Sri Dnyaneshwar Haripath — 28 Canonical Abhangas

Standing at the doorway of the Divine even for a fleeting moment, one easily accomplishes all four forms of liberation (Salokya, Sameepya, Saroopya, Sayujya). Chant Hari with your mouth, chant Hari with your mouth—who can even count the boundless merit earned? Living in worldly existence, let your tongue hasten to take His name; the Vedas and Shastras raise their arms declaring this truth. Dnyandev says, know the secret sign of sage Vyasa: the King of Dwaraka Himself dwelt in the humble home of the Pandavas.

Know that all four Vedas, the six Shastras, and all eighteen Puranas sing solely of Hari. Just as butter is extracted by churning milk, churn your mind to grasp the Infinite Lord; abandon futile tales and wasted paths. The one Hari is the Self dwelling equally in Jiva and Shiva; do not needlessly exhaust your mind on impassable paths. For Dnyandev, Hari is the eternal recitation and Vaikuntha itself; he beholds Hari pervading all, dense and complete.

The three gunas are transient and essenceless; the formless Supreme is the eternal truth. The recitation of Haripath is the profound discernment between the real and the unreal. Whether conceived as with attributes (Saguna) or beyond attributes (Nirguna), without Hari the wandering mind is wasted. From that unmanifest, formless Reality from which all moving and unmoving creation arose, worship Hari. Dnyandev meditates in his heart upon Rama and Krishna; such blessed wisdom blossoms from the merit of countless lifetimes.

Without heartfelt love there is no true devotion, and without devotion there can be no liberation; one cannot speak of power without genuine inner strength. How can the Divine be swiftly pleased without surrender? Rest peacefully in faith instead of wearing yourself out in futile agitation. Day and night you labor with exhausting strain for worldly matters, yet for what reason do you neglect to worship Hari? Dnyandev says, chant the name of Hari, and the binding snare of worldly existence will snap apart.

Spiritual perfection is not attained through arduous yogic rituals or sacrifices; these often become mere ostentatious burdens and religious vanity. Without heartfelt faith, God can never be comprehended; and without the Guru, how can direct spiritual realization be known? Without dedication the Divine remains distant, without generosity nothing of worth is gained, and without intimate guidance who will reveal your true well-being? Dnyandev shares this lucid truth: holy fellowship with saints (Satsang) is the supreme way across the worldly ocean.

Whoever receives the true illumination of the saints leaves no trace of individuality behind; he completely merges into the Self through direct spiritual experience. Just as a lit flame of camphor blazes with pure light and dissolves leaving not a speck of ash behind, so too does his separate ego vanish. Reaching the threshold of liberation, crowned with supreme fortune, the devotee of Hari surrenders wholeheartedly to the saints. Dnyandev savors the profound sweetness of holy fellowship, beholding Hari everywhere—in crowded cities, in silent forests, and as the indwelling Soul of all.

Mountainous heaps of sins cling like an indelible coat of adamant upon those devoid of devotion. Those lacking love for God are fallen and ill-fated, undone by destiny because they refuse to worship Hari. Endless babblers prattle vain, argumentative words; how can the compassionate Lord ever reveal Himself to them? For Dnyandev, the ultimate authority and supreme treasure is the Self, which dwells whole, radiant, and complete within every living form.

In the company of saints, the course of the mind is purified and elevated; through this royal highway, the Lord of Sri (Sripati) is readily attained.

Let your voice chant Rama and Krishna with the sincere longing of your soul; the name of Rama is the very Self worshipped by Lord Shiva.

Making the single truth of the Divine Name one's spiritual practice, the fetters of duality can never bind.

Vaishnavas have tasted the supreme nectar of the Name; yogis have realized the secret art of eternal life.

Through swift chanting, Prahlada realized the Lord; Uddhava attained Krishna, the giver of grace.

Dnyandev says, this Name is so accessible and easy, yet rare in this world—only a rare soul truly knows its worth.

Japa without Vishnu is futile, and meaningless is the knowledge of one whose mind does not rest in Rama and Krishna. Born unfortunate, knowing not the luminous path of non-duality, how can such a one enter into Rama and Krishna? Sweeping away duality requires wisdom bestowed by the Guru; without it, how can genuine kirtana of the Name ever take place? Dnyandev says, meditate upon the personal, manifest Divine (Saguna); chanting the Holy Name brings true silence to worldly anxieties.

