We all have heard and read a lot about Das Ganu Maharaj,Baba's Ankit child - major vehicle to spread the glory of Shirdi Sai Baba through his simple yet powerful bhajans and kirtans.In those time when media was not so active hearing Das Ganu's Bhajans devotees who heard and were fortunate enough flocked to Shirdi, and had darshan of Sai Baba (while Baba was still present in flesh and Blood).Few important details which I had never read earlier about Das Ganu Maharaj as I read I immediately decided to put forth for all those readers who want to know a little more than what they have already read .But before that for those readers who do not know much about Shri Das Ganu I am writing a small writeup and detail shall follow one by one.
Ganpatrao Dattatreya Sahasra-buddhe- Brahmin, Kirtankar, resided at Nanded Nizam's State and worked in police force ,he had known Sri Sai Baba for a long time and have given some account of SAI Baba in his following books
(1) Bhakti Saramrita Ch. 26,65,66 and 67 (1925)
(2) Bhakta Lilamrita Ch-31 (1906) and Ch- 32 and 33 and
(3) Santakathamrita Ch 57 Ch 31 of No.2 and Ch. 57 of No.3
I have already posted two of them in the Blog with full explanation .Please click here to read more about these books.
And they were published in Baba's lifetime with Baba's grace and consent.
Here the story goes as narrated by Das Ganu ....
Baba occasionally smashed Das Ganu's programmes for visiting holy places like Pandharpur especially on Aswin Ekadashi.
He met Nanasaheb Chandorkar at Manmad in 1916 and told him about his wish to visit Pandharpur. Instead Nana took him to Shirdi where Baba made Him do 'Saptaha' and Kirtan for a week. It is must to mention here that (Das Ganu originally began Kirtans at the bidding of Nanasaheb Chandorkar and in Baba's Sansthan at Shirdi.)and its mentioned in Sai Satcharitra that Shri Das Ganu took to fashionable dress code which Baba immidiately made him change and since than he did kirtans in Dohtar and thus he was detained for over one month at Shirdi.
Bhadrapad was gone and Aswin was to begin. Das Ganu felt chagrined at being detained from going.Nana wanted to detain Das Ganu even then ,when Das Ganu said to himself.
"How is He (Sai Baba)a Guru who blocks my way to God (of Pandharpur)"?
Baba of course read his mind and told him to go away at once to Pandharpur and told Nana not to stop him. So he happily went to Pandharpur and was there for Ashwin. This reflects Baba's power of reading anyones thought .
Baba did not grant Das Ganu some of his spiritual prayers like Das Ganu wanted to have Sakshatkar (vision) like Namdev and others got.He went to Baba many time and requested to give him Sakshatkar. But Baba each time said "Wait, Wait" Finally in 1916 Ganu asked "Baba you have been long putting off my request. When will you give me Sakshatkar?" Then He said
"You see me. That is Sakshatkar. I am God".
From this devotees who have iota of doubt or think of Baba just a powerful saint or guru with some divine power but not GOD should completely remove this thought as its clearly indicated here by Baba himself in His own words that He is GOD and one should SEE HIM...
But ...
Ganu replied that he was not satisfied with that. He consoled himself with the explanation that his destiny did not provide him getting Sakshatkar and that Saints could not overcome destiny. After Baba passed away, Ganu have been seeing several Saints. But hardly any of them satisfied him. There was one that specially impressed him.
Near His place - Nanded in 1919 there was a Virakta Brahmacharl staying on a rock having no possessions and caring for nothing. Ganu saw him first, when Ganu was performing his wife's ceremony and was powerfully attracted to this Brahmachari.
As he went there, to take his Darshan he turned away from him and prevented him taking Darshan. This happened thrice. Ganu was deeply disappointed
So Ganu thought .." let me have the merit of feeding him" and went home, sent up a man to that Brahmachari with food.Ganu was surprised to leam that he accepted it. Then he dared to go to him again and I asked him why he would not permit him to bow to him and to take Darshan. He said in reply.
"You call yourself a Kirtankar. Have you left off Ahankar (Egoism)?"
Ganu : No. How can I ? Each man has Ahankar.
Brahamachari: Did you not feel Ahankar- when sending me food, feeling that it was you that were sending food ?
Ganu: Ahankar being of three sorts Satwik, Rajasic and Tamasic some sort of Ahankar would underlie all action, only the worst forms are to be shunned.
He was not of that opinion. He wanted Ganu to drown his Ego completely. He was always reading his mind and showed him enough examples of his power...one is narrated below.
Brahamchari : Are you not engaged in writing the lives of Saints?
Ganu: Yes.
Then He quoted a few lines of verse that he had just composed six days previously and not published in any way. Ganu was taken aback by this Antaryamitva of His. Again He asked Ganu.
He:Did you not get Ganga water from the feet of Sai Baba?Ganu : Yes.
He : What did you do with it?
Ganu : I sprinkled it over my head.
Brahamchari: And you did not drink it, because you thought you were a brahmin and would be polluted by drinking it. Look at your Egoism.
Seeing His nature and powers, Ganu daily spent three or four hours alone with him at night. Some of those who were going to meet Ganu and having a good opinion of Him and a poor opinion of that Brahmachari wondered at His conduct and one of them (Beake) began to heckle him about it.
Ganu told him that the Brahmachari had psychic power and could even know the contents of other minds. Beake doubted Ganu's veracity and Ganu had to take him once to the Brahmachari and tell the latter of Beake's unbelief. Then followed a very interesting conversation.
Brahamchari : (to Ganu) What? You want to make an exhibition of me, as though I were a monkey!.
Ganu:No. But this person is full of unbelief.
Brahamchari: (to Beake) Shall I tell you some fact then about yourself?.
Beake: Yes
Brahamchari: Had you not immoral relations with Z(name not known so representing it with Z)?
Beake : No.
Brahamchari: Was it not Z that was maintaining you and supporting you for a long time?
Beake: No.
Then the Brahmachari clinched the whole matter of his truthfulness and his power by immediate proof.
Brahamchari: Shall I tell you what is in your pocket?
Beake: Yes.
Brahamchari: You have a letter from the Raja of Kolhapur about the affairs of 'Satya samaj', which you are supporting. Take the latter out and give it to Maharaj (i.e. me D.G.) (That was done).
Then the Brahmachari gave full details of the contents of the letter. Ganu's friend was flabbergasted. He had placed the letter in Ganu's hand. Every word spoken of it by the Saint was true, and it proved that consequently what was said about Z would be true too. As Ganu's friend felt humiliated and would make some progress if Ganu would leave him alone with the Saint, so Ganu left him there and went away.
Ganu's friend did improve in giving up his bad associations and his other bad habits. The Saint's name and fame spread so quickly that the Tahsildar insisted on Ganu in producing him one evening for delivering a Pravachan., believing that the Saint would not decline to go the meeting nor decline to speak. But before the day fixed for the meeting, it was discovered that the Saint left that place. He left it for good and was never again seen or heard off.
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