m t he vant age po int o f
o ne o f t he forms wit hin his o wn play. He
could see t he river flowing by, a sparkling
sheet of consciousness; t he monast ery grounds
were, likewise, consciousness, as was every
glist ening speck o f sand. And t here, lo o king
at him, wit h such lo ve and beaut y, was
Nivrit t i, his o wn Self in t he fo rm o f bro t her,
guide and benefact o r.
Nivrit t i had been sit t ing t here for some
while, wat ching his brot hers face, and he
knew t hat yo ung Jnandev had reached t hat
supreme kno wledge which he also had known.
Their eyes showered rays of love on one
anot her, and t hey sat smiling delirio usly at t he
living fo rm of God before t hem. Jnandevs
vision was clouded wit h t ears of joy and
grat it ude as he delight ed in t he shimmering
form of Nivrit t i befo re him.
Then he
pro st rat ed himself fully on t he ground before
his bro t her, and salut ed him wit h Om namo
Narayanaya. Jaya Gurudev! Jaya Gurudev!
61

8. THE CREATIONS OF THE POET
What unbounded happiness Jnaneshvar
experienced in t he following weeks and
mo nt hs! He walked about in an enchant ed
world, a smile gent ly playing on his face at all
t imes. Everyone could see t he radiant aura
which surrounded him, and everyo ne remarked
on t he exquisit e beaut y of his count enance.
Nat urally, Jnandev spoke of not hing else but
God; he had come t o know t he very t rut h of
exist ence, and he spoke of it t o all who cared
t o list en. Also, he t o o k a renewed int erest in
t he writ ings and declarat io ns o f t he sages who
lived before him who had kno wn t he et ernal
Self. He spent many ho urs reading and rereading t he words of t he great illumined rishis
of Indias glorious past .
He had found an abundant source of
pleasure in t he library of books which Swami
Sat chidananda possessed in t he monast ery. His
favo rit es were t he Srimad Bhagavata Purana,
whose st ories of t he yout h of Krishna st ill
made him t hrill wit h divine emot ion, and t he
Bhagavad Gita, which never ceased t o amaze
him wit h it s clear inst ruct ive wisdom.
One night , aft er t heir evening meal,
everyone was relaxing, when Jnandev bro ught
o ut t he Gita and opened it t o t he beginning
chapt er. The Swami, who was sit t ing nearby,
not iced, and said, As long as youre beginning
it again, and were all sit t ing here, why dont
you read it alo ud t o us, and explain as yo u go
alo ng.
Jnandev laughed; Ill read it , he said,
but I dont t hink I co uld explain what Krishna
says any bet t er t han he does himself.
62
THE CREATIONS OF THE POET

Oh, come on, pleaded Mukt abai; you
kno w yo u can explain it bet t er t han anyone.
Do , please. Well all be very st ill and list en.
Who want s t o hear Jnandev comment on
t he Git a? prompt ed t he Swami.
Everyone shout ed, Yes! loudly, and so
Jnaneshvar surrendered and began. First he
read out t he passage fro m t he Git a, and t hen,
in his own ent husiast ic and delight ful way, he
elaborat ed on Krishnas words, elucidat ing his
meaning wit h great skill and clarit y. Every
night t hereaft er he read a chapt er, and, at t he
end o f eight een night s, he had complet ed t he
ent ire Git a, and co mplet ely ent hralled his
list eners, clarifying some aspect s of Krishnas
t eachings which even t he Swami had not
previously underst ood.
Jnaneshvar, said Sat chidananda, aft er t he
last o f t he co mment aries, I t hink you should
writ e down t his co mment ary o f yo urs fo r t he
benefit of everyone. It is really ext raordinary;
t here is no t hing like it in our language!
Let
so me
great
scholar
writ e
a
comment ary, said Jnaneshvar; who am I t o
writ e a comment -ary?
But Nivrit t i sided wit h t he Swami, saying,
Bro t her, yo u have a rare gift for revealing t he
hidden t rut hs o f t he Git a t o make it co me
alive. It is Gods gift , and it would be a
service t o al Maharasht rans if you would put
yo ur co mment ary in a writ t en form.
Jnaneshvar remained silent for a moment ;
t hen he said, Nivrit t i, since you request it , I
shall do as yo u wish. Yo u are my Gurudev,
and wit h your blessings, I shall undert ake t o
accomplish t his work.
The Swami beamed wit h pleasure; If you
like, he offered, I will serve as yo ur scribe,
63

and while you dict at e it , I will t ake it all
down.
Nivrit t i t oo seemed pleased; You see, t he
Lo rd has provided you wit h everyt hing. You
will make a very good book.
II
On t he follo wing mo rning, Swami Sat chidananda gat hered up t he ink, quills and st ack of
palm-leaf talas he had prepared t he night
befo re, and carried t hem out side int o t he warm
morning air. Jnandev was already seat ed in
t he Panchavati, t he lit t le grove of five t rees
where t he ho ly recit als were usually held.
Nivrit t i was also t here, sit t ing erect ly in t he
padmasana posit ion. Bot h had been t here,
medit at ing, since several ho rs befo re t he first
light , and no w t hey were sit t ing, relaxed and
slight ly t ipsy, wit h a glow of happy delight on
t heir faces
The Swami arranged himself comfort ably in
a cro ss-legged sit t ing posit ion and spread his
talas, quills and ink-pot about him in his
syst emat ic way. At last he sat upright and
signaled t o t he amused faces of Jnandev and
Nivrit t i t hat he was prepared t o begin.
Jnandev and Nivrit t i closed t heir eyes. The
Swami also closed his. For a moment , t hey all
sat t here in t he sweet silence of t he morning,
bro ken o nly by t he gurgling of t he river a few
feet away. Then, fro m Jnandev came t he rich
deep sound o f:
Om-m-m Shree Ganeshaya namah
Shree Parabrahma namah
Jayatmavidya shuddha swayarupam
Swami Sat chidananda began t o writ e, hurriedly
t aking do wn Jnandevs words. Jnaneshvar praised
t he various script ures and t heir aut hors,
64

co mparing each one t o some sensual delight , and
praised t he six syst ems of philosophy as
adornment s t o t he figure of Ganesha, t he god of
blessings, t he remover of obst acles. Then, aft er
salut ing Sarada, t he goddess of speech and
learning, he offered his salut at io ns t o Nivrit t i as
his Guru, t o whose grace he at t ribut ed all his
good fort une.
Having done all t hat , he began t o ext o l Vyasa,
t he aut ho r o f t he Mahabharata, in which t he
Bhagavad Gita is cont ained, comparing him t o the
Sun by who se light t he whole world is illumined.
And t he Mahabharata it self he compared t o a
lo t us o f which t he Gita is t he pollen.
This
pollen, he said, carrying his analo gy a bit furt her,
can be carried away by t he bee of t he mind which
ponders it s deep meaning. The, addressing his
imaginary reading audience of sages, he beseeched
t hem all t o list en t o his st o ry.
Wit h great respect , he humbled himself before
his invisible list eners, pro t est ing t hat , alt ho ugh he
was but a child and ignorant , st ill he was grant ed
some underst anding of t he Git a t hrough t he grace
of his Guru, Nivrit t i; and t hat t herefo re t hey
should hear him out . Please add what ever may be
fo und lacking, he said, and reject what ever may
be superfluo us. And t hen, t urning t o Nivrit t i,
who was beginning t o lo o k impat ient wit h t his
lo ng preamble, he said, What you inspire in me I
will speak, just as a puppet dances according t o
t he st rings t hat are pulled by t he puppet eer. I am
obedient t o your grace and t he grace of t he
saint s; t herefore make o f me what ever yo u wish.
At t his, Nivrit t i, finally giving in t o his
impat ience, blurt ed out , Enough!
You dont
need t o say all of t his! And, pat t ing his copy of
t he Git a, he said, No w give yo ur mind t o t his
wo rk! And Jnandev, smiling at his brot hers
65

predict able response t o his weakness for rambling
embellishment , put aside fo r t he mo ment his
po et ic flight , and began t he st ory of t he dialogue
co nt ained in t he Git a bet ween Krishna and Arjuna
o n t he bat t lefield o f Kurukshet ra.
III
All t hrough t he hot summer mont hs, Jnaneshvar
gave his mind who lly t o t he writ ing o f his
co mment aries o n t he Git a. In t he aft ernoons he
would go over wit h Swami Sat chidananda t he
writ ings o f t hat morning, and in t he evenings, he
wo uld co nt emplat e t he upcoming verses and would
compose in his mind what he was going t o say on
t he mo rro w. It was a t ime of immense happiness
for Jnaneshvar, for he felt as t hough he was an
inst rument of divine wisdo m t hro ugh which great
beaut y and knowledge were being given t o t he
world. At t he same t ime, immersed so deeply as
he was in t he pro fo und t ho ught s o f t he Git a, t he
very words of Krishna, he was t ransformed as a
chameleo n is t ransformed by it s background, and
he became who lly t ransparent t o t he divine light
which illumined his mind. He became t hat light
and t hat kno wledge.
Day and night he lived in an int ensely focused
height o f awareness, scarcely conscious of his
own separat e exist ence. He knew wit h absolut e
cert aint y t hat it was Gods own int elligence which
was filling him, inspiring him t o know and t o
speak such ut t erly magnificent words of beaut y
and t rut h, and he o ffered his so ul pro st rat e every
moment at t hat divine fount ain-head in a cont inual
prayer t o remain in His grace, and in such
glorious service.
66

Jnaneshvar was ent irely co nsumed in his
dedicat ion t o t he complet ion of his work on t he
Git a, and all of his beloved companions knew also
t hat somet hing very ext raordinary and wonderful
was being creat ed; and t hey did hat t hey could t o
serve in t he pro cess of it s complet ion as well.
Swami Sat chidananda was o verjo yed t o be a part
of so miraculous a wo rk; he so ared in happiness
as he copied out at night t he words he had hast ily
inscribed o n his palm-leaves t hat morning. And
each new morning he t hrilled wit h excit ement t o
hear each new addit ion t o t he growing manuscript.
As he list ened and wrot e, he was filled anew wit h
awe and admirat ion for t his young man, and he
sang in his heart , Praise God! Praise God!
When, at last , t hey had reached t he last part of
t he eight eent h chapt er, everyone was aware t hat a
divine miracle was o ccurring in t heir midst . Fo r
Jnaneshvars Bhavartadipika, which was lat er t o
be known simply as Jnaneshvari, was no o rdinary
bo o k. It was a work of uneart hly beaut y and
angelic purit y; cast in t he Marat hi language, in the
Ovi met re, it was like not hing t hat had ever been
seen before. It was ent irely unique among books,
having no peer anywhere.
It represent ed t he
highest wisdo m of which mort al man is capable,
framed in t he sweet est language by t he purest
heart t hat ever lived: t heir own brot her, t heir own
dear, amazing, Jnandev.
IV
By t he t ime o f t he rainy seaso n, in t he year
1290, Jnaneshvari was complet ed, and bound with
co rds in several volumes. It was finally done; it
was a permanent t reasure t o be shared wit h all
post erit y. But , as is usually t he case aft er a
pro lo nged creat ive effort , it s aut hor felt ut t erly
67

drained and disquiet ed, even depressed. Weeks
passed,
and
his
mo o d
became
o ne
of
dissat isfact io n and rest lessness.
He began t o
writ e o ut his t ho ught s, t ho ught s which had been
st irred fro m t he bot t o m o f his mind by t he focus
upo n t he issues discussed in t he Git a. The Git a,
for all it s exquisit e beaut y and pro fo und dept hs,
was an expressio n o f t he et ernal t rut h, which, like
any such expression, was limit ed by it s hist orical
and cult ural set t ing in t ime. There were part s of
it which, t o Jnandev, were archaic; for example,
t he divisio n o f men int o godly and demonic and
t he general emphasis on t he dualist ic perspect ive
of Sankhya philo so phy, which he was o bliged t o
support wit h comment ary. Thus, he felt t hat he
had been somewhat co nst rained in his freedo m o f
expressio n by t he obligat ion t o follow a form and
concept ion not his own; and now he longed t o
speak freely, in his own way, t o address some of
t he
philo so phical
issues
which
were
so
misunderst ood and misrepresent ed in his own time.
Nivrit t i
had
t aught
him
t he
Shaivit e
philosophical t ermino lo gy ado pt ed by t he Nat ha
sect t o which Gahininat h belonged.
And he
himself had read many philosophical works not
only of t he ancient s but of some modern
co mment at o rs as well, such as Mukundaraj and
some of t he Mahanubhavas. No w he felt drawn to
address so me o f t hese cont emporary issues, and he
spo ke o ft en wit h Nivrit t i o f his t ho ught s and
feelings in regard t o t he doct rines of some of t he
more popular sect s t hen act ive in Maharasht ra.
Nivrit t i saw t hat Jnandev was burst ing st ill
wit h creat ive energy and desired t o speak his
mind fully, and so, one day he said t o Jnaneshvar,
Look, your Bhavartadipika is finished; but yo u
have more t o say. I wish you would writ e an
independent work, fo llo wing yo ur o wn guidelines,
68

and
expressing
your
own
philosophical
underst anding.
Jnaneshvar was delight ed.
Immediat ely fired wit h ent husiasm, nearly
exploding
wit h
t ho ught s,
he
began
t he
co mpo sit io nalone t his t imeof his own book of
myst ical knowledge.
He had adopt ed t he
t ermino lo gy o f t he Vaishnavas in his t reat ment o f
t he Bhagavad Gita, using t he name o f Vishnu and
of Krishna who was his incarnat ion t o represent
t he Abso lut e, t he Godhead; t his t ime, he would
ut ilize t he t ermino lo gy o f Gahininat h and t he
Shaivit es, and use t he name of Shiva t o represent
t he Go dhead.
In Jnaneshvari, his comment ary on t he Gita, he
had confo rmed t o t he t ermino lo gy o f Vyasa, and
had ut ilized t he ancient Sankhya t erms, Purusha
and Prakrti t o speak of t he apparent division
bet ween t he t ranscendent and t he immanent
aspect s o f t he o ne Realit y. But Vyasa wrot e log
before Shankara had co me t o revit alize t he
Vedant a philosophy, and long before Buddhism
had flo o ded and t hen ret reat ed from t he land of
Bharat a.
Much philo so phical haranguing and
much confusion had been promulgat ed in t he
int erim, and it was t o t he dispelling of t hat
co nfusio n t hat Jnandev now addressed himself.
This t ime, it was Jnaneshvar alone who sat in
t he Panchavat i in t he early mo rning, writ ing upo n
his palm leaves, deep in t hought . It was t he
apparent dualit y o f Purusha and Prakrti which
once again occupied his mind, but t his t ime he
spoke of t he as Shiva and Shakti. He had known
t he oneness of God and His creat ive Power; he
had known from his own myst ical experience t hat
God and His wo rld-appearance were inseparable;
and so, conceiving of t hese t wo aspect s of t he
One as divine lo vers, he po rt rayed t hem in his
poet ic imaginat ion as inseparable co mpo nent s o f
69

Realit y, as inseparable as musk and it s fragrance,
o r as fire and it s heat :
I offer obeisance t o t he God (Shiva) and
t he Goddess (Shakti),
The limit less primal parent s of t he
universe.
Because of God, t he Goddess exist s;
And wit ho ut Her, He disappears.
They exist only because of each ot her.
When He embraces Her,
It is His own bliss t hat Shiva enjoys.
He is t he Enjo yer o f everyt hing,
But t here is no enjo yment wit ho ut Her.
She is His fo rm,
But Her beaut y comes from Him.
By t heir int ermingling,
They are t oget her enjoying t his feast .
It was in t his way t hat Jnaneshvar began his
independent wo rk, which he called Amritanubhav
(The Bliss of Myst ical Experience).
Wit h a
brilliant poet ic met aphor, he port rayed t he t wo
abst ract Principles, Shiva and Shakti, as an
ephemeral co uple whose dualit y disappears when
t hey embrace, just as t he opposit es of day and
night bot h disappear at t he breaking o f dawn:
If night and day were t o approach t he Sun,
Bo t h wo uld disappear.
In t he same way, t he dualit y of Shiva and
Shakt i
Would disappear if t heir essent ial unit y
were seen.
Thus he acknowledge t he exist ence of t he
apparent dualit y bet ween t he world-expression and
God, bet ween subject and o bject , yet revealed t he
70

essent ial Unit y from which t hese opposit es are
bo rna Unit y which is experienced by man only
when his soul beco mes who lly merged in Go d.
What Jnaneshvar wrot e in 1290-1291, at t he
age of t went y, t hat bo o k which came t o be kno wn
as Amritanubhav, is, arguably, t he great est poet ic
mast erpiece of myst ical philo so phy ever writ t en.
It remains as a t imeless reassurance t o all who
long for Trut h t hat , t hro ugh lo ve, Go d can be
experienced and kno wn as o nes o wn innermo st
Self.
71

9. A NEW SULTAN COMES TO POWER
In 1287, t he same year t hat saw t he deat h of
Rakhu and t he pilgrimage of Jnaneshvar and his
family, t he reign of Balban, t he great Sult an of
Delhi, came t o an end wit h his deat h; and t he
Muslim po pulace of Delhi was viewing wit h much
apprehension t he ascendancy o f t heir new ruler.
Wit h Balban dead, his grandson, Muiz-uddin
Kaikubad, a handsome ninet een-year old yout h,
was pro claimed t he new Sult an and Emperor of
India. But Muiz-uddin, who had been const rained
t o a life of sensual deprivat ion under his aust ere
grandfat her, no w gave free rein t o his appet it es,
and t urned every day in t he palace int o a gay
orgy of drunken revelry. The hist o rian, Barani,
describes Kaikubads reign in ext ravagant prose:
Volupt uaries and convivialist s, seekers of
pleasure, purveyors of wit , and invent ors of
buffooneries, who had been kept in t he
backgro und, lurking, unemployed, wit hout a
cust o mer fo r t heir wares, now came int o
demand.
Court esans appeared in t he
shadow of every wall, and elegant fo rms
sunned t hemselves on every balcony. Not a
st reet but sent fort h a mast er of melody, or
a chant er of odes.
In every quart er a
singer or a songwrit er lift ed up his head
So t he empero r, Muiz-uddin, and t he nobles
o f his realm and empire, and t he children of
t he peers and princes of his t ime, and t he
gay, t he rich, t he sensualist s and t he
epicures who lived under his rule, one and
all gave t hemselves up t o glut t ony and
idleness and pleasure and merriment , and
t he heart o f high and low alike were
72
A NEW SULTAN COMES TO POWER

engaged in wine and lo ve and so ng and
carnival 1 3
Poor Kaikubad became so ill from his
uncust omary debaucheries t hat he so o n became
unfit t o keep up even a semblance of rulership;
and in 1289, his t hree-year old son was formally
pro claimed Sult an in his st ead.
Meanwhile, a cert ain officer of t he court ,
Malik Yaghrash Firuz, leader of a large influent ial
clan known as t he Khalji, who had recent ly been
appoint ed by Kaikubad as Minist er of t he Army,
suddenly fo und himself under at t ack by some of
t he ot her court no bles who , t hinking t o st em his
po wer, spread abroad t he rumor t hat t he Khaljis
were no t o f pure Turkish st ock. The Khaljis,
t ho ugh lo ngt ime resident s of Afghanist an who had
migrat ed t o India several generat ions back, were,
in fact , of Turkish descent ; but Firuzs o ppo nent s
were bent on prevent ing t he Khaljis from
obt aining any furt her influence, and were plot t ing
t o murder Firuz. Learning of t his plot , Firuz
gat hered t oget her his clans-men and support ers
and t urned t he t ables on his enemies. Wit h t he
army at his command, he made a surprise raid o n
t he palace, and carried away t he t hree year old
Emperor, and sent his men t o dispat ch t he sickly
Kaikubad. Acco rding t o t he hist o rian, Ferisht a,
t hey found Kaikubad I his bedro o m, lying o n his
bed in a dying st at e They beat out his brains
wit h bludgeons, and t hen, ro lling him up in his
bed-clo t hes, t hree him o ut o f t he windo w int o t he
river. 1 4
Aft er so me t ime, when he had est ablished his
po wer o ver all t he government forces, Firuz had
t he infant Emperor murdered as well, and on June
13, 1290, he pro claimed himself Sult an Jalal-uddin
Firuz Khalji.
73

Thus, t he revolut ion of t he Khaljis put an end
t o t he previous reign o f t he Ilbari Turks. And,
t hough t he new Sult an, Jalal-uddin, appo int ed
many of his own relat io ns t o t he mo st valued
posit ions in t he government , he kept on many of
t he old guard as well.
Malik Chhajju, for
example, who was nephew t o Balban and t he only
survivo r o f t he lat e royal family, was allowed t o
ret ain t he fiefdom of t he subst ant ially large
pro vince o f Kera; but Jalal-uddins own younger
bro t her, enno bled as Yaghrush Khan, was
appoint ed Minist er of t he Army; and his nephews,
Ala-uddin and Almas Beg, received import ant
post s, and his t hree sons were given t he t it les of
Khan Khanan, Arkali Khan, and Kadr Khan.
Sult an Jalal-uddin was not a young man; he was
already sevent y years old when he ascended t he
t hrone at Delhi. As a lifelong soldier, by now he
had beco me t ired of killing, and had become
ext remely lenient and good-nat ured even t oward
his avowed enemies.
In fact , because of his
unduly genero us at t it ude t oward t hose who
out right ly opposed him, so me o f t he peo ple clo se
t o him t hought him a bit feeble-minded and
incapable o f pro viding t he st rengt h required of a
ruler.
One example of t he Sult ans leniency
occurred when Malik Chhajju, t he previo usly
ment ioned nephew of Balban, decided t o make his
bid for t he t hro ne and declared his province of
Kera an independent st at e. Gat hering t o get her
some of t he old Balbanit e no bles, he marched o n
Delhi wit h a large force of men. But he was
defeat ed just out side t he cit y at Badaun by t he
fo rces o f t he Sult an, led by his nephew, Alauddin.
When Malik Chajju and his lieut enant s were
brought before t he Sult an, Jalal-uddin no t o nly
released t hem, but ent ert ained t hem and
74

co mmended t hem on t heir loyalt y t o t heir former
ruler. However, he did t ake away fro m Chhajju
t he fiefdom of Kera, best owing it on his t went yt wo year old nephew, Ala-uddin, who had played
so great a part in subduing t he rebels. There was
at least one occasio n, ho wever, when t he Sult ans
pro verbial leniency did not come t o t he offenders
rescue. It was in t he sad but not ewort hy case of
Sayiddi Maula.
Sayiddi Maula was a Muslim holy man who
inst it ut ed in Delhi an Academy and hospice for
t ravelers,
fakirs,
and
t he
po o r
of
all
deno minat io ns. It is said t hat he t urned no one
away from his do o r. He kept no wo men, no r
slaves, and lived upon rice alone. But he spent
so much money in charit y on feeding and clot hing
t he poor, t hat everyone believed him t o possess
miraculous powers. He gave huge quant it ies o f
gold t o t he needy, po int ing o ut ro cks under which
t he t reasure could be fo und; he t hrew magnificent
feast s, welco ming everyone in t he cit y. Ferisht a,
t he hist orian, records t hat he expended daily on
t he poor, about 1000 maunds of flour, 500
maunds of meat , 200 maunds of sugar, along wit h
rice, o il, but t er, and ot her necessit ies in
pro po rt io n. 1 5
One day, a man came t o t he Sult an, saying t hat
he had overheard Sayiddi Maula plot t ing t o
assassinat e t he Sult an; and so Sayiddi Maula was
o rdered bro ught t o t he court under arrest . As he
prot est ed innocence, and no ot her wit ness
appeared against him, t he Sult an o rdered t hat he
should st and t he ordeal by fire t o prove his
innocence. But just at t he moment t hat Sayiddi
Maula, aft er saying his prayers, was about t o walk
t hrough t he fire, t he Sult an, being advised by his
co unselo rs, decided t hat t his was not a just t rial,
ass t he fire pays no more respect t o t he innocent
75

t han t o t he guilt y.
So he sent enced Sayiddi
Maula t o be held indefinit ely in a dungeon beneath
t he palace.
However, while t hey were t aking
Sayiddi Maula t hrough t he st reet s, t he Sult an
sho ut ed fro m his balco ny t o some o f his
suppo rt ers, Behold t he man who was project ing
such evil against us. I leave him t o be judged by
you, according t o his desert s. Wit h t his, one
man, a religious fanat ic, ran fo rward and began
slashing Sayiddi Maula wit h a razor.
Sayiddi Maula offered no resist ance, but only
asked t he man t o send him t o God immediat ely.
Then he looked up t o t he balco ny where Jalaluddin st ood, and addressed him, saying, I am
rejoiced t hat you have t ho ught t o put an end t o
my life, yet it is sinful t o dist ress t he pio us and
t he innocent ; be assured t hat my curse will lie
heavy upon you and your unfort unat e post erit y!
At t his, t he Sult ans son, Arkali Khan, who hat ed
Sayiddi Maula, and who may have been behind t he
plot t o implicat e him in t reaso n, becko ned t o a
mahout , who was already mount ed at op a large
elephant , t o advance and t rample Sayiddi Maula to
deat h.
Zia-uddin Barani, who wit nessed t he carrying
o ut of t his order, report s t hat immediat ely aft er
t he deat h of Sayiddi Maula, a black whirlwind
arose, which, for t he space of half an hour,
changed day int o night , and drove t he people in
t he st reet s against one anot her, so t hat t hey could
scarcely find t heir ways home. He went on t o say
t hat , during t hat ent ire year of 1291, no rain fell
in t ho se pro vinces, and a famine ensued, killing
t ho usands o f cit izens who died daily in t he st reet s
and highways, while whole families drowned
t hemselves in t he river. The Sult ans eldest son,
Khan Khanan, died, falling vict im t o t he pestilence
which followed.
76
II
Short ly aft er t his incident , t he Sult an, Jalaluddin, led an expedit ion t o Rant hambhor, but
when t he Rana of Rant hambho r shut himself and
his army inside t he fort , t he Sult an decided not t o
besiege it , saying t hat he did no t co nsider t en
such fort s wo rt h a single hair of a Muslims head;
and he ret urned t o Delhi on June 3, 1291. In t he
year 1292, Hulagu Khan, grandson of Ghengis
Khan, invaded nort hern India wit h over 100,000
t ro o ps, and Jalal-uddin, at t he head of his army,
went fo rward t o meet t hem. Aft er a great bat t le,
Jalal-uddin defeat ed t he Mongols, and t ook about
a t ho usand prisoners.
He did not pursue his
vict ory, however, but inst ead offered peace t o t he
Mongols, and safe passage. The invaders gladly
accept ed Jalal-uddins offer, and several t housand
o f t hem co nsent ed t o become Muslims in order t o
remain as cit izens o f Delhi. Jalal-uddin sealed
t his pact by giving o ne o f his daught ers in
marriage t o Hulagu Khan, and a happy peace was
t hereby affect ed.
Meanwhile, around t his same t ime, Ala-uddin,
t he Sult ans nephew, at his est at e in Kera, had
been lavishly ent ert aining a group of disaffect ed
no bles who had been t he suppo rt ers o f t he illfat ed Malik Chhajju. It was t o Ala-uddin t hat
t hey were no w o ffering t heir support . It would
be a simple mat t er, t hey assured him, t o t ake t he
t hrone from his dim-wit t ed uncle, if o nly he co uld
so meho w amass sufficient funds t o hire and out fit
an army. That , t hey said, had been t he deficiency
in Malik Chhajjus coup at t empt ; he hadnt had
eno ugh mo ney t o support a sufficient ly large
army. Ala-uddin t hought about t his, and he saw
77

t hat he would have t o build up a force gradually,
so t hat o ne day, one day
One day, in t he year 1294, Ala-uddin went t o
his uncle at court and suggest ed t hat he t ake a
small force of men and at t ack t he cit y o f Bhilsa
which lay just so ut h o f his o wn go verno rship o f
Kera, and where t here had recent ly been some
rebellious uprisings. The Sult an readily approved,
fo r he was very proud of and lovingly disposed
t oward his brave and charming nephew. And so,
sho rt ly t hereaft er, Ala-uddin set out at t he head
o f his o wn army t oward t he unguarded t own of
Bhilsa. It was an easy vict ory. Ala-uddin sacked
t he cit y, and dest royed t he Hindu t emples, t aking
a pair of large brass ido ls t o be carried back wit h
him t o Delhi and buried at t he Badaun gat es so
t hey might be t ro d upo n by t he fait hful o f Islam,
as was t he cust om.
It was while t here at Bhilsa t hat o ne o f Alauddins generals remarked t o him t hat it was a
pit y t hat it was no t t he rich kingdo m o f Devgiri
t hat t hey were t aking, for t he t reasure
accumulat ed t here was beyond any mans dreams.
Ala-uddin looked sout h, t oward t he Vindhya
mount ain slopes beyond which lay t he kingdom of
Devgiri, and at t hat moment a plan was hat ched in
his mind.
When Ala-uddin ret urned t o Delhi wit h his
boot y, and t urned over most of it t o his uncle,
Jalal-uddin was very pleased wit h his fine young
nephew, and, as a reward, co nferred o n him t he
governorship of Oudh, in addit ion t o his present
governorship of Kera.
Ala-uddin, playing t he
worshipful nephew, lovingly expressed his
grat it ude, and t hen proposed t hat when t he
revenues fro m Kera and Oudh were collect ed at
t he end o f t he year, he be allowed t o use t hem
for t he o ut fit t ing o f a small army fo r t he purpo se
78

of conquering yet anot her rich cit y, t he cit y of
Chandheri, just t o t he sout hwest of Kera.
Again pleased wit h t he zeal of his apparent ly
dut iful and conscient io us nephew, Jalal-uddin
readily assent ed. How fort unat e, he t hought t o
himself, t o have a real warrior in t he family, t o
fill t he co ffers of t he Sult anat e and t o defend t he
holy religion of t he Pro phet . Lat er, when his
wife, Mullika Jehan, warned t he Sult an t o be wary
of so ambit ious a yo ung prince, Jalal-uddin o nly
laughed. Dont be ridiculous! he chided; I
raised t hat bo y, and he loves me like a fat her.
His o nly wish is t o serve t he Empire and t o make
his old uncle proud of him. How suspicious you
are, woman! The bo y is t he so n o f my bro t her; I
t rust him wit h my life!
Mullika Jehan only
sighed, kno wing it was useless t o prot est any
furt her.
III
As Ala-uddin ret urned from Delhi t o Kera on
ho rseback wit h his ent ourage, his general, Nusrat
Khan, rode closely alongside him. So, said
Nasrut Khan, happily, he agreed t o an invasion
of Chandheri! When t o we go?
No t t ill February when t he hot season
begins, answered Ala-uddin.
Why wait so lo ng? It s o nly a sho rt jo urney!
We co uld be back before our fires have died out .
But were not going t o Chandheri, said Alauddin.
But you said
Ala-uddin smiled at t he bewilderment of his
general; We will appear t o be going t o
Chandheri, he said, but we will t urn due sout h
and head int o t he mount ains before we reach
Chandheri.
79

For a moment , Nasrut Khan looked puzzled;
t hen his eyes widened, and he exclaimed,
Devgiri!
Shhh , whispered Ala-uddin, looking
around t o see who might have heard.
By t he beard of Allah! Nasrut Khan
whispered t his t ime. And t hen he laughed aloud,
excit ed and delight ed by t he t ho ught o f t aking t he
resplendent cit y of gold, t he fable kingdom of t he
Yadavas Devgiri, t he mount ain of God.
IV
The great fort ressed cit y of Devgiri lay several
hundred miles t o t he sout h, on t he ot her side of
t he rugged Vindhya mount ains, and t hrough
t reacherous jungles; moreover, it was unreachable
except t hrough unfriendly Hindu kingdoms which
might , t hemselves, give bat t le, or warn of any
appro ach t o Devgiri. The walled cit y of Devgiri
it self sat upon t he t op of a massive cone-shaped
hill 640 feet high, accessible by only one
passageway which could be effect ively sealed. All
around it st ret ched t he vast plains o f t he Deccan
as far as one could see, precluding surprise.
Never had t he kingdo m o f Devgiri been
invaded by a foreign enemy. It was regarded by
everyo ne as impregnable. On it s nort hern border
st o o d t he mount ain range; t o t he so ut h, t he
po werful Ho ysala kingdom wit h it s capit al at
Dwarasamudra; t o t he east , t he Ganapat i armies at
Telingana in Rajmundri; and t o t he west , t he
West ern Ghat s. Thus, Devgiri was isolat ed and
prot ect ed from all foreign infilt rat ion by great
powerful kingdo ms and nat ural barriers which
80

surro unded it . Since t he 10 t h cent ury, t he Muslim
invaders had poured int o India from t he nort h,
and never had t hey present ed a t hreat t o Devgiri;
but t his was t he end o f t he 13 t h cent ury, and t he
wo lfish Ala-uddin was hungry for conquest .
It is highly unlikely t hat Jnaneshvar and his
family, who had been living happily at Nevasa for
mo st o f t his t ime, relat ively isolat ed from t he
concerns of t he world, were even aware of t he
deat h of Balban and t he chain of event s which
fo llo wed upo n it in far-off Delhi. They were
ent irely engro ssed in t heir spirit ual st udies and
pract ices and in t heir service t o Go d, wit ho ut t he
slight est inkling of t he effect t hat event s in Delhi
would soon have o n t heir dest iny.
81

