I bow down to Shri GANESH.
Oh, MAYURESHWARA, you are
the one on whom we depend,
Oh, Son of GAURI, the all-knowing,
Oh, You inconceivable one,
You with an immeasurable
belly,
Protect me, oh, Shri GANAPATI
You are the first and foremost
of all Ganas
and of all the deities;
Therefore, you are called
“GANESH”
You are acknowledged by
all the “SHASTRAS” [sacred books];
You of sacred countenance,
oh, BHALACHANDRA!
Oh, SHARADA, Goddess of
Speech!
You are the mistress of
the realm of words;
Because of your existence,
All worldly transactions
are carried on.
You are the deity revered
by all authors;
You are eternally the pride
of this nation;
Your infinite power prevails
everywhere.
I bow to you, JAGADAMBE.
You are the Supreme Spirit
and beloved of the saints!
Incarnation in human form
of PANDHARIRAYA
You are the ocean of kindness
and infinite compassion;
Oh Panduranga Narahari!
You, who control the world
like a puppeteer with his strings,
You are omnipresent;
All the sciences and sacred
books are still delving
To plumb the essence of
your nature.
Those who are pedagogues,
To them, you are not revealed,
oh CHAKRAPANI;
All those foolish people
Only indulge in the jugglery
of words.
Only the saints understand
you
Others remain baffled.
To you, my obeisance,
Respectful and with my
whole body
prostrate in veneration
before you.
Oh, You, five - headed SHANKRA,
Oh, You, wearer of garland
of skulls,
Oh, You, blue - throated
DIGAMBARA
Oh, You, BRAHMARUPA PASHUPATI!
One who receits your name
all the time,
His worldly adversities
are immediately dissolved
Such is, oh DHURJATI,
The power of your name.
With obeisance at your feet,
I am writing this paean
of praise;
Help me always to complete
this mission,
Oh, you, NILAKNTHA - the
blue - throated one!
Now, let me bow to the son
of Arti [DATTATREYA],
To the family deity of
Indira (VISHNU)
To Tukaram and all other
saints;
So, also, to all the devotees.
Hail, Hail to you, Sainath,
Redeemer of sinners and
merciful one!
I lay my head down at your
feet;
Now give me your protection.
You are the whole world,
the abode of bliss;
You, yourself, are Vishnu,
the paragaon among men;
One whose wife is Uma!
You are also that enemy
of Cupid.
You are God in human form!
You are the sun in the
sky of knowledge!
You are the ocean of kindness!
You are the anti-dote for
worldly maladies!
You are the CHINTAMANI of
the poor and the down-trodden!
You are the divine purifer
(Ganges river) for your devotees!
You are the raft for those
drowning in worldliness!
You are the refuge of the
timid.
You are the very cause of
this creation!
That which is pure CHAITANYA!
You are that Oh, very treasure
of compassion;
The universe is only one
of your LEELAS.
You are not born!
Death also does not affect
you!
This is the final conclusion
Which one arrives at, after
thoughtful search.
Birth and death,
These concepts are born
of ignorance!
From both you are free
Oh, Lord, of course!
If water appears as a spring,
Does it imply that its
source is there?
It existed already, full
and flush,
Merely sprang up from within
the earth.
Water that springs up in
a hollow
Is, therefore, so described
or named;
A "spring" becomes its
proper name.
Without the water, it is
only a hollow.
To spring up and to dry
up and disappear,
This is not the nature
of water;
Because the water of the
spring
Has no importance for the
hollow it fills.
It is only the hollow that
is mistakenly proud
Of itself, rather than
the water that filled it.
Therefore, when the water
dries up
The hollow becomes impoverished.
The human body is really
like the hollow water bed;
The spirit (pure energy)
is like the pure clean water of the spring;
Although there are innumerable
such hollows
The essence is the same
in everyone.
Until now, who are without
a beginning,
I say to you, merciful
one,
To destroy the mountain
of ignorance
Please become the thunderbolt
of Indra!
Until now, such hollow (beings)
Have existed in large numbers,
on this earth.
Many more exist even now,
And, in the future, as
time goes by, many more will come.
