Dear devoted Sai bhaktas,
By Sai baba's grace & blessings, i got this book Jnaneshwari and i have been reading it for about an year now. The Lord has revealed his innermost knowledge & secrets in this book. This is the highest knowledge. The original book i read is in marathi, but let us try to bring it in english.
Saint Jnaneshwar who wrote Jnaneshwari was none other than the Lord himself, being a self realised soul. That is why Jnaneshwari is like the Lord himself explaining his own Bhagwat Geeta. There are so many commentaries on the Bhagwat Geeta, but this is unique, since it is the Lord's own commentary. Sai baba always used to fold his hands in admiration, when the aarti of Saint Jnaneshwar used to be sung during Shej aarti.
Sai baba asked Shri B.V. Deo to read Jnaneshwari, which initially, he could not understand. One needs the grace of his Guru, then it is easily understood.
Photo of Saint Jnaneshwar
Sai bhaktas, now in this thread let us try to bring out the jnaneshwari in good english. Sai baba himself will do it for us.
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Jnaneshwari falling in a devotee's hand, he getting to read it & understanding what he read, all entirely depends on the Guru's grace. Hence let us invoke Sai baba's grace.
Om Sai Ram Om Sai Ram Om Sai Ram
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There are 18 chapters in Bhagwat Gita & hence in Jnaneshwari. All of those are full in knowledge but out of those chapter 9 is special. It contains some very extra-ordinary knowledge, disclosed by the Lord. Sai baba said to Shri B.V. Deo "Read 9th adhyaya of Adhyatma" when he gave him a dream vision. Hence it is good for us to have that chapter first.
|| Shri Ganeshaya Namaha ||
|| Shri Sharada Namaha ||
|| Shri Sadguru Namaha ||
Jnaneshwari Chapter 9
1. Now give your careful attention just once, then you become eligible for enjoying heavenly happiness. This is my assurance unto you, with promise, listen, i declare openly, o saintly people
3. In your assembly of all-knowing people here, o i am not talking with pride and arrogance. Please give your careful attention, o you saintly people, this is my pleading unto you with fondness
5. When somebody gets rich maternal houses in your form, then even the best of one's fondnessess gets fulfilled. The highest of one's desires, all of those get fulfilled without any doubt.
7. By the water in the form of your gracefull looks, the orchards (vegetable-farms) of cheerfullness have been filled. I am so tired and exhausted (by worldy indulgence), now i will happily relax myself there finding some cool shade.
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9. You (listeners) are the deep waters of bliss-giving nectar. (From it) we will take moisture, as per our desire. If we get scared here to make intimacy with you, then where else can we satisfy ourselfs ?
11. As a matter of fact, a child always talks crooked and puts his feet (walks) crookedly but the mother praises even that and becomes happy and satisfied.
13. Similarly, let we somehow attain the love of you saints and good people. It is with this single desire alone in mind, that we will fondle with you (by explaining the Gita).
15. Otherwise (I know), you saintly people are all-knowing. Therein, what can an ignorant like me, tell ! Is it necessary for the son (like you) of Goddess Saraswati, to memorise anything to gain knowledge !
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17. Look at the Glow-worm, no matter how big it is, can it's splendour stand in front of the sun. O which delicious recipes can be brought, fit for serving in a plate of nectar !
19. One whose rays are cool by nature, unto him when does fanning happen ! How can sound be made to hear singing. How can ornaments be decorated with ornaments !.
21. Tell me, what is it that the fragrance can smell. Where can the ocean take it's bath ! Where is that other thing, huge enough, which can enclose the entire sky ?
23. Just like that, who has got such a (powerful) oratory, by which you having become contented of listening, and attaining satisfaction in mind, will utter words of thankfullness by your mouth !
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25. But one who illumes the whole world, unto that Surya-Narayana, look, can we not light a lamp and wave it around him with devotion and real feeling !
27. Or by taking water in the palms, can we not offer it to the ocean ! I consider you as Mahesh (Lord Shiva) with form, o gods, o listeners, o saints and good people.
29. Although i am your devotee, who lacks strength, i do your worship with love. Still (i know) you will accept the Nirgundi1 leaves in the form of my speech considering them as Bela Leaves.
31. The child sits in front of his father's plate and starts giving morsel of food to the father itself. Then just as the father also becomes satiated with love and puts forth his mouth (to receive the morsel)...