10.THE PILGRIMS OF PANDHARPUR
In t he year 1293, Swami Sat chidananda died
peacefully in his sleep. His heart just st opped,
t he do ct o r fro m t he village said.
And t he
youngst ers, as o ne, realized t hat t heir st ay at
Nevasa had come t o an end.
In Pandharpur, Gods name is sung day and
night t o t he so und of music, said Jnaneshvar one
evening as t hey all sat at t heir meal. Nivrit t i kept
eat ing silent ly wit h his head bo wed as usual.
So pan lo o ked quickly fro m o ne t o ano t her and
glanced at Mukt abai. Mukt abai was t rying not t o
smile, but she could not conceal it . Everyone
knew aft er t hat t hat t hey were going t o
Pandharpur.
They had been at t he quiet lit t le monast ery in
Nevasa fo r six wonderful years. And now t hey
were off on a new advent uret o Pandharpur, t he
cit y o f Go d, a cit y o f t o wering t emples, where t he
so und o f kirtana and dancing filled t he st reet s,
where Panduranga himself st ood gleaming and
giving his blessing t o t he children o f t he cit y.
Pandharpur!
The so und o f t he name sang in
Mukt abais heart , and she was so filled wit h
excit ement and fabulous dreams t hat she could
scarcely bear it .
When will we go? she
whispered so ft ly t o Jnandev.
So o n, he said.
Mukt abai clung t o his arm and squeezed it wit h
excit ement . But when? she urged.
We must inform t he officials in t he t own t hat
we are leaving; t hen we will go.
Oh!
I will have t o st art packing
everyt hing! Oh! And Mukt abai began t o laugh
as she hugged her brot her and swung him around
in her embrace.
82
THE PILGRIMS OF PANDHARPUR
Wit hin t wo days t hey were ready t o go . Early in

t he morning t hey gat hered in t he Panchavat i t o
medit at e and t o t hank t he Lord for t heir beaut iful
ho me fo r t he past six years, and t o request His
blessing o n t heir journey. They laid flowers on
Swami Sat chidanandas sandals, which had been
left o n t he alt ar in t he Panchavat i; t hen Jnandev
hugged t he great peepul t ree under which he had
sat t o writ e his Bhavarthadipika and his
Amritanubhav.
He t o uched his head t o t he
gro und, and t o ok one more look at t he place
where he had so oft en communed in t he early
mo rning wit h his Lord; and t hen he joined t he
o t hers o n t he road in fro nt o f t he monast ery.
Wit h one final salut e t o t heir lovely monast ery,
t hey set off t hree young men, a girl of
ninet een, and a nanny goat t o provide t hem milk
t he part ing gift of t he cit izens of Nevasa, laden
high wit h food, clo t hing and ut ensils o n t he
road t o Pandharpur.
II
The records are very scant concerning t he next
few years of t he life of Jnaneshvar and his family,
but it appears t hey all went first t o Alandi, where
t hey spent a few joyful days wit h t heir mat ernal
grandparent s and o t her relat ives, and then traveled
o n t o get her so ut heast , alo ng t he banks o f t he
Bhima river, t oward t he enchant ing and ho ly cit y
of Pandharpur.
Ho w Pandharpur came t o be a holy cit y t o
which t housands of pilgrims t raveled each year
had been t old t o Jnaneshvar and his siblings by
t heir fat her long ago . Acco rding t o t he legend, a
yo ung man by t he name of Pundalik lived t here at
one t ime who was ext rao rdinarily dedicat ed t o t he
83

service o f Go d in t he form of his parent s. All
day long, he worked t o care for t heir every need.
One day so t he st ory goes , while he was
scrubbing t he flo o rs o f his parent s ho me, t he
Lord Krishna, having heard o f Pundaliks singleminded devo t io n, came in person t o pay him a
visit . Pundalik, ho wever, was so t o t ally abso rbed
in his work, scrubbing t he flo o r, t hat he had no
t ime fo r visit o rs. And so, t ossing a brick t o
Krishna, he t o ld him t o st and on t hat while he
scrubbed around him. Krishna obligingly st ood on
t he brick, and was so impressed by t he onepoint ed dedicat io n o f Pundalik t hat he caused his
own form t o become solidified in t his pose as a
st at ue, o r murti, t hus making a present o f his o wn
form t o Pundalik. No o ne knew whet her t his
st o ry was t rue o r not , but at least it o ffered an
explanat ion of why t he murti of Krishna in t he
t emple of Pandharpur was st anding o n a brick
wit h his hands o n his hips.
Over t he years, many miracles were at t ribut ed
t o t his st at ue, and it came t o be regarded by
many devot ees as t he act ual form of Krishna.
Kirtana (devo t io nal singing) was performed t o it
day and night , and each year a gala fest ival was
held by t he Varkaris (Pandharpur devot ees), in
which t he form of Krishna was carried t hro ugh the
st reet s o f t he cit y t o t he sound of cymbals and
mridungs, and t he singing of:
Vitthale!
Vitthale!
Jaya Jaya
Jaya Jaya
Vitthale!
Vitthale!
Vitthale!
Vitthale!
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Krishna had so many names, no o ne knew t hem
all; but in Pandharpur he was kno wn o nly by a
few special names: he was called Vitthale (Veet ha-lay), or Vitthala (Veet -ha-la), or Panduranga
(Pan-dew-ran-ga), or Vithoba (Veet -ho-ba).
Jnaneshvar walked happily along t he road wit h
his brot hers and sist er t hinking o f ho w he wo uld
soon be seeing Panduranga at last . He had eat en
well at Alandi and had rest ed well, and he felt
very st ro ng and exuberant as he walked along in
t he dawning sunshine t o ward Pandharpur. A so ng
began in his heart , and he gave vo ice t o it in t he
clear mo rning air:
Rama Krishna Hare
Mukunda Murare
Rama Krishna Hare
Mukunda Murare
Panduranga! Panduranga!
Panduranga! Panduranga!
Panduranga Hare
Panduranga Hare
The o t hers t ook up t he chant , and t hey sang it
nearly all t he way t o Pandharpur.
At last , Jnandev and his family had arrived at
t he o ut skirt s o f t he ho ly cit y. It was nearly dusk
o f t he t hird day of t heir journey, and t hey were
all t ired and hungry as t hey made t heir way int o
t he cit y; but t hey knew t hey had t o go t o t he
t emple first t o kneel befo re Vit t hala and o ffer
t hanks fo r t heir safe arrival The t emple was t he
largest and most beaut iful any of t hem had ever
seen. It was surrounded wit h a porch of marble
wit h marble st eps, and reached int o t he sky like a
huge juggernaut . At t he ent rance were beaut iful
85

st at ues, also made of marble, of t he heavenly
guards ho lding crossed maces.
As t hey ent ered, t hey caught sight o f Vit ho ba
right away.
Black as pit ch, wit h a go ld
embroidered red silk shawl draped around it s
sho ulders and garlands of fragrant flowers about
it s neck, it st ood, shining, at t he front of t he
t emple. Two priest s sat nearby behind a lo w
silver railing, and a few pilgrims were prost rat ing
before t he murti.
Each of t he youngst ers approached t he st at ue
in t urn; Jnandev approached it , following Mukt i,
his eyes wide in admirat ion for t he supernat ural
splendo r o f t he glo rious Vit ho ba who sho ne wit h
a living light . Prost rat ing fully on t he floor, he
offered his heart t o t he Lo rd, and felt himself
swallo wed in a blinding, all-embracing, luminous
bliss, which mo ved up his spine and poured like
liquid go lden nect ar int o his ecst at ic brain. For a
mo ment , Jnaneshvar lost all recollect ion of where
he was. Then, becoming aware of t he impropriet y
of remaining t here on t he floor, he rose and made
his way t o t he rear of t he t emple where he sat
wit h his back against t he marble wall.
The t ears flo wed from t he out er corners of his
eyes and down his cheeks uncont rollably. He felt
as t hough t he Lo rd were caressing him, and, wit h
each st roke of His hand, raised a t hrill t hat moved
upward along his spine only t o burst in a shower
of almost unbearable joy wit hin his brain. O
Hari, Hari, Hari! he repeat ed in his mind. He
opened his eyes and lo o ked at t he dark st at ue
facing him from t he ot her end of t he t emple. It
seemed t o be smiling at him, and in it s post ure,
wit h hands o n hips, seemed t o be saying, Well,
what did you expect !
Jnaneshvar closed his eyes and once again
ret urned t o t he inner effulgence t hat seemed t o be
86

emanat ing fro m t he t op of his head.
As he
fo cused o n t his light , his t iredness dissolved, and
his mind became ext raordinarily alert and clear
and st ill. The veil of separat e ident it y lift ed, and
all at o nce, t here was no more Jnaneshvar, no
mo re t emple, no more Lord of Jnaneshvar; no
more anyt hing but t he one int ensely awake Being
who quiet ly experienced himself as everyt hing.
When he o pened his eyes again, Mukt i and
Nivrit t i and Sopan were kneeling beside him, and
Mukt i was applying a cold t owel t o his head.
Soon t hey were all laughing, as t hey were off t o
find some t emporary shelt er, and t o prepare a
meal aft er t heir long journey. For t he next few
days, Jnaneshvar st ayed close t o t he t emple.
During t he day, he sat in his usual spo t against
t he wall, and wro t e so ngs t o Go d. One o f t he
abhangas (devo t io nal so ngs) he wro t e at t his
t ime, began:
O Panduranga, I came t o see you,
But when we met , you disappeared.
Yet , more amazing t han t hat ,
Yo u made me disappear as well.
Now, I ask yo u, O Hari,
Where is t he seer and where is t he seen?
In t he evenings, t he people of Pandharpur
gat hered in t he t emple for arati, t he waving o f a
t ray o f lit o il-soaked wicks in worship of t he
murti; and lat er, many came t o sing kirtana.
There were mridungs (a large t wo-headed drum),
and tablas (co nsist ing of t wo small high-pit ched
drums, played t o get her), and vinas (a large gourdshaped st ring inst rument wit h a lo ng neck t hat is
plucked and pro duces a harmonious drone). The
music wo uld begin wit h a slow, plaint ive melody:
87
Narayana Narayana
Jaya Govinda Hare
Narayana Narayana
Jaya Gopala Hare
Aft er so me t ime, t he beat would slowly
increase in t empo t o a driving, pulsat ing rhyt hm,
and t he bodies of t he women would begin t o
sway. Then, gradually, t he music wo uld increase
in volume and int ensit y, along wit h t he beat , t o
beco me a rising, swelling, t ide of call and
respo nse, reaching t o a final shat t ering crescendo
of joyous expressio n.
Jnaneshvar had never experienced anyt hing so
wonderful I his life. It s t rue, he t ho ught ; t his
is t he heavenly cit y of joy. Aft er t he kirtana,
hed sit o nce again in his place against t he wall,
and pray t o Hari t o lift him int o t he pure free sky
o f Unit y o nce again. The kirtana drew his heart
and mind t o such height s of longing combined
wit h joy and yet , when he sat t o medit at e, he
found himself drawn int o an ut t er st illness and
peace so profound, he seemed t o flo at in a calm
blue ocean of light and expansive peace.
Jnandev felt he could remain in Pandharpur
fo rever. He felt such t ender and overwhelming
lo ve fo r t he peo ple o f t his cit y, t ho ugh he knew
no o ne at all. They were all angels, of t hat he
was sure. And he would be happy t o remain
forever list ening t o t heir heavenly vo ices singing
t he name of God. There were a number of young
men, around his own age, who came regularly t o
t he t emple fo r t he kirtana, some o f who m o ft en
remained behind, like himself, t o sit for a long
while at t he rear of t he t emple.
88

One morning, when he went t o bat he in t he
river, he saw t here one of t he young men whom
he had oft en seen at t he t emple. The young man
salut ed him and Jnandev o ffered his namaskar in
ret urn. Lat er in t he morning, aft er his medit at ion,
when he saw t he young man coming out of t he
t emple, he decided t o speak t o him; but befo re he
could speak, t he young man addressed him,
saying, Hello, friend.
Where do you come
from?
Jnaneshvar t old him, and asked t he young man
if he lived permanent ly at Pandharpur. Yes, he
said, but Ive o nly been here a few mo nt hs; I
recent ly arrived here from near Devgiri.
I, t oo, am a recent arrival t o Pandharpur,
said Jnaneshvar; my name is Jnandev.
I am Namadev, said t he young man.
Inst ant ly t he t wo were fast friends. They bo t h
loved God, and lo ved t o sing His name; and t hat
was enough. Jnaneshvar no w had a friend wit h
whom he could t alk and fro m who m he co uld
learn t he kirtana sung in t he t emple. Namadev
sho wed him about t he cit y and t old him t he
hist ory of t he place.
One day, as t hey were sunning t hemselves on
t he bank of t he river, Jnandev said t o Namadev,
Please t ell me somet hing about yourself. I have
t o ld yo u all abo ut my life, my brot hers and sist er,
and no w yo u know everyt hing about me. Now
you must t ell me so met hing abo ut yo urself.
Well, said Namadev, before I came t o
Pandharpur, I was a bandit , a dacoit.
Jnaneshvar laughed, t hinking t he yo ung man
was jo king wit h him.
It s t rue, Namadev insist ed. I was born in
t he village o f Narasi Vamani, just out side Devgiri,
o n Oct o ber 26, 1270. My fat her is Damaset , a
t ailor, and my mo t her is Go nabai.
My o lder
89

bro t her was a member o f a gro up o f rebels who
refused t o pay Raja Ramachandras t axes, or t o
join t he ranks of his army. When I was fourt een,
I joined t hem. We lived in t he forest and kept
wat ch fo r Ramachandras nobles or for a group of
so ldiers t o pass t hrough. When t hey did, we
wo uld surro und t hem and force t hem t o give up
t heir horses and what ever wealt h t hey had wit h
t hem. In t his way, we harassed t he Raja, and
managed t o go on living.
The Raja did not like it . He sent a force of
eight y-four cavalrymen t o seek us o ut in t he
fo rest and eit her t o kill us or t ake us back in
irons. We were only fift een or t went y men, but
we knew t he fo rest , and we had been t old of t heir
co ming. So we set a t rap. All of t hose men
were t rapped in a bog where t heir horses became
st uck, while we fired on t hem wit h arrows from
t he t rees. Nearly all of t he Rajas men were
killed.
So me t ime aft er t hat , I went t o a fest ival at
t he t emple in Ambodhia. I had always loved t o
at t end t he holiday fest ivals, and aft er t hat
massacre in t he forest , I felt t he need t o go t here.
While I was t here, a poor woman came around
begging mo ney. She had scarcely any clot hes on
her bo dy, and she was carrying a sick and hungry
child. So I gave her a few coins, and asked her
how she came t o be in such a st at e. She t o ld me
she had not always been so. She said she had
been a rich woman, married t o an officer in t he
Rajas cavalry, but t hat a few mont hs ago he had
been killed alo ng wit h his ent ire squad of men
when he had gone int o t he fo rest t o hunt do wn
some rebels. And t hat now she was a widow wit h
no o ne t o lo o k aft er her, and had t o sleep o n t he
ground and beg fo r her fo o d.
90

Aft er t hat , I felt t errible; for I knew t hat I
had been amo ng t ho se respo nsible fo r her
co ndit io n. I went int o t he t emple wit h a sickness
in my heart . I want ed t o die. It was a Kali
t emple, and t here was a sword mount ed on t he
wall. I grabbed t he sword of Kali and cut my
t hro at wit h it , in a fit of despair. So saying,
Namadev pulled open his shirt and showed a long
red scar along t he side of his neck.
The blo o d was flying all over t he t emple and
t he priest s began screaming at me t hat I was
po llut ing t he t emple, and t hey caught me and
t hrew me o ut . My friends came t hen, and t ook
me away and bandaged my neck. I had resolved
t o die, t o at o ne for t his life of killing; but I had
failed t o die. I felt t hat t he Lord had spared me
for some reason. I t hen reso lved t o spend t he
rest o f my life repent ing of my deeds and praying
t o Go d. And so I have come t o Pandharpur, t o
seek Gods mercy, and t o give my life t o Him.
Jnaneshvar was ast o nished and ho rrified at
Namadevs st o ry, but at t he same t ime he was
filled wit h lo ving compassion for t his brave young
man. Ive heard it said, he t old Namadev, t hat
it is t ho se who m t he Lord loves most t hat He
mo st severely t est s. And He must love you since
He filled yo ur heart wit h love for Him and
brought you t o t his heavenly place.
Yes, said Namadev; I believe t hat . Now I
spend my t ime writ ing songs t o Hari. Would you
care t o hear one of my songs?
Jnaneshvar expressed his eagerness t o hear o ne
of his songs, and Namadev began t o sing in a
sweet voice:
O Lord, Thy name is t his blind
mans st aff;
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Poor and wret ched, Lo rd, I have no
suppo rt but Thy name.
Merciful and co mpassio nat e, Tho u
art my bount iful Lord;
Ever present before me, Thou
pervadest all t hings.
Thou art t he ocean of beneficence,
showering infinit e wealt h.
Tho u art bo t h t he giver and t he
t aker; t here is none else but Thee.
Ho w may I know Thee?
Thou
Thyself art my wisdom and my
visio n;
O ever forgiving God, Thou art
Namas beloved Lord. 1 6
Jnaneshvar became filled wit h emot ion as he
sat list ening t o Namadevs so ng. Cho ked wit h
happiness, he sat st ill for a long while, holding
Namas hand bet ween his own t wo. I believe,
said Jnaneshvar, t hat one day He will reveal
Himself t o yo u, and you will awaken His love in
t he heart s o f many ot hers t hrough your beaut iful
so ngs.
Do yo u t hink so?
Jnandev smiled; I know so, he said. And
from t hat moment on, he and Namadev shared a
deep bond of love.
III
Jnaneshvar and Namadev so o n became well
kno wn amo ng t he frequent ers of t he t emple. Both
o f t hem began t o lead t he kirtan by singing t heir
own devot ional so ngs. But it was Jnaneshvar
92

who , in t ime, became t he cent er of a small group
o f devo t ees and was regarded as a sort of boywo nder amo ng t hem. He was revered as much for
his perso nal sweet ness and compassion wit h t hose
around him as he was fo r his superio r learning
and divine experiences.
His devo t io nal so ngs
became well known and were copied out and sung
by ot hers as well. In t his way, his name became
kno wn t o a large segment of t hose who
frequent ed t he evening kirtana in t he t emple; and
oft en when he spoke wit h a few young men about
t he need t o know God as t heir own innermost
Self, t he cro wd inevit ably expanded as t he devout
gat hered t o hear t he words of t he young saint in
t heir midst .
Among t hose closest t o Jnaneshvar were, of
co urse, his immediat e family, and his dear friend,
Namadev; and t hen t here was Vishobha Kechar,
who was Namadevs Guru; and Go ra, who had
been a pot t er in t he t own of Teradhokhi; and
Cho ka, a bricklayer from Sangli, who was an
unt ouchable.
And t here was also Samvat a, a
gardener; Narahari, a goldsmit h; and Janabai,
Namadevs maidservant , who was also a composer
of songs of love t o her Lo rd.
To get her, t his group of young men and women
formed a corps of earnest lovers of God around
who m many o t hers found great joy. During t he
day, t hey wo rked at t heir t rades, and at night t hey
gat hered I t he t emple t o sing, t o chant Go ds
name t o t he sound of drums and t amburas, flut es
and t ambo urines. Fo r much o f t he night t hey
wo uld ro ck jo yfully o n t he waves o f song, o n t he
ocean of sweet ness, t ill, in t he early hours of t he
morning, t hey would at last make t heir way
happily homeward.
IV
93
One day, Jnaneshvar received a let t er, handed

t o him by a st ranger, fro m a yo gi by t he name o f
Changadev, who lived nearby in t he hills out side
Pandharpur. Changadev was perhaps t he mo st
famous, and reput edly, t he mo st po werful, ascet ic
in all o f Maharasht ra. He was said t o possess
great wealt h and a very large following of
disciples, who regarded him as a supernat ural
being, a Siddha whose ext raordinarily miraculous
powers could accomplish what ever he desired.
When Jnaneshvar was t old t hat t he let t er handed
t o him was fro m t he great Changadev, he was
quit e surprised, but also delight ed. No doubt
Changadev had heard of him, just as he had heard
of Changadev.
Perhaps he is pro po sing a
meet ing, t hought Jnandev as he unsealed t he
leat her scroll. But when he had o pened it , he
found only a blank sheet . There was not hing
writ t en o n it at all.
Fo r so me t ime, Jnaneshvar t ho ught abo ut t his
curious communicat ion; and t hen he discussed it
wit h his brot her, Nivrit t i.
No doubt , t he man is challenging you t o a
so rt o f game, said Nivrit t i.
A game? What do you mean?
You see, Changadev, t he great yo gi, who is
revered by his devo t ees as a go d, has heard abo ut
t his young fellow called Jnaneshvar, and he is
curio us; yet , at t he same t ime, he must be
caut ious, he must preserve his dignit y and
superiorit y. How would it look if so great a man
were t o writ e t o so young and insignificant a man
seeking a meet ing.
Some would say he was
seeking your favo r. So , while he has sent yo u a
let t er, he has no t sent yo u a let t er. Do nt yo u
see?
94

Jnaneshvar smiled. Yes, I t hink you are right.
But I have no reput at ion t o uphold; I will answer
his let t er. And I will ask him t o come and meet
us. What do you t hink?
I t hink t hat would be good, said Nivrit t i.
Speak t o him wit h great respect and reverence,
wit h t he awareness t hat he is t he very
manifest at ion of Go d, t hat he is yo ur very o wn
Self, and he will great love for us. Perhaps, t hen,
he will co me t o visit us.
Yes. Thank you, dear brot her; t hat s just
what I shall do, said Jnaneshvar.
And he
gat hered up his writ ing mat erials and sat down t o
writ e his reply t o Changadev.
(See t he
Changadev Pasashti, Let t er To Changadev, in
Bo o k Two o f t his vo lume).
It was several weeks lat er, aft er t heir morning
medit at io n and prayers in t he t emple, t hat
Jnaneshvar, Nivrit t i, So pan and Mukt abai, having
t aken a sho rt walk t o t he edge o f t o wn, were
sit t ing on a low st o ne wall, t alking and enjo ying
t he co o l mo rning air. Having so recent ly come
fro m t heir medit at io ns in t he t emple, t hey were all
feeling very light -headed and gay, st ill immersed
in t he sweet ness of cont emplat ion of God.
In t he dist ance, a small group of t ravelers
co uld be seen approaching t he cit y gat es on foot
along t he dust y ro ad. As t he gro up appro ached
nearer, it became apparent t hat t he large, barrelchest ed man in t he lead was a yogi, and t hat t he
o t hers were his followers. This very st alwart and
impressive looking yogi wore t he skin of a t iger
on his body, and his hair was piled o n t o p o f his
head, int ert wined wit h st rands of rudraksha beads.
He wore a full beard sprinkled wit h whit e, and
t he t hree whit e ash marks o f Shiva st o o d o ut o n
his fo rehead wit h a vermillion st reak bet ween his
eyebrows.
95

Jnaneshvar leapt do wn fro m his seat o n t he
wall, and t he ot hers followed.
They st ood
respect fully beside t he ent rance t o t he cit y t o
salut e and welcome t he handsome yogi and his
ent o urage. Wit h t heir hands held palms-t oget her
at t heir chest s, t hey bowed t heir heads in t he
t radit io nal namaskar as he drew near. The yogi
paused and st opped before t he youngst ers. Om
nama Shivaya, said Jnaneshvar; we welcome you
t o t he cit y o f Pandharpur.
I t hank yo u, said t he yogi. Perhaps you
can t ell me where I might find t he dwelling of a
young man called Jnaneshvar, t he poet .
Cert ainly, I could, sir, said Jnaneshvar,
since I am Jnaneshvar.
But it is you I have come t o meet ! exclaimed
t he yo gi. I am Changadev.
But it is you we have come t o meet ! said
Jnaneshvar; and everyo ne t here laughed, as t he
t wo men st o o d beaming at each ot her. Perhaps,
said Jnandev, it is Hari who has arranged t o
meet Himself in t his way by bringing us t oget her.
Everyone smiled in agreement t o t his, as
Jnaneshvar and Changadev embraced lovingly,
Then, aft er int roducing his family t o Changadev,
Jnaneshvar invit ed him and his ent ourage t o t heir
humble dwelling where a large feast was prepared.
It was o nly lat er, as t hey sat in t he shade o f a
huge neem t ree, t hat Changadev revealed t he
purpo se o f his visit :
My dear brot her, he began, I was great ly
moved by your wo nderful let t er; and I have co me
t o invit e you t o jo in me in a pilgrimage t o Kashi.
At amavashya, t he New Moon of Oct ober, I will
depart for t he nort h; I will pass t hrough Prayag,
Gaya, and ot her ho ly tirthas o n my way. I am
t aking a number o f peo ple wit h me in my
co mpany, and I would be great ly honored if you
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and your gracio us family wo uld jo in me as my
guest s.
Kashi mused Jnandev. He was t hinking of
t he t ales his fat her had t o ld o f t he glo rio us cit y
on t he Ganges, and o f t he dream his fat her had o f
one day t aking his so ns t o t hat ho ly cit y. The
Muslims no w called it Benares; but t o Hindus, it
would always be Kashi. How long will you be
go ne? asked Jnaneshvar.
Perhaps a year; perhaps longer, Changadev
replied.
And I must ment ion also t hat t his
journey is not wit hout dangers. The Khalji rulers
have swarmed o ver much of t hese nort hern lands,
and everywhere we will meet wit h unfriendly and
alien peoples. It will not be an easy journey.
Jnaneshvar cast a quick glance at Nivrit t i; t hen
he said, It is very kind of you t o invit e us, holy
fat her. We are very happy t hat yo u have t ho ught
t o include us in your plans. Let us discuss t his
idea amongst ourselves, and I will give you an
answer.
Of co urse, my son, said Changadev. We will
st ay t he night in Pandharpur and will leave at
dawn. Yo u have plent y of t ime t o t alk it over.
And t onight you could perhaps show me your
famo us t emple and your equally famous kirtana.
It will be my great est happiness, dear
Changadeva. And I shall int ro duce yo u t o my
friends. Yo u will love t hem, and t hey will be
equally delight ed t o meet you.
Lat er t hat night , Namadev and his maidservant,
Janabai, were also invit ed t o join t he pilgrimage.
And aft er much discussion among t hem, it was
decided; t hey would go. And so, on t he New
Mo o n o f Oct o ber, 1295, Jnaneshvar, Nivrit t i,
So pan and Mukt abai, along wit h Namadev and
Janabai, gat hered in t he t emple o f Vit ho ba t o ask
Krishnas blessing o n t heir lo ng jo urney. It was
97

st ill early in t he morning when t hey set out from
Pandharpur t o join Changadev and his co mpany on
t heir great advent ure int o t he nort h count ry.
98
ON THE ROAD TO KASHI

11.
ON THE ROAD TO K ASHI
It was a dangerous t ime t o t ravel so far int o

t he t errit o ries ruled by t he Muslim Sult anat e. The
ro ads were t eeming wit h dacoits, and revolut ion
and warfare were rampant t hro ugho ut t he land.
The large number of people in Changadevs part y,
and t heir no t iceable impoverishment no doubt
served in t heir favor t o discourage dacoits, and t o
o ffer no t empt at io n t o greedy rulers o f t he
vario us princi-palit ies t hrough which t hey passed.
They were merely a band of harmless ascet ics,
religious it inerant s, who offered neit her t hreat nor
advant age t o anyo ne; and so t hey were free t o go
along t heir way wit h no t ro uble fro m anyo ne.
St ill, as t hey passed t hrough t he t roubled land
t hey wit nessed, I t he faces of t he people and in
t he ruined t o wns, t he violence which had afflict ed
t he co unt ry. They came across many hundreds of
people whose lands had been invaded, who se
t emples had been desecrat ed and pulled do wn,
who se sho ps had been pillaged, whose children
had been murdered or enslaved. And whenever
t hey could, t hey offered food and clot hing t o
t hose widows and children who were t he vict ims
of t hese act s.
Kashi had lo ng been in t he hands of t he
Muslim invaders, since it was first t aken by t he
Ghurid general, Bakht yar Khalji in t he year 1206;
and it had frequent ly been in t he hands o f t he
Sult anat e since t hat t ime. Now, as t hey neared
t he holy cit y on t he Ganges, t hey were ent ering
deeply int o t errit o ry ruled by t he Muslim
co nquero rs.
One evening, as t he gro up o f t ravelers made
camp beside t he Ganges, a lo ne man appro ached
t hem o n fo o t . He was o ld and his clo t hing was
t at t ered, but st ill t he ochre color of t he clot h
99

showed plainly. He was a sannyasin, a wandering
monk, and he loo ked very hungry and weary. The
man was invit ed t o share t heir evening meal and
t he ho spit alit y of t heir camp for t he night ; and as
t he pilgrims t alked wit h t he sannyasin, t hey
learned t hat he had come recent ly from t he t own
of Bhilsa, near Chandheri. He had been serving
as an assist ant t o t he priest s in a large t emple
t here when Ala-uddin Khalji had sacked t he cit y.
And no w he wandered sout hward along t he banks
o f t he Ganges, hoping t o escape t he Muslim
armies. While t he women prepared t heir meal, the
men gat hered around t he old sannyasin t o hear his
t ale.
All t he t emples in our land have fallen int o
neglect , he said; worship in t hem has st opped.
Wit hin t heir walls t he fright ful howls of t he
jackals have t aken t he place of t he sweet
reverberat ions of t he mridunga.
The sweet
fragrance o f t he smoke of t he homa fire and t he
chant ing o f t he Vedas have desert ed t he villages
which are no w filled wit h t he foul smell of
roast ed flesh and t he fierce noise of t he ruffian
Turushkas (Turkish Muslims). The beaut iful
gardens o f t he cit ies now present a most painful
sight ; many o f t heir beaut iful cocoanut palms have
been cut down; and on every side are seen rows
o f st akes fro m which swing st rings of human
skulls. The rivers flo w red wit h t he blo o d o f t he
slaught ered co ws. The Veda is forgot t en, and
just ice has gone int o hiding; t here is no t race of
virt ue or nobilit y left in t he land, and despair is
writ t en large on t he faces o f Indias unfo rt unat e
people. 1 7
The wicked mlechhas pollut e t he religion of
t he Hindus every day. They break t he images o f
t he go ds int o pieces and t hrow t he art icles of
worship int o t he garbage pit s. They t hrow t he
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Srimad Bhagavatam and o t her script ures int o t he
fire, fo rcibly t ake away t he conch and bell of t he
Brahmin priest s, and lick t he sandal-past e marks
from t he womens bodies. They urinat e like dogs
o n t he sacred Tulsi plant , and deliberat ely pass
feces on t he alt ars of our t emples. They spit
upo n t he Hindus engaged in worship, and harass
t he Hindu saint s as if t hey were so many lunat ics
o n t he lo o se. 1 8
Wit h my o wn eyes, I saw t hem put a good
woman t o t he t est o f fait h. She had been accused
of t eaching t he Hindu fait h, and it was declared
t hat she would be t ried by having fo ur large po t s
o f wat er t ied t o her hands and feet , and t hen she
wo uld be t hro wn int o t he deepest part o f t he
river.
If she drowned, she would be ruled
innocent . But she did not drown; somehow she
escaped and made her way t o shore. By t he
t erms o f t his t rial, t his was t aken as pro o f t hat
she was guilt y as a kaf tar (non-believer in Islam).
The naib-us-sult an t hen o rdered her t o be burnt .
This I saw wit h my own eyes. 1 9 Do you wonder
t hat all o ur suffering people pray for t he day
when all o f t he Aryavart a will be free of t hese
murdering fiends! But , my friends, God does not
hear us. I fear He has forsaken us.
All during t he evening meal, t he pilgrims were
discussing among t hemselves what t he old
sannyasin had said. Jnaneshvar also po ndered
over what he had heard. He knew t hat all t hat
o ccurred was o rdained by God, was Gods own
act io ns; yet he could not underst and why t he Lord
saw fit t o cause such pain and sorrow on t he
eart h. Lat er, aft er t heir meal, as t hey sat round
t he fire, t he o ld sannyasin spoke again:
The t imes have become very hard in our
co unt ry, he said. The Muslim t yrant s wit h t heir
rut hless armies of killers have t aken t he ent ire
101

nort hern part o f Bharadwaja, and have set up
t heir kingdom in our sacred cit y of Delhi.
Thousands of people are t ort ured and murdered
daily. And I say it is only a mat t er of t ime
befo re t hey cross t he mount ains and march on
Devgiri it self.
Then your people t oo will be
slaught ered at Pandharpur, and your t emples will
be dest ro yed, your sist ers raped and your children
enslaved! Why should it be so, my dear friends?
What can God have in mind t o t reat His people
so ?
Fo r a few minut es no one answered t he old
man; but finally, Changadev spoke up; It is
bet t er not t o quest ion t he ways o f God, he said.
The law o f karma is impenet rable; but t he causes
of every mans fruit s in t his life go back t o lives
before lives, and t he cause o f what co mes t o us
no w is buried in t he deep recesses of t he past ,
and cannot be kno wn by t he mind o f man.
Yes, said t he sannyasin, I know. Ive heard
all t hat myself. But look, if you go back t o t he
causes of act ions and you keep going back and
back, must nt yo u event ually co me t o a beginning
of all causes, and isnt t hat God Himself? Eh?
Jnaneshvar chuckled; I t hink hes got you
t here, dear Changadev; what do yo u say?
It seems t o me, put in t he sannyasin, it s
t he noblest souls who suffer t he mo st . Why? It s
t he o nes who t rust in God, who are go o d and
gent le t hey are t orn t o pieces while t he
murderers gro w fat , t he liars get rich and t he
st upid gro w mo re cont ent . What o f t ho se go o d
and honest men whom God t ort ures and drives t o
t he river t o drown t hemselves by t heir o wn hand
in despair? What of t he holy Shankara, or Isha
(Jesus)? God t ort ures such men. He leaves t hem
no place t o sleep, wit h not hing t o eat , wit h no
friends t o love and laugh wit h. And when t hey
102

speak o f Go d, t hey are beat en and despised among
men. Is t his a loving god, t o make such a world?
I ask you?
Everyo ne sat quiet ly gazing int o t he glowing
embers o f t he fire. Nivrit t i t hen spo ke: I t hink
we canno t judge from t he point of view of human
values, whet her what Go d has do ne is go o d o r
bad. It is as it is, beyond our feeble not ions of
go o d and bad; and in t he end, when all t he yugas
are passed and we co me t o t he end o f t he kalpa,
all will be seen t o be perfect in t he beginning,
perfect in it s unfolding, and perfect in it s end.
Perhaps, said t he sannyasin; but st ill I say
t hat , if Gods world is one in which t he good
suffer mo re in pro po rt io n t o t heir go o dness,
where t he wise are reviled and t he dull-wit t ed are
ho no red; where t he gent le are persecut ed and t he
mean are highly respect ed; where t he seers are
called mad and t he deluded are called great
t hen God has done badly, and His world is not fit
t o live in.
That is one perspect ive, said Nivrit t i; but if
He secret ly upholds t he good wit h st rengt h in
t heir sufferings, and gives cont ent ment t o the wise
I t heir so lit ary lives, and fills t he heart s of t he
gent le wit h t he joy o f love, and grant s t o t he
seers t he visio n of Himself, t he knowledge and
bliss o f t heir o wn et ernal Souls t hen God has
done well, and His world is a marvelous world.
The sannyasin remained silent . Jnaneshvar also
said no t hing. There was not hing more t o be said;
and so , o ne by one, t he men wandered off t o
prepare t heir bedding for t he night and t o sit
quiet ly beneat h t he st ars, while nearby t hey co uld
hear t he vo ice of Mukt abai, soft ly singing:
Rama Raghava, Rama Raghava
Rama Raghava, raksha mam
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(Lo rd Rama, Lord Rama,
Lo rd Rama, prot ect me.)
Krishna Keshava, Krishna Keshava
Krishna Keshava, pahi mam
(Lo rd Krishna, Lord Krishna,
Lo rd Krishna, enlight en me.)
104
RETURN TO PANDHARPUR
12.
Aft er almo st exact ly one year from t he dat e of

t heir depart ure, Jnaneshvar and his family, along
wit h
Namadev
and
Janabai,
ret urned
to
Pandharpur. Arriving in t he early evening, t hey
went direct ly t o t he t emple t o pro st rat e at t he
feet o f Vit ho ba. But t hey were so exhaust ed from
t he last leg o f t heir jo urney t hat t hey didnt
bot her t o eat t heir evening meal, but went
immediat ely t o bed. Fo r several days, t hey did
not hing but rest .
Then came t he visit ors.
Everyone Gora, Choka, Sena, and t he ladies
fro m t he t emple arrived, o ne aft er ano t her, t o
welcome t hem back t o Pandharpur and t o question
t hem about t heir t ravels. It soon became apparent
t o everyone, however, t hat a profound change had
come over t heir old friends, and t hat Jnandev,
especially, seemed dramat ically affect ed by t he
misery and dist ress he had wit nessed on his
journey.
He seemed no lo nger his o ld buo yant and
exuberant self, but appeared list less and distracted
mo st o f t he t ime. The ent ire family had been
quit e evident ly affect ed very deeply by what t hey
had seen in t heir t ravels int o t he world, and a
great burden o f weariness seemed t o have afflicted
t he minds of each one of t hem. Time, Mukt abai
insist ed t o her quest io ning friends, will heal o ur
heart s. Please let my brot hers rest ; t heyre just
very t ired from t heir long, hard journey. And
she cont inued, in her quiet ly efficient way, t o
look aft er t he domest ic chores and t o serve her
brot hers cheerfully. So pan managed t o find so me
work, helping a nearby farmer, and each night
brought home so me rice, flo ur, o r veget ables t o
supply t he familys needs.
105

Jnaneshvar ret urned t o t he t emple and resumed
his night ly kirtana, but in his o wn heart t here
remained a heaviness, which t he once int oxicat ing
songs could not alleviat e. Time and again, he
t old himself ho w foolish he was t o allow such a
glo o my mo o d t o o vert ake his mind, but he seemed
powerless t o dispel it .
It seemed as t hough
what ever t ast e fo r life he had once possessed, had
now vanished, and exist ence it self had beco me
valueless, even burdensome.
Nivrit t i, aware o f his bro t hers st at e o f mind,
and aware also of t he need t o draw him once
again int o his accust o med act ivit ies, insist ed t hat
Jnaneshvar resume his classes on t he Bhagavad
Gita, using his o wn co mment aries fro m his
Bhavarthadipika writ t en five years earlier t o
explain it s meaning t o his st udent s. This, despit e
his disint erest , Jnaneshvar agreed t o do.
It was just abo ut t his t ime, in early April o f
1296, t hat word was received in Pandharpur t hat
wit hin a days ride, t he Rani of Devgiri and her
so n, t he prince Singhana, along wit h a large
escort of soldiers, were o n t heir way t o t he cit y
o f Pandharpur. It seemed t hat t he Queen, who
was very devout in her religious feelings, had
decided at t his t ime t o journey all t his way from
t he palace at Devgiri t o worship in t he renowned
t emple o f Vit ho ba at Pandharpur.
There was great excit ement in t he cit y. Not
since Raja Ramadev himself had come t o visit
Pandharpur t went y years before, in 1276, had t he
cit y been called upon t o ent ert ain t he royal
family. It had been request ed t hat a yajna be
held in t heir ho nor and t hat religious ceremonies
be perfo rmed in t he t emple of Vit hoba by t he
Brahmin priest s, wit h script ural readings by t he
local Pandit s. It was also necessary t o prepare
ho using and provisions, not only for t he royal
106
family, but fo r t he nobles and soldiers in t heir
company as well.
Much need t o be do ne.
Banners were hung above t he houset ops lining t he
ent rance t o t he cit y; t emple musicians were
gat hered; priest s made hurried plans fo r t he yajna;
fo o d was requisit io ned fro m t he farmers; and
co uriers were sent out t o carry t he word for miles
aro und t hat t he royal family was coming t o
Pandharpur.
The news came t o Jnandev fro m Cho ka, who
burst int o t heir house wit h t he excit ed
anno uncement t hat t he priest s of t he t emple had
request ed Jnaneshvar t o t ake part in t he religious
ceremo nies by recit ing a port ion from his Marat hi
co mment aries o n t he Git a; and t hey also want ed
Mukt abai t o sing some of her songs as well. I
saw Mukt i o ut side and t old her all about it ,
Choka gasped, st ill t rying t o cat ch his breat h.
Jnandev glanced across t he room t o Nivritti; he
knew he wo uld have t o do it . When? he asked.
Somet ime t o mo rro w! They say shes co ming
wit h young Singhana, t he fut ure Raja, and mo re
t han a t ho usand t ro o ps!
A t ho usand? Why so many?
I do nt know. Maybe t hey were expect ing
t ro uble o n t he way. Who kno ws? Anyway, we
have t o be t here t omorrow when t hey all arrive.
Ill be t here. You can t ell t he priest s well
be t here, said Jnandev, glancing once again at
Nivrit t i, who seemed t o be amused.
I have t o go t ell Namadev and t he ot hers!
said Cho ka o n his way o ut . Co me direct ly t o
t he t emple when t hey arrive. They will t ell you
when you are t o do yo ur reading. Okay?
Yes, yes. Ill be t here.
Okay. See you t here! And Choka rushed
o ut t he do o r and down t he road t o spread t he
news.
107

