Sant Jnaneshwar
1275-1296 CE
Sant Jnaneshwar (संत ज्ञानेश्वर) - the 13th-century Marathi saint and yogi - wrote the Jnaneshwari, a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, at age sixteen. His life is a miracle of spiritual realization, literary genius, and compassion.
2 min read
Sant Jnaneshwar - The Saint Who Defied Age
Sant Jnaneshwar (also known as Jnanadeva) was a 13th-century Marathi saint, poet, and yogi. He lived only twenty-one years, but in that brief span, he produced one of the greatest works of Indian spiritual literature and established a tradition of devotion that continues to this day.
The Early Years
Jnaneshwar was born in 1275 in a village near Pune. His parents were brahmins who had been ostracized by the orthodox community because his father had taken sannyasa and then returned to householder life - a transgression that was considered unforgivable.
The young Jnaneshwar and his siblings were forced to beg for food. They were mocked, rejected, and treated as outcastes. But Jnaneshwar’s response to this treatment was not bitterness but compassion. He saw the suffering of those who judged him and understood that they were acting from ignorance, not malice.
The Jnaneshwari
At the age of sixteen, Jnaneshwar composed the Jnaneshwari (also called the Bhavartha Dipika), a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita in Marathi. At that time, spiritual knowledge was considered the exclusive domain of Sanskrit scholars. Writing a commentary on the Gita in a vernacular language was a revolutionary act.
The Jnaneshwari is not a literal translation or a dry philosophical commentary. It is a living teaching - poetic, passionate, and deeply personal. Jnaneshwar uses vivid metaphors, stories, and direct address to the reader. He speaks as if the Gita is being spoken to each reader individually, in this very moment.
The Miracles
Jnaneshwar’s life is surrounded by miracles. The most famous is the story of the wall. When the local priests demanded proof of his spiritual attainment, Jnaneshwar made a buffalo recite the Vedas. When they still would not accept him, he caused a wall to move.
But the greatest miracle was his life itself - a young man, rejected by society, who transformed his suffering into an offering of such beauty that millions continue to draw inspiration from it.
The End
At twenty-one, Jnaneshwar entered into a living samadhi, voluntarily leaving his body. His samadhi shrine in Alandi, Maharashtra, is a major pilgrimage site.
Before leaving, he said: “I have given you everything I had. The rest is up to you. The words I have spoken are not mine. They are the words of the Self, speaking to itself. Listen. Understand. Be free.”