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The Philosophy of Sant Jnanadeva |
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| Life of Jnanadeva |
| | Sources of Jnanadeva's Biography | Ancestors of Jnanadeva | Jnanadeva's Career | |
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| Sources of Jnanadeva's Biography: |
| The chief sources of Jnanadeva's biography are the writings of Namadeva, Satyamalanath and Sachchidananda Baba. Namdeva was his contemporary and his deep intimacy with Jnanadeva is wellknown. The other two were the disciples of Jnanadeva. The abhangas of Namadeva called Adi, Tirthavali and Samadhi contain the account of Jnanadeva's ancestry and his whole life, his travels and entering Samadhi. Pangarkar has given an account of the other two biographies but unfortunately both of them are yet unpublished. Later biographers are Mahipati, Nabhaji and Niranjana Madhava. |
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| Ancestors of Jnanadeva: |
| | Introduction | Vithalpant | Ramashrama - The Spiritual Teacher of Vithalpant | |
| | The tragic end of Vithalpant | |
| Homepage --> The Life of Jnanadeva --> Ancestors of Jnanadeva --> Introduction |
| Introduction: Jnanadeva's ancestors were Kulkarnis of Apegaon. Apegaon is situated on the bank of the river Godavari. It is eight miles from Paithan which was then famous for its Sanskrit learning. Hariharpant was the grandfather of Jnanadeva's great-grand father Trimbakpant. He was looking after the revenue affairs of Apegaon in Shaka 1060 (1138 A. D.) His grandson Trimbakpant was a great devotee. He obtained spiritual initiation at the hands of Gorakhanath. Trimbakpant's son Govindpant was also a devotee of Shri Vithal of Pandharpur. Govindpant and his wife Nirabai were both initiated by Gahininath. The pious couple gave birth to a child in their old age. The child was named Vithal after the name of their beloved deity. |
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| Homepage --> The Life of Jnanadeva --> Ancestors of Jnanadeva --> Vithalpant |
| Vithalpant: Vithalpant was a clever boy. He learnt the Sacred Vedas, Sanskrit grammar and poetry. After finishing his studies, he took the permission of his parents and went on a pilgrimage to sacred places like Dwaraka, Pindarak and Saptashringi. When he arrived at Bhimashamkar and saw the source of the river Bhima he was reminded of Pandharpur which is situated on the bank of the same river. He made up his mind to go there. On his way he halted at Alandi to see Siddheshwar. Alandi is situated on the bank of the river Indrayani. It is thirteen miles from Poona. Sidhopant, the then Kulkarni of Alandi, was glad to see the young scholar and gave his daughter Rukmini to him in marriage. After some days the married couple with Sidhopanta's family, visited Pandharpur and returned to Apegaon. Govindpant and Nirabai were glad to see them, but they, however, did not live long to enjoy this happiness. After passing some years at Apegaon, Vithalpant and Rukmini left the town and went to stay at Alandi, according to Sidhopant's advice. Vithalpant's heart yearned for self-realization and he thought of giving up his householder's life. One day he left home. went to Banaras and became a disciple of a sanyasi. He renounced the world, became an ascetic and was named Chaitanyashrama. |
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| Homepage --> The Life of Jnanadeva --> Ancestors of Jnanadeva --> Ramashrama |
| Ramashrama - The Spiritual teacher of Vithalpant Tradition says that the sanyasi whom Vithalpant approached was Ramananda. This Ramananda cannot be identified with the Ramananda who was the follower of Ramanuja and the teacher of Kabir because he was not even a contemporary of Jnanadeva. In an unpublished manuscript of Namadeva's Abhangas the name of Vithalpant's initiator is given as Ramashrama. It is told that Vithalpant, while staying at Banaras, heard the glory of renunciation in a discourse on the Gita delivered by Ramashrama and got himself initiated by him. Niloba, in one of his Abhangas, says that the name of Vithalpant's teacher was Nrisimhashrama. We get the names of Ramadvaya and Nrisimhashrama as the. wellknown writers on Advait Vedant, who wrote Vedant-Kaumudi and Bheda-dhikkar respectively. But one of them lived in the first half of the fourteenth century while the other in the sixteenth century A.D. Mahipati in his biography of Jnanadeva mentions the name of Ramashrama and not of Ramananda. He is a later biographer and must have based his account on that of Namadeva. The importance of the name of Vithalpant's teacher lies in the fact that some writers want to show the relation of Jnanadeva with Ramanuja through the latter's disciple Ramananda. But, for the following reasons we cannot identify Ramananda with the teacher of Vithalpant:
Now this Shripad went on a pilgrimage and while on his way to Rameshwar visited Alandi. There he saw Vithalpant's wife Rukmini circumambulating an Ashwattha tree. Her heart was pining for her husband. Seeing the very image of piety, Shripad's heart was filled with paternal love. When Rukmini saw him, she came near and bowed to him with great reverence. He gave her his blessings saying "let pious sons be born to you." No sooner did he utter these words, than Shripad saw tears rolling down the eyes of Rukmini. He made inquiries and came to know the cause of her grief. She told him how her dear husband had forsaken her and gone away. The Shripada at once remembered his new disciple. His heart told him that the new sanyasi in his hermitage was no other than Rukmini's husband. He gave up the pilgrimage, returned to Banaras and after a pressing inquiry learnt that what his heart had told him was true. He ordered Chaitanyashrama to give up sanyasa and accept the life of a householder again. So Chaitanyashrama became Vithalpant once again. He returned