Jnaeswari is the Marathi commentary on Bhagavad Gita made by Sant Jnaneswar who lived in the 12th Century AD in Maharashtra. The Author at the age of 15 gave a series of lectures on Bhagavad Gita, which was later collected as this commentary.

1. BHAGAVAD GITA
Commentary by
Sant Jnaneswar
PROF. T. K. G. NAMBOODHIRI
Thiruvalla, Kerala, India

2. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
JNANESWARI
• Jnaneswari is the commentary on Bhagavad
Gita written by Saint Jnaneswar, who lived in
Maharashtra in the 13th Century AD.
• This very popular & simple commentary was
written in Marathi by Saint Jnaneswar when he
was only 15 years of age.
• The complete English translation of this
commentary is available at
http://www.bvbpune.org/contents1.html
T K G Namboodhiri

3. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
CHAPTER 1
ARJUNA VISHAADA YOGA
ARJUNA’S DESPONDENCY
T K G Namboodhiri

4. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
DHARMA KSHE’TRE’ KURU KSHE’TRE’ SAMAVETHA
YUYUTHSAVA, MAAMAKAA PANDAVAASCHAIVA
KIMAKURVATHA SANJAYA. (1.1)
On the tenth day of the Mahabharatha war, the
blind king Dritharashtra asked his companion
Sanjaya, who had been gifted with tele-vision
by Vedavyaasa : “At Kurukshetra, the field of
righteousness, marshalled for war, what did my
sons & Paandavaas do?”
T K G Namboodhiri

5. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
• Verses 1.2 to 1.23: These verses describe the scenery
just before the start of the war. Prince Duryodhana
points out the great fighters standing ready to fight
on the two sides to Acharya Drona. Bhishma, Sri
Krishna, Arjuna & all the other kings & princes blow
their respective conch shells indicating the start of the
war. Then Arjuna requests Sri Krishna, his charioteer,
to take his chariot to the middle of the two armies, so
that he can see the various people with whom he has
to fight.
T K G Namboodhiri

6. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verses 24 to 28: Accordingly, Sree Krishna took the
chariot to the middle of the battlefield & stopped
it just in front of Bhishma, Drona, & the other
great warriors & asked Arjuna to see them. Arjuna
saw Bhishma ,all his brothers& cousins, sons &
nephews, teachers,& kings from all over India
arrayed there ready to fight against each others.
Mentally upset, & losing all his courage & interest
to fight, Arjuna started talking to Krishna.
T K G Namboodhiri

7. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verses 29 to 30: Dear Krishna, all those I see in
front of me are my family members. Though they
are ready to fight, is it right for me to kill them? I
am frightened. I cannot think properly. I am losing
my memory. My body is shivering & I cannot hold
my bow Gandeev. Sanjaya tells Dritharashtra that
the most courageous Arjuna thus lost his courage
& will to fight after seeing his relatives on the
battlefield, arrayed against him.
T K G Namboodhiri

8. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verses 31 to 34: Arjuna continues: I see many bad
omens. I do not wish to win this war & enjoy
wealth & fame. If I have to kill my ancestors &
relatives to enjoy the kingdom, what is the use?
How will I kill our great-grand father Bhishma, my
revered teacher
Drona, uncles, sons, nephews, brother-in-laws &
other relatives? Instead, I am willing to suffer
defeat or other hardships.
T K G Namboodhiri

9. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verses 35 to 39: Even though all of these people
are aiming to kill me, I do not wish to kill them.
What pleasure are we going to get by killing all
the sons of Dritharashtra, though they deserve
killing? In this war all of them will be killed. We
may even lose you, which will be very painful. The
greedy Kauravas do not realise the consequences
of killing own family members. But knowing the
sin involved, how we will kill them? So I am not
going to fight this war.
T K G Namboodhiri

10. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verses 40 to 47: Arjuna continues: If the family
is destroyed, the family traditions &
righteousness will vanish. The women from the
family become wayward & the society gets
contaminated. We will be responsible for all
these sinful acts. Hence, I will not fight . It will
be better for me to be killed by the Kauravas.
T K G Namboodhiri