Each such hollow (being)
Is given a separate and
different name and appearnce;
That is how, in this world,
They are identified.
Therefore, to distinguish
that spirit
In terms of “you and me”
is not proper;
Because, as there is no
duality
That itself is most surely,
the Spirit
And, since the Spirit
Truly encompasses the whole
world,
Then, the "you and me"
the duality concept,
How can it possibly be
entertained?
Water latent in the clouds
Is all the same;
But when it descends upon
the earth,
It assumes different forms.
That which falls in the
Godavari bed
Is known as the (sacred)
River Godavari;
That which falls into a
well
Does not have the same
worthiness or prestige.
Saints are the river Godavari,
And, you are the water
in it
We are the puddles, wells
and lakes;
That is the difference
between us.
For the fulfilments of our
lives
We must surrender to you,
Always, with folded hands,
Because you are the embodiment
of piety.
It is due to its water -
bed
That the waters of Godavari
have become holy;
Considered merely as water,
It’s the same everywhere.
The bed of Godavari
That is considered as truly
sacred,
Owes all its sanctity
To the quality of the land
through which it flows
The water latent in the
clouds
Does not alter that part
of the earth on which it falls;
Yet, that very part of
the earth,
Is called Godavari (or
pure) by the scholars
of the sacred books.
Where the water has fallen
elsewhere,
It has acquired the qualities
of the soil on those places;
Contaminated, bitter, salty
it becomes
Though originally sweet.
Same is the case with you,
oh, GURURAYA,
In whom there is no impurity
of the six vices,
To that holy form
This title, “Saint” is
befitting.
Therefore saints are Godavari
So full of grace;
Amongst all the beings
Your place is the highest!
From the beginning of creation
Godavari has been in existence;
It has been full of water
And it has never lacked
it till today.
Look, the enemy of RAVAN
Came to the banks of the
Godavari
But it’s water has flowd
And the water at present
is not the same as old water.
The bed alone remains the
same,
The water have flowed into
the ocean,
The sancity is eternal
Of the river - bed, to
this day.
Each year,
The old waters go and the
new
Flow into the river bed;
It’s the law, as you know.
A century is like a year.
The sages of that century
Are like the flowing waters
While the great souls are
like the waves on the water.
Of these saints who are
like Godavari,
In the early centuries,
There was a great flood
Of SANAT - SANAK - SANANDAN.
Followed by NARADA and TUMBER
DHURVA, PRAHLAD, powerful
king BALI,
SHABARi, ANGAD, VAYUKUMAR,
VIDUR, GOPE - GOPIKA.
Thus, many came the present
time
In each of the centuries
of the past;
The floods came repeatedly,
Which I am unable to recount.
In this present century,
The sacred Godavari
Has for certain flooded
this land
In your form, Oh, Sainath!
Therefore at your divine
feet
I make obeisance;
Maharaj, of my faults
Take no notice, I plead.
I am a poor, wretched, ignorant
man,
The greatest of sinners;
Ridden with vices,
But do not cast me off!
The inherent defects of
iron
Are ignored by "parisa"
The small streams of the
village, Lendi and ohol
Are not rejected by the
Godavari.
I am full of vices within.
By your merciful glance,
Do, do quickly destroy
them.
This, only, is the plea
of "DAS"
If after coming in contact
with the “parisa”!
The iron’s inherent defects
Do not change, GURUVARA,
Then, it is to the discredit
of the “parisa”!
Don’t let me be a sinner
Don’t belittle yourself,
Look, you are ‘parisa’,
I am the iron;
My discharge is your concern
too.
A child always commits
mistakes,
But a mother does not scold;
Remembering this,
Grant me your grace.
Oh, Sadguru Sainath,
You are my "KAPATURU"!
You are the means for crossing
this worldly ocean,
you alone are so - undoubtedly.
You are "KAMDHENU"!
You are "CHINTAMANI"!
You are the sun in the
sky of knowledga,
You are great mine of virtues!
Oh, you are the ladder
to heaven!
Oh, pious, purest one,
Oh, embodiment of peace
and bliss,
Oh, the Supreme Self,
Oh, the non-dual one, the
ocean of knowledge;
Oh, incarnation of the
Supreme wisdom, the best among men,
Oh, abode of forgiveness
and peace,
Oh, refuge of devotees,
Bless me, bless me!