On t he following day, Jnandev st o o d alo ngside
t he ro ad alo ng wit h t he crowded cit izens of
Pandharpur, wat ching t he Ranis ro yal ent rance
int o t he cit y. A few hundred t ro o ps preceded
her, as she was carried in a jeweled palanquin by
eight muscular at t endant s.
She was sit t ing
proudly upright , wearing a flo wing whit e sari and
a diadem o f pearls, as she smiled and waved t o
t he wait ing crowd, and received a welcoming
cheer. Jnandev was impressed by her elegant
beaut y and by t he kindliness revealed in her face.
Behind her on a whit e charger rode t he crown
prince, Singhana abo ut his o wn age, Jnandev
guessed, but a very proud peacock indeed. He
wo re a silver-brocaded jacket and a red silk
t urban; at his side a gleaming go ld swo rd
scabbard wit h a jeweled hilt .
Jnandev had never seen so many soldiers. As
t he parade o f visit ors wound up t he narrow st reet,
t he line of armed ho rsemen seemed endless. Aft er
wat ching for awhile, he made his way t o t he
t emple where t he ceremonies would be held.
There he made his way t hrough t he crowded hall
and t ook his place beside Mukt abai among t he
musicians and Brahmin priest seat ed near t he
murti o f Vit ho ba.
When t he Rani appeared t hro ugh t he t hro ng at
t he door wit h t he prince at her side, she was led
t o t he fo o t o f t he murti, where she and t he prince
went t o t heir knees, t o uching t heir heads t o t he
marble floor. Then t he Rani was given a floral
garland t o drape around t he neck of t he dark
image o f Krishna. When t hey were seat ed, t he
priest s ended t heir lo w chant ing o f t he Vedas, and
t he musicians seat ed near Jnandev began t heir
program, as Mukt abai, beaut iful as an angel in her
borrowed silk sari, began t o sing her plaint ive
so ngs.
108
Mukt abai sang t hree songs, and when she had
finished wit h t he t hird song a long
represent at ion of Radhas lo nging fo r Krishna
it was Jnaneshvars t urn. He opened t he large
bound volume befo re him, and began t o recit e
from his own work:
O man, you are indeed sitting in a
wrecked boat with a hundred holes
in it. How can
you hope to f ind
comf ort on this perilous journey?
Lif e is indeed a f air, where the
wares of misery are being spread
out and allocated by f ate.
When you see that a conf lagration
is surrounding you in a f orest,
would it not be
an act of
prudence on your part to get out of
it as quickly as possible?
You are sleeping on a bed of
scorpions. How can you hope to
sleep in comf ort and peace?
Just as t he recit at ion had begun, a guard from
t he princes ret inue who had been posit ioned at
t he t emple do o rway received a message from
ano t her so ldier.
For a moment , t hey were
engaged in an excit ed exchange, at t ract ing some
curio us at t ent io n fro m many o f t he peo ple seat ed
nearby.
Avaricious and inconsiderate, you are
like a f rog trying to eat a f ish while it
is itself being devoured by a large
snake. All things in this world are
transitory; even the moon is each month
consumed. Stars rise in this world only
109

in order to set, and birth only means
the certainty of death.
The guard came forward, making his way
hurriedly t o t he side o f prince Singhana.
Kneeling, he whispered somet hing, which appeared
t o st art le t he prince. Again, t here was an excit ed
exchange. Tho se who had wat ched t his chain of
event s were int rigued; what , t hey wondered,
could be so impo rt ant amo ng princes and guards
t o warrant causing a dist urbance in t he t emple of
Vit ho ba?
Parents, though they know that their
children are only approaching nearer
to death, celebrate the day marking the
passage of each year with great joy.
Death indeed is like a lions den to
which all steps lead, but f rom which
none return.
Then t he prince leaned over t o t he Rani and
whispered somet hing t o her. Clearly, so met hing
was very wrong; t he Rani was o bvio usly alarmed.
By now, nearly everyone in t he t emple except
for Jnaneshvar, who cont inued t o read knew
t hat so met hing was great ly amiss.
History is merely the record of
dead men. Why do not these
considerations prompt you, O vile
man, to the pursuit of spiritual lif e?
The whole world is f ull of misery.
Who has ever heard a tale of
happiness in this mortal world? If you
have been so unf ortunate as to have
been born in this world, your f irst
endeavor should be to out of it as
110
quickly as possible by making God the
object of your devotion and ef f ort.
No w, t he prince st ood up quickly and helped
t he Rani t o her feet . He led her hurriedly t o t he
doorway and out side. A murmuring arose around
t he doorway, and vo ices were heard sho ut ing
excit edly out side.
By no w, everyo ne in t he
packed crowd inside t he t emple had t urned around
t o find out what was going on. Jnandev had
st opped his recit at ion, and was wondering, wit h
everyo ne else, what could be t he excit ement, when
someone st epped inside t he doorway and
anno unced in a loud voice which everyone could
hear, The Sult ans army is at t acking t he palace
at Devgiri!
111

13.
THE SIEGE OF DEVGIRI
It was on Sat urday, February 26, 1296, t hat Alauddin Khalji left Kera wit h a mere 8000 horsemen,
ost ensibly headed for Chandheri. He had used
t his same road befo re, when he had ridden wit h
his t ro o ps t o t he t o wn o f Bhilsa; and so,
co nfident o f t he securit y of t he roads, he made
hast e wit h his t ro o ps t o ward Chandheri. But just
befo re he reached t hat cit y, he t urned his men
direct ly sout hward t oward t he Vindhya and
Sat pura mount ain ranges.
Forcing his cavalry
along at a rapid pace, he led t hem across t he
Vindhya mount ains along narrow pat hways and
over rugged unchart ed t errain.
Finally, aft er
making his way t hrough dense jungles and across
swift rivers, he arrived at Ellichur, t he
nort hernmost out post of t he Yadava dominions;
and t here he st opped, in order t o allow his men
t o rest from t heir lo ng, hard jo urney and t o
prepare for t he bat t le ahead.
By t his t ime, o f co urse, t heir presence had
been disco vered by t he neighboring populace; and
t o put t hem off his real int ent io ns, Ala-uddin sent
abro ad t he rumor t hat he had rebelled against t he
Sult an in Delhi, and was heading sout heast t o
seek refuge in t he service of t he Raja of
Rajmundri in Teningana, a vassalage o f t he
Yadava king o n t he east ern co ast .
This
subt erfuge seemed t o work well, for he and his
t roops were left t o t ravel in peace.
But it was no t lo ng befo re t hey were o n t he
march again t oward Devgiri, and no t lo ng befo re
Ramachandras spies brought word t o him t hat
Ala-uddins men had at t acked and rout ed t he
forces of one of his chieft ans, Kanha, at Lasaura,
abo ut 12 miles t o t he nort hwest of Devgiri, and
were no w headed t oward t he cit y.
Ramadev
112

immediat ely sent out his soldiers only t hree or
fo ur t ho usand st rong; but t hey were quickly
beat en back t o t he cit adel wit hin t he cit y.
Unfort unat ely, a large segment of Devgiris bat t le
t ro o ps had left t he fort ress some days ago, led by
t he kings elder son, Singhana, t o accompany t he
Rani t o Pandharpur, where she had go ne in o rder
t o wo rship t he famous murti of Krishna.
No o ne had imagined t hat t he Muslims at Delhi
would dare such a bo ld at t ack. Devgiri had never
been at t acked in all it s hundred-year hist ory; it s
fort ress was impregnable.
Who co uld have
ant icipat ed t hat anyone would t hink of challenging
it ? There was not hing for Raja Ramachandra t o
do under t he circumst ances but t o fort ify himself
and his small remaining forces wit hin t he walls of
t he fort ress and ho pe t o ho ld o ff t he invaders
unt il his so n ret urned wit h reinforcement s. Wit h
t his hope in mind, he sent o ne o f his t rust ed
guards as a courier t o Pandharpur wit h
inst ruct ions t o reach prince Singhana and warn
him o f t he impending disast er.
Meanwhile, Ala-uddin and his men swept int o
t he lo wer t o wn which was unguarded by walls,
and t ook many o f t he merchant s and wealt hy
cit izens as ho st ages.
He also capt ured fort y
elephant s and a t housand horses from t he royal
st ables. Then he sent a message t o t he besieged
king t hat he and his 8000 men were only a
vanguard; t he rest of t he Sult ans army, he t old
t hem so me 20,000 horsemen were just
behind him and wo uld be arriving sho rt ly. At t his
news, Ramachandra lo st all ho pe; he had o nly a
small st o re o f provisions, and not enough men t o
wit hst and such an at t ack anyway. And so, he
sued for peace, o ffering t o sat isfy t he demands o f
a t reat y. He o ffered t he sum of fift y maunds 2 0 of
gold, and a quant it y of pearls and ot her jewels,
113

advising Ala-uddin t hat he would do well t o
accept t his o ffer. In his let t er t o him, he wrot e:
Your invasion of this city was
imprudent and rash; but f ortunately
f or you, you have f ound the city
unguarded, and you have been
permitted to range at large. It is,
however, possible that the Rajas of
the Deccan, who command
innumerable armies, may yet surround
you and not permit one of your
people to return f rom our dominions
alive. Supposing, even, that you
should be able to retreat f rom hence
undisturbed, are not the princes of
Malwa, Kandeish and Gondwara in
your route who have each armies of
40,000 or 50,000 men? Can you hope
they will permit you to escape
unmolested? It is advisable,
theref ore, f or you to retire in time, by
accepting a moderate sum, which,with
the spoils you have already got, will
indemnif y you f or the expense of your
expedition. 2 1
Ala-uddin considered t hese words; t hen he
accept ed Ramachandras pro po sal and payment o f
ransom; and agreed t o release all his priso ners
and leave wit hin fift een days, aft er giving his men
so me t ime t o rest .
Ho wever, prince Singhana, having received
news of his fat hers dist ress while at t he t emple
of Pandharpur, hurried back t o Devgiri wit h his
o wn and so me addit io nal t ro o ps who m he gathered
from neighboring chieft ans o n his ret urn. As he
approached t he cit y, ano t her messenger met him
114

wit h news fro m his fat her t hat Ala-uddin had
accept ed his t reat y and was about t o leave; and
t hat Singhana sho uld do no t hing t o int erfere, as
t hey could not hope t o win in bat t le anyway. But
Singhana, fired wit h t he impet uo sit y o f yo ut h,
co nfident t hat he had t he larger force, and
expect ing t he immanent arrival of more t roop
reinfo rcement s from t he surrounding t errit ories,
ignored his fat hers co mmand, and sent a message
o f his o wn t o Ala-uddin: If you have any love
for life, it read, and desire safet y, rest ore what
yo u have plundered, and proceed quiet ly
homeward, rejoicing at yo ur happy escape.
Ala-uddin, infuriat ed by t he young princes
audacit y, divided his forces, leaving 1000 men
behind under t he co mmand o f his general, Malik
Nasrat , t o guard t he for so t hat Ramachandras
men might no t join t he bat t le as well; and set out
wit h t he o t her 7000 men t o meet t he young
prince. But t hey had underest imat ed t he cavalry
o f Singhana; t he Muslim forces soon found
t hemselves o ut numbered by t he Marat hi warrio rs,
and it seemed for a moment t hat Ala-uddin and
his men wo uld be slaught ered by t he defenders of
Devgiri.
Perceiving t his, Malik Nasrat , t he
general in charge of t he 1000 t roops st at ioned at
t he fo rt ress, disobeyed Ala-uddins orders, and,
abandoning his po st , led his men t o rally in
defense of Ala-uddin and his hard pressed army.
Ala-uddin and his men, seeing t he charge of
t he addit io nal forces, t ook up t he cry,
Reinforcement s!
The Sult ans t roops have
arrived! And Singhanas men, t hinking that these
1000 charging warriors were indeed t he spearhead
of t he 20,000 man force of which Ala-uddin had
boast ed, t urned t ail, and fled t he bat t lefield.
Devgiri, once again, had been co nquered by a
ruse. This t ime, Ala-uddin, revit alized by his
115

co nquest , renewed his at t ack upon t he fort ress
wit h a vengeance, and killed many of t he
merchant s and cit izens whom he had previously
t aken as prisoners some of whom were t he
kings o wn relat ives and paraded t heir bodies
in fro nt o f t he fort ress gat es. It was also at t his
t ime t hat Ramadev learned t hat t he sacks, t hought
t o cont ain grain, which had been hurriedly
gat hered inside t he fort ress at t he onset of t he
at t ack, cont ained not grain, but salt . And so,
Ramachandra and his few men, for whom t here
was no food pro visio ned fo r a siege, had no
choice but t o meet t he demands of a new t reat y.
To fulfill t his t reat y, Ala-uddin demanded t he
accession of t he out lying t errit ory of Ellichpur
and it s dependencies, and a ransom of 600 maunds
o f go ld; t wo maunds each of diamonds, rubies,
pearls, emeralds and sapphires; 1000 maunds of
silver, and 4000 bolt s of varicolored silk. He
would also have one of t he kings daught ers as
his wife t o assure good fut ure relat ions.
Thus, just t went y-five days aft er he had arrived
in Devgiri, Ala-uddin depart ed for his ret urn t o
Kera, t he capt ured elephant s and horses laden
wit h t he bet t er part o f Devgiris precio us t reasure
o f go ld, silver, and jewels, as well as silks and
count less ot her art icles of value. Furt hermore,
according t o t heir t reat y, t he cit y of Ellichpur,
including it s yearly revenues, no w belo nged t o
Ala-uddin, wit h an addit ional t it he t o be paid
yearly fro m Ramachandras t reasury.
Also
accompanying Ala-uddin was his new wife, t he
kings daught er, Princess Jhat iapali, as he made
his t riumphant ret urn back across t he mount ains
t o Kera, where he arrived on June 3, 1296.
About t his eminent ly successful expedit ion of
Ala-uddins, t he 16 t h cent ury hist orian, Ferisht a,
remarks: In t he long volumes of hist ory, t here is
116

scarcely anyt hing t o be compared wit h t his
exploit , where we regard t he resolut ion in forming
t he plan, t he boldness of it s execut ion, or t he
great
good
fort une
which
at t ended
it s
22
accomplishment .
117

14.TREACHERY AT MANUK PUR
The Sult an, Jalal-uddin Khalji, who had been
o n an expedit io n o f his o wn t o Gwalior o n t he
Jumna, had heard no wo rd fro m his nephew fo r
six mont hs, and was by t his t ime ext remely
anxious for his safet y. Then rumors reached him
t hat Ala-uddin had capt ured, not Chandheri, but
Devgiri; and was ret urning t o Kera wit h a t reasure
t he likes of which few eyes had ever seen. At
first , Jalal-uddin was overjoyed at t his news, but
his counselors quickly reminded him t hat his
nephew had deceived and bet rayed him, and
advised t hat he be caut io us in dealing wit h him.
The Sult an t hereupon called a meet ing of his
mo st t rust ed co unselors and asked t hem what was
t he appro priat e t hing t o do in such a case.
Should he ride t o meet his nephew en rout e,
befo re he arrived back in Kera, or should he just
wait at Delhi fo r Ala-uddin t o come on his own?
The counselors were divided; one Mulik Ahmud
Hubib suggest ed t o t he Sult an t hat his nephew
was up t o no go o d, and t hat he sho uld send o ut a
large army t o meet him while he was yet on his
way. Ano t her, Mulik Fukir-uddin Kuchi, advised
t hat t he Sult an wait , allo wing his nephew t o
ret urn t o Kera, and t hen see what he does aft er
t hat . Since t he Sult an has t he superior force,
he said, he could always give assault lat er o n if
it became necessary. The first co unsel, Ahmad
Hubib, ret ort ed t hat , as soon as Ala-uddin
ret urned t o Kera, he would no doubt proceed
immediat ely t o t he remot e province of Bengal,
where, wit h his newly acquired wealt h, he could
easily set up his own kingdom and his own
defenses.
The Sult an, ho wever, was naively fo nd o f his
nephew, and refused t o hear any such suspicions
118
TREACHERY AT MANUKPUR
about him.
We are so well assured of t he
loyalt y of Ala-uddin, he said, t hat we wo uld
so o ner believe t reaso n o f o ur o wn so n t han o f
him. And so t he old Sult an ret urned t o Delhi t o
await word from his nephew.
Soon aft er his arrival t here, a let t er came from
Ala-uddin, st at ing t hat all t he wealt h he brought
back from Devgiri belo nged t o t he Sult an, but , he
begged, as he was so exhaust ed fro m his lo ng
campaign, might he be allowed some lit t le repose
at Kera befo re bringing all t hat t reasure t o Delhi.
He added t hat he was well aware t hat he had
enemies at co urt who had, no doubt , poisoned his
uncles mind against him, encouraging him to mete
out some punishment t o himself fo r his failure t o
apprise t he Sult an of his int ent ion t o raid Devgiri.
He t herefore request ed of t he Sult an a let t er of
royal pardon, assuring him and his followers of
t heir safet y and of t he Sult ans favor; and he
signed it , yo ur devot ed slave.
Ala-uddin t hen engaged his bro t her, Almas
Beg, who was living at court in Delhi, t o act as
his go-bet ween wit h t he Sult an. He sent let t ers
t o t he Sult an by way o f his bro t her, expressing
regret for his o wn shameful behavio r in having
go ne t o Devgiri wit hout his uncles permission,
and st at ing his convict ion t hat t he Sult an would
surely arrest him and slay him as so o n as he ro de
int o Delhi. He begged his bro t her, t herefo re, t o
int ercede fo r him wit h t he Sult an, t o assure his
uncle of his heart -felt remo rse. He added t hat , if
he was not immediat ely assured of his uncles
forgiveness, he would end his own life. Almas
Beg t hen sho wed t hese sorrowful let t ers t o t he
Sult an, t hereby convincing him t hat , owing to Alauddins irrat io nal fear of coming t o Delhi, he
should go himself t o Kera t o offer his nephew his
personal assurances.
119

Assent ing t o t his plan, t he Sult an embarked
wit h a t ho usand mount ed t ro o ps and a small
ret inue which accompanied him down t he Jumna
river. They met Ala-uddin at Manukpur on July
19, 1296. Ala-uddin was accompanied by his
ent ire army who were t here, he said, as an honor
guard t o salut e t he Sult an. Almas Beg informed
t he Sult an t hat his brot her, Ala-uddin, was st ill
quit e fearful of his uncles anger, and wo uld be
even mo re alarmed if he were approached by t he
one t housand t ro ops; t herefore, perhaps it would
be best if t he Sult an met wit h Ala-uddin
acco mpanied o nly by his small ret inue. And, ah
yes, perhaps it would be best if his ret inue left
t heir armo r and weapons behind, so as not t o fuel
Ala-uddins suspicion t hat his uncle was out t o
get him. Some o f t he Sult ans ret inue, beginning
t o suspect t reachery, object ed vehement ly, but
Almas Beg explained t he sit uat ion so plausibly and
wit h such apparent so licit at io n fo r t he easing o f
his brot hers mind t hat t hey at last relent ed.
When t he Sult an reached t he landing place,
Ala-uddin, leaving his at t endant s behind, went t o
meet his uncle alone, and fell prost rat e at his feet.
The old man lift ed him up, caressing his cheek,
and embraced him, saying, Ho w co uld yo u be
suspicious of me, who have brought you up from
childho o d, and cherished you wit h a fat herly
affect io n, ho lding you dearer in my sight , if
possible, t han my o wn o ffspring?
Then t he Sult an t ook his nephew by t he hand,
and began t o lead him back t o t he ro yal barge,
when Ala-uddin made a signal t o his guards who
were just behind t hem.
One o f t he guards,
Mahmud bin Salim, rushed forward and swung his
swo rd downward. The blo w fell o n t he Sult ans
shoulder, and t he Sult an, st umbling, and realizing
t hat he had walked int o a t rap, began running fo r
120
TREACHERY AT MANUKPUR
t he barge, crying out , Ah! You villain, Alauddin! But before he could reach t he barge,
anot her of Ala-uddins guards, Yekt yar-uddin,
caught t he o ld man, t hrew him t o t he gro und and
lopped off his head wit h his sword.
Aft er t he Sult ans at t endant s had also been
slain, t he head of t he Sult an was st uck on t he end
of a spear and carried first t hrough t he camp and
t hen t hrough t he cit ies o f Manukpur, Kera, and
Oudh. Lat er, t he royal canopy of t he Sult an was
raised o ver t he head of Ala-uddin, t he new Sult an
of India, wit h great ceremony and pomp. Alauddin caut io usly bided his t ime at Kera for some
mont hs t hereaft er, and recruit ed a large army of
60,000 horsemen, purchased wit h his newly
acquired wealt h. Then, on Oct ober 22, 1296, at
t he height of t he rainy season, he rode
t riumphant ly int o Delhi and t o o k up his residence
in t he Red Palace as Sult an Ala-uddin Khalji.
121

15.
JNANESHVARS SAMADHI
In November o f 1296, while Ala-uddin was

consolidat ing his po wer at Delhi, Jnaneshvar and
his friends met in t he t emple of Vit hoba, during
t he fest ival of Karttika-ekadashi, and joined in the
chant ing of Go ds name t o t he music o f
t ambo uras, mridungs and hand-cymbals; but none
of t hem could help t hinking t hat t he end of
everyt hing t hey lo ved at Pandharpur was at hand.
So o n t he marauding Muslim armies would come;
and already most of t he young men of t he cit y
were jo ining t he ranks of t he local warrior
chieft ans, t raining for bat t le. Ramachandra and
t he impregnable fort ress of Devgiri had been taken
and sacked; how could t hey hope t o st em t he t ide
o f t hese murdering hordes?
Jnaneshvar remained in t he t emple aft er t he
ot hers had gone ho me. He felt t he t ime had co me
t o o pray t o Vit hoba for some indicat ion of what
he must do . Fo r, it seemed, t he joyous days and
night s at Pandharpur which surpassed even t he
jo ys o f heaven were no more t o be. The sweet
pleasure of hearing t he laught er of t he ingenuous
Cho ka, o f seeing t he unbridled love in t he eyes of
Namadev, of list ening t o t he vo ice o f Go ra, which
rivaled t hat of t he Gandarvas ho w was it
possible t hat t hese so unds and sight s wo uld so o n
be replaced in Pandharpur by t he sound of swords
clashing, t he sight of murderous hat red in t he eyes
o f evil men, and o f t he blo o d o f innocent and
gent le people flowing in t he st reet s?
Everyt hing, he felt cert ain, wo uld be destroyed.
There was st ill t ime t o flee; but where would he
go? Wouldnt it be far bet t er t o die now, aft er
so beaut iful a life, wit h such sweet memories of
love, and t he peaceful awareness o f Go d, t han t o
live o n and see t he world spoiled and raped?
122
JNANESHVARS SAMADHI
Has no t t his life already been enjoyed t o t he
full? t hought Jnandev. Is it not t ime for me t o
shed t his body and reclaim my et ernal bliss? Is
t his no t t ruly what I wish above al? Yes, t ruly.
I have no fear; why t hen should I not t ake leave
of my friends no w while love st ill shines in our
eyes inst ead of fear and anguish?
Dear Lo rd, Jnaneshvar whispered, is not my
work finished? May I ret urn t o Thee? And wit h
t he very t ho ught of giving up t he limit at ions
inherent in bodily exist ence, he felt such an
o verwhelming sense of freedom and relief, such a
wave of bliss and expansiveness, t hat all doubt s
were swept away. O merciful Lord! I have
fulfilled t he purpose of my life; I have given what
I had t o give; and no w I shall ret urn t o Thee!
In t he mo rning, Jnaneshvar, st ill seat ed at t he
feet of Krishna in t he t emple, met his brot hers
and sist er and friends. There he t old t hem of his
plan. He t o ld t hem t hat he was go ing t o ent er his
final Samadhi, and t hat , having spo ke wit h his
Lord during t he night , he had received t he
inspirat ion t o ret urn t o Alandi and cast o ff his
body t here, near t he t emple o f Siddheshvar.
No, Jnani! exclaimed Mukt abai; yo u cannot!
I fo rbid it !
List en, said Jnaneshvar, we must all cast off
t his bo dy so met ime. Surely you have recognized
t his fact . For me, it is t he t ime. It is a mat t er
fo r great jo y, not for sadness. I shall go as a
man should go willingly and wit h great
happiness and sat isfact ion. I can t hink of not hing
here at all t hat has t he power t o keep me here.
He t ook Mukt abais hand in his own.
Dear
sist er, my brot hers, underst and me; I long only for
my t rue freedom and rest in God.
There is
no t hing here at all t hat I see as promising me
even t he least kind of sat isfact ion.
123

I have do ne what I wished t o do, and what I
was meant t o do; I have writ t en my bo o ks, and I
have shared everyt hing wit h all of you. There is
no t hing left for me t o do here. I have det ermined
t o leave. The rest of you may do as you wish.
It would make me very happy, t hough, if all of
you would accompany me t o Alandi; we will have
a great celebrat ion, and I will leave t his world
wit h t ho se I love surrounding me. Wit h your
loving t hought s near me, I shall surely ascend t o
Go d.
There was not hing t hat could be said t o
dissuade him. And so, st unned and saddened as
t hey were, his friends and family accompanied
Jnaneshvar t o Alandi. There, by his inst ruct ions,
Gora, Choka and ot hers built a small rect angular
crypt of brick and mort ar facing t he holy t emple
of Siddheshvara, while, fo r seven days and night s,
t he chant ing of Go ds name reso unded t hro ugho ut
Alandi. On t he day Jnaneshvar had chosen for his
depart ure (t he 13 t h day of t he dark half of
Karttika; around t he first week of December,
1296), t he crypt was lined wit h flowers, and a
deerskin was spread on t he floor.
The chant ing had reached it s pinnacle and
ended. The purnahuti, t he auspicious hour, had
come.
Jnaneshvar aro se, and appro ached t he
ent rance t o t he crypt . One by o ne, his bro t hers,
sist er, and friends st epped fo rward t o embrace and
kiss him o ne last t ime. The garlands of flowers
t hey placed around his neck were drenched wit h
t ears.
Then, salut ing t hem all wit h a final
namaskar, a heavenly inebriat ion shining on his
face, Jnandev ent ered int o t he small hut -like
crypt . Seat ing himself on t he deerskin in t he
yogic
post ure,
and
placing
his
belo ved
Jnaneshvari clo se by, he sat quiet ly, repeat ing t he
124
JNANESHVARS SAMADHI
name of God wit hin his heart ; t hen he signaled t o
Nivrit t i, and t he heavy st one door was closed in
place.
Once t he door was sealed, t here was only
silence. Then many fell down weeping, crying out
in t heir lo neliness and pain. A large crowd, along
wit h t he brot hers, Mukt abai, Namadev and
Janabai, st ayed t o keep a silent vigil out side t he
crypt int o t he night .
As t hey sat , lo o king
bewilderedly at t he small shrine by firelight ,
gradually it dawned in t he minds of each of t hem
t hat t heir friend and brot her, t he very soul of
God, who, for t went y-five years, lived and spo ke
and laughed befo re t hem, was no w go ne fo rever.
And yet each o f t hem knew, also, t hat Jnaneshvar,
who had been a brot her and friend, now filled t he
eart h and t he heavens, and radiat ed his lo ve and
wisdo m t o all t he world.
125

POSTSCRIPT
Jnaneshvars ent ombment did not put an end t o
his spirit ual influence in Maharasht ra. What had
been his t angible spirit ual presence during his
lifet ime, co nt inued in effect even aft er his selfent o mbment .
Visit o rs t o his samadhi shrine
report ed feeling a st rong spirit ual energy
emanat ing fro m t he small brick building t hat
ho used Jnaneshvars body; and, in t ime, pilgrims
from all over India flo cked t o visit t his ho ly
gro und. Acco rding t o legend, Jnaneshvar remains
in his t o mb in t he st at e of samadhi t o t his day,
maint aining his body in a living st at e in order t o
o perat e o n subt le plains for t he benefit of
mankind.
It is said t hat , in t he 16 t h cent ury, a myst icpoet , by t he name of Eknat h Maharaj (15481609), had a vision, during his medit at ion, of
Jnaneshvar seat ed in his t o mb; and, in t his visio n,
a root from a nearby t ree was encircling
Jnaneshvars neck, and was choking off t he prana
(life-force) in his st ill living bo dy. Act ing o n t his
vision, Eknat h dug int o t he t omb and found
Jnaneshvar just as he had envisualized him. He
loosened t he ro ot , and removed it from around
t he saint s t hroat . And, while he was in t he
t omb, he t ook t he manuscript o f Jnaneshvars
famous book, Jnaneshvari, which had been
ent ombed wit h him, and brought t he book back t o
t he light o f day. In Eknat hs t ime, t he words o f
t his great bo o k had been corrupt ed by various
co piers and t ranscribers; and so Eknat h brought
fort h t he aut hent ic Jnaneshvari t o serve as t he
mast er aut horit y.
Wit hin a mont h aft er Jnaneshvars selfimmo lat io n, his brot hers and sist er had also t aken
t heir own lives. Sopan, t he youngest , gave up his
126
POSTSCRIPT
life at Saswad, a few miles west of Alandi;
Mukt abai vanished so mewhere alo ng t he banks o f
t he Tapt i river; and Nivrit t i ended his life at
Triambakeshvar in t he region of Nasik. Namadev
lived t o t he ripe old age of eight y. Some say he
remained at Pandharpur; ot her say he spent much
of his life in no rt hern India, wandering fro m
regio n t o regio n, unt il finally set t ling in a small
village called Ghuman in t he Punjab, and t hat only
t o ward t he end o f his life did he ret urn t o
Pandharpur. In any event , his bo nes were buried
in fro nt o f t he Vit ho ba t emple, next t o
Chokhamelas, and remain t here t o t his day.
The t wo assassins o f Sult an Jalal-uddin Khalji
died part icularly unpleasant deat hs wit hin a year
aft er t heir t reacherous deeds.
The first one,
Malik bin Salim, died of a horrible leprosy which
disso lved his flesh piecemeal from his bones; t he
ot her, Yekt yar-uddin, went raving mad, crying out
t o t he end t hat t he Sult an was t rying t o cut o ff
his head.
As for Ala-uddin, he lived t o rule at Delhi for
t went y years, proving his abilit y t o defend his
realm from t he repeat ed at t acks of t he Mongols
from t he nort h, and t o reduce t he Hindu po pulace
t o a st at e of ut t er submission. The lat t er he did
so well t hat , as his legal officer, Qazi Mughisuddin, st at ed, If t he revenue collect or spit s int o
a Hindus mout h, t he Hindu must o pen his mo ut h
t o receive it wit hout hesit at ion. The hist orian,
Barani, who was cont emporary wit h Ala-uddins
reign, said t hat , according t o t he Sult ans orders,
The Hindu was t o be so reduced
as t o be unable t o keep a horse,
wear fine clo t hes, o r enjo y any o f
lifes luxuries. No Hindu co uld ho ld
up his head, and in t heir ho uses no
127

sign of gold or silver or any
superfluit y was t o be seen. These
t hings, which were t ho ught t o
nourish insubo rdinat io n, were no t t o
be found. The people were
o ppressed and amerced, and money
was exact ed from t hem on every
kind of pret ext . All pensio ns, grant s
of land, and endow-ment s were
appropriat ed. The people became so
absorbed in t rying t o keep
t hemselves alive t hat rebellion was
never even ment io ned.
Next , [Sult an Ala-uddin] set up so
minut e a syst em of espionage t hat
no t hing done, good or bad, was
hidden from him. No one could st ir
wit hout his knowledge, and
what ever happened in t he houses of
his own nobles, grandees and
o fficials was brought by his spies
for his informat ion, and t heir
report s were act ed upon. To such a
lengt h did t his prying go t hat nobles
dared not speak aloud even in
t housand-co lumned palaces, but had
t o communicat e by signs. In t heir
own ho uses, night and day, dread o f
t he spies made t hem t remble. What
went on in t he bazaars was also
report ed and co nt ro lled. 2 3
At one t ime during his career, Ala-uddin Khalji
decided t o st art a new religion, wit h himself as it s
Messiah, and t o co nquer t he ent ire wo rld, as
Alexander had done. He even had coins mint ed
wit h t he t it le, Alexander II st amped under his
own likeness. He t hen gave up t hat idea and
128
POSTSCRIPT
began inst ead t he less ambit ious t errit orial
co nquest o f t he sout hern part of India.
An
admiring hist o rian writ es in t he Tarikh-I-Wassaf :
Wit h a view t o holy war, and
not merely for t he lust of
co nquest , [Ala-uddin]
enlist ed
about 14,000 cavalry and
20,000 infant ry. The
Muhammedan fo rces began
to
kill and slaught er on t he right and
on t he left unmercifully t hro ugho ut
t he land, for t he sake of Islam,
and blo o d flo wed in t o rrent s.
They t ook capt ive a great
number of handsome and elegant
maidens, amount ing t o 20,000; and
children o f bo t h sexes, mo re t han
t he pen can enumerat e. In
short , t he Muhammedan army
bro ught t he co unt ry t o ut t er ruin,
and dest royed t he lives of t he
inhabit ant s, and plundered t he
cit ies, and capt ured t heir offspring
so t hat many t emples were
desert ed and t he idols were
broken, and t he fragment s were
conveyed t o Delhi, where t he
ent rance of t he Jami Mosque was
paved wit h t hem, so t hat peo ple
might remember and t alk of t his
brilliant vict ory. Praise be t o
Allah, t he Lo rd o f t he wo rlds. 2 4
In 1307, Ala-uddins army made ano t her fo ray
acro ss t he mo unt ains t o Devgiri, aft er Raja Ramachandras son, Singhana, refused t o pay the annual
t ribut e. Ramachandra, by info rming o n his so n,
129

assured his own favor wit h t he sult anat e, and was
t reat ed as a loyal Muslim ally unt il his deat h in
1311. In 1313, when once again Singhana refused
t o pay t ribut e t o t he Sult an, he was t o rt ured and
slain by t he Sult ans armies. Aft er t hat , Devgiri
became renamed as Daulat abad, and was used as a
base for Khalji milit ary operat ions in t he Deccan
and t he far sout h.
In 1316, Ala-uddin, having ruined his healt h
o wing t o int emperance and excess, had t o t ake t o
his bed. Suffering fro m parano id delusio ns, he
accused his own family of a plot against him, and
had his wife and t wo so ns impriso ned and several
of his loyal officers put t o deat h. His grief and
rage only t ended t o increase his diso rder, and, o n
t he evening of December 16, 1316, he died.
In t he hist o ry bo o ks o f t his world, t he list o f
ambit ious warlords and t heir murderous exploits is
endless.
Ala-uddin merely added one more
infamous name t o t hat pit iable list , and t hen faded
fro m t he memory of mankind; while his
co nt empo rary, Jnaneshvar, t hough lit t le known
o ut side his o wn small circle of friends, and all but
ignored by hist orians, became immort al. In t he
unrecorded hist ory bo o k o f divine so uls, t he name
o f Jnaneshvar will forever remain, writ t en large
amo ng t he great est and most beloved of God.
*
130
NOTES
NOTES
1
Quran, IX, 5,6
2.
Quran, VIII, 39-40
3.
Ellio t t & Dawson, p. 179 ff.
4.
Rawlinson, p. 224
5.
dinars: silver coins
6.
miskals: measure of weight approximat e

t o t he po und.
7.
Majumdar, The Struggle For Empire, p.

