This book relies on three primary sources: 1. inscriptions from the oldest layer of Marathi; 2. the Līḷācaritra; and 3. the Jñāneśvarī. My note here describes these sources, their editions, and choices I have made regarding these texts, which are the basis for my translations in this book.
The first text is the body of Marathi inscriptions from the eleventh century to the fourteenth century that I use primarily in
chapters 1 and
2. My key source for these inscriptions is the
Prācīn Marāṭhī Korīv Lekha or the
Old Marathi Inscriptions, edited with extensive commentary by S. G. Tulpule in 1963. I abbreviate this text as PMKL and provide the corresponding inscription number, as given by Tulpule. Where I have used other sources, I have noted those in the accompanying backnotes.
The second text is the
Līḷācaritra. I use the version edited by V. B. Kolte in 1978 and published by the State Government of Maharashtra. This is the most scholarly edited version of the
Līḷācaritra, and though it has been the source of some public disputes since the 1980s (see the conclusion for more on this), I have chosen to use this text because it is edited and contains the largest selection of stories, drawn from a rich archive of manuscripts. Out of respect for all involved, I have not reproduced the episode that caused so much strife. An interested reader can easily find it on his or her own. I realize some Mahanubhavs may disagree with my choice to use this text, but I have tried to use it in such a way as to respect what I understand to be their protests and disagreements about this text and I carefully note those stories that some Mahanubhavs believe to be untrue. These would include the story of Chakradhar’s purported trial and well as his purported beheading, subjects discussed in
chapters 3 and
5. I include them here because of what they reveal about the politics of vernacularization
as stories, but I do not include them here as historical fact. In other words,
I do not claim that these stories are historically true. I do not claim that Chakradhar underwent a trial or was beheaded.
Kolte’s version of the
Līḷācaritra is divided into the “The Initial Half” or “Pūrvārdha” and the “The Latter Half” or “Uttarārdha.” See
chapter 3 for the distinction between these two “chapters” in Chakradhar’s life. In this book, I abbreviate references to the two parts of the
Līḷācaritra as edited by Kolte by referring to the “Pūrvārdha” as LC-P and to the “Uttarārdha” as LC-U. In addition to Kolte’s edition, H. N. Nene produced an edition of the
Līḷācaritra in 1936, reprinted in 1954. S. G. Tulpule reedited Nene’s edition beginning in 1964. If I make reference to either of these versions of the
Līḷācaritra, I duly note that usage.
The third text is the Jñāneśvarī, edited by S. V. Dandekar et al. in 1963 and published by the government of Maharashtra. This is a reedited version of the Jñāneśvarī published by V. K. Rajwade in 1909. While there are many versions of the Jñāneśvarī, I have used Dandekar’s edition, as I believe it to be the best scholarly edition. Where I have differed from his version, I have noted other sources. In the book I abbreviate this text with Jn followed by the chapter number and the verse number(s).
In addition,
chapters 6 and
7 contain quotations from the
Bhagavad Gītā. Rather than produce substandard translations of these Sanskrit verses myself, I have opted to use the excellent translation by Laurie Patton, published by Penguin Classics in 2008. I have not retained Patton’s layout of the verses on the page, however. These citations are abbreviated as BG followed by the chapter and verse number(s).
I follow the conventions of Columbia University Press regarding transliteration and diacritics. People’s titles, proper names, place names, or words of Indian origin now common in English have no diacritics. For non-English words used many times, I provide diacritics only in the glossary and without italicization after first use; words used once or infrequently have retained diacritics. I also retain diacritics in direct quotations from non-English sources. All non-English titles of literary works have diacritical marks. Contrary to the Chicago Manual of Style guidelines, I italicize all text titles, whether sacred or profane.