DIVINE EXPERIENCES - Sri. DAS GANU (2)

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DIVINE EXPERIENCES – DAS GANU MAHARAJ (2)

Das Ganu Maharaj, Kirtankar, aged about 78, residing generally at Nanded (Nizam’s State) says:

I had composed in 1898 a poem on Sivaji, which became a matter of enquiry. My

defence was that I was an impromptu poet and this was my impromptu. I was not

punished. Baba repeatedly told me when telling me to retire, "Go and settle at

Nanded."

I: Which Nanded?

Baba: Nanded in Nizam States

I: How am I to get bread?

Baba: I will provide for you.

So I went on retirement to Nanded and there spent my time in performing Kirtans. I got food thereby.

I went on a pilgrimage to Puri and on the way, one Tembe Swami (Vasudevanand

saraswathi) whom I had known already met me and asked me if I was going to

Shirdi. I said "Yes, not immediately but a few months later." Then he gave me a

coconut saying, "Present this as mine to Sai Baba." I took it and kept it in my

bag. During my further travels, my companions, took it out and then ate it up.

When I went to Shirdi, as soon as I approached Sai Baba he said "Here is the

thief. Where is the coconut given by my brother?"

A friend gave me plots of cultivable land for a very nominal price. They yield

me enough to live upon. These are now maintained by me.

I receive no money for my Kirtans. I never did. The hat was not and is not sent

round either before or after my Kirtan for contributions. My Bhaktas write and

invite me to their abodes in various parts of the country. I go and stay with

them and perform Kirtans and write books etc., I am a single individual without

any family and my needs are few. I was not one of those who got moneys from

Baba. Several of those that he was regularly paying everyday were subjected to

Income-Tax. After Lokamanya Tilak visited Baba (1915-1917) the Income-Tax

department directed its attention to the Shirdi Samsthan. Some officer came to

Shirdi and watched the income. They wanted first to tax Sai Baba, but (perhaps

seeing that he had little left with him to proceed upon) they taxed his regular

donees; viz. Tatya Patel, Bade Baba, Bagia and Bayyaji Patel. For me as also for

Mahalsapathy, Baba took care to see that we were not pestered with money and its

cares. He has given me spiritual

benefit far superior to monetary gifts. He has created and confirmed my faith in

various ways. He has taught me valuable lessons and given me precious

experience.

Once for Mahashivaratri, I was at Shirdi and I wanted to have "Gangasnan" (i.e.,

a dip in the river Godavari) at Singaba (three miles off Shirdi) that day. Megha

daily brought that water for sprinkling or pouring (Abhishekaq) over Baba as

Ganga must naturally fall on Mahadeva’s head. But Baba did not allow me to go.

He said, "Ganga is here at my feet. Do not go." I felt depressed.

Theoretically, I knew that he was God Narayana and that Ganga flowed from

Narayana’s feet. But that was a poor weak faith insufficient to give my heart

the pleasure which a tangible Ganga bath would give me. Baba knew my mentality

and asked me to approach his feet and hold my palm near the feet. The water

began to flow from both his feet. It was not a few drops like perspiration. It

was rather a slow and thin current. In a short time, say a few minutes, I had

collected a palmful of that water. Here was Ganga and I was delighted. I bathed

i.e., sprinkled the water over my head. I did not

drink this water. Usually I do not drink the Tirtha offered at Baba’s Arati. On

one occasion Jog complained to Baba about it. Baba then said that I should

abided by my own convictions and sampradaya and that Jog should not trouble me.

But Baba did not always respect orthodoxy at least in some matters. My orthodoxy

keeps me off from eating onions in any form. Baba on the other hand, liked

onions and would seldom have a meal without onions. He told me to prepare Pitla

i.e., sauce of onions, give to him and eat part of it. I prepared it and brought

it to him. He asked me if I ate at my lodgings. I said yes. But really what I

did there was to touch the onion dish with a finger tip and touch my chin with

it and draw a line from my chin to the nether lip as a token of my tasting it

and I would wash my hand and face thereafter. Baba knew (what is it he did not

know?) how I practised this trick and he showed me others how I did the trick.

"He pretends he eats but only touches it with his fingers and applies the

finger over the chin" was what he said and showed. Then he told me that I

should really eat onion. He had a high opinion of onion as an item of the daily

fare – though orthodoxy rejects it, chiefly

on the grounds of its immediate and ultimate odour and its aphrodisiac

properties, "But if one digests it i.e., overcomes it injurious i.e., lust

producing tendencies it does no harm but good" was what Baba said. So at

Shirdi, as long as Baba was alive I would take onion except on Ekadashi days.

(Written by HH Pujyasri B V Narasimha Swamiji during June 1936, Devotees Experiences Vol.3)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of

conscience. It supercedes all other courts.

Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya.....

Question: Some people speak ill of you and levy charges against you. Why don’t

you talk it over with them? What is your attitude towards these people?

Answer: The entire world is full of evil and good. It Helps me if some people

discover bad qualities in me. But I shall be obliged if these gentlemen tell me

about them as that would help me to look at myself. If what they think about me

is incorrect, I shall have an opportunity to explain the position to them.

By the time their charges reach me through a third party the original version is

garbled and I am unable to get at the real opinion. Even then the criticism that

reaches me serves as a soap to clean a dirty sheet; and it helps. Whenever wrong

motives are imputed, I do feel sorry, which I should not, and try not to have

bad feelings for such people.

I am wide awake not to think ill of anybody and I daily pray to God and Gurudeva

that I should never become a vehicle of thinking ill of any person, that I

should not harbour a feeling of hate, prejudice, jealousy and tit-for-tat.

If by abusing me some people try to tarnish the image of Gurudev or his

institution then I am often unable to put up with it. Gurudev Shri Swami

Sivanandaji Maharaj, even served those who abused him. I try to do my humble

bit - as an infant tries to trot. Those who talk good of me are generous,

others who talk ill are more generous-and I am grateful to them.

(-Swami Premanandaji Saraswati )

 

 

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