1. Nirgundi is a medicinal herb. It's leaves are tri-foliate just like the bela leaves.
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33. ...similarly although i am of childish slow intellect, and although i do talk a lot in front of you, yet you will obtain satisfaction by that, this is a special characteristic of love.
35. You saintly people have lovingly accepted me, treating me as your own. That is why, naturally, you do not feel the burden of my fondling with you.
37. The calf dashes against the udder again and again. The cow only releases milk even more and more. Look o saintly people, by the anger of the female lover, love only gets doubled !
39. Listening to mine i.e. your child's oratory, the dormant compassion in you became awake, Only on realising this, i said "Please give your carefull attention".
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41. Otherwise, does anybody cause the moonlight to ripen by putting it in a warm enclosure. How can anybody, anyhow, enclose the sky. Does anybody give speed to the wind ?
43. It is not required to make the water thinner. It is not required to churn the butter. Just like that, words shy and retreat on seeing the deep Gita-principle.
45. O look, where, even the vedas became quite and slept peacefully at that place, therein how can i tell the Gita-meaning in marathi, where do i have the right here (to do so).
47. Although i am like this (incompetent), i do feel a strong desire, having a longing internally, that i should secure your love, by telling the Gita-meaning with confidence.
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49. Hence, that which is, naturally, cooler than the moon and that which can save life without nectar, kindly give me such a careful attention and thereby fulfill my desire.
51. When the shower of your grace falls on me on all sides, then, the crop of rich knowledge will grow fully in my intellect, without any doubt.
53. But the sprout of knowledge will dry and wither, if you are going to remain disinterested here. If food, in the form of careful attention is obtained here, then the oratory will easily become healthy...
55. ...and to the words of the orator, easily, will sprout, the free-bies in the form of axioms. (Then) the meaning only waits for the words to come, and through the meaning mainfests the import.
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57. Then, so many imports like these, arise one from the other, and the flowers in the form of real feeling really blossom on the intellect.
59. Hence, if favourable wind in the form of dialogue (union between the speaker and listener), flows everywhere, then the juicy clouds of literature will rain profusely inside us.
61. and if the hearers are disinterested and indifferent, the juice (essence), that has been so arranged, will melt away.
63. O look, the Chandrakant jewel oozes(waters), this is indeed true, but this is the skill of the moon itself.
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65. Like that, from where will come, the oratory of the orator, if the listener is not carefully attentive. Let it be so. "Sweeten us and eat us", should the rice grains convince (anybody) like this.
67. Or why should the puppet doll, pray in vain, to her string-puller (to make her dance). Does he make her dance, for her sake. (No) he enhances (displays) his own skill (by making her dance).
69. Hence, what is the necessity for me to say "Please give your careful attention". At that time, my Shri Guru easily said, "O what happened to you, Jnandeva"
71. "Whatever you are praying for, all of that has been conveyed to us, now please reveal the Gita-meaning. Lord Narayana told the essence (of Gita). Tell that quickly to the audience."
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73. Then having become satisfied, the servant of Nivritti* (i.e. myself), becoming joyful, says like this. Now listen O saints and good people what God said to Partha(Arjuna)...
श्री भगवानुवाचः इदं तु ते गुह्यतमं प्रवक्ष्याम्यनसूयवे ।
ज्ञानं विज्ञानसहितं यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्षसेऽशुभात् ॥ १ ॥
75. O Partha (Arjuna), I will tell you again, this seed, which is the innermost secret of my heart. Like this, why should I unravel and show my own inner secret
77. It is natural that such a doubt will arise in you. Hence, O knowledgeable, listen, now we(I) will tell you. To hear and to get things understood-- such a desire fully exists in you
79. and whatever we tell you, O knowledgeable, you do not disrespect that. (Hence) what should not be told, let it be told. Let our(my) secretiveness get broken.
*Saint Nivritti is the guru of Saint Jnaneshwar. Infact he his own elder brother, elder by 2 years.
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79. but the secret of my heart, let the understanding of that, dawn on you. The milk lies secretly in the udder, but it does not taste sweet to the udder.
81. Hence, on getting an earnest child, let him get happiness of desire fulfillment (by drinking the milk).
82. Or else if a seed is taken out from a pitcher and sowed in a tilled land, then can it be said, O Dhananjaya(Arjuna), that it has been spilled and gone waste.
84. It is for this reason that, those who are of pure mind and pure intellect, those who are single-mindedly devoted and who do not cavil at others, for them, even the secret should be happily told, by our own mouth.