The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute have put out a nice Deepawali greetings based on Sant Jnaneswar's c.1290 commentary on Bhagavad Gita. My Odia and English translations as also original Marathi and Bhandarkar Institute's English message are given below.
ଅବିବେକତା କୁ ଜଳାଞ୍ଜଳି ଦିଅ।
ଫେଡ଼ଣମୋଚନ ସହ ବିବେକରଦିପ କୁ ଉଜ୍ବଳ କର।
ଯାବତ ଯୋଗସାଧକଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଦୀପାବଳି। ନିରନ୍ତର ॥୫୪॥
ସନ୍ତ ଜ୍ଞାନେଶ୍ୱର, ଜ୍ଞାନେଶ୍ୱରୀ (ଭାଗବତ ଗୀତାର ବ୍ୟାଖ୍ୟାତ୍ମକ ମରାଠୀ ନିବନ୍ଧ), ୧୨୯୦।
ଅନୁବାଦରେ ତୃଟିଥିଲେ କ୍ଷମା କରିବେ।
ଶ୍ରୀଜିତ୍ ମିଶ୍ର
https://twitter.com/srijitmishra/status/1455748206663372801?s=20
Burn away thy moral turpitude.
Let go and get liberated by lighting thy conscience.
This for a seeker will be enlightenment (or, Deepawali).
https://twitter.com/srijitmishra/status/1455826864845377540?s=20
Original Marathi Verse
मी अविवेकाची काजळी ।
फेडूनी विवेकदीप उजळीं ।
तैं योगियां पाहे दिवाळी । निरंतर ॥ ५४ ॥
Sant Jnaneshwar (संत ज्ञानेश्वर) in his epochal commentary on Bhagavad Gita, "Jnaneshwari" (completed in 1290 AD), articulates the most profound essence of Diwali. #Diwali2021
https://twitter.com/BhandarkarI/status/1455568734521729032?s=20
Bhandarkar Institute's English message of the verse. The verse means:
(Written from the perspective of lord Shri Krishna)
"As I erase the gloom of ignorance and apathy,
the light of knowledge burns bright within the conscience.
Such an enlightened mind experiences immanent diwali"
https://twitter.com/BhandarkarI/status/1455568736430145541?s=20
I must admit that my knowledge of Marathi is limited and that of Odia is no where near to attempting to any translation. But, perhaps the spiritual essence behing Sant Jnaneswar's message pulled me into it.
In attempting the Odia translateion I benefitted by going over Bhandarkar Institute's Marathi and English versions and Odia-English and English-Odia dictionaries at my disposal. One thing that I had to struggle was whether to write or not to write the verse in the first person from the perspective of Sri Krishna, which the Marathi versio does, as it begins with मी (or, I, referring to Sri Krishna). I did try that. See the highlights in bold below.
ମୁଁ ଅବିବେକତା କୁ ଜଳାଞ୍ଜଳି ଦିଏ।
ଫେଡ଼ଣମୋଚନ ସହ ବିବେକରଦିପ କୁ ଉଜ୍ବଳ କରେ।
But, decided against that because I thought Sri Krishna's Bhagavad Gita can also be a call to self. The latter I thought would be represented if one considers that Sri Krishan represents each and every individual rathe than rather than Sri Krishna speaking to one. It is true that Sri Krishna speaks to Arjuna. But, it is also true that Sri Krishan wants Arjuna to see for thyself. It is a matter of interpretation and I leave it to you the reader.
In the third sentence I was thinking of beginning with ତାହା ହିଁ as I thought that was perhaps closer to Marathi तैं. I decided in favour of ଯାବତ.
My English translation was done after I did the Odia one and also exluded the first person version, which has been used in the interpretation shared by Bhandarkar Institute.
At some point, I was contemplating the second sentence to be:
Let go and liberate thyself by the light of consciousness.
But then I thought through and decided that "get liberated by lighting thy conscience" would better convey than "liberate thyself by the light of consciousness."
In the third sentence, an earlier version read:
This, for a true seeker, will be enlightenment (or, Deepawali).
I decided to do away with the word true because each seeker is a true seeker in their own way.
Your comments and perspectives are welcome.
