Composing…
Composing…
सन्त ज्ञानेश्वर
1275–1296 CE · Apegaon (Maharashtra)
Tradition: Warkari; Nath sampradaya influence
Advaita Vedanta presented in Marathi; bhakti and jnana converge; the supreme is realized in the heart of the seeker through guru's grace.
Son of Vitthalpant (an excommunicated brahmin who took back to householder life from sannyasa) and Rukmini; outcast childhood with three siblings (Nivritti, Sopan, Muktabai); composed the Jnaneshwari at age 16; took sanjivan samadhi at Alandi at age 21 (still venerated).
Made Vedanta accessible in Marathi (the first major vernacular philosophical text); transmitted the Nath-tradition's secret yoga; foundational saint of the Warkari sampradaya.
Sant Jnaneshwar (Dnyaneshwar) stands within the lineage of Warkari; Nath sampradaya influence. Understanding a saint requires understanding the school of thought, the lineage of teachers, and the historical context that shaped them. The Warkari; Nath sampradaya influence tradition has shaped Hindu spiritual life through its philosophical foundations, its liturgy, its scriptures, and the institutions its founding ācāryas built and sustained across generations.
Saints in this tradition are not abstract figures from history — they are the living chain through which the tradition transmits itself. To read Sant Jnaneshwar (Dnyaneshwar) correctly is to read both the writings (where they survive) and the institutions they founded, the disciples they taught, and the practices they reinterpreted. Where written works are listed above, they remain the primary source for studying their thought; for the practical transmission, one studies under a teacher of the same lineage.
The dates and biographical details preserved in tradition often differ from those accepted by modern academic historians. Where the difference matters for interpretation, both views are noted; otherwise the traditional account is given with sources cited.
Awaiting scholar verification. If you spot a factual error in dates, lineage, or teaching, please write to us.