Wandering to the sacred confluence of the Triveni and diverse holy shrines is utterly in vain if the heart is not anchored in the Divine Name. He who turns his face away from the Name is indeed unfortunate and burdened with sin; in times of peril, none but Hari will rush to his rescue. Sage Valmiki, celebrated throughout the Puranas, proclaimed that by the Name alone all three worlds are redeemed. Dnyandev says, chant the Name of Hari; through unbroken generations, your entire ancestral lineage will be purified.

With the pure recitation of Hari's name, boundless mountains of sins dissolve away in a single instant. Just as dry grass touching blazing fire instantly merges into the oneness of flame, so does chanting Hari burn away all past karma. The chant of the holy name of Hari is an unfathomably profound mantra; before its radiant aura, all fears and demonic afflictions flee in terror. Dnyandev says, my Lord Hari is all-powerful—His boundless majesty surpasses even the deepest commentaries of the Upanishads.

Pilgrimages, fasts, and vows do not bear fruit without sincere inner devotion; otherwise you merely take on vain burdens and torment yourself before the world. By the power of heartfelt love the Lord is held, while without it He remains ungraspable—to the true lover of God, Hari is as intimate as an amla fruit resting in the palm of the hand. Trying to gather scattered droplets of mercury spilled on the ground requires endless frustrating effort, and such are external rituals; but Dnyandev says, my guru Sri Nivrittinath placed the formless Supreme entirely into my hands.

Divine absorption (Samadhi) in Hari can never be attained without equanimity and inner peace; know that an intellect clouded by duality will never achieve it. The supreme glory of human intelligence is none other than this: through King Keshava alone, all perfections and spiritual accomplishments are realized. Occult powers (siddhis) and worldly treasures are mere distracting entanglements so long as the mind does not rest in supreme divine bliss. Dnyandev revels in delightful, unbroken spiritual contentment, continually meditating upon Hari at all times.

Whoever recites the Haripath daily with truthful devotion and reverence, even the Lord of Time and Death (Kalikala) dare not cast a glance at him. Chanting 'Rama' and 'Krishna' is equal to an infinite store of sacred penance; herds of sins flee in panic before it. 'Hari, Hari, Hari' is the secret, beloved mantra of Lord Shiva; those whose speech chants it attain liberation. For Dnyandev, the continuous recitation is the name of Narayana, through which he attains the supreme, imperishable true Home.

The single Truth is the name of Hari, driving all duality far away; rare is the one who understands the exquisite art of non-duality. When one attains an equanimous intellect, Sri Hari is experienced equally everywhere, surpassing mere external restraints of senses and mind. Rama dwells as the one Self in every body and vessel, just as the sun with thousand rays illumines the entire universe. By holding Haripath steadily in his consciousness, Dnyandev proclaims: I am liberated from all past births!

Rare in this world is the person who steadily chants the name of Hari, even though the words 'Rama' and 'Krishna' are so effortless for human speech. Whoever attains the superconscious state (Unmani) through the names of Rama and Krishna gains all spiritual perfections effortlessly. Siddhi, wisdom, and righteousness flow naturally to one devoted to Haripath; amidst worldly life he remains cooled and serene in the company of saints. For Dnyandev, the imprint of the names Rama and Krishna reveals the indwelling Self (Atmarama) shining in all ten directions.

If one sings the boundless glory of Haripath with his mouth, his very physical body becomes utterly sanctified. He reaps the limitless power of intense spiritual tapas, dwelling immortal for countless cosmic ages (kalpas) in the blissful realm of Vaikuntha. His mother, father, brothers, and boundless generations of kin are transformed into divine four-armed denizens of the Lord. This profound, secret, yet attainable wisdom was bestowed upon Dnyandev, placed directly into his hands by his beloved guru Sri Nivrittinath.

Listening to the Harivamsa Purana, chanting Hari's name in kirtan, and knowing no virtue or goodness in this universe other than Hari—that soul easily attains Vaikuntha, fulfilling all the merit of every sacred pilgrimage on earth. He who merely follows the fickle whims of his mind loses the path; blessed is the one firmly anchored in Haripath. Dnyandev has found the supreme sweetness in the holy companionship of the Name, cherishing ceaseless love for Rama and Krishna at all times.

The congregational chanting of the Holy Name is the inseparable companion of the Vaishnavas; through it, countless billions of their sins have dissolved into nothingness. The spiritual merit of infinite lifetimes of austerities is condensed into this one Name in the accessible Haripath. Complex yogic disciplines, Vedic sacrifices, ritual actions, and the dualities of virtue, vice, and illusion are all swallowed up and silenced in Haripath. For Dnyandev, Hari Himself is the sacrifice, the sacred act, and the highest virtue; besides Hari, he acknowledges no other vow.