14.
8.
Majumdar, The Struggle For Empire;

fro m t he Foreword by K.M. Munshi, p.
xi-xii.
9.
Srivast ava, Medieval Indian Culture,

p. 42.
10.
Nizami, p. 116
11.
Nizami, p. 13
12.
Jnaneshvar, Jnaneshari, Chapt er 18, verse

1783; volume II, p. 350.
13.
14.
Ferisht a, p. 158.
15.
Ferisht a, p. 167
131
16.
Namadev, abhanga included in t he Adi

Guru Granth Sahib o f t he Sikhs.
17.
Adapt ed fro m t he narrat ive o f Gangadevi,

t he female consort of prince Kampana of
Vijayanagara, writ t en during t he Muslim
co nquest of Madura; from Majumdar, The
Delhi Sultanate, p. 631.
18.
Adapt ed fro m t he narrat ive o f Isana

Nagara, writ t en during t he reign of Alauddin
Husain Shah (1493-1514); from
Majumdar, The Delhi Sultanate, p. 633.
19.
Adapt ed from t he eyewit ness account of

t he
African Muslim t raveler, Ibn
Bat ut ah (1304- 1378), from his Rehla
(Travels); quot ed
by Majumdar, The
Delhi Sultanate, p. 463,
Not e 90a.
20.
maund: 28.25 pounds.

1,412 1/2 lbs.
21.
Ferisht a, p. 173.
22.
Ferisht a, p. 176.
23.
24.
Majumdar, The Delhi Sultanate, pp. 625626.
132
Fift y maunds:
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abbo t t , Just in, The Poet Saints of Maharashtra,
Unit ed Theological College, Poona, 1926.
Bahirat , B.P., The Philosophy of Jnanadeva,
Pandharpur Research Societ y, 1956.
De Bary, Wm. T., (ed.) Sources of Indian
Tradition, Columbia Universit y Press, New
York, 1958.
Ellio t t , H.M. and Dowson, J., The History of
India
As Told By Its Own Historians, Vol.
II.,
1867- 77.
Ferisht a, Mahomed Kasim, History of The Rise of
The Mahomedan Power in India (t rans. From
t he o riginal Persian by John Briggs); Vol. I,
Edit io ns Indian, Calcut t a, 1829, 1966.
Husain, Agha Mahdi (ed.), Rutuhus Salatin or
Shah Namah-ii-Hind of Isami, Vol. I, Asia
Publishing House, New York, 1967.
Jnaneshvar, Jnaneshvari (t rans. By V.G. Pradhan
and edit ed by H.M. Lambert ), 2 vols., Allen &
Unwin, London, 1967.
Kesavadas, Sadguru Sant , Lord Panduranga And
HisMinstrels,
Bharat t iya
Vidya
Bhuvan,
Bombay, 1977.
Kincaid, C.A. and Parasnis, R.B., A History of
The Marathi People, S. Chand & Co ., New
Delhi, 1968.
Lal, K.S., History of The Khaljis (A.D. 12901320),
Asia Publishing House, New York,
1967.
Majumdar, R.C. (ed.), The Delhi Sultanate, Vol.
VI
in The History And Culture of The
Indian People, Bharat iya Vidya Bhavan,
Bombay, 1960.
_____, The Struggle For Empire, Vol. V in The
History And Culture of The Indian People,
Bharat iya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1957.
133

Nizami, Khaliq Ahmad, Some Aspects of Religion
And Politics During The Thirteenth Century,
Asia Publishing House, Bombay, 1961.
Ranade, R.D., Mysticism In Maharashtra, Vol. VII
of The History of Indian Philosophy, Belvalkar
and Ranade, Ayabhushan Press, Poona, 1933;
reprint ed as Mysticism In India by St at e
Universit y of New York, New York, 1983.
Rawlinson, H.G., India: A Short Cultural History,
The Gro sset Press, London, 1937.
Srivast ava, A.L., Medieval Indian Culture,
Agarwala
& Co., Agra, 1964.
_____, The History of India (1000 A.D. 1707
A.D.), Agarwala & Co. Ltd., Agra, 1964.
134
BOOK TWO:
135
THE WORKS OF JNANESHVAR
136
PREFACE
PREFACE TO BOOK TWO:

Jnaneshvar was a revolut ionary, a pioneer, in
t he expressio n of myst ical t rut hs in t he Marat hi
language. Prio r t o him, all such lit erat ure had
been framed in t he classical Sanskrit ; and Marathi,
t he po pular language of Maharasht ra, had been
regarded as unfit for t he t ransmission of sacred
kno wledge. Jnaneshvar changed all t hat . And
t o day, t he peo ple o f Maharasht ra honor
Jnaneshvar as t heir great est poet -saint ; millions
visit his t omb at Alandi each year, and his so ngs
are st ill sung daily in t emples t hroughout t he land.
The reason t hat he is so revered and beloved in
his own land becomes easily underst ood when we
discover t he poet ic works of Jnaneshvar. Even in
English t ranslat ion, t he profundit y of his t hought ,
t he rich profusion of his imagery, and t he
unmist akable st yle o f his ho mespun wisdo m, no t
t o ment ion his t ender age, dist inguish his wo rks
as t ho se o f a unique genius.
If we insist on t racing t he major influences in
Jnaneshvars development , we must acknowledge
first of all Indias great legacy of script ures and
philo so phical t reat ises. Long before t he t ime of
Jnaneshvar, an ancient and exquisit e lit erat ure
exist ed, t est ifying t o t he myst ical experience of
t he Self. Jnaneshvar was familiar wit h much of
t his lit erat ure; he knew t he philosophical works
such
as
t he
Upanishads,
Shankaras
Vivekachudamani, t he Shiva Sutras of Vasugupt a,
and many o t her ancient and cont emporary
comment aries by bo t h Vaishnavit e and Shaivit e
137

aut ho rs. He was especially fond of t he lit erat ure
o f devo t io nal myst icism, such as t he Bhagavad
Gita and t he Srimad Bhagavatam; and was
expert ly familiar wit h t he popular epics, t he
Ramayana and t he Mahabharata.
There was also t he influence of his brot her and
Guru, Nivrit t i. Nivrit t i passed o n t o Jnaneshvar
t he yogic secret s which had been t aught him by
Gahininat h, a Guru of t he Nat h lineage. Essent ial
t o t he t radit ion o f t he Nat hs is t he necessit y o f
having a living Guru who is able t o impart , not
o nly verbalized knowledge, but t he very st at e of
Self-realizat io n, t o his disciple.
The direct
experience o f t he et ernal Self was said t o be
t ransmit t ed on t he subt le level by t he volunt ary
grace of a Mast er who was capable o f instilling
his own conscio usness and energy int o t he
disciple. Jnaneshvar was co nvinced by his o wn
experience t hat Gahini had passed t his supramental
knowledge t o Nivrit t i, and t hat Nivrit t i had passed
it o n t o him.
It is wo rt hwhile t o not e also t hat , during
Jnaneshvars t ime and in his o wn regio n o f
Maharasht ra, a popular myst ical movement was
already act ive and influent ial; it was t he
mo vement called Mahanubhava, which means, The
great [myst ical] experience. The Mahanubhavas
were a group o f myst ics who placed great
emphasis o n t he need t o obt ain t his great
experience in order t o t ruly comprehend t he
nat ure of man and realit y. The movement seems
t o have been st art ed in 1263 by a Swami
Chakradhara who died around t he t ime of
Jnaneshvars birt h. It s members eschewed idolwo rship, and allowed t he init iat ion int o t he Order
of sannyasa (mo nkho o d) not o nly t o Brahmins, as
was t he t radit ional pract ice, but t o men of all
cast es and sect s.
138
PREFACE
Some of t he ideals and t enet s of t his sect were
cont ained in t he Chakradhara-Siddhanta-Sutras of
Keshobhasa, writ t en around 1280, t he Lilacharita
of Mhaimbhat a (1288), and t he Rukminisvayamvara of Narendra (1292). A wo man po et ess o f
t his sect , Mahadaisa, wrot e her Dhavale, a
collect ion of devot ional songs, around 1287.
Clearly t he Mahanubhavas were very active around
t he t ime and place of Jnaneshvars creat ive years,
and, t ho ugh he is not t ho ught t o have been in any
way connect ed wit h t hem, t he very t it le of his
spirit ual mast erpiece, Amritanubhav, seems an
obvious reference t o t hem.
Jnaneshvars t wo majo r lit erary wo rks are
Jnaneshvari (originally called Bhavartadipika), a
book of comment ary on t he verses of t he
Bhagavad Gita; and Amritanubhav (The Nect ar
o f Myst ical Experience).
In t he West ,
Jnaneshvar is just ly famous for his Jnaneshvari,
but his ot her works have received lit t le at t ent ion
or recognit ion here. In t he present select ion of
his works, we have no t included excerpt s fro m
Jnaneshvari, as t hat work had already been
adequat ely present ed in t he excellent t ranslat ion
by V.G. Pradhan.
We have included here,
however, his seco nd majo r wo rk, Amritanubhav,
in it s ent iret y.
Amritanubhav was writ t en immediat ely aft er
Jnaneshvari, and is Jnaneshvars free-st yle
expressio n o f t he kno wledge o f t he Self which he
himself had obt ained t o t he fullest degree.
Jnaneshvari, based as it was on t he Bhagavad
Gita, followed a pre-est ablished format ; but in
Amritanubhav, Jnaneshvar was able t o follow his
o wn chain o f t ho ught wit ho ut t he encumbrance o f
script ural pre-concept ions.
In addit io n t o Amritanubhav, included here in
t ranslat ion for t he first t ime, are Haripatha (Sing
139

The Name of Hari), a collect ion of devot ional
so ngs fo cusing on t he value of chant ing t he name
o f Go d; and Changadev Pasashti (Let t er To
Changadev), which Jnaneshvar wrot e t o a fellow
Yogi as a present at io n o f t he essence o f his
spirit ual t eachings.
140
AMRITANUBHAV
141
AMRITANUBHAV
THE NECTAR OF MYSTICAL
EXPERIENCE
Chapter One:
The Union of Shiva and Shakti
Introductory Note
It is only as a means of categorization that we
may speak of Amrit anubhav as a philosophic
work, f or Jnaneshvar was no philosopher, in
the ordinary sense of the word; what he wrote
was no mere speculation or theory, but was an
attempt to explain what he had experienced
f irst-hand in the mystical experience of Unity.
In that mystical experience, the individuals
mind experiences itself as the universal
Consciousness f rom which the entire universe is
projected.
It is an eternal and unlimited
Consciousness, which underlies all phenomenal
existence, and yet which is Itself entirely
devoid of phenomena, being the Source and
Producer of all perceivable phenomena.
It is the paradoxical nature of this
experience which prevents it f rom being
explicable in the terminology of conventional
logic. For the mystic not only experiences
himself as the one pure and unblemished Mind;
he experiences, at the same time, the
manif estation and de-manif estation of all
cosmic phenomena within himself .
It is
unquestionably a Unity, just as an individual
mind and its thoughts are a unity, but there
are these two aspects to It: one, the eternal
and unlimited Consciousness, and the other, the
projected thought-image which is the universe.
In Western theological terminology, these two
are ref erred to as God (Theos) and His Word
142
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
(Logos); in India, they are called Brahman

and Its Maya, Purusha and Its Prakrti,
or Shiva and Its Shakti, depending on
ones pref erence.
Jnaneshvar, in his earlier work, Jnaneshvari,
which is a poetic commentary on the Bhagavad
Git a, adhered to the terms f or these two
complements most commonly used in the Git a,
namely,Brahman/Maya or Purusha/Prakrti.
But when it came to writing Amrit anubhav, his
f ree expression of the knowledge obtained in his
own mystical experience, he resorted to the
terminology common to the Shaivite theological
tradition, using the terms, Shiva/Shakti. As
these two, Shiva and Shakti, represent the
unmanif est Absolute and Its projected creative
Energy, they f orm a unique relationship to one
another; they are, at the same time,
distinguishable f rom, and yet identical to, one
another.
They
are
conceptually
and
categorically two, and yet they are ultimately a
unit. Shakti is the perceivable aspect of Shiva.
Shiva is the invisible substratum of Shakti.
Like the ocean and its waves, they are
indivisibly one.
In this opening chapter of Amrit anubhav,
Jnaneshvar ref ers to these two principles,
traditionally regarded as of the male and the
f emale gender, as the god and the
goddess.
In this way, he describes in
metaphorical f ashion their relationship as an
inseparable husband and wif e, acknowledging
their apparent duality, while continually
harking back to their essential unity.
He
recognized the necessity, if one was to speak at
all of their ultimate unity, to acknowledge the
two complementary aspects of the One, and to
distinguish between them according to their
143
characteristics. Yet, to Jnaneshvar, who had

obtained the vision of Truth, everything
bef ore his eyes was simply the delightf ul sport
of God. To him, nothing else exists but God,
and all talk of duality is misleading. As he
says, It is because of the union of these two
[Shiva and Shakti], that the whole universe
exists.
[Yet] their duality disappears when
their essential unity is seen.
This, the opening chapter of Amrit anubhav,
is undoubtedly one of the most strikingly
beautif ul poetic expressions of this duality-inunity ever written. In it, Jnaneshvar, the poet,
portrays, with symbol and metaphor, that
mystery which remains f orever inexpressible in
the language of philosophy and logic.
144
THE UNION OF SHIVA AND SHAKTI
CHAPTER ONE:
THE UNION OF SHIVA AND SHAK TI
Invocation
I t ake refuge in t he God
Who is revealed in t he person of
The glo rio us Nivrit inat h. 1
He is t he one indescribable Bliss
Who is unbo rn, immort al, and ever-unchanged.
I honor t he divine Wisdom
In t he fo rm o f t he guru,
Who , o verflo wing wit h compassio n,
Sho wers his blessings on all,
And who se co mmands point t he way t o vict ory.
Though one, He appears as Shiva and Shakt i.
Whet her it is Shiva joined t o Shakt i
Or Shakt i jo ined t o Shiva,
No one can t ell.
I bo w t o t hese parent s o f t he worlds,
Who , by revealing t o each ot her t heir oneness,
Enable me also t o know it .
I make obeisance t o Shambhu (Shiva),
That perfect Lord who is
The cause o f t he beginning,
Preservat ion, and end of t he world;
The manifest at io n o f t he beginning,
Middle and end of t he world;
And t he disso lut ion of t he t hree as well.
145
The Union of Shiva And Shakti

1.
I offer obeisance t o t he God and

Go ddess,
The limit less primal parent s of t he
universe.
2.
The lover, out of boundless love,

Has become t he Beloved.
Bo t h are made of t he same subst ance
And share t he same food.
3.
Out o f lo ve for each ot her, t hey merge;

And again, t hey separat e for t he
pleasure of being t wo.
4.
They are not ent irely t he same,

No r are t hey not t he same.
We cannot say exact ly what t hey are.
5.
Their one great desire is t o enjoy each

ot her;
Yet they never allow their unity to be
disturbed, even as a joke.
6.
They are so averse t o separat ion

That even t heir child, t he universe,
Does not dist urb t heir unio n.
7.
Though t hey perceive t he universe

Of inanimat e and animat e creat ion
Emanat ing from t hemselves,
They do not recognize a t hird.
8.
They sit t o get her o n t he same gro und,

Wearing t he same garment of light .
Fro m t ime past remembrance t hey have
lived t hus, unit ed in Bliss.
146
9.
Difference it self merged in t heir sweet

unio n
When, seeing t heir int imacy,
It co uld find no dualit y t o enjoy.
10.
Because of God, t he Goddess exist s;

And, wit hout Her, He is not .
They exist only because of each ot her.
11.
Ho w sweet is t heir union!

The whole wo rld is t o o small t o co nt ain
t hem,
Yet t hey live happily in t he smallest
part icle.
12.
They regard each ot her as t heir own

Self,
And neit her creat es so much as a blade
Of grass wit ho ut t he o t her.
13.
These t wo are t he only ones

Who dwell in t his home called t he
universe.
When t he Mast er o f t he ho use sleeps,
The Mist ress st ays awake,
And perfo rms t he funct io ns o f bot h.
14.
When He awakes, t he whole house

disappears,
And not hing at all is left .
15.
They became t wo for t he purpose of

diversit y;
And bo t h are seeking each ot her
For t he purpo se o f beco ming o ne.
147
16.
Each is an o bject t o t he o t her,

And bo t h are subject s t o each ot her.
Only when t o get her do t hey enjo y
happiness.
17.
It is Shiva alone who lives in all

forms;
He is bot h t he male and t he female.
It is because o f t he unio n o f t hese t wo
co mplement s
That t he whole universe exist s.
18.
Two lut es: o ne not e.

Two flowers: one fragrance.
Two lamps: one light .
19.
Two lips: one word.

Two eyes: one sight .
These t wo : one universe.
20.
Though manifest ing dualit y,

These t wo t he et ernal Pair
Are eat ing from t he same dish.
21.
The Shakt i, endowed wit h chast it y and

fidelit y,
Canno t live wit ho ut Her Lord;
And wit ho ut Her,
The Do er-of-all cannot appear.
22.
Since He appears because of Her,

And She exist s because of Her Lord,
The t wo cannot be dist inguished at all.
23.
Sugar and it s sweet ness

Cannot be separat ed fro m o ne ano t her,
Nor can campho r and it s fragrance.
148
24.
If t here are flames,

There is also t he fire.
If we cat ch hold of Shakt i,
We have Shiva as well.
25.
The Sun appears t o shine because of it s

rays,
But it is t he Sun it self, which produces
t he rays.
In act , t hat glorious Sun and it s shining
Are o ne and t he same.
26.
To have a reflect io n, o ne must have an

object ;
If we see a reflect io n, t hen we infer
That an object exist s.
Likewise, t he supreme Realit y, which is
one,
Appears t o be t wo .
27.
Thro ugh Her,

The abso lut e Void becomes t he
manifest world;
But Her exist ence
Is derived from Her Lord.
28.
Shiva Himself became His beloved;

But , wit ho ut Her presence,
No universe exist s.
29.
Because of Her form,

God is seen as t he world;
But He creat ed Her form
Of Himself.
30.
Embarrassed by Her formless Husband

And Her own graceful form,
She ado rned Him wit h a universe
Of myriad names and forms.
149
31.
In unit y, t here is lit t le t o behold;

So She, t he mot her of abundance,
Brought fort h t he world as a play.
32.
She made evident t he glory of Her Lord

By spreading o ut Her o wn body-fo rm;
And He made Her famo us by
concealing Himself.
33.
He t akes t he role o f Wit ness

Out of lo ve o f wat ching Her;
But when Her appearance is wit hdrawn,
The role o f Wit ness is abando ned as
well.
34.
Thro ugh Her,

He assumes t he form of t he universe;
Wit ho ut Her,
He is left naked.
35.
Alt ho ugh He is manifest ,

He, Himself, cannot be seen.
It is only because o f Her
That He appears as universal form.
36.
When He is awakened by Her,

Shiva perceives t he world;
Then He enjoys t his dish She serves,
As well as She who serves.
37.
While He sleeps, She gives birt h

To t he animat e and inanimat e worlds;
When She rest s,
Her Husband disappears.
38.
When He co nceals Himself,

He cannot be discovered wit hout Her
grace.
They are as mirrors, each t o t he ot her.
150
39.
When He embraces Her,

It is His own Bliss t hat Shiva enjoys.
He is t he enjo yer o f everyt hing,
But t here is no enjo yment wit ho ut Her.
40.
She is His form,

But Her beaut y comes from Him.
By t heir int ermingling,
They are, t oget her, enjoying t his feast .
41.
Shiva and Shakt i are t he same,

Like air and it s mot ion,
Or like go ld and it s lust er.
42.
Fragrance cannot be separat ed from musk,

Nor heat from fire;
Neit her can Shakt i be separat ed from
Shiva.
43.
If night and day were t o approach t he

Sun,
Bo t h wo uld disappear.
In t he same way, their dualit y wo uld
vanish
If t heir essent ial unit y were seen.
44.
In fact , [t he dualit y of] Shiva and

Shakt i
Canno t exist in t hat primal unit ive st at e
Fro m which AUM emanat es.
45.
Jnanadev says,
I ho no r t he primal pair of Shiva and
Shakt i
Who, by swallowing up t he sweet dish
of name and form,
Reveal t heir underlying unit y.
151
46.
Embracing each ot her, t hey merge int o

one,
As darkness merges int o light
At t he breaking of dawn.
47.
All levels of speech, from Para t o

Vaikari, 1
Merge int o silence
When t heir t rue nat ure is realized,
Just as t he ocean and t he Ganges bot h
merge
Int o t he primal Wat ers
When t he universal Deluge comes.
48.
Then, t he air, along wit h it s mot ion,

Merges int o t he universal Air;
The Sun, along wit h it s brilliance,
Merges int o t he element al Fire at t hat
t ime.
49.
Likewise, while at t empt ing

To see Shiva and Shakt i,
Bot h t he seer and his visio n disappear.
Again and again, I offer salut at ions
To t hat universal pair.
50.
They are like a st ream of knowledge

From which a kno wer canno t drink
Unless he gives up himself.
51.
When such is t he case,

If I remain separat e in order t o honor
t hem,
It is o nly a pret ended separat ion.
52.
My ho mage is like t hat

Of a golden ornament
Wo rshipping gold.
152
53.
When my t o ngue says t he wo rd,

t ongue,
Is t here any difference bet ween t he
Organ which ut t ers t he word
And t he o bject signified by t hat word?
54.
Alt hough t he Ganges and t he o cean are

different ,
When t hey commingle,
Are t heir wat ers not t he same?
55.
The Sun is bot h t he source

And t he object of illuminat ion;
St ill, it is o nly o ne.
56.
If mo o nlight illumines t he moon,

Or if a lamp is revealed by it s own
light ,
Is t here any separat ion here?
57.
When t he lust er of a pearl

Plays upon it self,
It only enhances it self.
58.
Is t he sound of AUM divided int o t hree

Simply because it cont ains t hree
let t ers?
Or is t he let t er N divided int o t hree
Because of t he t hree lines by which it
is formed?
59.
So long as Unit y is undist urbed,

And a graceful pleasure is t hereby
derived,
Why sho uld not t he wat er find delight
In t he floral fragrance of it s own
rippled surface?
153
60.
It is in t his manner, I bow

To t he inseparable Shiva and Shakt i.
61.
A reflect ed image vanishes

When t he mirror is t aken away;
The ripples o n t he wat er vanish
When t he wind becomes st ill.
62.
A man ret urns t o himself

When he awakens from sleep;
Likewise, I have perceived t he God and
Goddess
By waking from my ego.
63.
When salt dissolves [in t he ocean],

It becomes o ne wit h t he o cean;
When my ego disso lved,
I became one wit h Shiva and Shakt i.
64.
I have paid ho mage t o Shiva and Shakt i

By unit ing wit h t hem;
Just as, when t he out er covering
Of t he ho llo w banyan t ree is remo ved,
The inner space becomes unit ed wit h
t he o ut er. 2
154
SALUTATIONS TO SRI NIVRITTI
Chapter Two:
Salutations to Sri Nivritti
Introductory Note
Jnaneshvar had experienced the vision of
unity; he had realized the Self of the
universe; and he attributed this attainment
to the initiating and nourishing grace of his
brother, Nivritti. Jnaneshvars relationship
to his brother was a unique one, f or Nivritti
was also his revered Guru. A f raternal
relationship is a very special one, no doubt,
but the relationship between a disciple and
his Guru is one of utter, uncompromising,
devotion.
Jnaneshvar f elt this kind of
devotion to Nivritti, and looked on him as
the very manif estation of God, a living f orm
of the one f ormless Reality in whom resided
the power of grace.
In the Nath tradition handed on to Nivritti
f rom his own Guru, Gahininath, and in the
Hindu tradition generally, the Guru holds a
very signif icant place. Through his own
Self -realization, the Master is said to obtain
the power of transmitting his own elevated
awareness to his disciples, through his
touch, or glance, or simply by the power of
his will. Even the words of the Guru have
the power to prof oundly af f ect the soul of
the disciple. We can readily experience this
elevating inf luence of the word as we read
and absorb the words of Jnaneshvar, who,
in this work, serves as Guru to the reader.
Such transmission of Self -awareness is
called,
in
the
Shaivite
tradition,
Shaktipat. It is said to awaken I the
disciple the latent Intelligence which,
evolving in the disciple, leads him to Self -
155
realization. This evolutionary potential is

said to reside in a latent, or unevolved,
state in all human beings in the subtle
nerve-channel at the base of the spine. And
when it is stimulated into activity, or
wakef ulness, by the guru, this evolutionary
energy, known as Kundalini Shakt i (t he
coiled energy), begins it s evolut ionary
ascent , rising t hrough several different
st ages o f awareness, corresponding t o t he
ascending st ages alo ng t he spinal co lumn.
When t his int elligent energy reaches it s full
develo pment , corresponding t o it s ascent t o
t he t op of t he head, t he disciple experiences
t he union of Shakt i wit h Shiva; i.e., realizes
his o neness wit h God.
The true Guru, who possesses this power, is
theref ore thought of by his disciple as the
dispeller of darkness, the grace-bestowing
power of God. It is in this manner that
Jnaneshvar regarded Nivritti, most sincerely
and unreservedly, as synonymous with Shiva;
and in this, the second chapter of
Amrit anubhav, Jnandev of f ers his f ervent
paean of praise to the Guru, worshipping
him as the very embodiment of God.
156
CHAPTER TWO:
1.
No w I o ffer salut at io ns t o him

Who is t he well-spring of t he garden
of sadhana, 1
The auspicious conduit of divine Will,
And, t ho ugh formless,
The very incarnat ion of compassion.
2.
I o ffer salut at io ns t o him

Who co mes t o t he aid of t he Self
Which is suffering limit at ion
In t he wilderness o f igno rance.
3.
I bow t o my Guru, Nivrit t i,

Who , by slaying t he elephant of Maya,
Has made a dish o f t he pearls
Taken from it s t emple.
4.
By his mere glance,

Bo ndage becomes liberat ion,
And t he knower becomes t he known.
5.
He dist ribut es t he gold of liberat ion to

all,
Bo t h t he great and t he small;
It is He who gives t he visio n o f t he
Self.
6.
As fo r his powers,
He surpasses even t he great ness of
Shiva.
He is a mirror in which t he Self
Sees t he reflect ion of it s own Bliss.
157
7.
It is by his grace
That all t he moon-phases of sadhana
Culminat e in t he full moon of realizat ion.
8.
All t he sadhakas effort s cease

When he meet s t he Guru.
He is t he ocean in which t he river of
act ivit y has ceased t o be.
9.
When he is absent ,
One wears t he lo vely clo ak o f
appearance;
When he appears,
The cloak o f diversit y vanishes.
10.
The Sun of his grace t urns t he

darkness o f igno rance
Int o t he light of Self-knowledge.
11.
The wat er of his grace

Washes t he soul so clean
That he regards even Shiva as
unclean,
And does not wish t o be t ouched
Even by him.
12.
He abandoned t he great ness of his

own st at e
To save his disciple,
Yet his t rue great ness has never been
abandoned.
13.
Alone, t here is no happiness;

Therefo re, t he pure Consciousness
Assumes t he forms of Guru and
disciple.
158
14.
By just a lit t le sprinkle of his grace,

The po ison of ignorance is changed int o
nect ar t he nect ar of limit less knowledge.
15.
When knowledge discovers him wit hin,

He swallows up t he knower;
And st ill he does not become impure.
16.
Wit h his help,

The so ul at t ains t he st at e of Brahman;
But if he is indifferent ,
Brahman has no mo re wo rt h t han a
blade o f grass.
17.
Tho se who fait hfully endeavor,

Regarding his will as law,
Obt ain t he ripe fruit o f t heir effo rt s.
18.
Unless t he well-spring of his glance

Wat ers t he garden of knowledge,
There will be no fruit in t he hand.
19.
By cast ing a mere glance,

He makes t he wo rld o f appearance
Recede and vanish.
Though his conquest is great ,
He does no t call it his o wn.
20.
He has at t ained t he great st at us of Guru

By possessing no st at us.
His wealt h is his abilit y
To rid us o f what do es no t exist .
21.
He is t he rock of refuge
That saves us fro m dro wning
In t he sea which does not exist .
Tho se who are saved
Are released from t ime and space.
159
22.
He is t he calm and ever perfect sky

wit hin.
To t hat , t he o ut er sky canno t
compare.
23.
Fro m his light ,

The mo o n, wit h her co o l beams, is made;
The Sun derives it s brilliance
From a single ray o f his light .
24.
He is like an ast rologer whom Shiva,

Weary o f assuming individual forms,
Has commissioned t o find an
auspicio us t ime
Fo r t he regaining of his own st at e.
25.
He is like t he moon, whose form

Is no t diminished, but enhanced,
By t he wearing o f a go wn o f light .
26.
Though present , he is not seen.

Though he is light , he do es no t
illumine.
Though he always is, he is no t in any
place.
27.
Ho w much more shall I say,

Using t he words, he and who?
He canno t be explained by wo rds.
28.
He is indescribable.
In his unit y, where t here is no dualit y,
Wo rds become silent .
29.
The object of knowledge reveals it self

When t he means of knowledge cease t o be.
It is t his no n-being t hat he lo ves t he mo st .
160
30.
31.
Tho ugh we may wish t o have a

glimpse of him,
Even t hat seeing, in his kingdom,
Is a st ain.
When such is t he case,
Ho w co uld one find ent rance t o his
kingdo m
By means of praise or by reference t o him?
Even his name becomes merged in him.
32.
The Self does not seek himself;

Neit her does he conceal himself from
himself.
He merely ret ains a name
To serve as a veil.
33.
Ho w can he dest roy what does not

exist ?
How can he be called t he dest royer?
34.
The Sun is called t he dest royer of

darkness,
But when did t he Sun perceive any
darkness?
35.
That which is illusory becomes real;

That which is inanimat e becomes animat e;
And t hat which is impossible becomes
po ssible
All t hro ugh his marvelous sport .
36.
Through yo ur wo ndro us po wer, yo u

creat e illusions;
And t hen yo u reject t hem as mere
illusio ns;
Yo u are not t he object of any kind of
vision.
161
37.
O Sat guru, you are so myst erious!

Ho w t hen am I t o t reat of you?
You do not allow yourself t o be
defined by words.
38.
You have creat ed so many names and

forms,
And dest royed t hem again t hrough
yo ur po wer;
Yet , st ill, you are not sat isfied.
39.
You do not give your friendship t o

anyone
Wit ho ut t aking away his sense o f
individualit y.
40.
If one t ries t o at t ach a name t o him,

Even t he name, Self, does not fit .
He refuses t o be confined t o a
part icular t hing.
41.
To t he Sun, t here is no night ;

To pure wat er, t here is no salt ;
To o ne who is awake, t here is no
sleep.
42.
In t he presence of fire, camphor

canno t remain;
In his presence, name and form cease
t o be.
43.
Tho ugh I t ry t o bow t o him,

He do es not remain before me
As an object o f my wo rship.
He does not allow any sense of
difference.
162
44.
45.
The Sun do es no t beco me so met hing

else
In o rder t o serve as a means for it s
rising;
Neit her does he become an object for
my worship.
By no means may one place oneself
before him;
He has removed t he possibilit y
Of his being an object of anyones
worship.
46.
If yo u mirror t he sky,
No reflect ion may be seen;
Neit her is he an object
Which someone may worship.
47.
So what if he is not an object of

worship!
Why should it seem so myst erious t o
me?
But he does not leave any t race
Of t he o ne who goes t o worship!
48.
When t he out side of a garment is

opened,
The inside is opened as well.
49.
Or, as a mirrored image must vanish

When t he object of reflect ion is gone,
So must t he o ne who wo rships vanish
When t he object of worship
disappears.
50.
Our visio n is wort hless where t here is

no form.
We are placed in such a st at e
By t he grace of his feet .
163
51.
The flame of a lamp is kept burning

cont inually
By t he combinat ion of t he wick and
t he o il;
A piece of camphor cannot keep it
burning.
52.
For, as so on as t he camphor and

flame are unit ed,
Bo t h o f t hem vanish at t he same t ime.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
When he is seen,
Bo t h wo rshipper and t he object of
worship vanish,
As dreams vanish at t he moment of
waking.
By t hese verses, I have made a finish
of dualit y
And also honored by beloved Sri
Guru.
How wonderful is his friendship!
He has manifest ed dualit y
In t he fo rm of Guru and disciple
Where t here is not even a place for
one!
How does he have a close relat ionship
wit h himself
When t here is no one ot her t han
himself?
He can never beco me anyt hing o t her
t han himself!
He becomes as vast as t he sky,
Including t he ent ire universe wit hin
himself.
164
Wit hin him,

Even darkness and no n-exist ence
dwell.
58.
An o cean fulfills t he needs of all,

Yet it cannot be fulfilled it self.
Also , in t he Gurus house
Such co nt radict ions happily live
t o get her.
59.
There is no int imacy bet ween night

and day,
But t hey are one in t he eyes of t he
Sun.
60.
Alt ho ugh t he supreme Realit y is one,

Differences arise wit hin It ;
But how does different iat ion det ract
Fro m t he unit y o f t he who le?
61.
The words, Guru and disciple

Refer t o but o ne;
The Guru alone exist s as bot h t hese
forms.
62.
Bo t h in gold and
There is not hing
In t he moon and
There is no t hing
63.
Camphor and it s fragrance are not hing

but camphor;
Sugar and it s sweet ness are not hing
but sugar.
64.
Alt ho ugh t he guru and disciple appear

t o be t wo ,
It is t he Guru alone who masquerades
as bot h.
in golden ornament s,
but gold.
in moonlight
but t he mo o n.
165
65.
When yo u look in a mirror and see

yo ur o wn face,
You realize t hat bot h are only
yourself.
66.
If a person awakes in a so lit ary place

When no one else is about ,
Then one may be sure t hat he is bot h
The awakened and t he awakener as
well.
67.
Just as t he awakened and t he

awakener are t he same,
The Guru is bot h t he receiver of
knowledge
And t he one who impart s it as well.
St ill, he cont inues t o uphold t he
relat io nship of Mast er and disciple.
68.
If one could see his own eye wit hout

a mirror,
There would be no need of t his sport
of t he Guru.
69.
Therefo re, he nourishes t his int imat e

relat io nship
Wit hout causing dualit y o r dist urbing
t he unit y.
70.
His name is Nivrit t i.

