Foreword

I have great pleasure in writing this foreword to the translation of the Jnaneshwari by Diwan Bahadur R. K. Bhagwat. The translation was shown to me about three years ago, and since then it has passed through revision and re-writing, especially at the hands of my former student Prof. S. V. Pandit, M.A., Professor of Philosophy, Elphinstone College, Bombay, who has just retired. I may state that the labour spent upon the revision of the book by Prof. Pandit is very well deserved. The Jnaneshwari is one of the greatest of works, if not the greatest, in the whole of Marathi literature and especially spiritual literature. It may also be one of the greatest spiritual books in the world. It is unfortunate that a full English translation of this work was not available till now. Is it not a matter of great wonder that a Retired Deputy Collector like R. K.. Bhagwat, who had spent his life in hard official work for about forty years, should immediately after his retirement apply himself to such a difficult task as the translation of the Jnaneshwari? He has told us how his mind was first attracted towards the Jnaneshwari about forty years ago, and later how he got an idea of translating it from a small booklet on the life of Jnaneshwar published in Madras. It is to the great credit of R. K. Bhagwat that he should have finished the work in such a short time as four years and eight months. Any one, who has had the experience of writing such a book, can know that the time is indeed too short for the completion of such a work. I give, therefore, hearty compliments to R. K. Bhagwat for finishing the work in such a short time. Of course, putting such a difficult work as the Jnaneshwari in a new garb, especially in the garb of a foreign language would be rewarded in course of time by happy comments and suggestions which may be offered by eminent critics. In any case the work will present to the English readers a novel commentary on the Bhagwat-Gita, which is altogether different from the general run of commentaries either in Sanskrit or in any other Indian language. We only wish that Diwan Bahadur’s efforts in the service of the Jnaneshwari would be rewarded by his getting an insight into the teaching of the great Saint, what he stood for, what his spiritual ideal was, and how it was to be accomplished. It is not only to the English speaking people, wherever they may be, that the book might make an appeal, but also to all those who take interest in English expositions in the various parts of India, and these latter may well compare the book to the great works on spiritual literature in their own language. Finally, I have to thank Diwan Bahadur R. K. Bhagwat heartily, not merely for writing the book, but also for arranging that it sees the light of day. His patience and labour are beyond all praise.

Camp Nimbal R. S.
(Dist. Bijapur)
9th November, 1952

R. D. Ranade
(M. a., D. LITT.)
(Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, and some time Vice-Chancellor of the Allahabad University.)