Synopsis "Haripath"
Jnaneshwar (1275-1297) is a favorite saint of Maharashtra, India wrote over a thousand abhangs, or unbreakable devotional poems. Twenty-eight of his abhangs were written as a collection called Haripath (meaning "Sing Hari, study Hari [God]"). Jnaneshwar, his siblings, and many others started on the twenty-eight day journey from Alandi to Paithan to obtain the shuddhi patra ("purification document") from the Paithan pandits. Each day, Jnaneshwar wrote an abhang about the importance of singing Hari's name. The Haripath has been popular in Maharashtra for seven centuries, and its daily recitation is considered a complete spiritual practice. Most of the poems consist of four lines; they have a theme, Each abhang has its own character and unique flavor. Their messages are simple, direct, sublime, and even implosive. The most subtle, lofty teachings of the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Bhakti Sutras are offered to us freely-as Jnanadev says, "like fruit in the palm of our hand." He extols devotion as the most essential quality in spiritual life, and perhaps, most importantly, he sings to us about the importance and the impact of the company of the saints. In every verse, like a loving mother, he encourages us to take up the repetition of God's name and hold God close to us. He says, "As one repeats the name of God, millions of sins drop away. Hold onto the thought of Rama Krishna. Extricate all your negative tendencies, cut off all attachments. Don't hide behind the senses. Have faith in the holy places and rituals and always cultivate tenderness, peace, and compassion. In this way, you will make Hari your guest" (abhang 27).This book contains the 28 abhangs of the Haripath in Marathi with transliteration as well as English and Hindi translations.The English translation has been made as literal as possible by Umesh and Chitra Nagarkatte, and was edited by Dana Wilkinson. The Hindi translation was jointly composed by Umesh Nagarkatte and Ashok Vyas.