Nivrit t i is his splendo r.
Nivrit t i is t he glory of his kingdom.
71.
He is no t t he nivrit t i
Which means, t he absence of
act ivit y:
166
72.
That nivrit t i is t he pro duct

Of pravrit t i, or act ivit y;
Just as night is necessit at ed
By it s opposit e, day.
He is no t t hat nivrit t i.
73.
He is t he pure and supreme Lo rd;

He is no t t he kind of jewel
Which needs somet hing else
To cause it t o sparkle.
74.
The mo o n spreads her soft light ,

Pervading t he ent ire sky;
It is she herself
Who enhances her own form.
75.
Likewise, Nivrit t i is t he cause of

Nivrit t i.
He is like a flower become a nose
In o rder t o enjoy it s own fragrance.
76.
Would a mirror be needed

If o nes vision were able t o t urn back
o n it self
And perceive t he fairness of ones
o wn co mplexion?
77.
Though night dissolves, and daylight

comes,
Is no t t he Sun unchanged,
Wit ho ut t he need t o make an effo rt
To ret urn t o himself?
78.
Nivrit t i is not an object of knowledge

That requires various proofs
To sho w t hat it exist s;
There is no doubt t hat he is t he Guru.
167
79.
Salut at io ns t o t he holy feet o f t he

Guru
Whose act ionlessness is absolut e,
Wit hout any t race of act ivit y.
80.
Jnanadeva says, This salut at ion t o Sri

Guru
Sat isfies t he requirement s
Of all t he four levels of speech.
168
THE REQUIREMENTS OF SPEECH
Chapter Three:
The Requirem ents of Speech
Introductory Note
In the Third Chapter, Jnaneshvar
attempts to ex-pose the error of conf using
relative knowledge with the absolute
Knowleldge, which is synonymous with the
Self .
When the Self is experienced, It
shines
f orth
as
all-comprehensive
Knowledge, a Knowledge in which there is
no separation between the knower and what
is known. It is this absolute Knowledge
which exists eternally as the Self at the
subtlest core of our being.
Relative
knowledge, however, is the product of
thought; and thought is anterior to that
absolute state, representing a leap f rom the
unitive awareness of the Self to a separative
awareness, wherein the thinker becomes
distinct f rom the object of his thought, and
becomes a separate and distinct entity in a
world of multiple entities.
Absolute
Knowledge consists of unity; relative
knowledge consists of duality.
In the Shaivite philosophical tradition,
the subtlest level at which thought emanates
f rom the perf ect Knowledge is called Para,
corresponding to the subtlest body of man,
the supra-causal body. This is where all
thought impulses begin. At a less subtle
level, called pashyant i, which corresponds to
the causal body, the thought takes f orm.
And at the level called madhyama,
corresponding to the subtle body, the
thought is f ully f ormulated and may be
heard within. This thought is then uttered
at the gross level, called vaikari, and
169
emitted as speech.
These are the f our
levels of speech; they are the consecutive
degrees of expression of relative, or
dualistic, knowledge. But this knowledge is
not the absolute Knowledge; it is but a pale
and dim ref lection of it.
When the enlightenment experience, the
revelation of the Self , wanes and passes,
what remains is a memory, an intellectually
f ormulable expression of that absolute
Knowledge, but it is not that Knowledge.
The Self may be f ormulated in thought and
speech, but that knowledge in not the
absolute Knowledge; f or thought and speech
occur only anterior to the breakdown of
unity into subject and object, and arise only
under those conditions.
The attempt to
describe the Self , theref ore, is like the
attempt to draw a picture of the waters
calm surf ace by stirring in the water with a
stick; or like trying to express silence with
a brass band.
As Jnaneshvar acknowledges, it is
thought which brings the awareness to that
degree of subtlety where it can experience
itself as pure Knowledge, where all
intellectualizing is transcended; but the
dif f erence between that pure Knowledge and
mere intellectual knowledge is one not
merely of degree, but of kind. Relative
knowledge, Jnaneshvar rightly points out, is
dependent upon its counterpart, ignorance,
f or existence; they are interdependent, and
exist only relative to one another. Whereas
absolute knowledge exists eternally, is
independent of these two relative, opposing,
states, and has no opposite, being allinclusive.
170
In that pure, absolute Knowledge, there

is no longer a separation between the
knower and what is known. The knower
knows himself to be all.
He no longer
thinks about a something; he is the
thinker, the thought, the object of thought,
on an inf inite cosmic scale.
In the
af termath of that experience, he may regard
himself as liberated, f ree; f or he retains
a knowledge of that Knowledge, which
utterly transf orms his way of looking at
himself and the world. But, as Jnaneshvar
points out, this knowledge, this f reedom, is
not the real Knowledge and Freedom, which
exists in Itself , beyond the duality of knower
and known.
171
CHAPTER THREE:
1.
It is t he calling aloud of t hese four

levels of speech
That awakens t he Self;
But even t his waking is a kind o f
sleep.
2.
It is t rue t hat t hese four levels of

speech
Are conducive t o soul-liberat ion,
But , wit h t he dest ruct ion o f ignorance,
These also are dest royed.
3.
Just as hands and feet depart along

wit h t he body
At t he t ime of deat h,
Or, as t he subt le senses depart alo ng
wit h t he mind,
Or, as t he Suns rays depart wit h t he
set t ing Sun,
4.
5.
Or, as dreams depart when sleep

comes t o an
end,
So t he four levels of speech depart
Alo ng wit h ignorance.
When iron is burned, it cont inues t o
exist as liquid;
Fuel burnt cont inues as fire.
6.
Salt disso lved in wat er

Cont inues t o exist as t ast e;
Sleep dispelled cont inues as
wakefulness.
7.
In t he same way, alt ho ugh t he fo ur

levels of speech
172
Are dest royed along wit h ignorance,

They co nt inue t o live as knowledge of
Realit y.
8.
It s t rue, t hey light t he lamp of

knowledge
Through t heir sacrifice,
But t his kind of knowledge is a fut ile
exert ion.
9.
Sleep, while it remains,

Is t he cause of ones dreams;
And when it vanishes,
It is t he cause of ones becoming
awake.
It is sleep t hat is t he cause of bot h.
10.
In t he same way,
Igno rance, while it remains,
Is t he cause of false knowledge;
And when it vanishes,
Is t he cause o f t rue kno wledge.
11.
But , living or dead,

This ignorance ent angles t he
individual
By binding him
Wit h eit her slavery or a false sense of
freedo m.
12.
If freedom it self is a kind o f

bondage,
Why sho uld t he word, freedom be
given t o it ?
13.
A child is sat isfied

By t he deat h of an ogre in a dream;
But it does not even exist for ot hers!
173
How should t hey be affect ed by it s

deat h?
14.
If so meo ne bewails
The loss of a broken vase which
never exist ed,
Would we consider t hat person wise?
15.
If bondage it self is unreal,

How can freedom arise from it s
dest ruct ion?
This freedom is only somet hing
creat ed
By t he self-dest ruct io n o f ignorance.
16.
Sadashiva,
In t he Shiva Sutras,
Has declared t hat knowledge it self is
bondage. 1
17.
It is not t hat we accept t his

Merely because it was said by Shiva
or by Krishna;
It can be underst ood
Even if t hey had no t said it .
18.
Sri Krishna (in t he Bhagavad Gita)

Has elaborat ely explained how
The qualit y of sattva binds o ne
Wit h t he cords of knowledge. 2
19.
If t he Self, which is pure Knowledge

it self,
Requires t he help o f ano t her
knowledge,
Wo uld t hat not be like t he Sun
seeking help
Of anot her light ?
174
20.
It is meaningless t o say
That t he Self is, it self, Knowledge
If it s great ness depends
On some knowledge ot her t han
It self.
If a lamp desires anot her lamp
To give it light ,
It must be t hat it has go ne o ut .
21.
Could one who was ignorant of his

own exist ence
Wander about t o various count ries in
search of himself?
22.
Ho w might one declare

That he was happy t o remember
himself
Aft er so many days?
23.
Also , if t he Self,
Who is, himself, pure Consciousness,
Thinks, I am conscious of myself;
I am He!
Such knowledge would be bondage.
24.
This kind of knowledge is

deplorable,
Since it conceals t he original
Knowledge
And fo st ers t he illusion of freedom.
25.
Therefore, when t he ego of t he

individual is dest royed,
And igno rance vanishes,
The four levels of speech,
Which are ornament s of t he four
bodies, also vanish.
175
26.
When ignorance, being ut t erly deject ed,
Ent ers t he fire of Consciousness
Alo ng wit h her o rgans,
No t hing remains but t he ashes of
knowledge.
27.
When campho r is disso lved in

wat er, it cannot be seen;
But it can be det ect ed as fragrance in
t he wat er.
28.
When ashes are smeared on t he body,

The loose part icles may fall away;
But t he whit e colorat ion remains.
29.
Even t hough t he wat er of a river

May have ceased t o flow,
St ill, it remains as moist ure in t he
so il.
30.
Though ones shadow may not be

seen at noont ime,
St ill, it remains under o nes feet .
31.
So, also, t he Kno wledge

That swallows everyt hing ot her
t han It self
Is merged in t he ult imat e Realit y,
But remains as knowledge.
32.
The requirement s of t he four levels

of speech
Cannot be sat isfied even by t heir
self-sacrifice.
I have sat isfied t hem by bo wing
my head
At t he holy feet of t he Guru.
176
33.
When t he four levels of speech are

dest royed,
They remain as t hat knowledge
Which is, it self, a kind of
ignorance.
177
Chapter Four:
Knowledge And Ignorance
Introductory Note
Chapter Four is a continuation on the
same theme. The understanding of the nature
of reality which arises through discursive
thought dispels ignorance, says Jnaneshvar;
but that knowledge is, itself , an illusory
knowledge compared to the Knowledge
synonymous with the absolute Self .
The
knowledge consisting of logical reasonings and
proof s may produce intellectual understanding,
but that is merely the other side of the coin of
ignorance; such word-knowledge can never
produce Knowledge; i.e., the revelation of the
Self .
In
this
respect,
Amrit anubhav
is
reminiscent of the writings of some Western
seers, like Heraclitus, and particularly
Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464), who asserted
in his book, On Learned Igno rance, that no
amount of intellectual knowledge (which he
called learned ignorance) was capable of
revealing the Absolute.
Like Nicholas,
Jnaneshvar takes great pains to explain that,
when the absolute Unity is experienced in the
mystical vision, all relative knowledge is
swallowed up along with ignorance, and only
that
pure
all-encompassing
Awareness
remains.
What had previously been mere
understanding expands to the degree that it
transcends itself in a sudden dawning of
direct Knowing, beyond the intermediary of
the intellect, at once dissolving the
distinction between knower and known.
It would appear that, in discrediting
intellectual knowledge, Jnaneshvar is, ironic-
178
KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE
ally, establishing the f utility of his own

dissertation; but this is not so. Jnaneshvar
acknowledges the usef ulness of intellectual
understanding, i.e., relative knowledge, as a
preparation f or Self -realization. He compares
such understanding to the awakening f rom
sleep which is, itself , abandoned to the steady
state of wakef ulness; or to the f lame produced
by burning camphor, which is, itself ,
extinguished simultaneous with the annihilation
of the camphor.
While, in these two
analogies, the awakening and the f lame are
extinguished in the end, both are necessary
and
essential
ingredients
in
the
accomplishment of that end. In the same way,
though knowledge is extinguished in the
realization of the Self , it is necessary to the
attainment of that end.
Jnaneshvar goes on to explain the
paradoxical nature of that pure Knowledge,
whose utterly unique status precludes any
accurate comparisons or analogies. It IS, yet
it is a nothing, says Jnaneshvar; It is the
eternal Witness which, though producing the
appearance of everything, is not Itself a
thing. In that pure Awareness, the entire
universe is perceived as a f limsy illusion
f ormed of nothing, yet He who perceives it
IS. He is the one and only Reality in whom
all the drama of duality takes place. He is
the perceiver and the perceived, the knower
and the known, the subject and the object, on
every stage of worldly experience. Nothing
exists but that one Existence, that one pure
and undisturbed Awareness; it is He alone who
perf orms all this drama of multiplicity in
Himself .
179
CHAPTER FOUR:
K NOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE
1.
By dest ro ying igno rance,

Knowledge reigns supreme
Like t he wakefulness t hat dest roys
sleep.
2.
By lo o king in a mirror, one perceives

his own ident it y;
But t hat ident it y was already t here.
3.
In t he same way, [relat ive] knowledge

gives t he underst anding
Of t he ident it y o f t he wo rld and t he
Self;
But it is like using a knife
To cut anot her knife.
4.
If a person ent ers a house,

And t hen set s it o n fire,
He get s burned along wit h t he house.
If a t hief get s int o a sack
And t hen fast ens it shut ,
He is bo und along wit h t he sack.
5.
Fire, in t he pro cess o f annihilat ing

camphor,
Annihilat es it self as well.;
This is exact ly what happens t o
knowledge
In t he process of dest roying
ignorance.
6.
When t he support of ignorance is

t aken away,
Kno wledge spreads
180
To t he ext ent t hat it dest roys it self.

7.
8.
As t he wick of an oil-lamp burns t o

it s end,
The flame flares up mo re bright ly
t han befo re.
But t his bright ness
Is not hing but it s ext inct io n.
Is t he breast of a woman
At it s peak o f develo pment o r
beginning t o sag?
Is t he jasmine bud in full blo o m o r
beginning t o fade?
Who can say?
9.
The crest ing of a wave is but it s fall;

The flash o f a bo lt o f light ning
Is but it s fading.
10.
Likewise, knowledge,
Drinking up t he wat er o f igno rance,
Gro ws so large
That it complet ely annihilat es it self.
11.
If t he final deluge were t o o ccur,

It wo uld engulf all wat er and space
And leave not hing out side of it .
12.
If t he disk of t he Sun
Were t o become larger t han t he
universe,
Bo t h darkness and light would merge
In t hat all-pervading light .
13.
Awakening dispels sleep,

And t hen it dispels it self,
Becoming t he st eady st at e of
wakefulness.
181
14.
In t he same way,
That kno wledge which shines
By virt ue of t he exist ence of
ignorance
Is swallo wed up by absolut e
Knowledge.
15.
This absolut e Knowledge is like

The int rinsic fullness of t he moon,
Which is unaffect ed
By it s apparent waxing and waning.
16.
Or one might compare It t o t he Sun,

Which is never illuminat ed by any
ot her light
No r ever cast int o darkness.
17.
Fo r t hat absolut e Knowledge also

Is not revealed by ano t her kind o f
knowledge
Or darkened by ignorance.
18.
But can t hat pure Co nscio usness be

conscious of It self?
Can t he eye look at it self?
19.
Can space pervade space?

Can fire burn fire?
Can a man climb ont o his own head?
20.
Can vision perceive it self?

Does t ast e t ast e it self?
Can so und list en t o it self?
21.
Can t he Sun shine o n it self?

Can a fruit enjoy it s own sweet ness?
Can fragrance smell it self?
182
22.
Likewise, t hat which is Consciousness

It self
Does not possess t he qualit y of being
conscious,
And is, t herefore, not conscious of
It self.
23.
If absolut e Knowledge required t he

aid
Of some o t her kind o f kno wledge [t o
know It self],
It would be no t hing but igno rance.
24.
Light is, of course, not darkness;

But , t o it self, is it even light ?
25.
Likewise,
He is neit her exist ence no r no nexist ence.
By saying t his,
It may seem t hat Im saying, He is
not ;
26.
But , if it were t rue

That no t hing at all exist s,
Then who would know t hat t here is
not hing?
27.
By what means might o ne pro ve

The t heo ry of Nihilism?
It is a t o t ally unjust ified imput at ion
To t he ult imat e Realit y.
28.
If t he ext inguisher of a light

Were ext inguished along wit h t he
light ,
Who would know t hat t here was no
light ?
183
29.
If a person ceased t o be
During t he perio d o f sleep,
Who would know t hat it was a sound
sleep?
30.
If t here is a pot , a pot is perceived,

And if t he po t is bro ken, it s
brokenness is perceived;
And, if t here is no pot at all,
Is no t it s absence perceived as well?
31.
It can be seen, t herefore,

That he who perceives t hat t here is
not hing
Does not , himself, become not hing.
The Self has t his same unique kind of
exist ence,
Beyond bo t h exist ence and no nexist ence.
32.
The ult imat e Realit y

Is neit her an o bject t o It self,
No r is It an object t o anyone else.
Sho uld It t hen be regarded as nonexist ent ?
33.
34.
If a person falls asleep in a remot e

forest ,
He is unperceived by anyone else.
Since he is asleep,
He, t o o , is unaware of his exist ence.
Nevert heless, he do es no t beco me
lifeless,
Wit ho ut exist ence.
Pure Exist ence is like t his also;
It does no t fit int o t he concept s
Of exist ing or not -exist ing.
184
35.
When ones vision is t urned inward,

One no longer perceives ext ernal
object s,
But one does not t herefore cease t o
exist
And t o know he exist s.
36.
A very dark-skinned person

May st and in pit ch-black darkness;
Neit her he no r anyo ne else may be
able t o perceive him.
St ill, he cert ainly exist s
And is aware of his exist ence.
37.
However, t he exist ence of t he Self

Is not like t he exist ence or nonexist ence
Of a perso n;
He exist s in Himself in His own way.
38.
When t he sky is clear of clouds,

It is wit ho ut fo rm;
But st ill t he sky is t here.
39.
In a t ank, t he wat er may be so clear

That it appears non-exist ent ;
Tho ugh o ne who lo o ks int o t he t ank
may not see it ,
St ill, it is t here.
40.
Similarly,
The ult imat e Realit y exist s in It self,
And is beyond t he concept ions
Of exist ence or non-exist ence.
185
41.
42.
43.
It is like t he awakeness t hat exist s

When t here is neit her a remembrance
Of t he sleep t hat has vanished
Nor t he awareness of it s own
exist ence.
When a jar is placed on t he ground,
We have t he ground wit h a jar;
When t he jar is t aken away,
We have t he ground wit hout a jar;
But , when neit her of t hese condit ions
exist s,
The ground exist s in it s unqualified
st at e.
It is in t his same way
That t he ult imat e Realit y exist s.
186
EXISTENCE, CONSCIOUSNESS, BLISS
Chapter Five:
Existence, Consciousness, Bliss
Introductory Note
In Chapter Five, Jnaneshvar begins with
a clari-f ication of the age-old designation
of Brahman (the Absolute) as Satchidananda,
a composite Sanskrit word made up of Sat
(ExistenceorBeing),Chit (Consciousness) and Ananda (Bliss). It is a usef ul
designation, as Jnaneshvar points out,
because it includes in one word three
separate aspects, or attri-butes, of the One.
If we say merely that It is Existence, we
leave out mention of the f act that It is
Consciousness; if we ref er to It merely as
Consciousness, we leave out mention of the
f act that It is pure satisf action, or Bliss;
and so on.
But his purpose here is to
explain that these three designations are
merely hints, and are really inadequate, as
all words are, to accurately describe the
experience of the Absolute, of Brahman.
Whatever may be said about Him, says
Jnaneshvar, He is not that.
Such
words
as
Consciousness,
Existence, Bliss, suggest to us those
states
which
are
the
opposite
of
unconsciousness, non-existence, and
unhappiness. This is the limitation of all
language; it is based upon the dualism of
contraries which we experience in the world.
But the Absolute Reality is beyond all
contraries, and cannot be expressed in
language. We can only say, not this, not
that.
Finally,
in
the last f ew verses,
Jnaneshvar acknowledges that all his wordy
187
outpourings are of no use in af f ecting

anything at all; even such terms as
bondage and liberation have no
meaning in regard to the Self , Who remains
always in the same state of Freedom.
Nothing, theref ore, is to be accomplished by
all his lengthy explanations. The f act is, it
is all f or his own pleasure and delight in
expounding the Truth.
188
CHAPTER FIVE:
1.
These t hree at t ribut es, Sat, Chit, and

Ananda (Exist ence, Consciousness,
and Bliss),
Do not act ually define Brahman.
A po iso n is poison t o ot hers,
But not t o it self.
2.
Shininess, hardness, and yellowness,

Toget her signify gold.
St ickiness, sweet ness, and viscosit y,
Toget her signify ho ney.
3.
Whit eness, fragrance, and soft ness,

Are no t t hree separat e t hings;
But o nly campho r.
4.
Campho r is whit e;
Not only t hat , it is soft .
And not only t hat , it is fragrant as
well.
5.
Just as t hese t hree qualit ies signify

One object camphor, and not
t hree object s;
So t he t hree qualit ies,
Sat , Chit , and Ananda,
Are co nt ained in one realit y.
6.
It is t rue t hat t he words,

Sat , Chit , and Ananda,
Are different ;
But t he t hree are unit ed in one
Bliss.
189
7.
Sat is Ananda and Chit

Or is it t hat Chit is Sat and
Ananda?
They canno t be separat ed;
Just as sweet ness cannot be
separat ed
fro m ho ney.
8.
The moon in t he sky appears t o pass

t hro ugh
Increasing st ages of fullness,
But t he mo o n is always t he same;
It is always full.
9.
When wat er is falling in drops,

We can count t hem;
But when t he wat er is gat hered
In a puddle on t he ground,
It is impo ssible t o count t he number
of drops.
10.
In t he same way,
The script ures describe Realit y
As Sat, or Exist ence,
In order t o negat e It s no n-exist ence.
They call It Chit, o r Co nscio usness,
In o rder t o negat e It s
unco nscio usness.
11.
The Vedas,
Which are t he very breat h of t he
Lord,
Declare It t o be Ananda, o r Bliss,
Only in o rder t o negat e t he
possibilit y
Of pain exist ing in It .
12.
Non-exist ence is merely t he

co unt erpart ,
Or o ppo sit e, of exist ence.
190
The lat t er word is used

Only t o different iat e it from t he
former.
13.
Thus, t he word, Sat chidananda,

Used t o refer t o t he Self,
Do es no t really describe It s nat ure;
But merely signifies
That It is not t he o pposit e o f t his.
14.
Can t hose object s which are

illumined
By t he Sun
Illumine t he Sun himself?
15.
How, t hen, could speech elucidat e

That
By t he light of which
Speech it self is illumined?
16.
What means of knowledge would be

useful
To t he self-illuminat ing Self,
Who is not an object of anyones
knowledge
And Who has no abilit y t o know?
17.
The means of knowledge is limit ed

By t he o bject o f kno wledge;
It has no use in t he case of t hat
Which is t he subject .
18.
The fact is, if we t ry t o know That,

The knowledge it self is That.
How, t hen, co uld t he kno wledge
And t he o bject o f kno wledge remain
separat e?
191
19.
So, t he words, Sat , Chit , and

Ananda,
Do not deno t e That;
They are merely invent ions of our
t ho ught .
20.
These well known words, Chit ,

Sat , and Ananda,
Are po pularly used, it is t rue;
But when t he knower becomes
One wit h That t o which t hey refer,
21.
Then t hey vanish

Like t he clouds t hat pour down as
rain,
Or like t he rivers which flow int o
t he sea,
Or like a journey when ones
dest inat ion is reached.
22.
A flower fades
Aft er it gives birt h t o t he fruit ;
The fruit is gone
Aft er it gives up it s juice;
And t he juice is gone
Aft er it gives sat isfact ion.
23.
A hand is drawn back

Aft er t he o ffering o f o blat io ns;
A melo dy ends aft er giving
enjoyment .
24.
A mirro r is put aside

Aft er sho wing t o a face it s
reflect ion;
And a person goes away
Aft er having awakened one who is
asleep.
192
25.
Similarly, t hese t hree,

Chit , Sat , and Ananda,
Aft er awaking t he seer t o his Self,
Disappear int o silence.
26. What ever may be said about Him

He is no t t hat .
It is no t possible t o speak about His
real nat ure,
Just as it is impossible
For one t o measure himself
By t aking t he measurement o f his
shado w.
27. For, when t he measurer
Becomes conscious of himself,
He feels ashamed,
And give us t rying t o measure
himself
By his shadow.
28. Of course, what exist s cannot be
said not t o exist ;
But can such exist ence be called
Exist ence?
29. Can what has become conscious
By dest roying unconsciousness
Truly be called Co nscio usness?
30. In perfect wakefulness
There is neit her sleeping nor
waking;
Likewise, t here is no consciousness
In t he pure, absolut e Consciousness.
31. In blissfulness
There is no feeling o f unhappiness;
193
But , can it , for t hat reason, be

called Bliss?
32. Exist ence vanishes alo ng wit h no nexist ence,
Consciousness alo ng wit h
unco nscio usness,
And bliss along wit h misery;
In t he end, not hing remains.
33. Discarding t he veil of dualit y
And all t he pairs of opposit es,
That alone remains
In It s o wn blessed st at e.
34. If we co unt It as one,
It appears t o be so met hing o t her
Than t he o ne who co unt s.
Not fro m t he viewpoint o f
enumerat ion,
But fro m t he abso lut e viewpo int ,
It is One.
35. If It were able
To be so met hing ot her t han Bliss,
It could enjo y bliss.
But , since It is It self Bliss,
How can It enjoy?
36. When t he drum o f wo rship is beat en,
The wo rshipper hears it as sound.
But when t here is no worshipper,
That sound of beat ing does not hear
it self.
37. Likewise, He, being Bliss Himself,
Canno t experience His bliss.
And, fo r t he same reason,
He is no t aware t hat He cannot .
194
38. If a face does not look int o a mirror,

There is neit her a face before it ,
Nor behind it .
Likewise, He is neit her happiness no r
misery,
But pure Bliss it self.
39. Abando ning all so-called illuminat ing
co ncept s
As but jabberings in a dream,
He co nceals Himself
From even His o wn underst anding.
40. Even before t he sugar cane is plant ed,
The juice is wit hin it ;
But it s sweet ness is unknown
Except t o it self.
41. Even before t he st rings of t he Vina
are plucked
The so und is wit hin it ;
But t hat sound remains unknown,
Except t o it self.
42. If a flower wished t o ent er int o it self
In o rder t o enjoy it s own fragrance,
It would have t o beco me a bee.
43. The flavo r o f fo o d which is yet t o be
prepared
Is as yet unknown, except t o it self.
44. So , can That, which does not even
enjoy
It s o wn blissfulness,
Be t ast ed or enjoyed by ot hers?
195
45. When t he moon is overhead at

no o nt ime,
She cannot be perceived, except by
herself.
46. It is like t alking about beaut y
Befo re it is given form,
Or yout h befo re t he birt h o f t he bo dy,
Or religious merit prior t o any good
act ions;
47. Or sexual desire before it becomes
Manifest as t umescence;
48. Or t he t alk abo ut t he so und o f a Vina
Which is not yet const ruct ed,
And so is unknown, except t o it self;
49. Or of fire
Which has not yet cont act ed fuel,
But only it self.
50. Only t hose who are able t o see
Their o wn faces wit hout a mirror
Are capable of underst anding
The secret of t he self-reflect ing
Realit y.
51. Such t alk as t his
Is like discussing t he harvest in
st orage
Befo re t he seeds have been sown.
52. Pure Conscio usness is beyo nd
Bot h generalizat ions and part icular
st at ement s;
It remains ever cont ent in It self.
196
53. Aft er such a discourse,

That speech is wise
Which drinks deeply o f silence.
54. It can be seen
That t he vario us met ho ds o f pro o f
Have accept ed t heir o wn
unprovabilit y;
And analogies have solemnly declared
Their inabilit y t o represent t he
Realit y.
55. The various argument s have dissolved
t hemselves
Because of t heir own invalidit y,
And t he assembly of definit ions has
dispersed.
56. All of t he various means,
Having proved fut ile, have depart ed;
And t he experience it self
Has abandoned it s object .
57. Tho ught , along wit h it s int ent ,
Has died,
Like a co urageous warrior
In t he cause of his mast er;
58. And underst anding,
Ashamed of it s own mode of knowing,
Has co mmit t ed suicide.
The experience abando ned t o it self
alone
Is like o ne beat en and crippled in
bat t le.
59. When t he crust
Of a piece o f t alc is peeled o ff,
The t alk it self disappears.
197
60. If a plant ain t ree, t roubled by t he

heat ,
Cast s off it s o ut er layers,
How shall it st and erect ?
61. Experience depends on t he exist ence
Of t he experienced and t he
experiencer.
When bot h of t hese vanish,
Can t he experience alo ne experience
it self?
62. Of what use are words
When even t he experience
Disso lves it self in t his way?
63. Ho w can words describe t he supreme
Realit y
Where even t he subt lest speech it self
disappears,
And t here is left no t race of sound?
64. Why sho uld t here be any t alk
Abo ut waking a perso n who is already
awake?
Do es o ne begin t o co o k his fo o d
Aft er he has t aken his meal and
beco me sat isfied?
65. When t he Sun rises,
The light of t he lamps is not needed.
Is t here a need for a plough
At t he t ime o f harvest ?
198
66. Truly, t here is neit her bo ndage no r

freedo m;
There is not hing t o be accomplished.
There is only t he pleasure of
expounding.
199
Chapter Five:
The Inefficacy of The Word
Introductory Note
In this Chapter, Jnaneshvar praises the
glory of the word as a means of
recalling, through speech, the awareness of
the Self . The word is the means whereby we
transf orm the one Consciousness into
thought, destroy our ignorance, and lead
ourselves
once
again
to
the
pure
Consciousness of the Self .
But, as
Jnaneshvar points out, in that pure
Awareness Itself , the word is superf luous,
and moreover, f utile. That pure Knowledge
called the Self always IS, always remains.
Theref ore, he asks, where is this thing
called ignorance, which is to be banished
by the word?
It is but an imaginary
superimposition upon the one Reality.
Jnaneshvar then enters into an elaborate
discussion of the paradoxical nature of
ignorance (ajnana).
While knowledge is
obscured, ignorance has the semblance of
existence; but when the true Knowledge is
experienced, ignorance is nowhere to be
f ound; it I seen to be a chimera with no
real existence. It is but the contrary of
knowledge. Elsewhere, in other contexts,
Jnaneshvar does not hesitate to use the
word, ignorance, as though it were a
def initive reality to be dispelled by
knowledge; but here, his purpose is to
reveal its essential illusoriness, i.e., its nonreality.
His intention, of course, is to
reveal That which does exist by negating
what does not exist.
In his own
unmistakable style, he spouts analogy af ter
200
INEFFICACY OF THE WORD
homely analogy to bring home his point,

leaving the mind boggled and reeling under
the weight of the many word-pictures
trooped out to support his relentless logic.
The concept that ignorance is the
impediment to Self -knowledge, and must be
destroyed by knowledge, has a long history
in the Vedantic tradition. It was of ten
stated in the writings of the great 10 t h
century Vedantist, Shankara, and had no
doubt become, by Jnaneshvars time, a
hackneyed f ormula in the mouth of every
jaybird philosopher. Great truths lose their
signif icance and ef f icacy when they become
mere f ormulized phrases to be repeated by
schoolboys; and it was Jnaneshvars purpose
in taking up this subject to turn the old
f ormulas inside out, and to stir the mind
f rom its complacent rut, to a genuine self inquiry.
In every time, those who have experience
the Self are f aced with the legacy of past
expressions of this knowledge which have
become calcif ied, as it were, into stone
walls of tradition, standing in the way of
real self -inquiry.
The teachings of the
Vedas, of the Buddha, and of Shankara,
which burst those walls of complacent
doctrine in their own times, themselves
became in time bulwarks of meaningless
doctrine which also had to be burst asunder
by subsequent seers. In speaking of the
Self , words, af ter all, are inadequate, and
are theref ore always open to contradiction.
It is thus the perennial task of the
enlightened to negate old terminologies,
made meaningless by long f amiliarity, in
order to jar awake the minds of men f rom
their complacent slumber.
201
Jnaneshvar is just such an enlightened

teacher. He appears to have demolished the
old
concepts of
Shankara and the
Vedantists, but the astute student will easily
perceive that, when all the destruction is
through and the dust has settled once more,
Jnaneshvar has brought us to the same
destination to which Shankara led us. Af ter
demolishing the old terms, knowledge,
and ignorance, he points the way to the
same
inexpressible
and
supramental
Knowledge to which Shankara pointed us.
Af ter denying the Vedantic concept of
superimposition, he leads us to the same
two-in-One to which Shankara guided us.
The terminologies of entrenched doctrine
are continually being revealed as deceptive,
and discarded by each new generation of
seers like men attempting to peel the
skins f rom a never-decreasing onion; yet
the unnameable Truth which all are striving
to reveal is one and the same, ever eluding
their attempts to capture It in language.
Like all others bef ore or af ter him who
had succeeded in unwrapping the jewel of
Self -knowledge, Jnaneshvar, in his attempt
to reveal that jewel naked of wraps,
succeeds only in presenting it wrapped in
yet another f abric of mere words. Yet, his
words, like those of other great teachers in
possession of that jewel, possess an intrinsic
transparency through which the luster of
Truth shines f orth, exciting us with its
beauty and inspiring in us the desire to
make it our own.
202
CHAPTER SIX:
1.
When so met hing is forgot t en,

Eit her by o urselves o r by ano t her,
We are reminded o f it by t he wo rd
Which we use t o represent it .
2.
If it had no o t her glo ry t han t his,

however,
The word wo uld no t have so much
value.
3.
But t he word,
Which, as everyone knows,
Serves as a reminder,
Is, in fact , a very useful t hing.
It is no t a mirror which reflect s
What has no form?
4.
It is no great wonder t hat what is

visible
May be seen in a mirror;
But , in t he mirror of t he word,
What is invisible may be seen.
5.
What t he rising Sun is t o t he sky,

The word is t o t he sky o f t he Infinit e;
That sky is illumined
By t he po wer o f t he wo rd.
6.
The wo rd is t he flower
Of t he sky o f t he Infinit e;
It s fruit is t he universe.
There is not hing
That cannot be det ermined by t he
word.
203
7.
It is t he t orchbearer t hat illumines

The pat h o f right and wro ng act io ns;
It is t he judge t hat hands do wn
The decision bet ween bondage or
liberat io n.
8.
When it sides wit h ignorance,

What is unreal appears real,
And t he real becomes valueless.
9.
The word causes t he finit e soul (jiva)

To ent er int o pure Consciousness
(Shiva).
10.
The wo rd liberat es t he finit e soul

Ent angled in t he body;
The Self meet s Himself by means of
t he wo rd.
11.
The Sun, by giving birt h t o t he day,

Becomes t he enemy of night .
It canno t , t herefore, be compared
To t he word.
12.
For t he word support s at t he same

t ime
The pat h of act ion and t he pat h of
non-act ion,
Even t ho ugh t hey are opposit es.
13.
It makes o f it self a sacrifice

In order t hat t he Self may be
realized.
Ho w can I describe
The many different merit s of t he word?
14.
Ho wever, t he word,
So well known as a reminder,
Canno t coexist wit h t he Self.
204
15.
In t he case of t he Self,
Which is self-luminous and wit hout
suppo rt ,
The word is absolut ely useless.
16.
There is not hing else besides t he one

Being.
Therefore, It cannot be t he object
Of remembering or forget t ing.
17.
Can one remember or forget oneself?

Can t he t o ngue t ast e it self?
18.
To one who is awake, t here is no

sleep;
But is t here awaking eit her?
In t he same way,
There can be no remembering or
forget t ing
To t he one Being.
19.
The Sun does not know t he night ;

But can he know when it is day?
In t he same way,
The one Being is wit hout t he abilit y
To remember or t o forget .
20.
Then what is t he use of a reminder

Where t here is no memory or
fo rget fulness?
You see, t he word is of no use
In t he case o f t he One.
21.
However, t here is a case where t he

wo rd is useful [as t he dest royer of
ignorance];
But Im afraid even t o t hink about
t his.
205
22.
Fo r it is foolish t o say
That t he word dest roys ignorance, 1
And t hen t he Self becomes conscious
of It self.
23.
The Sun will first dest ro y t he night ,

And t hen it will rise;
Such a false not ion could never be
st at ed
Amo ng int elligent people.
24.
Where is t hat sleep

Which an already awakened person
can banish?
Is t here an awakening
Fo r o ne who is already awake?
25.
So, also, t here is no ignorance t o be

dest royed.
There is no such t hing as a Self
Desirous of becoming t he Self.
26.
Igno rance is as non-exist ent as t he

Son of a barren wo man.
Then what is t here fo r t he swo rd
Of discriminat ion t o sever?
27.
If t he rainbow were as real as it

seems,
What archer would not have st rung
it ?
28.
I could vanquish ignorance

By t he po wer o f lo gical t hinking
If it were possible for t he wat er of a
mirage
To quench t he t hirst o f Agast ya. 2
206
29.
If ignorance was somet hing

That co uld be dest ro yed by t he
word,
Then could we not set fire
To an imaginary cit y in t he sky?
30.
Darkness canno t bear

Co nt act wit h a light ed lamp;
But was t here really anyt hing t o be
dest royed
Before t he lamp was lit ?
31.
Also, it is fut ile t o light a lamp

To illumine t he light of day.
32.
A shadow does not exist where it

do es not fall;
But it also does not exist where it
do es fall.
33.
In t he waking st at e,
One knows t hat t he dream one saw
was false.
Ignorance, also, t hough it appears t o
exist ,
Does not exist .
34.
What could one gain

By ho arding t he wealt h conjured by
a magician?
Or by st ealing t he clot hes
Of a naked beggar?
35.
It is not hing more t han fast ing,

Even t hough one might eat an
imaginary sweet
A hundred t housand t imes.
207
36.
There is no moist ure in t he soil

Where t here is no mirage;
But is t here mo ist ure where t here is
one?
37.
If igno rance were as real as it

seems,
Men would have been drenched
By t he rain paint ed in a pict ure;
Fields wo uld have been irrigat ed
wit h it ,
And reservoirs would have been
filled.
38.
Why should anyone bot her t o

manufact ure ink
If it were possible t o writ e
Wit h a preparat ion made from
darkness?
39.
Does not t he sky appear blue t o t he

eyes?
The appearance of ignorance
Is just as false.
40.
Igno rance declares by it s very name

(ajnana)
That it does not exist .
41.
The fact t hat it cannot be defined

Suggest s it s imaginary nat ure.
Thus, ignorance it self proves it s own
non-exist ence.
42.
If it really exist s,
Why can it not be det ermined by
t ho ught ?
If t here is really a jar on t he ground,
208
It leaves some mark on t he eart h.

