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The full name of The Book is: "SHRI EKNATHI BHAGAWAT", English Translation with Sanskrit Text, Translation into English of the Marathi Commentary on the Eleventh Skandha of Bhagwat Mahapurana by Saint Eknath, Original Marathi prose translation by Late Shri K. N. Athalye Research and editing of the Marathi book by Late Shri R. K. Kamat"
English annotation by Vishnudut1926: "This is
masterpiece! The 11th Song of "Shreemad-Bhagavatam" is the Most Siddhantic One, so it is easy to understand the choice of Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya.
masterpiece! The 11th Song of "Shreemad-Bhagavatam" is the Most Siddhantic One, so it is easy to understand the choice of Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya.
1600 pages, but imagine the Genius of Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya, because He wrote the Tikas in the poetical form, using a lot of striking similes and etc.
The following excerpt is from Motilal Banasirdass edition of "Shree Bhagavata-Purana" (link to The Book, see Appendix pages 2209-2210), which explains The Grandeur of Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya EkAkara TikA:
"In translating the X and XI Skandhas of the "Shree Bhagavata Purana", I have freely utilized two standard commentaries in Marathi:
1) Krishna Dayarnava’s Harivarada on the X Skandha and
2) Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya or Ekanatha’s EkAkara TikA on the XI Skandha.
Maharashtra has a long tradition of the study and interpretation of the "Shree Bhagavata Purana" — even before Om VishnuPad ShriDhara Swami, as Om VishnuPad ShriDhara Swami respectfully mentions Om VishnuPad Bopadeva-Acharya (13th Cent A.D.) from Maharashtra.
There are two schools of interpreting "Shree Bhagavata Purana":
- the orthodox, the early exponent of which is Om VishnuPad Bopadeva-Acharya and this school is represented by a number of Maratha saints like Ekanatha, Bahira (Bhairava) Jataveda, Jani Janardana, Siva Kalyana, Krsna Dayarnava and Others;
- the other School is that of the Maha-Anubhava sect like Bhaskara Bhatta (author of ‘Uddhava Gita’) and others.
The most famous commentator of the orthodox school was Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya circa 1533—1599 A.D.
This scholar-saint and social reformer of the 16th Cent. A.D. was not only the greatest writer of his time, but even to-day, he is second to Jnaneshvara in the realm of Marathi literature.
Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya lived at Paithan, the ancient capital of Maharashtra of the Satavahana period. He adorned whatever he touched.
He took the romantic episode of The Marriage of Bhagavan Shree Krishna and Shreemati Rukmini-Devi from "Shree Bhagavata Purana" and his "Shree Rukmini Svayamvara" is still unsurpassed and girls who wish to get their marriage settled at the earliest still read it devoutly.
Om VishnuPad Krishna Dayarnava-Acharya, the most famous commentator on the X Skandha of the "Shree Bhagavata Purana" has bodily incorporated the whole of this work ("Shree Rukmini Svayamvara") out of respect for Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya, his spiritual predecessor.
Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya wrote a number of Vedantic treatises, but his magnum opus is his commentary on the XI Skandha of the "Shree Bhagavata Purana".
He explained each and every verse of the XI Skandha in 18,000 Ovi Verses in Marathi. The Pandits of Benares where Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya wrote this commentary in 1573 A.D. warmly appreciated this work.
As the legend goes (as in the case of Om VishnuPad ShriDhara Swami Acharya on the "Shree Bhagavata Purana") Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya commentary was adjudged as the best by The Presiding Deity of Benares (remark by Vishnudut1926 - that is by Shreemati Durga-Devi and Shiva).
Though Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya pays high tributes to Om VishnuPad ShriDhara Swami Acharya, he differs from him on many points, a few of which are recorded in the footnotes here.
Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya commentary is a synthesis of philosophy and poetry presented to the masses in chaste, lucid Marathi.
None of the fifteen SK commentators of different schools of Vedanta (published in the Bhagavata Vidyapeeth Ahmedabad's edition) could surpass him in the flight of imagination and felicity of expression.
It is a fond dream of the present writer to render it into English for non-Marathi knowing readers.
Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya wrote a voluminous work on the Ramayana.
His allegorical description of the various customs and classes of society, known as Bh&rufa is sociologically important.
Om VishnuPad Eknath-Acharya practised the teaching of "Shree Bhagavata Purana" and is still respected as a great saint in Maharashtra".
