SIMILES AND EXAMPLES IN THE EXPLANATION OF KARMAYOGA IN THE JNANESHWARI BY SANT JNANESHWAR

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is the glorious dialogue between Arjuna and Sri Krishna containing the essence of the Vedic philosophy in nutshell and in the most lucid form. There have been thousands of commentaries on Bhagavad Gita and many different interpretations are also available from ancient to the medieval period. Each scholar has interpreted it according to the main philosophical precept of his/her School of thought, while other interpretations were also possible. However the commentary in Marathi, the regional language by Sant Jnaneshwar is unique. He as a Yogi, a Poet, a Bhakta and a Jnani of the Nath Vaishnava tradition (Sampradaya), Varkari (Vithoba-Krishna) Bhakti movement tradition and disciple of his own elder brother and guru Nivvruttinath. Jnaneshwar gifted us a precious work which is the commentary on Shrimad Bhagawad Gita, titled Bhavarthdeepika in Marathi and also known as Jnaneshwari and Shri Dnyaneshwari. What is unique in Jnaneshwari is that it is written keeping in mind a common man and not an elite class of that time. That is the reason why it is written in Marathi, a regional language and filled with many examples and similes that a common would easily understand. Many people also believe that it was Lord Krishna Himself, who reincarnated to make the Gita available to everyone. This present study is a humble attempt to find and present all these similes and examples that are used allegorically by Jnaneshwar to simplify the message conveyed by lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. The study is delimited to the Karmayoga only and hence, the researcher has compiled the verses dealing with the Karmayoga, particularly in third to sixth chapters