Page from a manuscript of the Jnaneshvari, a commentary to the Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord)

In addition to illustrated Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and epics such as the Mahabharata, illustrated commentaries to such works were produced in South Asia. This page comes from a dispersed manuscript of the Jnaneshvari, a commentary to the Bhagavad Gita that was written by the thirteenth-century poet Jnaneshvar. The Bhagavad Gita, which was incorporated into the Mahabharata text around the third century bce, records a profound discussion between the Hindu god Krishna and one of the Mahabharata's heroes. Jnaneshvar wrote his commentary in order to elucidate some of the more complex ideas regarding rebirth and the ways to salvation that were contained in the Bhagavad Gita. Both sides of this page contain illustrations interspersed with text. The figures, which are identified, include key persons from the Mahabharata as well as the poet Jnaneshvar.