DAS GANU'S FIRST STEP ON SPIRITUAL PATH

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DAS GANU'S FIRST STEP ON SPIRITUAL PATH

Baba had indicated that Das Ganu should quit his job and dedicate himself to

Lord's service. However, Das Ganu was in denial of this command. He refused to

quit his job as a Police Constable on more than one occasion.

Once, when Das Ganu was the second in command at the station, the station

officer left him in-charge. And Das Ganu in a lordly way wanted to enjoy his

time, and went home leaving a constable in charge of the station. Just at that

time, a village munsif had sent up a thoti with a fine collected from some

persons against whom a warrant had been sent for collection. That money, Rs.

32/- was left by the thoti with the constable there in charge, without any

person to witness. The constable told the thoti that the Station Officer was on

leave, and asked him to leave and that the receipt would be sent to the village

in due course. So, the poor thoti went away, and the constable swallowed up the

money.

Ganpat Rao (Das Ganu) knew nothing of it. However, the authorities finding that

Rs. 32/- had not been collected, concluded that it was Ganpat Rao's mischief.

Ganpat Rao was asked for an explanation. He said he know nothing. But there was

no escape the fact that money had been sent that day, and was paid at the

station as the thoti testified. Then Ganpat Rao, finding that there was not

only no chance of his getting the Sub Inspector's job but a good chance of

getting into the jail, solemnly swore to Baba that this time he would

positively quit service. He went further and mentioned his willingness to

resign to the enquiry officer who, thereupon, made him pay up Rs. 32/- and then

discharged him.Thus Baba succeeded in making Ganpat Rao quit his service, a

service, which would prevent Ganpat Rao from becoming the high spiritual

personage that he was subsequently to develop into.

Baba used to call him 'Ganu'. When Ganpat Rao came and said, 'I have now left my

service; I and my wife have to stand in the streets, as we have no property or

income.' Baba said, ' Ganu, I shall provide for you and your family'. (Compare

Sri Krishna's promise "Yoga Kshemam Vahamai sham" BG (9) (22). Baba then asked

him to go on with his Brahminical duties, puranic studies, and kirtans at which

he was excellent. Ganpat Rao was never in want of food or clothing, and has even

become a landlord that yielded him sufficient support. In 1919 his wife died

issueless, leaving him without any encumbrances.

Das Ganu had a fine metallic voice and he was a very able performer of kirtans.

He would hold an audience of 2000 people spell bound in rapt attention

listening to him for six or eight hours, and as he never asked for even one pie

and made no collections, his kirtans were popular, and in all his kirtans, he

would place Baba's picture next to him and even though his katha was about

Tukaram or Namdev or Jnanadev, yet he would always refer to Sai Baba as the

living Saint or Sat purusha i.e., as the present Great Saint, whom it would be

a great blessing for people to have darsan of, as the very darsan would purify

and benefit the visitor.

As soon as his kirtans ended, people started in numbers to go to Shirdi and see

Sai Baba. These numbers included high officials of good and great positions, as

also the poor. Thus he has been the means of sending some tens of thousands of

people to Baba. Baba developed his nature and purified it by making him spend

his time whenever he went to Shirdi in reading Vishnu Sahasranama. Das Ganu

Maharaj's purification and development are marked in various ways and Baba's

favor to him on the spiritual side is so vast and varied that it is impossible

to sketch them out in detail.

---Source: Saibaba.org

Arun Reddy Nukala

+44 7946 595063

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