43.
It is not correct
To say t hat t he Self is revealed
Aft er t he dest ruct ion of ignorance.
It is like saying t hat t he Sun is
revealed
Aft er it dest roys it s awareness of
darkness.
44.
Igno rance, t hough illusory,

Conceals it s illusory nat ure;
And t hen it pro ves it s o wn absence.
45.
Thus, as has been sho wn in vario us

ways,
Ignorance is, by it s very nat ure, nonexist ent .
Then, who m sho uld t he word
dest ro y?
46.
If o ne st rikes ones shadow,

One st rikes only t he ground.
Not hing is damaged by slapping
empt y space,
Except ones own arm.
47.
One may eagerly seek

To drink t he wat er of a mirage,
Or t o embrace t he sky,
Or t o kiss ones own reflect ion;
But al t hese effort s will be in vain.
48.
The logic t hat t ries t o dest roy

ignorance
Is in t he same cat egory.
49.
If t here is one who st ill has a desire

To dest roy t his ignorance,
209
He may, at his leisure,

Peel t he skin off t he sky;
50.
Or get milk from t he [false] nipple

o f a billygoat ,
Or see wit h his knees,
Or dry o ut t he night t o make a
blackboard;
51.
Or he may squeeze t he juice o ut o f a

yawn,
And, mixing it wit h laziness,
Po ur it in t he mout h
Of a man wit ho ut a head.
52.
He may reverse t he flo w o f a

st ream,
Turn over his shadow,
Or make a ro pe o f t he wind.
53.
He may t hrash an imaginary o gre,

Tie up his reflect ion in a bag,
Or merrily co mb t he hair o n his
palm.
54.
He may dest roy

A wat er jar t hat doesnt exist ,
Pluck t he flowers t hat grow in t he
sky,
Or handily break t he ho rns o f a
rabbit .
55.
56.
He may prepare ink fro m campho r,

Gat her so o t fro m t he lamp flame o f
a jewel,
Or happily get married t o
The daught er of a childless woman.
He may feed Chako r birds
210
Wit h t he nect ar rays of t he New

moon,
Or easily cat ch t he wat erfowl
On t he lake of a desert mirage.
57.
What mo re need I say?

Ignorance is made o f no n-exist ence.
Then, what is t here for t he word t o
dest ro y?
58.
The word cannot prove it s own

exist ence
By dest roying what does not exist ;
Darkness canno t be made t o
comprehend
The nat ure of darkness.
59.
Ignorance was never bo rn,

So what is t he po int o f discussing
it s dest ruct ion?
It is like light ing a lamp
In t he court yard at noon.
60.
They who t hink t o gat her t he harvest

Befo re t hey have sown t he seed
Gat her o nly shame.
61.
On may as well
Sit at ho me and do no t hing
As beg from a naked beggar.
62.
The illuminat ion provided by t he

wo rd
Does no t hing t o dest ro y igno rance;
It is like rain pouring on t he ocean.
63.
One may call oneself a measurer
211
So long as one does not t ry t o

measure t he sky.
If light enables one t o perceive
darkness,
It is of no use.
64.
If a t o ngue were able t o t ast e

A dish made fro m t he sky,
It would be meaningless
To call it a t ongue.
65.
Will t he gaily-colored garment s

Of a married woman
Be of any use at her husbands
funeral?
To eat t he core of t he plant ain t ree
Is t o eat not hing.
66.
What object is t here,

Small or large,
Which is not illumined by t he Sun?
But even he is of no use at night .
67.
What is t here t hat is not

Perceived by t he eyes?
But even t hey cannot perceive
The sleep in a perso n who is awake.
68.
Though t he Chako ra bird

May lo o k for t he mo o n all day,
It effort s are in vain.
69.
One who reads from a blank sheet of

paper
Is t he same as dumb;
One who walks in t he air
Is t he same as lame.
70.
In t he same way,
212
Wo rds, at t empt ing t o dest roy

ignorance,
Are but a meaningless jabbering.
71.
On t he night o f t he New mo o n,
The moon sheds only darkness.
Tho ught , at t empt ing t o dest ro y
ignorance,
Is in t he same condit ion.
72.
To make a meal of t hat food

Which is no t yet prepared
Is t he same as fast ing.
To see wit h eyes t hat have lo st t heir
sight
Is t he same as blindness.
73.
That word t hat at t empt s t o explain

The meaning of somet hing t hat
do esnt exist
Only accomplishes it s own
dest ruct ion.
74.
No w, should I even say

That ignorance doesnt exist ?
The wo rd t hat negat es it
Negat es it self.
75.
If t hought st ands in front of

ignorance,
It dest roys it self along wit h
ignorance.
76.
Ignorance, by it s no n-exist ence,

Prevent s t he word from being
It s vanquisher.
77.
That t he word should be so great
213
As t o become t he revealer of t he
Self,
Is t ruly absurd.
78.
Is t here a place
Where one can marry himself?
Has t here ever been a t ime
When t he Sun eclipsed it self?
79.
Can t he sky be it s own horizon?

Can t he ocean ent er it self?
Can a palm t ouch it self?
80.
Does t he Sun illumine himself?

Does a fruit bear fruit ?
Do es a fragrance smell it self?
81.
We can readily believe t hat all

creat ures drink wat er;
But can we believe t hat wat er drinks
wat er?
82.
Has t here ever been a day,

In all t he t hree-hundred and sixt y
five, of t he year,
Which has been perceived by t he
Sun?
83.
If Shiva is angry,
He may burn t he t hree worlds;
But will he burn fire also ?
84.
Is it possible, even for t he Creat or,

To st and before Himself wit hout a
mirro r?
85.
It is cert ain t hat eyesight

Canno t perceive it self,
That t ast e cannot t ast e it self,
214
That a perso n who is awake

Cannot be awakened.
86.
87.
How can sandal past e wear it self?

Or a co lo r deco rat e it self wit h
color?
Or a pearl adorn it self wit h pearls?
Can a t o uchst o ne t urn it self int o
go ld?
Can a lamp give light t o it self?
Can a flavor enjoy it s own
sweet ness?
88.
Shiva holds t he moon on his head;

But can t he mo o n wear t he mo o n
On it s own head?
89.
Likewise, t he glorious Self

Is, It self, pure and perfect
Knowledge.
How can Kno wledge kno w it self?
90.
Being Knowledge it self,

He do es not know how t o know
Himself.
It is as hard as it would be
Fo r t he eye t o perceive it self.
91.
Knowledge could know it self

If a mirror could reflect it self
To it self.
92.
A knife may be able t o pierce

Anyt hing in t he four quart ers;
But can t hat knife pierce it self?
93.
The t ip of t he t ongue is very good
215
Fo r t ast ing different herbs and

seasonings;
But can it t ast e it self?
94.
Does it t herefore cease t o be an

o rgan o f t ast e?
No. It is because it t ast es
That it is an organ of t ast e.
95.
So , also, t he Self,
Who is Knowledge, Exist ence, and
Bliss,
Is self-evident .
How t hen can t he word
Offer Him what is already His own?
96.
The ult imat e Realit y

Do es not prove or disprove It self
Wit h t he help of some ot her kind of
knowledge;
It is self-evident , being t he kno wer,
And is beyond proof and disproof.
97.
It is t herefore groundless t o believe

That t he word is so great
As t o enable t he Self
To experience Himself.
98.
A lamp t hat is light ed at midday

Neit her dispels darkness nor sheds
any light .
It is t he same wit h t he word.
99.
Since igno rance is no n-exist ent ,

There can be no quest ion of
dest ro ying it .
And, since t he Self is self-evident ,
What is t here t o be pro ved at all?
216
100.
Thus, being in bot h t hese ways

useless,
The word disappears
Like a st ream in t he wat ers
Of t he universal deluge.
101.
Right underst anding shows t hat t he

word
Cannot in any way approach t he
Self.
102.
Just as it is meaningless t o say

That a dragon is coming,
Or t hat t he sky is clinging t o yo ur
palm,
103.
So also, t he word, wit h all it s

associat es,
Becomes a meaningless babbling
Like a pict ure wit h all t he co lo rs
paint ed wrong.
104.
It should now be clear t hat

knowledge and igno rance,
Who se very exist ence is dependent
upo n t he word,
Are as real as t he forest s paint ed in
a pict ure.
105.
Just as a cloudy day vanishes

When t he clouds disappear,
So do bo t h kno wledge and igno rance
vanish
When t he wo rd disappears in t he
universal Deluge[of Consciousness].
217
Chapter Seven:
Refutation of Ignorance
Introductory Note
Now, as though he had never touched on
the subject bef ore, Jnaneshvar once more
takes up the matter of the illusory nature of
ignorance. In this, the longest chapter of
Amrit anubhav, he belabors the issue of the
non-existence of ignorance to a point which
the reader may f ind excessive, but he does
it with such obvious relish and enjoyment
that one cannot help being drawn along with
him in his orgy of metaphor and simile.
It is the traditional Vedantic concept of a
beginningless ignorance, co-existent and coeternal with the absolute Self , that
Jnaneshvar so strongly objects to. In the
world-conception
attributed
to
Shankaracharya and other representatives of
the non-dualistic philosophy of Vedanta, the
perception of the phenomenal world is
attributed to ignorance(ajnana or avidya);
and, it is asserted, once this ignorance is
removed, there is seen to exist nothing but
the
unembodied
Absolute,
the
one
undif f eren-tiated, pure Consciousness that is
the Self .
In the literature of Vedanta, the analogy
of a rope on the ground appearing to be a
snake is of ten cited: the snake-appearance
is unreal; it is caused by ignorance. But
once this ignorance is dispelled, the reality
is seen, and it is perceived that there never
was a snake, but only the rope all along.
In the same way, it is held, once the unitive
Reality is experienced, the phenomenal
218
REFUTATION OF IGNORANCE
universe is seen to have been a mere

mirage, or illusion.
Well, Jnandev takes issue with this line of
thinking, and states emphatically that there
is no such thing as ignorance; that even
this multitude of sense objects is only that
being, the one Self . For Jnaneshvar, there
is One and One only. He objects to the
notion that the perception of the multiple
universe is caused by a second additional
f actor, whether it be called ignorance,
Maya, delusion, or super-imposition
all terms traditionally used to account
f or the world-appearance. He regards such
terms as misleading; f or, as he states, The
Cause and the ef f ect are one.
For Jnaneshvar, the multitude of sense
objects, f ar f rom being a superimposed
illusion, is only that one Being, the Self ;
and the perception of objects, f ar f rom
being caused by ignorance, is caused simply
by the Lords delight in perceiving Himself
through Himself in the f orm of creatures.
It is not ignorance that causes the
separation between the perceiver and the
perceived, says Jnaneshvar; truly, He is
everything, and He is the Cause of
everything. In Jnaneshvars philosophy,
there is no place f or Maya, or illusion, f or
he wishes to dissolve the mental barriers
which separate the world and God. His
vision ref uses to allow any disruption to the
Unity that he sees spreading everywhere,
whether with his eyes closed in meditation,
or wakef ul and active in the manif ested
world.
219
CHAPTER SEVEN:
1.
But for knowledge,

Ignorance wo uld never have sho wn
it self.
2.
A firefly appears as a light

Only when it is in darkness.
The idea of a beginningless
ignorance
Is ut t erly false.
3.
Ignorance is no mo re independent
[o f it s opposit e]
Than is a dream or darkness.
4.
Horses made of clay cannot be

harnessed;
The jewelry conjured by a
magician
Canno t be wo rn.
5.
This ignorance,
Dragged fro m t he ho use o f
knowledge,
Can do no t hing.
Do es a mirage appear in t he
mo o nlight ?
6.
What is called knowledge

Is no t hing but [t he corollary of]
ignorance;
Each appears at t he concealment of
t he o t her.
220
7.
Enough o f t his preamble;

Let us begin our search for
ignorance.
Then, but underst anding t he t rue
nat ure
Of igno rance,
We will underst and t he falsit y of
knowledge.
8.
If t here really is ignorance

Wit hin [abso lut e] Kno wledge,
Why does it change Knowledge int o
ignorance?
9.
Fo r it is t he inherent nat ure of

ignorance
To delude t he one in whom it
dwells.
10.
If it
That
That
And
11.
I wo uld answer:
If t he seed of ignorance dwells
In t hat st at e where t here is no rise
of dualit y,
Who, t hen, knows t hat it exist s?
12.
Ignorance, being nescient ,

Cannot know it self.
Can it be a wit ness t o it s o wn
exist ence?
13.
No one could st at e t hat ignorance

Is t he cause of t he knowledge of
ignorance
is claimed by some
t he sacred t ext s declare
t he Self cont ains ignorance
is concealed by it ,
221
Wit hout becoming aware of t he

co nt radict ion,
And t hus being compelled t o silence.
14.
If ignorance deludes t he knower, t he

Self,
Who, t hen, is t here t o regard it as
ignorance?
15.
And if it does not delude t he

knower,
Wo uld it not be shameful t o call it
ignorance?
16.
If t he clouds really eclipsed t he Sun,

Who would illumine t hem?
If a person were really annihilat ed
by sleep,
Who would experience it ?
17.
If t he one in whom ignorance resides

Beco mes ignorant ,
That ignorance would be
indiscernible;
18.
Fo r t hat by which ignorance is

discerned
Can never be igno rance it self.
19.
It wo uld make no sense t o say

That t here is a cat aract in t he eye,
But t he eyesight is unimpaired.
20.
If fuel does not burn

When it is enveloped by a wild fire,
It is useless as a fuel.
21.
If t here is darkness in a house,

But t he house is not darkened,
222
Then it canno t be called darkness.

22.
Who wo uld
Which does
st at e?
Can t hat be
Which does
To vanish?
call t hat sleep

not dist urb t he waking
called night
not cause t he daylight
23.
The word, ignorance, is

meaningless
If t he Self is pervaded by it ,
And yet remains as It is.
24.
Moreover, it would be logically

incorrect
To say t hat ignorance
Resides in t he Self.
25.
Igno rance is t he gat hering of

darkness,
And t he Self is t he mine of
effulgence;
Ho w, t hen, could t hey be mixed?
26.
If waking and dreaming,

Remembering and forget t ing,
Could go hand in hand;
27.
If co ld and heat
Could sleep t oget her in t he same bed,
Or if t he Suns rays could be t ied in
a bundle
By a rope of darkness;
28.
Or if night and day

Came t o live t oget her in one place,
Then t he Self might t ake ignorance
As it s helpmat e.
223
29.
If deat h and life could reside

t o get her
As family members,
Then t he Self might become a
dependent o f igno rance.
30.
Ho w can it be said
That t he very ignorance
That is dispelled by t he Self
Lives happily wit h It ?
31.
However, if t he darkness gives up

it s darkness,
And t urns int o light ,
Then, of course, it becomes light .
32.
Or if fuel gives up it s st at e,
And t urns int o fire,
Then, of course, it becomes t he fire.
33.
Or if a small st ream
Gives up it s separat e exist ence
By flo wing int o t he Ganges,
Then it becomes t he Ganges.
34.
Thus, it is clear
That t here is no ignorance;
There is only t he Self;
For, as soon as ignorance
Co mes int o cont act wit h Knowledge,
It becomes Knowledge.
35.
Since ignorance is cont rary t o

Knowledge,
It cannot ret ain it s exist ence
Wit hin Knowledge;
No r can it exist independent ly.
224
36.
If a fish made o f salt

Were t o become alive,
It co uld neit her live in t he wat er
No r o ut side t he wat er.
37.
Therefore, such st at ement s as,

The Self shines when ignorance is
vanquished,
Should no t be heeded by t he wise.
38.
The snake t hat is imagined

When one sees a rope,
Cannot be bound by t he rope;
Neit her can it be driven away.
39.
Darkness, being fright ened

By t he approaching daylight ,
Might t urn for help t o t he full
Moon,
But it would be immediat ely
Swallowed up by t hat Moon.
40.
In t he same way,
The word, ignorance, is t wice
meaningless.
The nat ure o f igno rance canno t be
det ermined
Except by logical inference.
41.
What , t hen, is it s nat ure?

Is it only t o be inferred
Fro m t he perceivable effect s,
Or can it be direct ly apprehended?
Let us invest igat e.
42.
What ever may be apprehended

By t he vario us mo des o f pro o f,
Like percept ion, and so fort h,
225
Is t he effect of ignorance,
And not igno rance it self.
43.
The creeping vine has a beaut iful

spro ut
Which goes st raight up;
It is not a seed,
But t he effect of t he seed.
44.
One may see bot h pleasant

And unpleasant forms in a dream;
These are not sleep it self,
But t he effect s of sleep.
45.
Tho ugh t he moon is one,

It may be seen in t he sky as t wo;
This is not defect ive eyesight ,
But t he effect o f defect ive eyesight .
46.
In t he same way,
The subject , t he object ,
And t he vario us means o f pro o f,
Are t he effect s of ignorance,
And not t he igno rance it self.
47.
Therefore,
The various modes of proof,
Such as percept io n, and so fo rt h,
Being t hemselves t he effect s of
ignorance,
Cert ainly cannot apprehend
ignorance.
48.
If we regard t he effect s of ignorance

As igno rance it self,
Then even t he senses of percept ion
Must be included as ignorance.
226
49.
50.
If t hat which appears in a dream

Is illusory,
Then, is t he perceiver of t he dream
Also illusory?
If t he effect of ignorance is also
ignorance,
It is like sugar t ast ing it s own
sweet ness,
Or like collyrium put t ing on
collyrium,
Or like a st ake being impaled o n
it self.
51.
Also ,
If t he effect s are ident ical wit h t he
cause,
Then all is ignorance,
And who would know anyt hing?
52.
In such a st at e,
One co uld no t imagine a kno wer
Or t he known;
It would be like t aking as evidence
The fish swimming in a mirage lake.
53.
So, my dear friend,

What cannot be measured or defined
By any proof what soever
Is not different fro m a sky-flo wer.
54.
Igno rance
Does no t allo w o f any pro o f o f it s
exist ence;
So ho w could one begin t o discuss
it ?
Fro m t his, o ne sho uld underst and
The impossibilit y of ignorance.
227
55.
Igno rance,
Being neit her an object of
percept ion,
No r o f inference,
Is t herefore disproved.
56.
I am afraid t o believe in t his

ignorance,
Since it is neit her t he cause of
anyt hing,
Nor t he pro ducer o f any effect .
57.
It can neit her cause t he Self t o

dream,
Nor can it put Him t o sleep
In His place of repose.
58.
No net heless,
Some say ignorance exist s in t he
pure Self,
59.
As fire exist s in wo o d
Before t wo pieces o f it are rubbed
t o get her.
60.
But t he pure Self

Do es not even admit t he name,
Self!
Ho w could ignorance expect t o find
room t here?
61.
Can a flame be snuffed out

Before it is lit ?
Or can we leave t he shade of a t ree
That has no t yet spro ut ed?
228
62.
Or smear salve on a body

That is not yet born?
Or cleanse a mirror t hat is not yet
co nst ruct ed?
63.
Or skim t he cream
Fro m milk t hat s st ill in t he udder?
64.
So , likewise,
How can t here be ignorance in t he
Self
Where t here is not even room
For calling it t he Self?
65.
It should be clear
That ignorance does not exist ;
And I wonder if it is even proper
To give it t he semblance of
exist ence
By st at ing t hat it does not exist .
66.
If, in spit e of t his,

One co nt inues t o say
That ignorance exist s in t he Self,
Which is beyond all exist ence and
non-exist ence,
67.
It is like saying t hat an imaginary

wat er pot
Has bro ken int o a hundred pieces,
Or t hat deat h it self had been ut t erly
slain;
68.
Or t hat unconsciousness had become

unco nscious,
Or t hat darkness had fallen int o a
dark well;
229
69.
Or t hat non-exist ence was in a

quandary;
Or t hat t he core of a plant ain t ree
was broken;
Or t hat t he sky, by t urning int o a
whip,
Was making a cracking sound.
70.
Or t hat a dead man was being

poisoned;
Or t hat one who could not speak
Was silenced;
Or t hat unwrit t en let t ers were
erased.
71.
It is
That
It is
That
false t o say
ignorance resides in t he Self;
t ant amo unt t o saying
t hey are ident ical.
72.
But , can a barren wo man have a

child?
Can burnt seeds spro ut ?
Can darkness join t he Sun?
73.
No mat t er ho w we t ry
To find ignorance in t he Self,
Which is pure Int elligence,
It canno t be fo und.
74.
One may st ir up t he milk t o find t he

cream,
But will it rise t o t he surface,
Or will it disappear?
The search for ignorance is like t his.
75.
One may wake up quickly

In order t o cat ch hold of sleep,
But will it be caught ,
230
Or will it be inadvert ent ly

dest royed?
76.
Therefore,
Why should one madly search for
ignorance?
Such searching is equal t o no t
searching at all.
77.
The village of underst anding

Canno t be illumined in any way
By t he exist ence o f igno rance.
78.
Have t he eyes o f underst anding

Ever been able t o see ignorance
Eit her wit hin o r o ut side o f t he Self?
79.
The face of discriminat ion

Has never been washed by
ignorance;
No r has ignorance ever admit t ed of
proof
Even in a dream.
In fact , t he t ho ught t hat t ries t o
grasp it ,
Loses it self.
80.
Do yo u, in spit e of all t his,

Think you will find some way t o
grasp ignorance?
81.
You may as easily

Build a t own hall out of rabbit
horns,
And light it wit h t he rays o f t he new
Moon;
231
82.
And celebrat e
By deco rat ing t he children o f barren
women
Wit h sky-flowers.
83.
The desire t o discover ignorance

Will be fulfilled
When were able t o fill t he cup of
t he sky
Wit h t he but t er made fro m a t urt les
milk.
84.
We have t ried in so many ways

To discover ignorance;
Ho w many more t imes must we
repeat
That it doesnt exist ?
85.
I wo uld not ut t er t he word,

igno rance,
Even in a dream.
But I have a t ho ught abo ut it
Which I would like t o share wit h
you.
86.
Suppose someone were t o object in

t his fashion:
Yo u may say t hat t he ult imat e
Realit y
Canno t see It self or any o t her
object ;
87.
Then how is it t hat It present s

befo re It self
The ent ire visible universe,
And assumes t he role of Wit ness t o
it ?
232
88.
The ent ire universe arises

And is visible t o us,
Who are, in fact , t he Self.
89.
Though ignorance is not visible,

St ill it exist s wit hout any doubt .
It is proved by inference
Fro m t he visible world!
90.
The moon is one;

If it appears in t he sky as double,
Wo uld we not infer
That o ur eyesight is impaired?
91.
The t rees are fresh and green,

And yet , it would appear
That t here is no wat er on t he ground
Fro m which t hey gro w.
92.
Therefo re, we infer

That t heir root s are absorbing wat er
From below.
Likewise, ignorance is inferred
By t he appearance of t he visible
world.
93.
Sleep vanishes as soon as one

awakes;
And t hough sleep is not known t o
t he o ne who sleeps,
St ill, it s exist ence may be inferred
From t he presence of dreams.
94.
So, if in t he pure Self,

There appears t his vast universe,
We nat urally infer
The exist ence of ignorance.
233
95.
To such an object ion, I would reply:

Ho w can t his kind of knowledge
Be called igno rance?
Should we call daylight darkness?
96.
Can t hat be called collyrium

Which, when smeared on an object ,
Makes it as whit e and bright as t he
moon?
97.
We may call t his world

The unfoldment of ignorance,
If leaping flames can be called
wat er.
98.
This knowledge is wort hy of being

called ignorance
If t he full moon can be t he cause
Of a dark night .
99.
Can po ison release nect arean love?

And if it does, can we call it
poison?
100.
Why should we bring in t he t ide of

ignorance
When all t hat is unfolding before us
Is radiant wit h knowledge?
101.
If we call t his ignorance,

What shall we call knowledge?
Is t he Self an object of eit her one?
102.
The Self does not become anyt hing.

He does not know what He is.
All t he means of knowledge vanish
in Him.
234
103.
He is not such as can be said t o

exist ,
Nor is t here reason for saying He
do es not exist .
104.
He exist s wit ho ut t he exist ence o f

ano t her;
He sees wit hout t he exist ence of an
object of vision.
This being so, why should we regard
Him
As so met hing t o be found?
105.
He silent ly endures
The convict ion of t he Nihilist s
That He is not hing;
Nor is He dist urbed by t ho se who
regard Him
As having part icular at t ribut es.
106.
Do you t hink t he omniscient One,

Who is t he wit ness of even t he
deepest sleep,
Does not kno w abo ut all o f t his?
St ill, He does not become visible.
107.
The Vedas have said t he same,

Though t hey do no t speak o f t he
Self;
They say o nly no t t his.
108.
Whom do es t he Sun no t illumine?

But do es it illumine t he Self?
Can t he Self be co nt ained beneat h
t he sky?
109.
The ego considers only t he body,

Which is no t hing but a bundle o f
bones,
235
And says, This is who I am.

It t akes no not ice o f t he Self.
110.
The int ellect , which is able t o grasp

Everyt hing t hat can be kno wn,
Falt ers before t he Self.
The mind can imagine anyt hing
Except t he Self.
111.
The senses, t hat scrape t heir mout hs

On t he barren land o f sense-o bject s,
Canno t t ast e t he sweet ness of t he
Self.
112.
Is it po ssible
To complet ely comprehend t he Self,
Who has filled His belly
Wit h all t hat exist s
As well as all t hat does not exist ?
113.
Just as a t ongue cannot t ast e it self,

So t he Self
Cannot be an o bject o f kno wledge t o
It self.
Ho w, t hen, could He be an object t o
ot hers?
114.
As soon as ignorance,
Wit h all her innumerable names and
forms,
Appro aches t he Self,
It vanishes out of fear.
115.
How can anyt hing else

Find room in t he Self?
He does no t even desire t o see
His own reflect io n.
236
116.
There is a st ring-puzzle
Which appears t o ensnare a st ick;
But , when t he st ring is pulled,
The onlooker is amazed
To find t hat t he st ick is o ut side t he
puzzle.
The effo rt t o det ermine t he nat ure o f
t he Self
Ends in t he very same way.
117.
One who minut ely examines

His o wn shadow,
And t hen t ries t o jump over it ,
Has failed t o underst and it s nat ure.
118.
Likewise, t he person who,

Aft er at t empt ing t o kno w t he Self,
Comes t o t his o r t hat conclusio n,
Has failed t o co mprehend it s nat ure.
119.
Wo rds cannot even reach

To t he place of t he Self;
How, t hen, can t he int ellect
Co mprehend Him as an object ?
120.
Ho w can one acknowledge

The absence of sight in t he Self,
And yet at t ribut e visio n t o It ?
121.
He cannot experience His own

exist ence
As an object of percept ion;
Therefore, He cannot be a perceiver.
122.
In such a case,
Who will meet who?
Ho w can t here be vision
Where t here is only One?
237
123.
But He has flung open

The do o rs o f percept io n in man,
And t hus o verco me t his great
obst acle.
124.
Innumerable forms and visions arise,

But it is one pure Consciousness
Which is t he subst ance of all.
125.
The one, underlying, supreme

Consciousness
Is so int oxicat ed by t he great glory
Of t his vision,
That He does not see Himself
In t his mirror
Wearing t he same jewelry t wice.
126.
He has so much of riches

That He causes Himself t o appear
In a novel array each moment .
127.
He regards t he object s of t he world,

Once creat ed,
As old and unint erest ing;
And t herefo re present s t o His visio n
Ever new and freshly creat ed
object s.
128.
As t he perceiving subject ,
He is also incessant ly changing
The o rnament s o f His percept io n.
129.
For, being bored wit h t he solit ude

Of His original st at e,
He has beco me many.
130.
Such is t he all knowing One.

As pure Consciousness,
He is full t o t he brim;
238
But t hat fullness is known

Only in His own house.
131.
That pure Co nscio usness,

In whom knowledge and ignorance
embrace,
Meet s Himself by having visio n
Of t he many forms of t he object ive
world.
132.
Seeing t he visible world,

He enjoys it as it s wit ness.
That same bliss of enjoyment
Pervades t he ent ire array.
133.
The int erplay of give and t ake goes

on,
But t he t hread o f unit y is never
broken.
The unit y of a persons face
Is not alt ered by being reflect ed
In a mirror;
134.
Nor is t he st anding posit ion

Of a sleeping horse
Dist urbed when it awakes.
135.
Just as wat er plays wit h it self

By assuming t he forms of waves,
The Self, t he ult imat e Realit y,
Plays happily wit h Himself.
136.
Fire weaves garlands of flames,

But is it t hereby ensnared in dualit y?
137.
Is t he Sun separat e from t he rays

That radiat e profusely from him?
138.
Is t he unit y o f t he mo o n dist urbed
239
By t he glo w o f mo o nlight ?
139.
Though a lot us blossom cont ains

A t ho usand pet als,
St ill it is one.
140.
In myt hology,
The king, Sahasrarjuna,
Had a t ho usand hands;
Did he t hen beco me
A t ho usand different beings?
141.
On a loom, many st rands may be

int erwoven;
But t hey are all cot t on.
142.
Tho ugh a speech cont ains

Ten t ho usand wo rds,
It is not hing but speech.
143.
Though t here are mult it udes

Of visible object s,
And wave upon wave of images,
St ill, t hey are no t different
Fro m t heir wit ness.
144.
Yo u may break a lump of raw sugar

Int o a million pieces;
St ill, t here is not hing but sugar.
145.
Likewise, t he Self,
Though He perceives images,
Or manifest s Himself
In he fo rms o f manifo ld o bject s,
Does not become t hereby a different
t hing.
146.
The unit y of t he Self is not lost ,
240
Even t hough He fills t he whole

universe.
147.
Though a silk shirt

May be made of many colors,
Wit h even a t wo-t oned border,
It co nsist s, aft er all, only of t hread.
148.
If t he eye were able t o see t he

whole universe
Wit ho ut opening it s lids,
149.
Or if a banyan t ree were able t o

reach mat urit y
Wit ho ut sprout ing from it s seed,
This would be comparable t o
The expansion of t he One int o many.
150.
When He fervent ly desires t o see

Himself no more,
He reposes wit hin Himself.
151.
It is comparable t o t he absorbing
Of visio n int o it self
When t he eyelids are closed.
152.
Or t o t he fullness of t he ocean
Even before t he high t ide;
Or t o t he wit hdrawing o f
A t ort oises legs int o it self;
153.
Or t o t he wit hdrawal of t he moons

light
On t he night o f t he new Mo o n.
154.
It is not t hat t he Self is t he

dest royer,
As He is falsely called,
When He wit hdraws bot h t he wit ness
241
And t he visible object s;

It is simply t hat He is repo sing in
Himself.
155.
There is no doubt t hat t he Self

Is all t hat exist s.
Therefore, who is perceiving what ?
The st at e of non-perceiving
We call His sleep.
156.
If He says t o Himself,
I dont care for t his st at e of nonpercept ion;
I want t o see Myself!
Then He beco mes an o bject t o Himself.
157.
The Self is et ernally t he perceiver,

And et ernally t he perceived.
No w, what else needs t o be creat ed?
158.
Do es empt iness need t o be at t ached

t o t he sky?
Do es t he breeze need t o be impart ed
t o t he air?
Does bright ness need t o be assigned
t o light ?
159.
The Self, shining as t he universe,

Perceives t he universe.
When t here is no universe,
He perceives it s non-exist ence.
160.
And if, by chance,

The exist ence and non-exist ence
Of t he universe
Were bot h t o be perceived at once,
He alo ne is t he perceiver
Of t his st at e as well.
242
161.
Does campho r derive it s co o lness

Fro m t he mo o nlight ?
Is it no t it s o wn co o lness?
Likewise, t he Self is His o wn seer.
162.
What more needs t o be said/

What ever condit ion t he Self may be
in,
He is seeing only His own Self;
163.
Like one who discovers various

count ries
In his imaginat io n,
And goes wandering t hrough t hem
all
Wit h great enjoyment .
164.
Or like a man who,

Pressing his closed eyelids wit h his
fingers,
Perceives a pure brilliant light
Vibrat ing wit hin.
165.
When it is always only

The o ne pure Consciousness seeing
It self,
Why po st ulat e t he necessit y
Of a superimposit ion? 1
166.
Do es one cover a jewel wit h

sparkle?
Does gold need t o decorat e it self
Wit h shininess?
167.
Does sandal wood need

The addit ion of scent ?
Does nect ar need flavor?
Do es sugar need sweet ness?
243
168.
Does campho r need

To be smeared wit h whit eness?
Or do es fire need t o be heat ed
In o rder t o make it hot ?
169.
A creeping vine,
Ent wining about it self,
Fo rms it s own bower.
170.
A lamp t hat is lit

Does not need t he addit ion of light ;
It is resplendent wit h light .
Likewise, t he one pure
Conscio usness
Is resplendent wit h radiance.
171.
Therefore,
Wit ho ut o bligat ion t o anyt hing else,
He easily perceives Himself.
172.
Perceiving and no n-perceiving

Are t he same t o Him.
Is t here any difference t o t he moon
Bet ween darkness and light ?
173.
Whet her He desires one or t he ot her,

He is always of t he same nat ure.
174.
For awhile, t he Self appears

As an object of percept ion;
But when t he seer and t he seen
unit e,
Bot h o f t hem vanish.
175.
Then t he seen is t he same as t he seer;

The seer is merged in t he seen.
Bot h vanish,
And only t he one Realit y remains.
244
176.
At any place and at any t ime,

The seer and t he seen
May embrace each ot her, and
merge.
177.
Camphor does not become fire,

No r does fire become camphor;
Bot h o f t hem
Are dest royed at t he same t ime.
178.
In mat hemat ics,

When one is subt ract ed from one,
What is left is zero;
And t hen it is erased.
The same t hing happens
When t he seer and t he seen unit e.
179.
If someone at t empt s t o wrest le

Wit h his own reflect ion in t he wat er,
Bot h t he wrest ling and t he reflect ion
Vanish t o get her.
180.
When t he perceiver and t he

perceived
Meet and unit e,
There is no more percept ion.
181.
The east ern sea and t he west ern sea

Are different
Only so long as t hey do not mingle;
But o nce t hey have int ermingled,
There is only wat er.
182.
Every moment , new t riads

Of perceiver, percept ion and
perceived,
Are emerging.
Do es each one need t o be analyzed?
245
183.
Every moment ,
A part icular qualit y is swallowed up,
And it s opposit e emerges.
This is t he opening and closing
Of t he eye of Realit y.
184.
How amazing it is
That when t he eyelids are o pen,
The Self becomes a perceiver
Who vanishes when t he eyelids are
closed.
185.
The nat ural st at e of t he Self

Lies bet ween t he dest ruct ion
Of t he perceiver and t he perceived,
And a new revival o f t hem.
186.
It is like t he nat ural st at e o f wat er,

When t he wave t hat has arisen
subsides,
And a new o ne has no t yet arisen;
187.
Or like t he st at e
In which our sleep has ended.
But we are not yet fully awake.
188.
Or, it may be imagined

If we t hink o f t he sight
Which has ceased t o look at one
object ,
And has no t yet begun t o lo o k at
anot her.
189.
It is like t he st at e of t he sky
When t he day has ended,
But night has not yet come.
190.
Or like t he st at e o f t he prana
246
When one breat h is finished,

And a new o ne is not yet t aken in;
191.
Or t he st at e of one whose senses

Are all enjoying t heir object s
simult aneously.
192.
This is what t he ult imat e nat ure o f

t he Self is like;
So, ho w can t here be
Eit her seeing or not seeing?
193.
Can a mirror see it s own polished

surface?
194.
By means of a mirror,
There is a face in front and a face
behind;
But can t hat be so wit ho ut a mirro r?
195.
The Sun sees everyt hing;

But can he wit ness t he beaut y
Of his own rising and set t ing?
196.
Can a juice drink it self?

Or does it hide from ot hers in shame
On t hat account ?
It can do neit her of t hese t hings;
It is, it self, juice.
197.
Likewise, He is vision it self;

He does no t kno w seeing o r no t
seeing.
He, Himself, is t he cause of bot h.
198.
Being percept ion Himself,

How could He see Himself?
Of course, He is also no npercept ion.
247
199.
Ho w can non-percept ion perceive

it self?
He is, Himself, non-percept ion.
200.
These t wo: percept ion and nonpercept ion,

Dwell happily t oget her,
And each is t he dest ro yer o f t he
ot her.
201.
If seeing were able t o see it self,

Wouldnt t his be like not seeing?
He is not t o uched
By eit her seeing o r no t seeing.
202.
If t he Self,
Who can neit her be seen or not seen,
Sees t hen who has seen what ?
203.
If t he visible wo rld appears,

Then, has it no t been perceived by
t he seer?
No. Fo r it is no t due t o t he
appearance t hat He sees.
204.
The appearance is seen, t o be sure;

But t he appearance is, in fact ,
No t hing but t he seer.
Ho w can somet hing else
That does not exist be seen?
205.
Supposing t hat someone sees his

own face in a mirror;
That face act ually exist s in it self,
But what is seen is unreal.
206.
It is like seeing o neself in a dream,
While asleep.
248
207.
If so meone dreams
That he is carried away in a vehicle
To so me ot her place,
Is he really carried away?
208.
Or, if he dreams t hat a pair of

headless beggars
Have t aken o ver t he kingdo m,
Is it really so?
209.
No . That person remains t he same,

Despit e t he dream,
As he was prior t o falling asleep.
210.
The suffering o f a t hirst y perso n

Is t he same aft er he finds a mirage
As it was before.
What has he gained?
211.
Or, if a perso n st rikes up an

acquaint ance
Wit h his o wn shado w
Of what use is t hat ?
212.
The Self, as a wit ness,

Has beco me t he o bject o f perception,
And t hen revealed it t o Himself;
But t he revealing is really irrelevant .
213.
Because, if what is seen

Is no t hing but t he seer,
How can t he seer benefit by t hat
revelat ion?
Is He no t present t o Himself,
Even when He is not revealed?
214.
Does a face become somet hing less

If it does not see it self in a mirror?
It is what it is,
249
Even wit ho ut a mirro r.

