Dnyaneshwari

The text is the oldest surviving literary work in the Marathi language, one that inspired major Bhakti movement saint-poets such as Eknath and Tukaram of the Varkari (Vithoba) tradition.

[6] According to Pradhan and Lambert, the reliable dating of Dnyaneshwari to 1290 CE is based on textual and corroborative reference to the Yadava king Ramadeva as well as the name of the scribe and the samvat of its completion.

[6]: xv–xvi  The authenticity of the Dnyaneshwari has been contested in light of Eknath comments in late 16th-century, where he stated he had restored the text to the original version, and asked "neither change nor addition should be permitted".

[6]: viii–ix The narrative of the Dnyaneshwari closely follows the Bhagavad Gita, yet the commentary – called tika in the local tradition – is written in the form of a "song-sermon" that expands the explanation to include a discussion of the major Hindu philosophies and beliefs in the 13th-century.

[6]: xix–xx The text reverentially includes the names of numerous Hindu gods and goddesses from Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism traditions, as well as Vedic ones such as Saraswati (Sharada).