b bharud  zoom_inSearch

Bharude is a kind of satirical form of presenting the faults of lay human beings. It was started by Eknath who is revered as a saint. Sant Eknath (1533 - 1599) was a great admirer of Jnanesvar of the 12th century (or the 13th?) who was a great poetic genius and mystic saint of Maharashtra and who established the bhAgasvata tradition in Maharashtra. Jnanesvar's magnum opus was Jnanesvari, the famous commentary in Marathi on the gItA, the most elaborate ever written. It was Eknath who brought out the first authentic edition of Jnanesvari. Eknath was a brahmin, but he set an example by not observing caste distinctions, against which he preached vehemently. His own commentary in 18,800 verses on the eleventh skanda of the SrImad-bhAgavatam is called Ekanatha-bhAgavatam. It is not just a spiritual treatise; it is a literary masterpiece. Ekanath's unique contribution is his BHARUD Abhangas. Through the wide social spectrum including all the castes and subcastes, god etc of the lower castes, games of goy an even animals, allegorically, Bhakti is preached in attractive style.