215.
Likewise,
The Self is not diminished
If He is not revealed t o Himself.
Such revelat ion is really of no
co nsequence.
216.
The Self is as He is,

Even wit hout becoming a wit ness t o
Himself.
Now, it may be prot est ed:
Why should He who is complet e in
Himself
Cause Himself t o be an object of
percept ion?
217.
It makes no sense t o say

That what already exist s is revealed;
Such revelat ion is point less.
218.
It is t he rope which act ually exist s,

Even t ho ugh it appears as a snake.
It is t he Wit ness who really exist s,
Even t hough He appears
As t he object of percept ion.
219.
When a mirror is held before ones

face,
That face appears t o be in t he
mirro r;
But , in fact , t he face is
In it s own place and not in t he
mirror.
220.
Of t hese t wo: t he seer and t he seen,

It is t he seer who really exist s.
What is seen, t hough perceivable,
250
Has no realit y.
221.
And I would answer:

Indeed, it has no independent reality;
But it does appear.
Do es t his not seem t o pro ve
That it has exist ence?
222.
If a person sees some ot her object ,

Then we have a seer, t he seen,
And t he act of seeing.
223.
But in t he case of t he Self,

He sees no t hing o t her t han Himself
Whet her He lo o ks o r not ,
Whet her He remains one or many.
224.
A face sees only it self,

Even t hough a mirror has revealed
it .
And t hat face remains t he same,
In it self,
Even when it is not revealed by a
mirror.
225.
It is t he same wit h t he Self:

When He is revealed, He is what He
is;
When He is not revealed, He is t he
same.
226.
Whet her a person is awake or asleep,

He is t he same person.
227.
A king, reminded of his kingship,

Is cert ainly a king;
228.
But is t here any loss t o his majest y,
251
Even if he is not reminded?

229.
In t he same way,
The Self may be revealed or not
revealed;
He do es not become great er or
lesser.
He always remains as He is.
230.
Is t here some ot her t hing

Which is eagerly t rying t o reveal
The Self t o Himself?
But for t he Self,
Would t here be a mirror?
231.
Do es a lit candle creat e

The person who light s it ,
Or does it exist because of t he
person?
Truly, t he Self is t he Cause
Of all causes.
232.
The flame light s t he fire;

But can it be regarded
As somet hing different from fire?
233.
What ever we call a cause

Is creat ed and revealed by Him.
By His nat ure, He is what ever He
sees.
234.
The Self is self-illuminat ing;

Therefore, t here is no ot her cause
Fo r His seeing Himself
Than Himself.
235.
What ever form appears,

Appears because of Him.
252
There is not hing else here but t he

Self.
236.
It is t he go ld it self which shines

In t he form of a necklace or a coin;
They, t hemselves, are not hing but
gold.
237.
In t he current o f t he river
Or t he waves of t he sea,
There is not hing but wat er.
Similarly, in t he universe,
No t hing exist s
Or is brought int o exist ence
That is ot her t han t he Self.
238.
Though it may be smelled,

Or t o uched, or seen,
There is no t hing else in campho r
But campho r.
239.
Likewise,
No mat t er how He experiences
Himself,
The Self is all t hat is.
240.
Whet her appearing as t he seen,

Or perceiving as t he seer,
No t hing else exist s besides t he Self.
241.
In t he Ganges,
Whet her it flows as a river
Or mingles wit h t he ocean,
We canno t see anyt hing added;
It is only wat er.
242.
Whet her it is liquid or frozen,

Ghee (clarified but t er does not
become anyt hing o t her t han it self.
253
It would be foolish t o t hink t hat it

did.
243.
Flames and fire

Are no t seen as t wo separat e t hings;
Flame is t he same as fire
And is not different from it .
244.
Therefore,
Whet her He is t he seer or t he seen,
It do esnt mat t er;
There is only t he Self
Vibrat ing everywhere.
245.
From t he st andpoint of vibrat ion,

There is no t hing but vibrat io n.
So, even t hough t he Self sees,
Does He really see?
246.
It is no t t hat t he appearance is
arrayed here,
And t he seer is over t here;
It is only His o wn vibrat io n
That He perceives when He sees.
247.
It is like ripples o n wat er,

Or like gold on t op of gold,
Or eyesight gazing at vision.
248.
It is like adding music t o music,

Or fragrance t o fragrance,
Or bliss t o bliss;
249.
Or like pouring sugar on sugar,

Or co vering a mount ain of gold
Wit h gold,
Or adding fire t o t he flames.
254
250.
What more need I say?

It is like t he sky reposing on t he
sky.
Who t hen is asleep?
And who is awake?
251.
When He sees Himself,

It is as t hough He did not see;
And, even wit ho ut seeing Himself,
He goes o n seeing Himself.
252.
Here, speech is prohibit ed;

Kno wledge is not allowed.
Pride o f experience can gain no
ent ry.
253.
His seeing of Himself

Is like no one seeing not hing.
254.
In short ,
The Self is self-illuminat ing;
He awakens Himself wit ho ut
awaking.
255.
Because of His desire t o see

Himself,
He manifest s all t he various st at es
of being
Wit hout affect ing His o wn st at e.
256.
If He wishes t o remain wit ho ut

seeing,
Even t hat not -seeing
Is seeing.
And, because o f that seeing,
Bo t h seeing and non-seeing
disappear.
255
257.
Tho ugh He may expand int o any

form,
His unit y is never dist urbed.
And if He cont ract s,
Then He is st ill as full as before.
258.
The Sun can never cat ch up wit h

darkness;
So, why should he list en
To t alk about light ?
259.
Let t here be darkness o r light ,

The Self is like t he Sun
Who remains alone in his own glory
Under every condit ion.
260.
The Self may assume any form;

He never st rays fro m Himself.
261.
Tho ugh innumerable waves rise

And fall on t he ocean,
The ocean does not t herefore become
So met hing ot her t han t he ocean.
262.
We may not t ruly compare t he Sun

To t he glo rio us Self,
Who is pure Light ,
Because t he Suns rays go o ut fro m
himself.
263.
Co t t o n cannot be compared t o Him,

For t here would be no clot h
If t he cot t o n pods did not burst .
264.
Unformed go ld canno t be co mpared

t o Him,
Fo r it cannot be made int o
ornament s
While remaining as it is.
256
265.
No individual may be co mpared t o

Him,
Fo r no one is able t o go
From one count ry t o anot her
Wit ho ut cro ssing t he int ervening
space.
266.
So t he play o f t he Self
Has no parallel.
He can be compared only t o
Himself.
267.
He is incessant ly devouring
Mo ut hfuls of His own light ;
But neit her is His st ore of light
diminished,
Nor is His belly expanded.
268.
The Self,
Thro ugh His incomparable sport ,
Is ruling His own kingdom
Wit hin Himself.
269.
If t his can be called ignorance,

It means t he end of all logical
t hinking.
Can we be pat ient wit h someo ne who
t hinks t his way?
270.
If That which illumines

Is called igno rance,
It is like calling a miners lamp
A black st one.
271.
Would it make sense

To call a shining golden st at ue
Of t he Goddess
257
The Dark One?

Giving t he name, ignorance,
To t he self-illuminat ion of t he Self
Is like t his.
272.
In t rut h, all beings and all element s,

Fro m t he gods t o t he smallest
part icle of eart h,
Are illumined by His rays.
273.
It is because of Him
That knowledge knows,
Sight sees,
And light illumines.
274.
Who, t hen, is t hat mean person

Who has designat ed Him as
ignorance?
Really!
Is it no t like saying t he Sun is t ied
up
In a sack of darkness?
275.
To writ e t he let t er A
Befo re t he word, jnana (knowledge,
As a means of enhancing
The great ness of jnana!
Is t hat not an ext raordinary met hod
Of expanding a words meaning?
276.
What s t he point of placing a fire

In a cardboard box?
It will only t urn t hat int o flames
As well!
277.
It is point less t o speak

Abo ut t he not io n o f ignorance
When t he who le universe
258
Is t he vibrat io n o f Kno wledge.

278.
First , it s like believing t here was a

murder
Simply because someone cries out
murder!
Secondly, such a not ion is ut t erly
false;
How can Knowledge be called
ignorance?
279.
Even t o speak of ignorance

Is, it self, a vibrat ion of Knowledge.
Then, must nt we call t his
Knowledge
Knowledge?
280.
By His own illuminat ion,

The Self is perceiving Himself
In all t hese various forms.
281.
How is it , t hen, t hat ignorance,

Which dissolves before t he
searchlight
Of t ho ught ,
Might acquire percept io n,
And see it self as t he visible wo rld?
282.
If ignorance st at es
That it gives birt h t o t he wo rld,
Which is Knowledge,
And at t empt s t o est ablish it s
exist ence
By means o f igno rance,
283.
Then t he wo rld it self

Has incont rovert ibly proven
The non-exist ence of ignorance;
259
Because ignorance and Knowledge

Are not t hings t hat are relat ed
In t he way t hat a subst ance
And it s qualit y are relat ed.
284.
Knowledge could be a qualit y of

ignorance
If pearls could be made wit h wat er,
Or if a lamp could be kept lit wit h
ashes.
285.
Ignorance co uld emit t he light o f

Knowledge
If t he mo o n co uld emit leaping
flames,
Or if t he sky co uld be t urned t o
st one.
286.
It is cert ainly ast ounding

That a deadly poison
Co uld arise from an ocean of milk;
But , co uld a deadly po iso n
Give rise t o pure nect ar?
287.
Even supposing
That ignorance were produced from
Knowledge,
That igno rance wo uld vanish at it s
very birt h.
Then, again, not hing would remain
but Knowledge.
288.
Just as t he Sun is no t hing but t he Sun,

The mo o n is not hing but t he mo o n,
And t he flame of a lamp
Is not hing but a flame,
289.
Be assured also
That t he light of Consciousness
260
Is no t hing but Light .

The whole universe
Is not hing but t he luminosit y of t he
Self.
290.
The script ures declare with assurance

That everyt hing t hat exist s
Is radiat ing wit h His light .
Is it said for no reason?
291.
The light of t he Self

Is, It self, t he cause
Of t he appearance o f His beaut y
Which He, Himself, is enjoying.
292.
To ignore t his t rut h,

And t o regard ignorance as t he cause
Of t he Selfs appearance t o Himself
Is ut t erly unreasonable.
293.
Ignorance cannot be found t o exist

By any means.
No mat t er how we may search for it ,
That search proves fut ile.
294.
For, even if t he Sun

Were t o visit t he ho use o f night ,
He would find no darkness;
295.
Or, if a person at t empt ed

To cat ch sleep in a bag,
He would find t hat
He could no t even cat ch awakening;
He wo uld remain just as he was.
Chapter Eight:
261
Refutation of Knowledge
Introductory Note
Having established the non-existence of
ignorance in the absolute Consciousness,
Jnaneshvar reiterates once more the obvious
corollary to this assertion: that knowledge,
which is the complement to ignorance, does
not exist in that state either. These two,
knowledge and ignorance, exist only relative
to each other; they are both illusory, and
disappear in the unitive experience of the
one Self .
262
REFUTATION OF KNOWLEDGE
CHAPTER EIGHT:
THE REFUTATION OF K NOWLEDGE
1.
2.
As fo r ourselves,
We possess neit her knowledge nor
ignorance.
Our Guru has awakened us
To o ur t rue Ident it y.
If we at t empt t o see our own st at e,
That seeing it self becomes
ashamed.
What , t hen, sho uld we do ?
3.
Fort unat ely,

Our Guru has made us so vast
That we canno t be co nt ained
Wit hin ourselves.
4.
Our ident it y is not limit ed

Solely t o t he universal Self,
But we are not dist urbed
By perceiving o ur separat ive
exist ence;
We remain, aft er final liberat ion,
The same as we were before.
5.
The word t hat can describe our

st at e
Has not yet been ut t ered.
The eyes t hat can see us
Do not exist .
6.
Who could perceive us,

Or enjoy us as an object of
enjoyment ?
263
We cannot even perceive ourselves!

7.
The wonder is t hat we are

Neit her concealed nor manifest .
Ah! How amazing it is
That we even exist !
8.
Ho w can mere words

Describe t he st at e
In which we are placed by Sri
Nivrit t i?
9.
How can igno rance

Dare t o come before us?
Ho w can illusion
Co me int o being aft er it s deat h?
10.
And can t here be any t alk of

knowledge
Where ignorance cannot gain
ent rance.
11.
When night falls,

We light t he lamps;
But what is t he use of such effort s
When t he Sun is here?
12.
Likewise,
When t here is no ignorance,
Knowledge also disappears;
Bot h o f t hem have go ne.
13.
Act ually,
Kno wledge and ignorance are
dest royed
In t he pro cess o f discerning t heir
meaning.
264
REFUTATION OF KNOWLEDGE
14.
Bo t h t he husband
And t he wife lose t heir lives
When each cut s off t he ot hers
head.
15.
A lamp held behind a person

Is not really a light ;
If it s possible t o see in t he dark,
It s not really darkness.
16.
We may call t hat which is ut t er

nescienceignorance,
But how can we call by t he name
of ignorance
That by means o f which everyt hing
is kno wn?
17.
Kno wledge t urns int o ignorance,

And ignorance is dispelled by
knowledge;
Each is cancelled by t he ot her.
18.
Thus, he who kno ws do es no t

know,
And even he who do es no t kno w,
knows.
Where, t hen,
Could knowledge and ignorance
dwell?
19.
Since t he Sun o f Self-realizat io n

Has arisen in t he sky of pure
Conscio usness,
It has swallowed up
Bo t h t he day of knowledge
And t he night o f igno rance.
265
Chapter Nine:
The Secret of Natural Devotion
Introductory Note
In this Ninth chapter of Amrit anubhav,
Jnaneshvar speaks of how all this world has
arisen f rom the Lords own expression of
enjoyment. He has become all enjoyers and
all objects of enjoyment; and one who
realizes his identity as both enjoyer and
enjoyed, both seer and seen, knows the joy
of God. His enjoyment knows no bounds,
f or, even while enjoying sense objects, he
is aware that all objects of enjoyment are
only himself ; he perceives, as Jnaneshvar
does, that unity is only strengthened by the
expansion of diversity.
This exalted
awareness Jnaneshvar regards as the true
f reedom, or liberation.
For Jnandev, liberation is certainly not
merely a dry, intellectual, unity-awareness;
it is the enjoyment of the bliss, or love, of
God. It is a Knowledge-Love; not a love
based on the duality of lover and beloved,
but rather an inner joyf ulness that arises
with the sense of union with the Beloved.
Should there be, then, no devotion f or the
sage who is one with God? Why not? asks
Jnaneshvar; Does not a f ruit tree enjoy its
own blossoming? Does not love arise in the
heart even when it is its own object?
There are no words f or t his natural
devotion at which Jnandev hints.
The
lover and Beloved are one, to be sure; yet
the enjoyment of love continues. This is
Amrit anubhav : the nectar of the experience
of our own divine Self .
266
CHAPTER NINE:
THE SECRET OF NATURAL
DEVOTION
1.
Just as a nose might become a

fragrance,
Or ears might give out a melody
For t heir own enjoyment ,
Or t he eyes might produce a mirror
In order t o see t hemselves;
2.
Or just as cheeks might beco me a

soft breeze,
Or a head might t ake t he form
Of Champaka blossoms
In order t o pro duce a sweet scent ;
3.
Or a t ongue might become

sweet ness,
A lo t us bud might blossom as t he
Sun,
Or a Chakora bird might become
t he mo o n;
4.
Or flowers might t ake t he form of

a bee,
A lovely young girl might become
a young man,
Or a sleepy man might become
A bed on which t o lie;
5.
As t he blossoms of a mango t ree

Might become a cuckoo bird,
Or o nes skin might become
Malayan breezes,
Or t o ngues might become flavors;
267
6.
Or as a slab of gold might become

Art icles of jewelry
Fo r t he sake of beaut y;
7.
Just so, t he one pure

Co nsciousness becomes
The enjoyer and t he object of
enjoyment ,
The seer and t he object of vision,
Wit ho ut dist urbing It s unit y.
8.
A Shevant i flower burst s fort h

Wit h a t ho usand pet als;
Yet it does not become anyt hing
But a Shevant i flower.
9.
Similarly, t he auspicious drums

Of ever new experiences
My be sounding,
But in t he kingdom of St illness,
No t hing is heard.
10.
All of t he senses may rush

simult aneously
To ward t he mult it ude of sense
object s,
11.
But , just as, in a mirror,

Ones vision only meet s ones
vision,
The rushing senses only meet
t hemselves.
12.
One may purchase a necklace,

Earrings, or a bracelet ;
But it is only gold,
Whichever one receives.
268
13.
One may gat her a handful of

ripples,
But it is only wat er in t he hand.
14.
To t he hand, campho r is t o uch,

To t he eye, it s a whit e o bject ,
To t he nose it is fragrance;
No net heless, it is camphor, and
not hing but campho r.
15.
Likewise, t he sensible universe

Is only t he vibrat io n o f t he Self.
16.
The vario us senses at t empt t o cat ch

Their object s in t heir hands
Fo r example, t he ears
Try t o cat ch t he words;
17.
But as so o n as t he senses
Touch t heir object s,
The object s disappear as o bject s.
Theres no object for one t o t ouch;
Fo r all is t he Self.
18.
The juice of t he sugarcane

Is part o f t he sugarcane;
The light o f t he full mo o n
Belo ngs t o t he full moon.
19.
The meet ing of t he senses and

t heir object s
Is like moonlight falling on t he
moon,
Or like wat er sprinkling on t he
sea.
20.
One who has at t ained t his wisdom

May say what ever he likes;
The silence of his cont emplat ion
269
Remains undist urbed.

21.
His st at e of act ionlessness

Remains unaffect ed,
Even t ho ugh he perfo rms co unt less
act ions.
22.
St ret ching o ut t he arms o f desire,

Ones eyesight embraces
The object s she sees;
But , in fact , not hing at all is gained.
23.
It is like t he Sun
St ret ching o ut t he t ho usand arms
Of his rays
In o rder t o grasp darkness.
He remains only light , as before;
24.
Just as a person, awakening t o

Enjo y t he act ivit y of a dream,
Finds himself suddenly alone.
25.
Even o ne who has at t ained wisdom

May appear t o become t he enjoyer
Of t he sense object s before him;
But we do no t kno w
What his enjoyment is like.
26.
If t he mo o n gat hers mo o nlight ,

What is gat hered by who?
It is only a fruit less
And meaningless dream.
27.
That yo ga which yo gis at t ain

Through rest raining t he senses
And o t her ascet ic pract ices,
When placed before t his pat h,
Is like t he moon
Placed before daylight .
270
28.
There is really no act ion or

inact io n;
Everyt hing t hat is happening
Is t he spo rt o f t he Self.
29.
The undivided One

Ent ers t he court yard of dualit y
Of His own accord.
Unit y only becomes st rengt hened
By t he expansio n o f diversit y.
30.
Sweet er even t han t he bliss of

liberat ion
Is t he enjoyment of sense object s
To o ne who has at t ained wisdo m.
In t he house of bhakti (devot ional
love),
That lover and his God
Experience t heir sweet union.
31.
Whet her he walks in t he st reet s

Or remains sit t ing quiet ly,
He is always in his o wn ho me.
32.
He may perform act ions,

But he has no goal t o at t ain.
Do no t imagine
That , if he did no t hing,
He would miss his goal.
33.
He does not allow room

For eit her remembering or
fo rget t ing;
Fo r t his reason,
His behavio r is no t like t hat o f
ot hers.
271
34.
His rule o f co nduct is his o wn

sweet will.
His medit at io n is what ever
He happens t o be doing.
The glory of liberat ion
Serves as an asana (seat cushion)
To one in such a st at e.
35.
Go d Himself is t he devot ee;

The goal is t he pat h.
The whole universe is one solit ary
Being.
36.
It is He who becomes a god,

And He who becomes a devot ee.
In Himself,
He enjo ys t he kingdo m o f
St illness.
37.
The t emple it self is merged

In t he all-pervasive God;
The mot ion of t ime
And t he vast ness of space
Are no more.
38.
Everyt hing is co nt ained

In t he Being of God.
Where is t here any room for t he
Goddess?
Neit her are t here any at t endant s.
39.
If a desire
Fo r t he Mast er-disciple relat ionship
arises,
It is God alone
Who must supply bot h out of
Himself.
272
40.
Even t he devo t io nal pract ices,

Such as japa (repet it io n o f Gods
name, fait h and medit at ion,
Are no t different fro m Go d.
41.
Therefore, God must worship God

Wit h Go d, in o ne way o r ano t her.
42.
The t emple, t he idol, and t he

priest s
All are carved out of t he same
st o ne mount ain.
Why, t hen, should t here be
Devo t ional worship? [Or why
should t here no t be devo t io nal
wo rship?]
43.
A t ree spreads it s foliage,

And pro duces flo wers and fruit s,
Even t hough it has no object ive
Out side o f it self.
44.
But what does it mat t er if a dumb

person
Observes a vow of silence or not ?
The wise remain st eadfast in t heir
own divinit y
Whet her t hey worship or not .
45.
What s t he point of worshipping

wit h rice
An ido l o f t he Goddess
That s made out of rice?
46.
Will t he flame of a lamp

Remain wit hout light
If we do not ask her t o wear
The garment of light ?
273
47.
Is not t he mo o n bat hed in light

Even t ho ugh we do no t ask her
To wear t he moonlight ?
48.
Fire is nat urally hot ;

Why should we consider heat ing
it ?
49.
A wise person is aware

That he, himself, is t he Lord,
Shiva;
Therefo re, even when he is no t
worshipping,
He is worshipping.
50.
No w t he lamps of act ion and

inact io n
Have bo t h been snuffed o ut ,
And worshipping and not
worshipping
Are sit t ing in t he same seat ,
And eat ing from t he same bowl.
51.
In such a st at e,
The sacred script ures are t he same
as censure,
And censure it self
Is t he same as a sweet hymn of
praise.
52.
Bot h praise and censure

Are, in fact , reduced t o silence;
Even t ho ugh t here is speech,
It is silence.
53.
No mat t er where he goes,

That sage is making pilgrimage t o
Shiva;
274
And, if he at t ains t o Shiva,

That at t ainment is non-at t ainment .
54.
How amazing
That in such a st at e,
Mo ving abo ut o n fo o t
And remaining seat ed in one place
Are t he same!
55.
No mat t er what his eyes fall upon

At any t ime,
He always enjoys t he vision of
Shiva.
56.
If Shiva Himself appears before

him,
It is as if he has seen not hing;
For Go d and His devot ee
Are o n t he same level.
57.
Of it s o wn nat ure,
A ball falls t o t he ground,
And bo unces up again,
Enrapt ured in it s own bliss.
58.
If ever we could wat ch

The play of a ball,
We might be able t o say somet hing
About t he behavio r o f t he sage.
59.
The spo nt aneo us, nat ural devo t io n

Cannot be t o uched by t he hand o f
act ion,
Nor can knowledge penet rat e it .
60.
It go es on wit hout end,

In co mmunion wit h it self.
What bliss can be compared t ot his?
275
61.
This nat ural devot ion is a

wonderful secret ;
It is t he place in which medit at ion
And kno wledge beco me merged.
62.
Hari and Hara (Vishnu and Shiva)

Are, of course, really t he same;
But no w, even t heir names and
forms
Have beco me ident ical.
63.
Oh, and Shiva and Shakt i,

Who were swallowing each ot her,
Are now bot h swallowed up
Simult aneously.
64.
And even t he subt lest speech,

Eat ing up all object s
And drinking up gross speech,
Has now t aken it s rest in sleep.
65.
O blissful and almight y Lord!

You have made us t he so le
sovereign
In t he kingdo m o f perfect bliss.
66.
How wo nderful
That Yo u have awakened t he
wakeful,
Laid t o rest t hose who are
sleeping,
And made us t o realize
Our own Self!
67.
We are Yours ent irely!

Out o f love,
You include us as Yo ur o wn,
As is befit t ing Your great ness.
276
68.
You do not receive anyt hing from

anyone,
Nor do You give anyt hing of
Yourself t o anyone else.
We do not know how You enjoy
Your great ness.
69.
As t he Guru, you are t he great est

o f t he great ;
But Yo u are also very light ,
Capable of buoying up your
disciples,
And t hus saving t hem from
drowning in t he wo rld.
Only by Your grace can t hese dual
qualit ies
Of Yours be underst ood.
70.
Wo uld t he script ures have ext olled

You,
If, by sharing it wit h Your
disciple,
Yo ur unit y were dist urbed?
71.
O noble One!
It is Your pleasure
To become our nearest and dearest
By t aking away from us
Our sense of difference from You.
277
Chapter Ten:
Blessings To The World
Introductory Note
Knowledge and ignorance, Shiva and
Shakti, action and inaction, and all other
such dualities, have been swallowed up in
Unity.
There, words f all short; names
cannot name It. Where there is no twoness, language is invalidated. Like others
bef ore him who have attempted to speak of
It, Jnaneshvar f inds himself in a cul-de-sac,
f orced to silence.
Why, then, has he
bothered to speak of It at all? He has no
nave hopes or expectations of being
understood or of providing illumination to
others. The Self reveals Itself , and cannot
be revealed by any such words as these.
But the very nature of the Self is self expression, and that expression can no more
be repressed than can the Suns radiating
warmth, or the blossoming of the f lowers in
Spring.
Jnaneshvars
words
are
but
the
overf lowing ef f ulgence of the Self , and they
contain the very sweetness of the Self .
Fully aware of this, Jnaneshvar says,
Amrit anubhav is so pure and sweet that
even the timeless state of Liberation yearns
f or a taste of it. This is The Nectar Of
Mystical Experience which Jnaneshvar
prof f ers f or us to sip and enjoy. It is a gif t
f or which we have reason to give thanks.
To one who understands, its sweetness is
beyond measure. It is, indeed, a gif t of the
divine Lord, of f ered so that we may savor
and delight in our own immeasurable Bliss.
278
BLESSINGS TO THE WORLD
CHAPTER TEN:
1.
O Sri Nivrit t inat h!

You have blessed me
Wit h such sublime Bliss!
Should I o nly enjo y it in myself?
2.
The great Lord has endowed t he

Sun
Wit h a fount ain of light
Wit h which he illumines t he ent ire
world.
3.
Was t he nect ar of t he moons

beams
Given o nly for t he mo o ns sake?
Were t he clouds given wat er by t he
sea
Fo r t heir own use?
4.
The lamps light is meant

For t he ent ire household;
The vast ness of t he sky
Is fo r t he sake of t he whole world.
5.
Consider t he surging t ides

Of t he unfat homable sea;
Are t hey no t due t o t he po wer o f
t he mo o n?
And it is t he Spring season
Which enables t he t rees t o offer
Their blossoms and t heir fruit s.
6.
Also , it is no secret
That all t his is t he gift
Of Yo ur blissful divinit y;
I have no t hing o f my o wn.
279
7.
But why sho uld I go o n explaining

like t his?
I only get in t he way
Of my Mast ers glory!
8.
All t hat we have said

Is already self-evident ;
Can words illumine t he selflumino us?
9.
Even if we had kept silence,

Wo uld not some person have seen
anot her?
10.
When one person sees anot her,

It beco mes self-evident
That t he seer is also t he seen.
11.
There is no ot her secret

About pure Kno wledge t han t his;
And t his is self-evident ,
Even before it is ment ioned.
12.
If it be said
That t here was t hen no need
To begin t o writ e such a work as
t his,
I wo uld have t o reply t hat
We are describing what is already
self-evident
Only out of love for it .
13.
It may be t hat we have t ast ed it

before,
But t here is a new delight
In t ast ing it again.
To speak o f what is self-evident
Is t herefore unobject ionable.
280
14.
At least , I have not given out a

secret ;
It is self-revealed.
15.
We are immersed in t he one

perfect I;
We are pervading everyt hing.
Therefore, we can be neit her
concealed
No r revealed by anyt hing.
16.
What can we offer ourselves

In t he form of exposit ion?
Would t he Self be unexpo sed
If we were t o remain silent ?
17.
My speech is t herefore t he same

As t he deadest silence.
18.
Even t he t en Upanishads
Cannot approach t his silent speech;
There, t he int ellect becomes
Absorbed in it self.
19.
Jnanadeva says,
This is t he sweet Nect ar
Of Myst ical Experience.
Even t hose who are liberat ed
Sho uld have a drink of it .
20.
There is not hing wrong

Wit h t he st at e of Liberat ion,
But t he Nect ar o f Myst ical
Experience
Is so pure and sweet
That even t he t imeless st at e of
Liberat ion
Yearns fo r a t ast e o f it .
281
21.
Every night t here is a moon,

But o nly when it get s t he
unobst ruct ed
Visio n o f t he Sun
Does it beco me full
And shine it s bright est .
22.
A yo ung girl possesses t he bud of

yout h,
But only when she is unit ed wit h
her belo ved
Does it blossom int o flower.
23.
Only when t he Spring season

arrives
Do t he t rees begin t o kiss t he sky
Wit h t heir branches
Laden wit h fruit and flo wers.
24.
Likewise,
I am now serving t he dessert
Of my spirit ual at t ainment
In t he fo rm o f t his Nect ar
Of Myst ical Experience.
25.
So me souls have at t ained

Liberat ion;
So me are seeking Liberat ion;
And some ot hers are st ill in
bondage.
These remain different [in
underst anding]
Only so lo ng as t hey have no t
t ast ed
This Nect ar o f Myst ical
Experience.
282
26.
Just as t he st reams
Which come t o play in t he Ganges
Beco me t he Ganges,
Or as darkness going t o meet t he
Sun
Beco mes t he light of t he Sun;
27.
Or, as we may speak of different

met als
Only so lo ng s t hey have no t been
t ouched
By t he philosophers st one,
Which t urns t hem all t o gold;
28.
So, t hose who ent er deeply int o

t hese words
Are like rivers which, mingling
wit h t he ocean,
Become one.
29.
Just as all possible sounds

Meet in t he sound, AUM,
So t here is not hing else,
In all t he universe,
But t he Self.
30.
It is impossible t o point t o
anyt hing
That is not God.
Truly, everyt hing is Shiva.
31.
Jnanadeva says,
May everyone in t he universe
Enjoy t his feast o f
The Nect ar of Myst ical
Experience.
*
283
284
HARIPATHA
285
HARIPATHA:
Introductory Note
In addition to his major works, Jnaneshvari and Amrit anubhav, Jnaneshvar composed
a number of devotional songs as well. In
them, he sings of his inner experiences and
of his love of God and his Guru, Nivritti.
One such collection of songs is Haripat ha, or
Sing The Name of Hari, in which he
utilizes a traditional poetic f orm to extol the
practice of the repetition of the name of
Hari, an endearing name f or God. These
songs, presumed to have been written during
Jnaneshvars years at Pandharpur, are sung
to various melodies in Maharashtra to this
day, in their original Marathi.
Many of the great saints of Maharashtra,
Nivritti, Jnaneshvar, Tukaram, Namadev, and
Eknath, wrote such Haripat has, declaring the
chanting or repeating of the name of God to
be the simplest, easiest, and surest way to
the continual recollection of Gods presence.
This practice is regarded, throughout India,
as the means to the f ocusing of the mind in
contemplation of God, and as the natural
expression of the love of God. Jnaneshvar
advocates it as well; he says, Chant within
the name of Hari; your heart will melt with
love. And that love will open the door to the
true awareness that you and your beloved
God are one.
286
HARIPATHA
HARIPATHA
I.
One who ascends, even for a moment ,
To t he t hresho ld o f God
Will assuredly at t ain t he four st ages of
Liberat ion.
Therefo re, chant t he name of Hari.
Yes, chant t he name of Hari!
The value o f chant ing His name is
immeasurable;
So let your t ongue eagerly chant t he name
of Hari.
The aut ho rs of t he Vedas and t he various
script ures
Have all pro claimed t his pat h wit h t heir arms
upraised.
Jnanadev says: chant Haris name;
The Lo rd will t hen become your slave,
Just as Krishna became t he servant of t he
Pandavas,
As Vyasa, t he poet , has so excellent ly t old.
II.
In all t he four Vedas, Haris praise is sung.
The six syst ems of philosophy, and t he
eight een Puranas
Also sing Haris praise.
Just as we churn curds fo r t he purpo se o f
get t ing but t er,
Likewise, we churn t he Vedas, philosophies,
and t he Puranas
For t he purpose o f t ast ing t he sweet but t er
of Hari.
Hari is t he go al; t he rest is mere t ales.
287
Hari is equally in everyone

Hes as much in all our souls as He is in
t he gods;
Hes t he inner Self o f all.
Therefore, dont weary your mind wit h
st range pract ices;
Jnanadev says: You will experience heaven
Just by chant ing Haris name.
Everywhere yo u look, youll see only Him.
III.
This insubst ant ial universe, t his web
Of int eract ing qualit ies (gunas),
Is but His superficial form;
His essence is t he formless I
Which is always t he same,
Unaffect ed by t he int erplay of t he qualit ies.
If you discriminat e in t his way, you will
underst and
That t he cont inual remembrance of Hari
Is t he supreme goal t o be at t ained.
Hari is bo t h t he Formless and t he changing
forms;
Remember Him, lest your mind wander idly
away.
He, Himself, has no fo rm;
He cannot be seen.
He cannot be bound t o a single form;
Hes t he Source o f all fo rms,
Bo t h t he animat e and t he inanimat e.
Jnanadev says: Rama-Krishna, t he Lord,
Has pervaded my mind;
He is all I medit at e on.
Blessed is t his birt h!
I seem t o be reaping infinit e fruit s
Fro m t he go o d deeds I perfo rmed in t he
past .
288
HARIPATHA
IV.
To speak o f performing st renuous deeds
When all ones st rengt h is spent
Is not hing but foolish t alk;
To speak o f o nes love for God
When t here is no feeling in t he heart
Is also wo rt hless and vain.
Only when t rue feeling arises
Can love for Go d bear fruit .
Will t he Lord appear t o you at your sudden
call?
No. You must yearn for Him in your
heart !
It s sad t o see t hat you weary yourself
Wit h so many wort hless t asks.
Day aft er day, yo u anxio usly fret
For your pet t y worldly affairs.
My dear, why do you never t hink
To t urn t o Hari wit h lo ve?
Jnanadev says: It s enough
If only you chant His name;
At once your fet t ers will fall.
V.
Yo u may perfo rm t he rit es of sacrifice,
Or fo llo w t he eight -fold pat h o f yoga,
But neit her will bring you t o peace;
These are only t iresome act ivit ies of t he
mind,
And usually bring o nly pride.
Wit ho ut , t rue, heart -felt lo ve fo r Go d,
Yo ull no t at t ain knowledge of Him.
How is it possible t o experience union wit h
Him
Wit ho ut t he Gurus grace?
289
Wit ho ut t he discipline of sadhana,

