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 Vedicphilosophy in nutshell and in the most lucid form. There have been thousands of commentaries on Bhagavad Gitaand many different interpretations are also available from ancient to the medieval period. Each scholar hasinterpreted it according to the main philosophical precept of his/her School of thought, while other interpretationswere also possible. However the commentary in Marathi, the regional language by Sant Jnaneshwar is unique. He asa 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 aprecious work which is the commentary on Shrimad Bhagawad Gita, titled Bhavarthdeepika in Marathi and alsoknown as Jnaneshwari and Shri Dnyaneshwari. What is unique in Jnaneshwari is that it is written keeping in mind acommon man and not an elite class of that time. That is the reason why it is written in Marathi, a regional languageand filled with many examples and similes that a common would easily understand. Many people also believe that itwas 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 allegoricallyby Jnaneshwar to simplify the message conveyed by lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. The study is delimited to theKarmayoga only and hence, the researcher has compiled the verses dealing with the Karmayoga, particularly inthird to sixth chapters