to Alandi and led the life of a householder according to the command of his spiritual teacher who had advised him to give up all fear because God would help him. Rukmini's joy knew no bounds but alas it lasted only for a few days. The orthodox Brahmins of Alandi excommunicated Vithalpant. He was greatly harassed and even persecuted, but he did not utter a word against them. Twelve years elapsed and Rukmini gave birth to Nivrittinath in 1273 A.D. After two years Jnanadeva was bom (1275 A.D.) Jnanadeva's younger brother Sopan was born in 1277 A. D. and Muktabai, the youngest of all, was born in 1279 A.D. Though there is a difference of opinion as regards the birth dates, Pangarkar has given the Abhangas of Janabai, Namadeva, Visoba Khechar and a passage from Sachchida-nand Baba's Jnaneshwar-Vijaya which support the above dates. Jnanadeva passed away in 1296 A.D. and the fact is told by Namadeva, Chokhoba, Visoba, and Janabai. Jnanadeva's age was twenty two at that time as we find it in one of his Abhangas This also supports the above dates. |
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| Homepage --> The Life of Jnanadeva --> Ancestors of Jnanadeva --> The tragic end of Vithalpant |
| The tragic end of Vithalpant: Taking his children with him Vithalpant lived outside the town. All the four children were spiritual gems but the orthodox Brahmins of Alandi thought it a bad omen even to look at them. Dejected with these adverse circumstances Vithalpant, one day, decided to leave his home. He went to Triambakeshwar (a village near Nasik, situated in the vicinity of the source of the river Godavari) with his children. As they were going round Brahmagiri a mountain near Triambakeshwar- they met a tiger. Vithalpant hurried away with his children, but missed Nivrittinath who had entered a cave. In the same cave lived saint Gahininath who offered Nivrittinath his spiritual wealth. Thus misfortune was turned into a golden opportunity. Nivrittinath rejoined his father and young brothers. Returning to Alandi, Vithalpant asked the Brahmins about his atonement. They told him the remedy of giving up his life! For the sake of the happiness of his offspring Vithalpant left home one day, went to the sacred Ganges and ended his life by throwing himself in the holy river. A year after, his wife Rukmini leaving all her children under the protection of her eldest son, followed the example of her husband. Yet the orthodox Brahmins of Alandi were not appeased and did not consider Vithalpant's children as purified. They wanted a certificate of atonement from the Pandits of Paithan. Nivrittinath along with Jnanadeva and others went to Paithan accordingly. There, all of them were ridiculed for bearing names indicative of their spiritual dignity. In the assembly the learned Pandits laughed at them as children of a sanyasi. But when they saw that Jnanadeva caused a passing buffalo to recite Vedas, they were silenced and gave them a certificate of purification. When all of them returned the buffalo followed them. |
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| Homepage --> The Life of Jnanadeva --> Jnanadeva's Career |
| Jnanadeva's Career: While returning to Alandi all of them halted at Newase-a small town on the bank of the river Pravara in the Ahamadnagar district. Jnaneshwari - the sweetest exposition of the Bhagavadgita - was written here. The pillar still stands near which sat Jnanadeva in front of his dear master Nivrittinath. Nectar like words oozed out of his lips and were taken down by Sachchidananda Baba. While returning to Alandi the buffalo of Paithan gave up its life at Ale (in Poona District) where a tomb still stands and annually pilgrimage is held on the eleventh day of the latter half of the month of Chaitra. Changadeva, a great yogi, came to see Jnanadeva. He had attained some yogic powers and was proud of them. But when he met Jnanadeva he gave up all his pride and became his humble disciple. Jnanadeva advised him in sixty five verses that are known as Changadeva Pasasthi. After passing some months in Alandi Jnanadeva, along with Nivrittinath and others, went to Pandharpur where he came in contact with the great devotee Namadeva. They became intimate friends. The great philosopher became a great devotee of God Vithal and the great apostle of the Warakari Cult. Jnanadeva took Namadeva with him and travelled up to Banaras visiting all the holy places in the Northern India and all the country resounded with their sweet kirtanas. They returned to Pandharpur and there was a great feast in which the contemporary saints like Goroba the potter, Sanvata the gardener, Chokhoba the untouchable. Parisa Bhagawat the Brahmin, and others took part. Then Jnanadeva expressed his wish to enter Samadhi and they all went to Alandi. There was a great religious festival. It was the eleventh day of the latter half of the month of Kartik. They all kept awake all night long singing the name of the Lord. Next day they all dined together. Then Nara, Vitha, Mahada, and Gonda-the four sons of Namadeva - swept clean the place of the Samadhi. Namadeva besmeared the body of Jnanadeva with the sandal-paste, marked his forehead with the pigment of musk, put on garlands of fragrant flowers, waved sacred lights and paid homage to the dearest of his heart. It was the thirteenth day of the second half of Kartik. Jnanadeva sat on the Asan. Jnaneshwari his monumental work, was placed before him. He closed his eyes and while engrossed in Love Divine he entered Sanjivan Samadhi! The slab was placed on the door by Nivrittinath. With deep sorrow they remembered the sweet company of the great saint. Tears rolled down their eyes incessantly. The day is held sacred and thousands of pilgrims yearly visit Alandi to pay their respectful homage to Jnanadeva whom they regard as their spiritual father and mother. |
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