You are the Sadguru MACHINDER
You are the Mahatama JALANDER,
You are NIVRATINATH, DNYANESHWAR,
KABIR, SHEIKH MOHAMMED,
EKNATH, you are.
You are BODHLA You are
SAVATAMALI,
You are truly RAMDAS,
You are TUKARAM, Sainath,
You are SAKHA You are MANIKPRABHU
Your present manifestation,
And your manifold nature
are really difficult to
understand!
The knowledge about your
caste and creed
You do not reveal to anybody.
Some say you are a Muslim,
Some say you are Brahmin,
Thus like Krushana,
You too, are inscrutable!
Having observed SHREE KRISHNA,
Different people called
him by various names.
Some call him ‘YADU BUHSAN’
Some call him a cowherd.
YASHODA called him a darling,
KANSA called him a great
evil,
UDDHAV called him beloved,
ARJUN called him Omniscient.
Thus, oh GURUVARA, To you
According to each person’s
conclusion
Based on his mental attitude,
Names are give, by them.
The masjid being your dwelling,
And your ears not being
pierced,
Nothing your offering the
‘FATEHA’
To call you a Muslim is
logical!
Similarly, considering the
worship of fire,
As done by you, Lord of
Mercy,
My own conclusion is
That you are a Hindu!
But these superficial differences
Would interest only pedagogues;
But for those devotees
desirous of knowledge
They are of no consequences.
You are BRAHMA Itself!
Caste and creed have no
relevance to you;
You are the Guru Supreme!
You are the creator of
this world!
There was Hindu - Muslim
rivalry;
Therfore to bring about
unity and amity,
The masjid and the fire
worship were embraced by you,
To show your “leela” to
the devotees.
You are beyond caste and
greed,
You are Brahman, the essance
of Truth;
You are That, verily,
You are beyond human conception!
Giving free rein to surmises
and conjectures,
Arguments have flourished
about you.
There, my insignificant
Words, how will they prevail?
But when I behold you,
I cannot remain silent;
Because, for encomium,
words
Are normally the only means.
Therefore, by means of words,
Whtaever description is
possible,
That I will always proffer,
With your grace.
Saints, I reckon
Higher than gods;
For distinctions such as
mine and thine
Find not a place in their
proximity.
HIRANYAKASHAPU and RAVANA
Were killed because of
their hatred of god;
Such a deed ha never been
done by saints.
GOPICHAND, IN the heap of
garbage,
Buried JALANDARA;
But that sage
Had no rancour for that
act.
On the contrary, the king
was delivered
from the material world
And was immortalised;
Such is the prowess of
the saints,
It is indescribable!
Saints are the Sun,
Their grace is illuminating;
Saints are as pleasing
as the moon,
Their benignness is as
gentle as moonlight.
Saints, are the soothing
musk,
Their blessing are like
it’s fragrance,
Saints are the juicy sugarcane,
Their blessings are like
its sweetness.
Saints, towards the good
and the bad,
Are the same, definitely.
On the contrary, their
love for the sinners
Is immeasurable.
In the waters of the Godavari,
Only the soiled clothes
come to be cleaned;
The clean ones;in a trunk,
Remain far from the Godavari
banks.
Even that which remained
in the trunk,
came once,
To be cleaned throughly
On the Godavari banks.
The "DARSHAN" of your feet
Is like a bath in the Godavari;
Wash away my sins.
Oh, Samarth, and purify
me!
We worldly people
Gather layers of impurities
again and again;
Therefore, we are the right
people
For the “DARSHAN” of saints.
In the abundant waters of
the Godavari
Comes the wash, to be cleansed
at the GHATS;
If, it is really left unattended,
Then, it is a discredit
to the Godavari!
You are the cool, shady
tree, with abundent foliage;
We are the travellers,
really,
Suffering from the scorching
sun-rays
Of the three-fold calamities
of Life.
From the blazing heat, oh
compassionate one,
Protect us, Oh GURURAYA.
The benign grace of your
cool shade
Is extraordinary!