He cannot be at t ained.
In order t o receive, o ne must kno w ho w t o
give;
Give your love, and Hell sho wer yo u wit h
grace.
Is t here anyo ne who would be int imat e wit h
you
And t each yo u your highest good,
If you felt no lo ve fo r him?
Jnanadev says: This is my judgment based
on experience;
Living in t he world is easy in t he company
o f t he saint s.
VI.
When one receives t he grace of a saint ,
His ego -co nsciousness dissolves;
Event ually, even God-consciousness will
disso lve.
If you light a piece of camphor,
It produces a bright flame;
But aft er awhile, bo t h campho r and flame
disappear.
In t he same way, god-consciousness
Supplant s ego-consciousness at first ,
But event ually,
Even t he awareness I am He dissolves.
One who comes under t he influence of a
saint
Has arrived at t he gat es o f Liberat io n;
He will at t ain all glory.
290
HARIPATHA
Jnanadev says: I delight in t he company of

t he saint s!
It is due t o t heir grace t hat I see Hari
everywhere
In t he fo rest , in t he crowds, and also in
myself.
VII.
Those who have no lo ve in t heir heart s fo r
God
Accumulat e a mount ain of sin
Which surrounds t hem like a diamo nd-hard
shell.
He who has no lo ve fo r Go d
Is t o t ally deprived of love.
He who never even t hinks of God
Is undoubt edly an unfort unat e wret ch.
How can t hose who are ceaselessly
go ssiping
Ever at t ain t he visio n o f God?
Jnanadev says: That which lives
As t he Self of everyone and everyt hing
Is my o nly t reasure.
That is Hari.
It is He alone I adore.
VIII.
If our minds incline us t o t he company of
t he saint s,
Then well acquire t he knowledge of God.
Let your t ongue be ever chant ing His
name;
Let your hunger be ever fo r Him.
Even Shiva, who is abso rbed in His o wn
Self,
291
Loves t o hear t he repet it io n o f Gods

name.
Tho se who single-mindedly chant His name
Will realize Him, and be freed from
dualit y;
Theyll revel forever in t he awareness of
Unit y.
Those lovers o f go d who drink t he nect ar
of His name
Enjo y t he same sweet ness t hat yogis enjoy
When t heir Kundalini Shakt i awakes.
Love for t he Name arose early in Prahlada;
Uddhava wo n discipleship t o Krishna
Through his lo ve o f t he Name.
Jnanadev says: The way of Haris name is
so easy;
Yet , see how rare it is!
Few indeed are t hose who know
The infinit e power of His name.
IX.
He has no knowledge
Whose mind does not dwell on Hari,
And whose t o ngue speaks of everyt hing
but Hari.
He is a miserable person
Who t akes birt h as a human
And yet fails t o seek t he awareness o f
Unit y.
Ho w co uld t hat person find rest in t he
name o f Hari?
Unless t he Guru sweeps away t he sense of
dualit y,
How could he who has no knowledge
Relish t he sweet ness of chant ing Gods
name?
292
HARIPATHA
Jnanadev says: Repet it ion of t he Lords

name
Is really a medit at ion on Him;
By chant ing Haris name,
All illusio n is dissolved.
X.
Yo u may t ake a bat h
In t he confluence of t he t hree holy rivers;
Yo u may visit all t he sacred pilgrimage
places;
But if your mind does not always rest
In t he name o f t he Lo rd,
All your effort s are in vain.
He is very foo lish who t urns away
Fro m remembrance of Gods name;
When t he so ul is drowning in misery,
Who else but God will rush t o it s aid?
Valmiki, who is cert ainly wo rt hy o f
respect ,
Has pro claimed t he value of chant ing gods
name;
The Name, he says, is t he o ne
t rust wo rt hy means
Fo r salvat io n in all t he t hree worlds.
Jnanadev says: Please chant Haris name;
Even yo ur children will be saved.
XI.
It is enough t o chant Hari aloud;
In an inst ant , all your sins will be burnt .
When a pile o f grass is set ablaze,
The grass is t ransformed int o fire;
Likewise, o ne who chant s Haris name
Beco mes t ransformed int o Him.
293
The po wer o f chant ing t he name of Hari

Cannot be fat homed or gauged;
It has t he po wer t o drive away
All manner o f devils and ghost s.
Jnanadev says: All-powerful is my Hari;
Even t he Upanishads
Have failed t o express His great ness.
XII.
Taking bat hs in vario us ho ly rivers,
Observance of vo ws, and o t her such
out ward t rappings,
Cannot grant fulfillment ,
If in your heart no fait h or love exist s.
My dears, it seems t hat youre needlessly
engaged
In t he performance of unfruit ful deeds!
It is o nly by t he pat h of love
That god may be approached;
There is no o t her way.
Give love t o go d,
And He will be as t angible t o you
As a fruit in t he palm o f yo ur hand.
All o t her means of at t aining God
Are like t he at t empt t o pick up liquid
mercury
That s been spilled out upon t he ground.
Jnanadev says: I have been ent rust ed
By my Guru, Nivrit t i,
Wit h t he po ssession of t he formless God.
XIII.
294
HARIPATHA
Only when you have t he cont inual

experience o f God
As equally exist ing in everyone and
everyt hing
Will you be t ruly est ablished in samadhi. 1
This experience is unavailable t o one
Who is addict ed t o dualit y.
Only when t he mind
Beco mes illumined by t he experience of
samadhi
Will it at t ain perfect underst anding.
There is no higher at t ainment fo r t he mind
t han t his.
When one at t ains t o Go d,
All miraculous powers are also at t ained;
But of what use are t hese po wers by
t hemselves
Wit ho ut t he bliss o f samadhi?
In such a case, t hey are only obst acles
To o nes pro gress o n t he pat h.
Jnanadev says: I have become supremely
fulfilled
In t he co nt inual remembrance of Hari.
XIV.
The Go ddess of dest ruct ion will not even
glance at you
If you chant fervent ly and unceasingly t he
name of Hari.
The chant ing of His name
Is equal t o a lifet ime of aust erit ies;
All yo ur sins will fly away.
Even Shiva chant s t he mant ra, Hari, Hari,
Hari!
Who ever chant s it will at t ain Liberat ion.
Jnanadev says: I am always chant ing
295
The name of t he Lord;

That is how I have realized my Self,
The place o f supreme inner peace.
XV.
Let t he chant ing o f Haris name
Be yo ur so le det erminat ion;
Thro w away even t he ment ion of dualit y.
But , alas, such mast ery
In t he awareness of Unit y is rare.
First yo u must pract ice t he vision of
equalit y;
Only Hari must be seen everywhere.
In o rder t o do t his,
The mind and senses must be rest rained.
When all t hese essent ial requirement s are
fulfilled,
One merges in Hari,
And becomes Hari, Himself.
Just as o ne solit ary Sun
Manifest s in count less rays of light ,
One so lit ary supreme Being
Manifest s Himself in all t hese count less
forms.
Jnanadev says: My mind is fixed
On one unfailing pract ice:
The chant ing o f Haris name.
Thus, Ive become free of all fut ure
rebirt hs.
XVI.
296
HARIPATHA
It is an easy t hing t o chant t he name of

God,
Yet t hey are few who chant His name
Wit h full awareness of it s power.
Who ever has at t ained t he experience of
samadhi
By chant ing His name
Has acquired all t he miraculous powers as
well.
If you unfailingly co mmit yo urself
To chant ing His name,
Then miraculo us powers, int ellect ual
brilliance,
And a dispo sit ion t oward right eousness,
All will be yours;
Thus will you cross t he ocean of illusion.
Jnanadev says: The Lords name has
become
Engraved o n my heart ;
Because o f t his,
I see Hari, my Self, everywhere.
XVII.
By chant ing t he name of Hari and singing
His praise,
Even o nes body becomes holy.
By pract icing t he aust erit y of chant ing His
name,
One makes a home for himself in heaven
That will endure for ages and ages.
By chant ing His name,
Even ones parent s, bro t hers, and o t her
lo ved o nes
Will beco me unit ed wit h god.
Jnanadev says: The secret of His names
infinit e po wer
297
Was laid in my hands by my Guru, Nivrit t i.

XVIII.
One who reads t he script ures devot edly,
Who repeat s Haris name,
And keeps co mpany wit h no one but Hari,
At t ains heaven;
He earns t he merit of bat hing in all t he
holy rivers.
But pit eo us is he who cho o ses
To indulge his mind in it s wandering ways.
He alo ne is blessed and fort unat e
Who cont inues t o chant t he name of God.
Jnanadev says: I love t o t ast e t he name of
Hari;
Every moment I am medit at ing on Him.
XIX.
The pro clamat ion and command of t he
Vedas
And all t he holy script ures
Is Repeat t he name of Hari,
The supreme Lord, who is t he Source of
all.
Wit ho ut t he remembrance o f Hari,
All o t her pract ices, such as rit uals and
aust erit ies,
Are only fut ile exert ions.
Tho se who have dedicat ed t hemselves
To remembrance of His name
Have found unending peace and
cont ent ment
They have beco me envelo ped in it s
sweet ness
Like a bee who, in it s search for honey,
298
HARIPATHA
Becomes envelo ped in t he clo sed pet als o f

a flower.
Jnanadev says: Haris name is my mant ra;
It is also my formidable weapon.
Out of fear of t his weapo n,
The go d o f deat h keeps his dist ance
From me and from my family as well.
XX.
The repet it io n o f Gods name
Is t he only t reasure desired by His lovers;
By it s po wer, all t heir sins are dest royed.
The chant ing of His name is equal
To lifet imes of performing aust erit ies;
It s t he easiest pat hway t o Liberat io n.
For one who chant s t he name of God,
Neit her yo ga nor t he rit ual of yajna is
needed;
The injunct io ns of dut y do not pert ain t o
him;
He t ranscends all illusion.
Jnanadev says: No o t her pract ices,
Or rit uals, o r rules of conduct are
necessary
Fo r o ne who chant s t he name of Hari wit h
lo ve.
XXI.
There are no limit at ions of place or t ime
For t he chant ing o f Haris name.
Haris name will save your family
On bot h your mo t hers and yo ur fat hers
side.
His name will wash away every blemish
and st ain.
299
Hari is t he savior
Of all who have fallen int o igno rance.
Who can t hink of a word adequat e t o
describe
The go o d fo rt une o f o ne who se t o ngue is
rest less
To chant t he name o f Hari,
The So urce o f all life?
Jnanadev says: My chant of Haris name
Is always go ing on;
I feel t hat I have t hereby made
An easy pat h t o heaven for my ancest ors
as well.
XXII.
There are very few who make t he chant ing
of His name
An unfailing daily pract ice;
Yet , it is in t his way t hat one may gain
The company o f Hari, Lakshmis Lo rd.
Chant Narayana Hari, Narayana Hari,
And all mat erial happiness
As well as t he four st ages of Liberat ion
Will dance at t endance at your door.
If t here is no room in your life for Hari,
That life is t ruly a hell;
Who ever lives such a life will surely
Suffer hell aft er deat h as well.
Jnanadev says: When I asked my Guru
The value o f t he name of God,
Nivrit t i t o ld me,
It is great er t han t hat of t he sky above.
XXIII.
300
HARIPATHA
So me philo so phers say t hat

The universe is made of seven basic
principles;
Ot hers say t he number is five, o r t hree, o r
t en.
When Hari is realized, He reveals t hat ,
No mat t er what t he number,
All t hose principles emanat e fro m Him
alone.
But let us no t be concerned wit h
philosophers games;
The name o f God is not like t hat .
It s t he easiest pat hway t o appro ach t o t he
Lord;
It invo lves no st rain or pain.
So me speak of ajapa-japa 2
As t he pract ice t hat sho uld be used;
This pract ice leads t o a reversal o f pranas
flo w.
To pursue t his pract ice,
One needs much st amina and st rengt h o f
will;
But t he chant ing o f Go ds name wit h lo ve
Is free o f all such difficult ies.
Jnanadev says: Im convinced t hat a man
lives in vain
If he does not reso rt t o t he Name.
That s why I cont inue t o ext ol
The chant ing o f t he Name.
XXIV.
The pract ice of japa, aust erit y, and rit uals
Is fut ile wit ho ut t rue purit y o f heart .
One must have t he heart -felt co nvict io n
That God lives in every fo rm.
Please hold ont o t hat convict ion,
And t hrow away your doubt s!
301
Chant alo ud, Rama-Krishna, RamaKrishna,

As loudly as yo u can.
Do not become conscious of your posit ion
and your wealt h,
Your family lineage, or your virt uous act s;
All t hese considerat io ns pro duce o nly
pride.
Hast en o nly t o sing Haris name wit h great
lo ve.
Jnanadev says: Hari pervades my mind and
my medit at ion;
I feel every moment t hat Im living in
Him.
XXV.
To Hari, t he learned and unlearned are t he
same;
By repeat ing His name,
Et ernal freedom is won.
The Go ddess of dest ruct ion will never even
ent er
That home where Narayana Hari is sung.
How can we know His great ness,
When even t he Vedas co uld no t explain
Him?
Jnanadev says: This vast universe
Has t urned int o heaven for me;
Such luscious fruit has come int o my hands
Only because I cling t o His name.
XXVI.
302
HARIPATHA
O my mind, cherish remembrance o f Haris

name,
And Hari will sho wer His mercy o n yo u.
It is no great difficult chore
To chant t he name of t he Lord;
Therefo re, please chant His name
Wit h a vo ice t hat is sweet wit h love.
There is not hing great er or more uplift ing
Than t he chant ing of His name;
So why should you wander on difficult
pat hs,
Forsaking t he sweet pat h of His name?
Jnanadev says: I keep silence wit hout ,
And keep t urning t he rosary of His name
wit hin;
Thus my japa is always going on.
XVII.
There is no pleasure as sweet as His name;
All t he script ures declare
That it s t he secret t o be at t ained.
So do no t spend even a moment
Wit ho ut enjo ying t he nect ar of His name.
This world is o nly a superficial play;
It is only an imaginat io n, aft er all.
Wit ho ut t he remembrance o f Hari,
It s o nly a fut ile round of birt hs and
deat hs.
By remembering His name,
All yo ur sins will go up in flames;
Therefore, co mmit your mind t o chant ing
Haris name.
Take t he at t it ude of adherence t o Trut h,
And break t he spell of illusion.
303
Do not allow t he senses t o bar yo ur visio n

o f t he Self;
Have fait h in t he power of chant ing His
name.
Be kind, serene and compassionat e t oward
all;
In t his way,
Yo ull beco me t he welcome guest of t he
Lord.
Jnanadev says: The chant ing o f Go ds
name
Is t he means t o Samadhi;
This, I swear, is t rue.
This wisdo m was best owed upon me
By Nivrit t inat h, my Guru.
304
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
305
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
Introductory Note
The f ollowing is a translation of the letter,
which Jnaneshvar wrote to the yogi,
Changadev (See Book I,
p.
69).
It
contains in brief f orm the whole of
Jnaneshvars vision of Truth. It is f ull of
compassion and love f or Changadev, whom
Jnaneshvar, throughout the letter, ref ers to
as equal to and synonymous with the ultimate
Reality, the Self . It is a rare and beautif ul
document, written in verse, which reveals the
charming personality and f lawless vision of a
great being who had become f ully
and
completely merged in and identif ied with the
universal Self .
306
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
(LETTER TO CHANGADEV)
1.
Salut at io ns t o t he Lord o f all, 1

Who is co ncealed wit hin t he visible
universe.
It is He who causes t his universe t o
appear,
And it is He who causes it t o vanish
as well.
2.
When He is revealed, t he universe

disappears;
When He is concealed, t he universe
shines fo rt h.
Yet He do esnt hide Himself,
Nor does He reveal Himself;
He is always present befo re us at
every moment .
3.
No mat t er how diverse and varied t he

universe appears,
He remains unmo ved, unchanged;
And t his is just as one would expect ,
Since He is always One, wit hout a
second.
4.
Though gold may be

many ornament s,
It s go ld-ness never
In t he same way, He
Though t he universe
varied fo rms.
5.
wrought int o
changes;
never changes,
cont ains so many
The ripples on t he surface of a pond

Cannot conceal t he wat er;
This universe of many forms
Can it conceal His Being?
307
6.
The element , eart h, is not concealed

By t he immensit y of t he planet , Eart h;
Likewise, He is no t co ncealed
By t he immensit y of t he universe.
7.
The moon above does not become

hidden
By t he glory of it s fullness,
Nor does fire become hidden
By it s leaping, roaring, flames.
8.
It is not igno rance

That causes t he separat ion
Bet ween t he perceiver and t he
perceived;
Truly, everyt hing is Himself,
And He is t he cause of everyt hing.
9.
Whet her it is called a shirt or a

blo use,
It is only t he names t hat vary;
It is clear t hat bot h
Are only cot t on clot h.
Tho ugh different kinds of clay pot s
Are called by different names,
Their varied colors cannot conceal
The fact t hat all are made o f clay.
10.
The condit ion of separat ion

Does not exist in one whose vision is
clear;
He remains alone, amidst all dualit y.
To him, t he perceiver and t he
perceived are o ne.
11.
Tho ugh different kinds of ornament s

have different names,
308
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
All are made of gold.

Tho ugh a body possesses several
different limbs,
It s unit y is not dist urbed.
12.
It s t he one pure Co nscio usness t hat

becomes everyt hing
From t he gods above t o t he eart h
below.
13.
Tho ugh t he shadows on t he wall are

ever changing,
The wall it self remains st eady and
immo bile.
Likewise, t he fo rms o f t he universe
t ake shape
Upo n t he one et ernal and unchanging
Consciousness.
14.
Brown sugar remains brown sugar,

Tho ugh it may be molded int o many
forms;
Likewise, t he ocean of Consciousness
is always t he same,
Tho ugh It becomes all forms of t he
universe.
15.
Vario us clo t hes o f vario us pat t erns

Are made from cot t on clot h;
Likewise, t he varied forms of t he
universe
Are variously formed of
Consciousness,
Which remains forever pure.
16.
Consciousness always remains in it s

prist ine st at e,
309
Unmoved by feelings o f so rro w o r

joy;
Even t hough It may suddenly beco me
aware o f It self,
It s st at e and It s unit y remain forever
undist urbed.
17.
The world t hat is perceived comes

int o being,
And t ant alizes t he Perceiver wit hin it ;
Though even t he rays of t he shining
Sun
Are but a reflect ion of It s own
et ernit y.
18.
Fro m wit hin It s own divine pure

dept hs,
It gives birt h t o t he perceivable
world.
The perceiver, t he perceived, and t he
act of percept ion:
These t hree form t he et ernal t riad of
manifest at ion.
19.
In a spo o l o f t hread t hat s t ight ly

wo und,
Not hing can be found of t he
beginning o r end;
The t hread is so int ricat ely bound
That it s unit y remains whole and
undist urbed.
Wit ho ut t he t riad o f perceiver,
perceived,
And t he act of percept ion,
One pure and primal Co nscio usness
Enchant ingly shines and sparkles
alone.
20.
Though It always has exist ence,
310
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
It sees It self only when t his mirror

is present .
Ot herwise, t here is no vision;
There is only t he awareness of It self.
21.
Wit hout causing any blemish in It s

unit y,
It expresses It self t hrough t his t riad
as subst ance;
These t hree are t he ingredient s
In t he creat ion of t his percept ible
universe.
22.
When t he perceived becomes manifest ,

The perceiver comes int o exist ence
simult aneously.
And by what appears t o be a
subst ant ial wo rld
The eyes beco me beguiled.
23.
When t he percept ible world is

wit hdrawn,
What can t he eyes perceive?
Can t he eyes have any purpose
If t he object s of sight are not t here?
24.
It is o nly because of t he exist ence of

t he perceived
That percept ion can exist at all;
If what is perceived is t ot ally
remo ved,
What fo o d shall t he o t her t wo have?
25.
Thus, t he t hree dissolve int o absolut e

unit y;
Then, only One exist s.
The t hree exist in t he void of
imaginat ion;
311
Only Oneness is real.

All else is a dream.
26.
A face suffers no dist ort ion

Unt il a mirror is brought ;
Prio r t o t hat , it s form and color are
pure and t rue.
What a difference when it s reflect ed
in a mirror!
27.
Thinking t hat It s t here wit hin t he

mirror,
The Self reaches out t o see It self.
The eyes become t horoughly beguiled
When t he Self confront s t he image of
It self.
28.
Before t he world began,

It remained in It s own st at e,
Beyo nd perceiver and perceived,
Aware only of It self.
29.
Like sound, where t here is no bugle

o r drum,
Or like fire, where t here is no fuel t o
co nsume,
The Self, co nt aining no t hing in
part icular,
Remained pure and clear, in It s
original st at e.
It cannot be spo ken o f o r spo ken t o ;
By no means may It be underst o o d by
t he int ellect .
It is always co mplet e and who le,
And so It shall always be.
30.
31.
The pupil o f an eye canno t see it self!
312
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
True, it is t he very inst rument of

visio n;
But it does not have such an abilit y
as t hat .
In t he same way, even t he Selfrealized yogi
Is helpless t o see t he Seer.
Knowledge canno t kno w It self;
The Perceiver cannot perceive It self.
32.
Where Knowledge is perfect and full,

Ignorance cannot exist at all;
So how could even t he desire t o know
It self
Arise in Knowledge absolut e?
33.
Therefore, one should address It

Through silence, by being no t hing,
If one would be free, all-knowing, allpervading;
For, in t hat not hing all power
resides.
34.
It is st at ed in all t he ho ly script ures,

One Realit y remains ever st eadfast ;
Like wat er wit hin t he curling waves,
That alone always remains.
35.
It is Seeing, wit hout an object ;

It is Visio n, clear, perfect , and free.
It exist s alone, wit hout anyt hing else;
Wit hin It self is everyt hing and
not hing.
36.
It s exist ence rest s on non-exist ence;

It sees wit ho ut any o bject t o see.
It enjo ys wit hout any object t o enjoy;
It is complet e and whole in It self.
313
37.
Changadeva, you are a son of t he

Lord,
As a piece of camphor is a son of
camphor.
O Changadeva, please list en t o and
heed
These wo rds Im ut t ering t o you.
38.
Jnanadeva says t o Changadeva:

Your list ening t o my words
Is like my o wn hand
Accept ing t he clasp of my ot her hand.
39.
It is like words hearing t hemselves

being ut t ered,
Or like t ast e having a t ast e of it self,
Or like a ray o f light ho ping t o give
light
To ot her rays already bright .
40.
It is like t he at t empt t o improve gold

By mixing it wit h gold,
Or like a perfect face
Beco ming a mirror in order t o see
it self.
41.
Our conversat io n, O Chakrapani,

Shall be like t hat when we meet
Like t he at t empt t o see o nes o wn self
By creat ing of oneself a mirror;
Or like sweet ness
Trying avidly t o t ast e it self.
Wo uld it s mout h not overflow wit h
it self?
So also shall our mut ual love.
42.
O my friend, my heart expands wit h

joy
314
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
At t he very t ho ught o f seeing yo u.

But wo uld it not be an error?
Would not o ur already perfect unio n
wane and die?
43.
The desire of my mind t o t ake such a

form
As you and I meet ing face t o face
Arises suddenly in my heart wit h
great warmt h of love;
But would it not debase our already
perfect union?
44.
And in your heart , in your prist ine,

perfect st at e,
The will t o act , t o speak, or suppose,
Or not t o act , t o speak, o r suppo se,
Do es no t even arise. So you see, it s
a st alemat e!
45.
Changaya, in t his pure name of yours,

There is neit her act io n no r no n-act io n.
What more can I say?
Surely, t here is no I-ness in you at
all.
46.
A grain o f salt went t o fat ho m t he

oceans dept hs,
But when it became immersed, where
did it go ?
What can it do and what can it
measure
When it has alt oget her ceased t o
exist ?
47.
My plight is like t he plight of t hat

grain of salt ;
Though I desire t o see yo u, t o play
my ro le,
315
How and where shall I find you?

It is beyo nd my imaginat ion t o
conceive!
48.
Like o ne who awakes in order t o

enco unt er sleep,
And misses encount ering it ,
Here am I in order t o encount er you
Who are co mplet ely pure and free like
No t hingness.
49.
It is cert ain t hat t here is no darkness

In t he light o f t he Sun;
And it is just as cert ain t hat
There is no awareness of I in t he
abso lut e Self.
50.
Thus, when I embrace you in purit y,

I and Thou will swallow each
o t her.
Truly, our meet ing shall t ake place
When I and Thou are bot h
devoured.
51.
In t he inner realm of vision,

The eye is able t o perceive all sort s
o f images;
In t his way, it is able t o see
everyt hing
Wit ho ut moving from it s place.
52.
Likewise, when words arise,

Underst anding t ries t o perceive t heir
t rut h wit hin.
It is in t his place of inner vision t hat
we shall see
The place where I and Thou bot h
die.
316
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
53.
Therefo re, swallow alt oget her t hese

limit at io ns
Of I and Thou, and we shall meet .
The pure harmony and joy of such a
meet ing
We shall surely relish always.
54.
It will be like t ast e eat ing it self

For t he sake of enjoying t ast e,
Or like an eye becoming a mirror
In o rder t o see it self.
55.
It is o nly by t he words of silence

That Not hingness becomes revealed;
It is wit h t his garland of silent words
That I went fort h, and t hus enjoyed
t hat perfect meet ing.
56.
Please underst and t he meaning of my

wo rds,
And t hereby sat isfy your hunger and
your t hirst ;
Regard yourself as a shining flame
Burning bright ly, wit hout name or
form.
57.
These words are ut t ered simply

To o pen t he eyes of your inner Self.
The perfect meet ing wit h t he Infinit e
Is et ernally wit hin ourselves.
58.
The rivers flo w surely t oward t he sea;

But when t he final Deluge co mes,
Bot h rivers and sea are submerged.
In t he same way, you should devour
bot h I and Thou,
For, t ruly, you are t he source of bot h.
317
59.
Jnanadev says: You and I are one,

Wit ho ut name o r form;
We are ident ical t o t he one blissful
Exist ence
In whom t he blessed merge.
60.
O Changaya, t his knowledge has

reached your door
Unbidden, o f it s o wn acco rd.
Go now beyo nd bo t h kno wledge and
what is known,
And reach t he final st at e.
61.
O Changadev! My Guru, Nivrit t inat h,

Has spread t his delicio us feast fo r yo u
Wit h boundless, mot herly, love.
Please enjoy it s sweet ness.
62.
Thus, Jnanadev and Chakrapani

Have met and merged,
Like t wo mirrors reflect ing each ot her
In t he eloquent silence t hat is
Et ernit y.
63.
If anyone were t o read t hese verses,

Using t hem as a mirror t o see
t hemselves,
It s cert ain t hey would find
The pure and blissful Self of all.
64.
Where t here is not hing, what can one

kno w?
The eyes can see, but can t hey see
t hemselves?
How can knowledge be of use when all
is oneself?
318
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
65.
Then yo u will know t he sleep beyond

sleeping,
The awake which go es beyo nd
waking.
No w t his garland is at last complet e,
Fashio ned of t he word-flowers which
Jnanadev breat hed.
*
319
NOTES
AMRITANUBHAV
Invocation:
1.
Nivrittinath.
By virt ue of his
discipleship t o Gahininat h, Nivrit t i was ent itled
t o t he suffix nat hat t he end of his name,
signifying t hat he was a member of t hat
lineage. It may also be t hat Jnaneshvar is
using t he name o f his Guru as a syno nym fo r
Go d. It lit erally means, Lord wit hout vrittis,
or ment al modificat io ns; i.e., t he One in who m
abso lut e st illness prevails.
Chapter One:
1.
Verse 47: Para t o Vaikari.
In t he
philosophy of Shaivism, t here are four levels of
speech corresponding t o t he four bodies of
man, each subt ler t han t he one before. Para,
t he level o f speech in which t he init ial
t ho ught -impulse originat es, emanat es from t he
perfect silence of t he absolut e Self. Passing
t hro ugh each level, t hat t hought -impulse
event ually manifest s as gross speech, which is
t he final level called Vaikari. This subject is
furt her elaborat ed upon in t he Int roduct ory
Not e t o Chapt er Three.
2.
Verse 64: Plantain tree. The plant ain
t ree, said t o be ho llo w at it s co re, serves as a
common met aphorical image t o convey t he idea
o f t he ident it y o f t he inner and t he o ut er, t he
individual soul and t he universal So ul.
320
NOTES
Chapter Two:
1.
Verse 1: sadhana. Sadhana is syno nymous wit h spirit ual pract ice; including all
endeavors
t oward
Self-realizat ion,
like
medit at ion, devot ion, chant ing, et c. One who
pract ices sadhana is a sadhaka.
Chapter Three:
1.
Verse 16: Shiva Sutras. According t o
legend, t he Shiva Sutras were revealed t o t he
sage, Vasugupt a
(9 t h cent ury), who had a
dream in which Lord Shiva t old him t he
whereabo ut s o f a large rock on which Shiva,
Himself, had inscribed so me brief t eachings
regarding t he nat ure o f Go d, t he so ul, and t he
universe.
These inscript ions, copied by
Vasugupt a, came t o be known as t he Shiva
Sutras, ado pt ed as a cent ral script ure of t he
Kashmir Shaivit es. Jnaneshvars reference is to
one of t he aphorist ic t eachings in t his t ext
(Shiva
Sutras,
1.2:
jnanam
bandaha,
[Relat ive] kno wledge is bondage.
2.
Verse 18:
sattva. One of t he t hree
gunas (o r qualit ies of Nat ure: rajas, tamas,
and sattva). Sattva represent s t he qualit y of
calmness and clarit y. The reference is t o a
verse in t he Bhagavad Gita, 14.6: Sattva
binds o ne t o eart hly joys and lower
kno wledge.
According t o Krishna, sattva,
even t ho ugh it is t he best of t he t hree qualit ies
o f Nat ure, it nonet heless mires one in t he
pleasures of t he phenomenal world and
int ellect ual knowledge. It is o nly when o ne
t ranscends all t he qualit ies of Nat ure in t he
experience of t he abso lut e realit y, t he Self,
t hat o ne at t ains absolut e Knowledge.
321
Chapter Six:
1.
Verse 22: ignorance. By ignorance
(ajnana or avidya), t he Vedant ic script ures
refer t o t hat primary veil o f unkno wing which
co nceals fro m t he individual his t rue nat ure as
t he et ernal Self. Jnaneshvar argues t hat t his
igno rance is a phant om, exist ing only as an
absence of knowledge; and, since it it self an
absence, it is not somet hing t hat can be
dispelled o r dest royed.
It ceases t o exist
simult aneo us wit h t he arising of knowledge,
just as darkness ceases t o exist simult aneous
wit h t he Suns rising; it is not a somet hing
which one can engage in any way. He argues
t hat it is no t ignorance which causes t he
wo rld-appearance, but rat her it is t he will of
God which causes it and every o t her effect .
2.
Verse 28: Agastya. The reference is t o
t he warrio r-sage, Agast ya, who, according t o
Puranic legend, had such a capacit y for
ingest ing wat er t hat he once drank up an ent ire
ocean.
Chapter Seven:
1.
Verse 165: superimposition.
Here
again, Jnanesh-var is addressing t he Vedant ic
philo so phers who uphold t he view t hat t he
wo rld is a superimposit ion on Brahman, t he
Absolut e, just
as a snake might be
superimposed on a rope seen lying on t he road.
Jnaneshvar shows up t he co nfusio n inherent in
t his line of t hinking. It is not t hat t he Self is
being o verlaid by an imaginary image, or t hat
so met hing is being seen in it t hat is not t here;
322
NOTES
t he Realit y is One. It appears as mult iplicit y

t o t he senses simply t hat s t he way t he Self
appears t o t he senses. When we perceive t he
wo rld, we are perceiving t he Self; not hing is
added or super-imposed.
HARIPATHA
1.
Chapt er XIII.: samadhi. Samadhi is
syno nymo us wit h t he myst ical experience, or
revelat ion, of t he Self.
It is t hat which
Buddhist s call nirvana, Sufis call f ana, and
Christ ians call t he vision of God. Usually,
samadhi is used t o refer t o t hat rare and brief
experience o f t he Transcendent obt ained
t hrough pro fo und medit at io n o r devot io n; here,
Jnaneshvar is using t he t erm t o denot e a
co nt inuo us st at e of Self-awareness, t he perfect
est ablishment o f t he mind in unint errupt ed
God-awareness, whet her in medit at ion or in
o nes no rmal act ive st at e in t he world.
2.
Chapt er XXIII: ajapa-japa. Japa is t he
pract ice of t he repet it ion of Gods name;
ajapa-japa (japa t hat is not japa) is t hat
repet it ion of Gods name which requires no
repet it io n.
It is rat her a list ening t o t he
breat h as it comes in and goes out , wit h t he
awareness, So-ham (sah-aham, I am That ).
As t he breat h comes in, it makes t he sound,
Sah; as it goes o ut , it makes t he so und, ham;
and in t he junct ure where ham gives rise t o
sah, one may realize t he st illness from which
all sounds arise. According t o cert ain yogic
t ext s, it is in t his st at e of equilibrium t hat t he
Self may be realized.
CHANGADEV PASASHTI
323
1.
Verse 1: Lord of all. In t he original
Marat hi
language,
Jnaneshvar
addresses
Changadev as Sri Vateshvar, which is bot h a
nickname of Changadev and a name fo r Go d.
His int ent io n is t o raise Changadev immediately
t o t he st at us of t he pure Self, t hus uproot ing
his ident ificat ion wit h t he limit ed fo rm.
324
About The Author/Translator

Swami Abhayananda was born St an Trout
in Indiana-po lis, Indiana on August 14, 1938.
Aft er service in t he Navy, he set t led in
nort hern California, where he pursued his
st udies in philosophy and lit erat ure. In June
of 1966, he became acquaint ed wit h t he
philo so phy o f myst icism t hrough t he t eachings
of Sri Ramakrishna, and experienced a st rong
desire t hereaft er t o realize God. Abandoning
all o t her pursuit s, he ret ired t o a solit ary life
in a secluded cabin in t he mount ain forest s
near Sant a Cruz, Califo rnia; and, in No vember
o f t hat same year, was enlight ened by t he
grace o f Go d.
He spent fo ur more years in his isolat ed
cabin,
and
subsequent ly
met
Swami
Mukt ananda, who visit ed Sant a Cruz in 1970.
Short ly t hereaft er, he jo ined Mukt ananda in
India, at his ashram locat ed not far from t he
region in which Jnaneshvar lived and wrot e.
His fascinat ion wit h Jnaneshvar grew wit h his
visit t o t he saint s Samadhi shrine at Alandi;
and in 1976, following an inspirat ion, he
creat ed his English t ranslat ions of Amritanubhav, Haripatha, and Changadev Pasashti.
In 1978, he was init iat ed by his mast er into
t he ancient Order of sannyas; and was given
t he mo nast ic name of Swami Abhayananda, a
Sanskrit name which means, t he bliss of
fearlessness. Since t hat t ime, Abhayananda
has t aught t he philosophy of myst icism and t he
art o f medit at io n in a number of major cit ies
t hrougho ut t he U.S. At present , he resides o n
t he Treasure Co ast o f Flo rida, where he
cont inues t o t each, writ e, and publish his
wo rks o n t he kno wledge o f t he Self.
BOOKS BY SWAMI ABHAYANANDA
325
THE SUPREME SELF

The Way to Enlightenment
ISBN: 1-905047-45-2,
O Books, 2005, 212 pp., paper, $19.95
HISTORY OF MYSTICISM:
The Unchanging Testament
ISBN: 1-84293-051-6
Watkins/Baird, 2002, 432 pp., paper, $22.95
THE WISDOM OF VEDANTA
An Introduction to the Philosophy of Non-Dualism
ISBN: 1-905047-50-9
O Books, 2006, 263 pp., paper, $24.95
MYSTICISM AND SCIENCE
A Call For Reconciliation
ISBN:
O Books, 2007, 144 pp., paper, $19.95
Classics of Mystical Literature Series
THOMAS KEMPIS:
On The Love of God
ISBN 1-84293-063-X
Watkins/Baird, 2004, 147 pp., paper, $12.95
BOOKS BY SWAMI ABHAYANANDA (Continued)
326
JNANESHVAR:
The Life And Works of The Celebrated
Thirteenth Century Indian Mystic-Poet
Available as an ebook on amazon.com.
PLOTINUS:
The Origin of Western Mysticism
DATTATREYA:
The Song of The Avadhut
327
328
329
330
331
332

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JNANESHVAR

THE LIFE AND WORKS

Co pyright 1989, 1994, 2007 by

The Hist orical Set t ing 14

Chapter Two: Salutations To Sri Nivritti 157

About The Author.

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

(Map figure 1.)

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE HISTORICAL SETTING

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE HISTORICAL SETTING

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

Aft er Mahmud died in 1030 C.E., India enjoyed

THE HISTORICAL SETTING

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE HISTORICAL SETTING

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE HISTORICAL SETTING

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

VITTHAL AND RAKHUMABAI

VITTHAL AND RAK HUMABAI

In t he year 1265t he same year t hat Balban was

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

it , he became very angry and st alked abo ut , yelling

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

Vit t hal will ret urn t o yo u, and yo u will have yo ur

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE NEW KING OF DEVGIRI

THE NEW K ING OF DEVGIRI

Only a days ride t o t he nort h of Appegaon was

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

NIVRITTI FINDS HIS GURU

NIVRITTI FINDS HIS GURU

Despit e t he general prosperit y of t he kingdom,

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

NIVRITTI FINDS HIS GURU

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

NIVRITTI FINDS HIS GURU

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

NIVRITTI FINDS HIS GURU

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE DEATH OF VITTHAL

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE DEATH OF VITTHAL

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

In 1287, Rakhu also passed away. Since her

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

No w list en, t he Swami int errupt ed; you

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

JNANESHVAR BECOMES ENLIGHTENED

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

JNANESHVAR BECOMES ENLIGHTENED

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

JNANESHVAR BECOMES ENLIGHTENED

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR

THE CREATIONS OF THE POET

THE LIFE OF JNANESHVAR