Jnaneshwari (Bhavartha Dipika)

by Ramchandra Keshav Bhagwat | 1954 | 284,137 words | ISBN-10: 8185208123 | ISBN-13: 9788185208121

This is verse 12.6-7 of the Jnaneshwari (Bhavartha-Dipika), the English translation of 13th-century Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita.—The Dnyaneshwari (Jnaneshwari) brings to light the deeper meaning of the Gita which represents the essence of the Vedic Religion. This is verse 6-7 of the chapter called Bhakti-yoga.

Verse 12.6:But those who dedicate all actions unto Me, and with Me as their goal, render service unto Me, meditating upon Me in single-pointed concentration (in Yoga):

Verse 12.7:Of them I become the Liberator from the Ocean of Death and Mundane Existence, in no length of time, O Son of Pritha; of them whose thoughts are rooted in Me. (76)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

There are those who perform regularly—with pleasure and with the help of their senses of action, actions (duties) falling to their lot as prescribed by the four-castes-religion, following the Scriptures (Codes), abandoning all forbidden actions, and burning all the actionfruit by dedicating it all to me; and further who undoing all their actions also thus dedicating them all to me, and taking no other direction than the one towards me, ignoring the urge of all contrary feelings and sentiments issuing from the body, the tongue, and mind—they thus worship me uninterruptedly and they have become my very home on account of their meditation of me—they that are wholly bent upon establishing communion with me by means of great devotion, leaving off other frail and poor clients (kuleṃ) like enjoyment of sense-objects and emancipation etc.—such persons as have, with single-pointed devotion, entrusted to me exclusively their very life, mind, and body—how could I speak about them? What words can adequately describe my feelings towards them? In fine I have got to do all they wish for.

Briefly speaking, Oh Dhanurdhara, need it be said, how dear a child is to the mother, the child which is born of her? In that way the devotees are dear to me as (to the extent) they are devoted to me. I have as it were taken out a charter to protect my devotees, defeating their enemies. But even without that, the very idea of my devotees being plunged into anxiety for the welfare of their family appears ludicrous. Does the wife of a great (rich) one ever have to go abegging for undressed corn (korānna)? Similarly my devotees are (like) my wife (body), I feel my honour is at stake whenever they (devotees) are likely to suffer disgrace.

Seeing the waves of birth and death storming over the entire world, I fear, my devotees would get frightened, for who is there who would not get confused with fear in the tumult of the ocean of world affairs? Therefore, O Son of Pandu, I come in haste (from time to time) to their places assuming different forms of incarnations. My different names (such as Rama, Krishna, and others) are, know it, (as it were) thousands of small boats, and keeping them ever ready in the ocean of world affairs, I have become the saviour (of the devotees). Such (of those devotees) as are quite unattached, get clung into protection through meditation while those who are attached to worldly affairs are put on board the small boats.

Floats (peṭī) in the form of affection are tied under the bellies of some, and in this way I take all my devotees, over to the other bank in the form of absorption into the essence of Brahman (sāyujya). Even the four-legged animals that become my devotees are placed in the higher grade in the empire of Vaikuntha (the abode of Lord Vishnu). Therefore, there remains not a single (cause of) anxiety for my devotees: I am ever ready for their protection. And the moment they dedicate their minds to me, they (make me) join and take part in all their sport of worldly affairs. Therefore, O Dhanurdhara, you should commit to your memory the hymn (dictum) that it is only when one follows the path of devotion, that one becomes a great devotee.

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