PRAYER SONGS OF DAS GANU

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PRAYER SONGS OF DAS GANU

Apart from the thousands of pages that Das Ganu’s works cover, there are

several minor pieces by which he will ever be remembered. The Shirdi Arti

includes several of these bits, which will continue as long as the Shirdi

shrine and Artis last. For instance,

Shirdi Majhe Pandharipura Sai Baba Rama Vara,

Suddha Bhakti Chandra Bhaga Bhava Pundaika jaga,

Yaho yaho avaghe Jana Kara Babasi Vandana,

Ganu Mhane Baba Sayee Dhamva Pava Majhe Ayi,

which means, "Shirdi is my Pandharpur (the most holy shrine for Vaisnavites) and

God worshipped there is Sai Baba (i.e. Sai is Vittal or Narayana). The holy

river called Chandra Bhaga found at Pandharpur is represented at Shirdi by pure

devotion and in that river the holiest spot viz. Pundalika Temple is represented

at Shirdi, by intense concentration. All you people, come up and do reverence to

Sai Baba. Ganu says, "Oh Sai Baba Mother mine, run up and catching me in your

arms, caress me". This intense appeal has caught the fancy of lakhs of people

and this song is sung at Pooja and Bhajan all over India.

Two brilliant prayers of Ganu in Hindi are also embodied in the Shirdi Arti and are very popular.

Pada (41)

Sai rahama najara karanaa, bachchomka paalana karana (Burden)

Jaanaa thumane jagat pasaara sabahi jhuta jamaana (Sai)

My andhaa hoom bandaa aapaka, mujhako prabhu dikhalaana (Sai)

Daasa Ganu kahe aba kyaa bolum, thaka gayee merirasana (Sai)

which means,

O Sai show your mercy

Protect this little baby

The expensive Universe, you know is a mass of deception

I your slave am blind. Reveal the Lord to me

Says Ganu, How can I say aught more? Exhausted is my tongue.

Pada (12)

Rahama najara Karo aba more Sai, thuma biina Nahi mujhe maabaapabhayii (Burden)

My andhaahoom bandhaa thumaara Mynaajanoo Alla-ilahi

Khali jamaanaa myne gamaya

Sathi aakharakaa, kiya no koyi (Burden)

Apane masidakaa jhaadoo ganoo hai

Malik hamaare, thuma Baaba Saayi (Burden)

which means,

Show unto me

Now the mercy

For excepting thee

I have nobody

No father, mother, brother (Burden)

Your slave am I

Sightless is my eye

I do not now descry

Aught of the Deity (Burden)

Down have I fallen to the earth

For my last moment, no friend I made (Burden)

Ganu is (but) the broomstick of your mosque.

You are our Lord and Master O Sai Baba (Burden)

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

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