Pasaydan: Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and the Universal Prayer for Cosmic Harmony

The Origin of the Sacred Boon

The year was 1290 in Nevasa. There, at just sixteen years of age, Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj completed the Bhavarth Deepika—revered as the Dnyaneshwari—bringing the philosophy of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita into Marathi for ordinary people. As this work drew to a close, his spiritual master and elder brother, Shri Nivrittinath Maharaj, urged him to ask for a blessing. Mauli sought nothing for himself. Instead of asking for personal salvation, worldly relief, or scholastic fame, he asked for a grace that gathers all creation into its fold. That nine-verse prayer is cherished today worldwide as the Pasaydan. The name comes from the Marathi words pasay, meaning divine favor, and dan, meaning gift.

Key Spiritual Teachings of the Nine Verses

The Pasaydan begins with an earnest invocation to the cosmic spirit. Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj asks that this literary and spiritual offering be received, offering a practical roadmap for inner peace and social harmony:

• Inner Transformation Over Destruction: Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj did not pray for the destruction of wicked individuals. Instead, he prayed that the crookedness within people should cease and their love for righteous actions should flourish. He asked that living beings look upon each other with the natural affection of true friends.
• The Light of Personal Duty: Mauli asked that the darkness of unrighteousness disappear completely. He prayed that humanity walk in the radiant daylight of duty and moral responsibility, fulfilling lawful wishes without causing grief to others.
• Company of the Virtuous: The prayer describes saints as walking wish-fulfilling trees and oceans of nectar. Just as the cool light of the moon bears no dark blemish and the warmth of the sun does not burn, noble souls remove suffering wherever they walk.
• Universal Fulfillment: The prayer concludes with a vision where all living creatures experience unblemished joy, dedicating their actions to the supreme divine presence.

A Universal Vision Beyond Sectarian Boundaries

The Pasaydan holds no personal ambition. Most petitions ask for family prosperity, good health, or release from rebirth. Mauli looked far beyond that. Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj rose above every division of sect, geography, and era, praying for the wellbeing of all living beings, known as bhuta, because he saw the divine in every grain of life. Shri Nivrittinath Maharaj listened to this expansive plea and affirmed with deep affection that this grand boon shall certainly come to pass.

Daily Recitation in the Varkari Tradition

Today, the Pasaydan is the devotional seal on every spiritual gathering across Maharashtra. Devotees sing these nine verses at the close of an elaborate Hari Kirtan, after an Abhang Bhajan, and during gatherings along the Pandharpur Palkhi route. The prayer brings every heart into quiet contemplation. As Varkaris prepare for pilgrimage and stand before Shri Vitthal and Rukmini Mata, the words of Pasaydan remind them that true spiritual realization lies in seeking the welfare of the entire universe.