DAS GANU COMING UNDER BABA'S FOLD

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DIVINE GRACE – DAS GANU MAHARAJ COMING UNDER BABA'S FOLD

 

After Nana Chandorkar, the logical, chronological and the appropriate

name to deal with is that of Ganpat Rao Dattatreya Sahasrabuddhe,

popularly known as Das Ganu Maharaj. His importance for the Sai

Movement consists in the fact the rapid spread of Baba's name in

Maharastra was due very largely to his efforts, Baba fully well

foresaw or ordained it. In 1890 Das Ganu was a constable and play

actor of village plays of an obscene character.

 

Baba drew him to himself for the double purpose of improving his

(Ganu's) own spiritual condition and thereafter rendering signal

service to the public for the spread of Sai faith. When first he came

to Shirdi, he came as the `orderly' of (i.e., constable attending on)

Nana Saheb Chandorkar, and whenever Chandorkar visited Shirdi, Ganpat

Rao followed him as his Constable, not at all out of faith in, or

love for, Sai, but because the master compelled him to.

 

For a very long time, Das Ganu could not appreciate Baba. Up to the

end, he could not realize Baba as really Deva i.e., God or as his

Guru Deva, though he had high regard for him and his powers and wrote

or sang of him with poetic skill describing Baba as Ramavara i.e.,

God, doing lip service. That was why he went to one Islampurkar, a

Brahmin Guru, to get his initiation long after he met and dealt with

Baba (a step which Baba naturally did not object to when Das Ganu

reported the fact to Baba). Anyhow Baba made a remarkable change in

the personality of Das Ganu, and as Ganu also realised how powerful

Baba's influence on him was. It has been mostly an unwilling

submission on the part of Das Ganu to Sai Baba's yoke.

 

At his earliest advent to Shirdi, Baba noted the nature of Ganpat

Rao, and determined that his nature, calling and work should all be

totally changed. His nature then was just that of Police Constable

who had hardly any education, but who was very clever in composing

Lavani metre songs in Mahratti impromptu and in taking a female's

part in lewd village dramas. He would put up on female dress and

dance about in the village and take great pleasure in that

achievement. His great ambition was to rise in his profession. The

Police Department by itself was not a particularly moral department,

and for one who was ambitious to rise in it, one's regard for truth,

righteousness, fair dealing, etc., would practically nil, and

scruples, conscience, and character were unwanted hindrances to

efficiency. Knowing all these dangers and the real dormant capacity

of a man, Baba, from the very beginning told Das Ganu to give up both

his attachments, namely, (1) attachment to the village dance and

drama and (2) attachment to the police profession.

 

Chandorkar also pressed this upon Ganpat Rao. With great difficulty

Ganpat Rao was weaned away from drama. But as for the profession, he

would not give it up. The charm of holding the position of Sub-

Inspector (Fouzdar) and lording it over people was too powerful for

him to resist. When Baba said, `Ganu, you had better give up your

police service,' Das Ganu replied, `Baba, let me become a Sub

Inspector (for which position I have passed the departmental

examination) and hold the appointment for only one year, and

thereafter, I will give it up'. Baba replied that he was not going to

get the Sub Inspectorship, and He would see to it that he did not get

it. So, Baba's work was to bring in difficulty after difficulty,

pressure after pressure to bear upon Ganpat Rao; and Ganpat Rao had

innumerable difficulties even without Baba adding to them.

 

For instance, he was fond of touring to distance places of pilgrimage

outside his official limits, and he would go without taking the

permission of his superiors, which would not be easily granted. On

one such occasion, he had gone to a shrine in the `Nizam's State' and

was returning. His fellow constables were highly envious of him, and

they wanted to pluck the feathers. So, when he was returning to his

place, and when he was still on the Nizam's side of the river

Godavari, the envious constables were on the other side watching to

catch him. He noted this fact and felt that he would surely be

dismissed. So, he took up Godavari water in both his palms and swore

by that "Ganga" water, (as it is called) `Baba let me escape this

time. I shall certainly give up my police service'.

 

Then he went back into the Nizam's State just a short distance, when

lo! and behold, there was proof of Baba's Grace! A village Munsif

came to him and told him that certain dacoits were dividing their

booty secretly and all that the Village Munsif wanted was a police

gentleman with authority to arrest them. So Ganpat Rao went, seized

the dacoits and the booty, and proudly returned to his own station on

the other side of the Godavari. When questioned how he went out

without permission, his reply was that he had gone there for the

seizure of dacoits and property – no doubt a false-hood. Thus he not

only escaped punishment, but he thought he had a very good chance of

rising in his profession.

 

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

(Vasuki Mahal Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Trust, Coimbatore-641025, India)