Sitting under a tree,
If one feels the heat of
the sun,
Then, who will call that
tree
The shade-giving tree?
Look, without your grace
Nothing can be right in
the world;
SHESHSHAYEE befriended
ARJUNA,
To uphold the right.
Due to the kindness of SUGRIV,
BIBHISHANA
Came in contact with King
RAM,
It is due to the saints,
That Shri Hari is thus
glorified.
BRAHMAN, being formless,
VEDAS cannot describe it.
Be endowing it with forms,
The saints have reduced
the importance of the formless!
VAIKUNTHAPATI, husband of
RUKMINI,
was made a “mahar” by DAMAJI;
TO PICK UP CORPSES OF BUFFALOES
CHOKHAMELA made JAGAD-ATMA
(God) slog.
Knowing the prowess of saints,
Jagjivan laboured by carrying
water.
Saints have truly lorded,
Over God Himself, who is
Eternal Truth
- Knowledge - Bliss.
There is no need to speak
more.
You are our mother and
our father,
Oh, Sadguru Sainath,
Dweller of Shirdi village.
Baba, Your "LEELAS"
No one can comprehend;
Then, my plebain speech
How can it do justice,
tell me?
To save the sinners,
You came to Shirdi;
Pouring water into earthen
lamps,
You made them burn.
The wooden plank of absurdly
small measures
You turned into your bed,
truly;
Thereby displaying to the
devotees
Your amazing yogic powers!
The barrenness of many women
You have completely dispelled;
The disease of many
You have cured with the
"Udi"!
TO ward off worldly difficulties
Is not impossible for you.
The weight of an ant,
Does the elephant consider
as a burden?
So be it, GURURAYA,
Have mercy on the humble
one.
I surrender at your feet,
Do not turn me away.
You are the king of kings,
You are richer than KUBER
himself,
You are the Healer par
excellence,
No one is superior to you!
For the worship of other
deities.
The ritual is as prescribed.
But, for your worship,
There is nothing worthy
of you!
Look, in the realm of the
sun,
The festival of DEEPAVALI
has come;
But to celebrate it,
what should be the means?
To quench the ocean’s
Thirst, adequate water
cannot be found on earth;
To warm the fire
From where will the heat
be found?
All articles needed for
the worship
Are filled with your essence;
From the beginning, they
are part of you,
Oh, SHREESAMARTHA GURURAYA!
All my talk is a philosophical
statement,
For I have not experienced
its truth.
I have spoken without experience,
A meaningless maze of words.
If ritualistic worship
Of You, is to be performed
by me,
To do that, I Have no wherewithals,
My SAMARATHA GURURAYA!
Mostly with the help of
my imagination only
Will I worship you.
That worship itself, oh,
compassionate one,
Do accept from this slave.
Now with my tears
I bathe your feet;
The sandlewood of true
devotion
I make into paste and apply.
The long tunic ("KAFNI")
of these ornamental words.
I place on you, sincerely;
This garland of adoration,
I place round your neck.
The incense of vileness
I burn before You, truly;
Though it is of impure
composition
Even then, there will be
no foul-odour from it.
Elsewhere, than before the
Sadguru,
If incense is burnt,
What happens to that incense
Is like this
When the incense is put
on the fire,
The moment it actually
touches it
The fragrance from the
incense
Leaves it instantly.
Before you, it’s contrary;
The impurities burn away
in the fire,
The good remains for ever
For the world to see.
Once the vileness of the
mind is burnt away,
The mind will become purer;
Once the Ganga’s impurity
is gone,
Then it is holy, naturally
The light of temptations
I kindle, most truly,
From which, may the lusture
of asceticism
Be granted to me, oh GURUVARA!
The throne of pure faith
I offer you as a seat;
On receiving it
Accept the offering ("naivedya")
of devotion.
You partake the offerings
of devotion,
Give me the essence;
Because I am your child
I have a claim on your
milk.
My mind is my monetary offering
("DAKSHINA")
That I offer to you;
Therefore, the credit or
discredit of any action
Will no longer be mine.
Now most humbly and devotedly
I do abeisance to you;
Please accept it,
Oh divine Sainath!
