Das Ganu By R. S. Gavankar

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DAS  GANU

There will be hardly a person amongst the devotees of Shri Sai Baba, who has

not heard the name and fame of Das Ganu. Of the two persons, whom Shri Baba

deliberately sought early in His residence at Shirdi, Das Ganu was one; the

other being Nana Saheb Chandorkar. These two gentlemen were responsible for

making 'Baba' a household name in Western Maharashtra, particularly in

Bombay City and Thana, Kolaba and Ratnagiri districts. Das Ganu as an

itinerant minstrel and Nanasaheb Chandorkar as a revenue official on camp,

in the far flung Taluka places, spread the name and fame of Shri Baba in the

region referred to above. Whilst performing his Kirtans, it was Das Ganu's

custom to exhibit a portrait of Shri Sai Baba on a pedestal before starting

his Kirtan and rapidly setting out his experiences of Baba and the miracles

He worked, His service to the sick and ailing and how be assuaged the

agonies and miseries and helped to solve the temporal and spiritual problems

of all, who sought His help.

 

When Baba first met Das Ganu, the latter was still in service in the Police

Force of the then Bombay Presidency. His full name was Ganapat Dattatreya

Sahasrabuddhe. He was a Tamasha fan. After a good deal of persuasion, he

left the Police Service and joined Baba's band-wagon. The progress then

became rapid. By Baba's grace and inspiration, he started writing metrical

compositions. Amongst his compositions are (1) Bhakta Leelamrit and

Sant-Kathamrit (life stories of modern saints), (2) Ishavasya Bhavartha

Bodhini and (3) Sai Stavanmanjari.

 

Bhakta Leelamrit, cited above, carries three full chapters depicting a

glowing account of Shri Sai   Baba. Sant-Kathamrit, in its 57th Chapter,

sets out in detail Baba's discourse on Dnyana given to Nanasaheb Chandorkar

on one occasion. It is a veritable mine of 'Advait' philosophy. Ishavasya

Bhavartha Bodhini, an elucidation of the substance of Isa Upanishad, was

undertaken by Das Ganu for the benefit of Marathi readers, at the instance

of Shri Baba. He worked on it strenuously for a long time and had proceeded

far into it when doubts began to assail him. He discussed the matter with a

few learned and scholarly persons with a view to resolve the doubts. Some of

them were dispelled, but not all. A crucial doubt remained unresolved and

Das Ganu started smarting. At about this time, he happened to go to Shirdi.

Shri Baba, jestingly, inquired about his well-being. Das Ganu bitterly flung

back to say that at Shri Baba's instance, he had launched upon the

translation of Isa Upanishad, but stumbled on the road and his mind was

uncertain whether he had understood the real import or kernel of the

Upanishad. Baba then asked him what is his difficulty was Das Ganu explained

the difficulty and enthusiastically looked forward to Baba's assistance; but

Baba, psychoanalyst and adroit artist that He was, cooly told Das Gunu that

his doubt would be resolved by the maid-servant of Kaka Dixit at Vile-Parle,

when he would go there. And true to the letter of Baba's words, whilst

washing early morning Kaka's household utensils the maid-servant, of tender

age, was heard singing a tune which brought a wisp of fresh air, opening the

portals of Das Ganu's befuddled mind and the difficulty was resolved. The

point at stake was "how human happiness or sorrow arose". Did it depend on

external environments or was it embedded in the human mind itself? The ditty

sung by the maid-servant who was seen to be dressed in tattered clothes,

came out of the fullness of her heart. In other words, happiness or misery

is a vritti (modification) of the mind and did not depend on the external

conditions impinging on the mind. It is truly said that "mind is its own

place and it can make in it a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven".

 

(to be contd...)

By R. S. Gavankar

Bombay-400052

 

 

 

 

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