Sants and Naths

Published on 10th October, 2021, in Mid-day. In 13th Century Maharashtra, Dyaneshwar translated the Bhagavad Gita into the local language. It was a great cultural revolution. He encouraged people to use emotions and feelings to connect with the divine. This was the Bhakti Marg or path of devotion. Here, Dyaneshwar or Gyan-dev is addressed as Sant. In legends, Dyaneshwar was challenged by one Changa Nath, a Tantrik yogi. Changa Nath came to the village riding a tiger, to intimidate the young poet-saint. Dyaneshwar caused the wall in the village he was sitting on to move through the air. When Changa Nath saw Dyaneshwar and his ..