Pasaydan
पसायदान
Pasaydan is the nine-verse prayer with which Sant Dnyaneshwar closed the Dnyaneshwari in 1290. Instead of asking anything for himself, the young Marathi saint asks that the wicked turn good, that all beings become friends and that every creature find what it longs for.
- Written by
- Sant Dnyaneshwar (died 1296)
- In the video
- Lata Mangeshkar
- Context
- Closing prayer of the Dnyaneshwari, Sant Dnyaneshwar's Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita (1290)
- Year
- 1290
- Language
- Marathi
- Added
- by Lyriccs Editorial Desk
Pasaydan lyrics with English translation
Full nine-ovi text (Dnyaneshwari 18.1794-1802) as transcribed on Marathi Wikipedia, each ovi set on two lines; one missing space before a danda was tidied. Marathi Wikisource carries the same verses with a few spelling variants, and sung versions differ slightly.
आतां विश्वात्मकें देवें । येणें वाग्यज्ञें तोषावें । तोषोनि मज द्यावें । पसायदान हें ॥ १ ॥
Aata vishvatmake deve | yene vagyadnye toshave | Toshoni maja dyave | pasayadan he || 1 ||
Now may God, the Soul of the universe, be pleased with this sacrifice of words, and, being pleased, grant me this gift of grace. (1)
जे खळांची व्यंकटी सांडो । तयां सत्कर्मीं रती वाढो । भूतां परस्परें जडो । मैत्र जीवांचें ॥ २ ॥
Je khalanchi vyankati sando | tayan satkarmi rati vadho | Bhutan paraspare jado | maitra jivanche || 2 ||
May the wicked let go of their crookedness and grow in love for good deeds; may all beings be bound to one another in friendship. (2)
दुरिताचें तिमिर जावो । विश्व स्वधर्म सूर्यें पाहो । जो जें वांच्छील तो तें लाहो । प्राणिजात ॥ ३ ॥
Duritanche timir javo | vishva svadharma surye paho | Jo je vanchhil to te laho | pranijat || 3 ||
May the darkness of sin pass away; may the world see by the sun of its own true duty; may every living creature receive whatever it longs for. (3)
वर्षत सकळमंगळीं । ईश्वर निष्ठांची मांदियाळी । अनवरत भूमंडळीं । भेटतु या भूतां ॥ ४ ॥
Varshat sakalmangali | ishvar nishthanchi mandiyali | Anavarat bhumandali | bhetatu ya bhutan || 4 ||
May a gathering of those devoted to God, raining every blessing, keep meeting the beings of this earth, without end. (4)
चलां कल्पतरूंचे आरव । चेतना चिंतामणीचें गाव । बोलते जे अर्णव । पीयूषाचे ॥ ५ ॥
Chalan kalpatarunche arav | chetana chintamaniche gaav | Bolate je arnav | piyushache || 5 ||
They are walking groves of wish-granting trees, living villages of wish-fulfilling gems, oceans that speak in nectar. (5)
चंद्रमे जे अलांछन । मार्तंड जे तापहीन । ते सर्वांही सदा सज्जन । सोयरे होतु ॥ ६ ॥
Chandrame je alanchhan | martand je taapheen | Te sarvanhi sada sajjan | soyare hotu || 6 ||
Moons without a stain, suns without scorching heat: may such good people always be kin to everyone. (6)
किंबहुना सर्वसुखीं । पूर्ण होऊनि तिहीं लोकीं । भजिजो आदिपुरुखीं । अखंडित ॥ ७ ॥
Kimbahuna sarvasukhi | purna houni tihin lokin | Bhajijo adipurukhi | akhandit || 7 ||
In short, may all be happy and complete in all three worlds, and worship the Primal Being without a break. (7)
आणि ग्रंथोपजीविये । विशेषीं लोकीं इयें । दृष्टादृष्ट विजयें । होआवें जी ॥ ८ ॥
Ani granthopajiviye | visheshi loki iye | Drishtadrishta vijaye | hoave ji || 8 ||
And may those who live by this book, above all in this world, win victory over the seen and the unseen. (8)
येथ म्हणे श्रीविश्वेश्वरावो । हा होईल दानपसावो । येणें वरें ज्ञानदेवो । सुखिया झाला ॥ ९ ॥
Yeth mhane shri vishveshvaravo | ha hoil danapasavo | Yene vare dnyanadevo | sukhiya jhala || 9 ||
Here the Lord of the universe said: this gift of grace shall be given. With this boon Dnyandev was made happy. (9)
Translation: Lyriccs (original translation). Transliteration: Lyriccs.
The story behind Pasaydan
Pasaydan is the final passage of the Dnyaneshwari, also called Bhavartha Deepika, the Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita that Sant Dnyaneshwar completed in 1290 CE. Where the Gita has 700 verses, the commentary runs to about 9,000 ovis, the four-part Marathi verse form, and Marathi Wikipedia numbers the nine closing ovis of the eighteenth chapter as 1794 to 1802. Having finished the work, the poet asks for one reward.
Dnyaneshwar, also known as Dnyandev and honoured as Mauli, mother, was born in 1275 and was taught by his elder brother Nivruttinath. He wrote the commentary in his teens and took samadhi at Alandi, near Pune, in 1296, at about 21. The Dnyaneshwari is the oldest surviving literary work in Marathi, and it shaped the Varkari tradition of Vithoba devotees, including later saint-poets such as Eknath and Tukaram.
Pasayadan is the Old Marathi form of prasad-dan, a gift of grace. The prayer is often recited or sung at the close of kirtans and prayer gatherings in Maharashtra. The best-known recording is by Lata Mangeshkar, set to music by her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar and issued by Saregama. In 2025 a new rendition by the singer Ganavya was named on Barack Obama's list of his favourite music of the year.
The text below follows the transcription on Marathi Wikipedia; Marathi Wikisource has the same nine ovis with a few spelling variants, and sung versions also differ slightly.
What Pasaydan means
Dnyaneshwar addresses the vishvatmaka deva, God as the Soul of the whole universe, and calls his finished book a vagyadnya, a sacrifice made of words. He asks for one gift in return, and it is not for himself.
He does not pray for the wicked to be destroyed. He asks that their crookedness fall away and that their love of good deeds grow, so that all beings are joined in friendship. Marathi commentators often contrast this with the Gita's promise that God comes to destroy evildoers. He then asks that the darkness of sin lift, that the world see by the sun of its own dharma, and that every living creature, pranijat, receive what it longs for.
Verses four to six picture the good people who make such a world possible: walking groves of wish-granting trees, villages of wish-fulfilling gems, oceans that speak nectar, moons without a stain and suns that give light without burning. The last verses ask for happiness in all three worlds and success, seen and unseen, for those who live by the book. The prayer ends with the Lord granting the boon and Dnyandev content. Because it asks for the good of every being rather than of one faith or person, it is still recited far beyond the temple.
Quick facts
- Pasaydan is the closing passage of the Dnyaneshwari, completed by Sant Dnyaneshwar in 1290 CE.
- It has nine ovis, the four-part Marathi verse form used throughout the Dnyaneshwari's roughly 9,000 verses.
- Dnyaneshwar was born in 1275 and took samadhi at Alandi, near Pune, in 1296.
- Pasayadan is Old Marathi for prasad-dan, a gift of grace.
- A rendition by Ganavya appeared on Barack Obama's list of favourite music of 2025.