The solemn word of all the Vedas, Shastras, Puranas, and divine Shruti is this: chanting the one Name of Narayana is the supreme essence of all existence. Chanting, penances, ritual karma, and codes of conduct performed without Hari are mere futile exertion and wasted labor. Those who take absolute refuge in Haripath rest in tranquil, unshakeable peace, just as bees intoxicated with nectar linger blissfully captivated inside a fragrant flower bud. Dnyandev wields the mantra of Hari's name as an impenetrable divine shield; beholding it, Yama has spared his entire lineage from death.

There are no restrictions of time, hour, or auspicious occasion for chanting the Divine Name; in chanting it, behold, both maternal and paternal lineages are redeemed. The names Rama and Krishna eradicate all blemishes and sins; Hari alone is the eternal savior of heavy, burdened souls. Hari's name is the essence of all speech, and the tongue was created for this Name alone—who can ever describe the peerless likeness of that God? Dnyandev's Haripath is complete and whole; through it, the path to Vaikuntha is made effortless for all ancestors.

Rare are those blessed souls who keep an unbroken daily vow of chanting the Name; the beloved Lord of Lakshmi stays ever near them. Those who continuously chant 'Narayana Hari, Narayana Hari' find worldly fulfillment (bhukti) and all four forms of liberation (mukti) serving in their very home. Know that a human life devoid of Hari is hell itself; such an unfortunate soul becomes an invited guest of Yama. Dnyandev asked his guru Nivrittinath with deep reverence and learned: 'Lo, this Divine Name is vaster than the infinite sky!'

In the complex philosophical assembly of the twenty-five cosmic principles (elements, senses, mind, ego, and soul), Hari reveals the subtle play of the single supreme Truth. Yet the Divine Name surpasses all philosophy, demanding no exhausting yogic toil. Even the breathless chanting of Ajapa requires arduous reversal of the prana and fierce mental resolve; but Dnyandev declares: life without the Name is utterly wasted, hence he treads the effortless, joyful path of Rama and Krishna.

Beyond all chanting, penance, ritual action, vows, and codes of conduct, the purest attitude is to see Rama dwelling within every being. Never abandon this conviction of love; cast aside every doubt and call out passionately to Rama and Krishna each day. Caste, wealth, clan, and worldly pedigree matter not to the Lord; He swiftly receives the devotee who is filled with loving faith. Dnyandev meditates upon Rama and Krishna in his heart, building his eternal home in the blissful realm of Vaikuntha.

In the Lord there is no prideful intellect or ignorant folly; behold, chanting Hari ever bestows liberation. Where the name 'Narayana Hari' is chanted, the malice of time and mortality can find no entrance. Even the sacred Vedas cannot measure the full depth of that grace; how then could ordinary mortals comprehend it? For Dnyandev, the supreme fruit of reciting Narayana's name has transformed the entire universe into Vaikuntha itself.

Hold firmly in your heart the one supreme reality of the Name; Hari will surely be moved to shower His compassion upon you. That Name is so easy: 'Rama, Krishna, Govinda'—chant it first with a voice overflowing with love. There is no reality superior to the Name; beware of straying in vain onto other arduous paths. Dnyandev maintains outer silence, holding the rosary of devotion within his heart, constantly remembering and chanting Sri Hari.

Having thoroughly examined the six Shastras, choose the sweet nectar of all bliss: do not waste even half a moment in spiritual idleness!

All worldly pursuits are transient illusions; without Hari, endless rounds of rebirth are in vain.

Chant the mantra of the Name and billions of sins will vanish; hold fast to your resolve in Rama and Krishna.

Renounce worldly tendencies, sever all delusions, and do not hide behind the indulgences of the senses.

Cultivate compassionate faith in pilgrimages and vows; through inner peace and mercy, make Lord Hari your honored guest.

For Dnyandev, the ultimate authority is the realization bestowed by Sri Nivrittinath; the Haripath is the living, eternal Samadhi (Sanjeevan Samadhi).

These sacred abhangas of the Haripath are exactly twenty-eight in number, composed with unshakable faith by Sant Dnyaneshwar.

Whoever recites them daily on the holy banks of the Indrayani river becomes worthy and spiritually realized in every way.

Recite with one-pointed concentration, a serene and healthy mind, and joyful remembrance overflowing in the soul.

At the final hour of departure and in every moment of crisis, Lord Hari protects that devotee within and without.

The righteous saints have directly experienced and verified this truth; how could the indolent and dull-minded ever cross over?

Cherishing the tender and loving words of his master Sri Guru Nivrittinath, Dnyandev was instantly filled with supreme, everlasting bliss!