Possessing peaceful mind,
and wisdom supreme,
Sainath, the compassionate,
You are ocean of kindness,
truth incarnate,
And destroyer of the darkness
of ignorance!
The sage, beyond caste
and greed you are,
Beyond comprehension, compassion
incarnate;
Protect me, protect me,
Oh, Sainath of Shirdi!
You are the sun of Divine
knowledge
The bestower of choicest
blessings;
Oh, fabled HAMSA of the
minds of the devotees,
Protector you are of those
who surrender to you.
You are BRAHMADEV, creator
of the world;
You, the sustainer of the
world, VISHNU;
The destroyer of the three
worlds,
You are that very RUDRA!
There is no place on this
earth,
where you are not.
Omniscient, oh you Sainath,
You dwell in all our hearts.
Forgive us all our sins
I implore you!
And those weaves of doubts
and delusions,
Repel instantly.
You are cow, I the calf
You are moon, I the stone
melted by its light;
At your feet, which are
like the Ganges,
Respectfully the slave
(DAS) bows down!
Place on my head
Your hand and bless me,
oh Lord!
Wars off my sorrow and
worry
For this GANU is your servant.
With this eight-fold prayer
I prostrate myself before;
My sins (demerits), suffering
and poverty
Ward off immediately.
You are the cow and I the
calf;
You are the mother and
I the child;
Do not harbour
Any harsh feelings towards
me.
You are the sandlewood from
Malagiri;
I’m a thorny shrub.
You are the life giving
waters of Godavari,
I, the greatest sinners.
If after having your “DARSHAN”
The impurities of my wicked
mind remains
Unchanged, GURURAYA,
Who will then call you
sandlewood?
The proximity of must (“KAASTURI”)
makes even the dust more
valuable;
The fragrance of flowers
is transmitted
To the thread which ties
the garlands.
This is the way of the great.
Whosoever they come in
touch with,
To him they impart
A part of their greatness.
Sacred ashes, join cloth
and the bull,
SHIVA made symbolic parts
of himself;
Therefore, these objects
Are praised in all quarters.
For the amusement of the
cowherds,
At Vrindavan, on the banks
of the Yamuna,
The lord of the World played
“DAHI-KALA”
That too has earned recognition
from wise men.
Similarly, I am a sinner,
But, I am under your protection;
Will you not redeem me,
Oh, GURURAYA,
From my sinful state?
Worldly or spiritual,
In whatever objects I seek
satisfaction,
I have no doubt, O GURURAYA,
That you will grant me
these.
With your grace,
Control my mind;
If the oceans are sweetened
There is no fear of their
being salty.
To make the oceans sweet
Truly you have the powers.
Therefore, this supplication
of Dasganu,
Please concede.
Whatever my shortcomings,
They are all your!
You are the foremost among
the spiritual masters,
So do not stint while giving.
Now, why should I speak
more?
You are my only refuge.
The child held in the mother’s
arms,
Is naturally without fear.
So be it. This hymn of praise,
Whosoever read with love,
Their desires
Fulfil, O Lord.
Your blessing for this hymn
I entrest.
May the difficulties of
he who recites this sincerely,
Be warded off within a
Year.
After performing all ablutions,
Should this hymn, be recited
regularly,
With a pure and sincere
feeling
In your heart.
If this be not possible
Then on every “Ekadasi”
This hymn should be read
To realize the beneficial
effect.
One who recites this, with
faith
Will ultimately progress
spiritually by the Grace of GURU,
Who will satiate the material
desires readily,
And thereby deliver him
from their bondage.
With repeated recitations
of this hymn,
Dull wits will be sharpened.
And, if perchance, someone’s
life is short,
Then, by recitation; he
will live upto a hundred years!
Where wealth is wanting,
KUBER, the Lord of wealth
himself will come to stay,
Oh reading this hymn.
This is the Truth, and
so it shall be.
To the childless, children
will be born
On reciting this hymn.
And the ailment of one
who recites this hymn
Will be dispelled in all
directions.
Fear and worry will disappear,
Prestige will increase.
He will realise the imperishable
BRAHMAN
With the regular recitation
of this hymn.
Regarding this hymn, Oh
wise ones,
Have faith in your hearts
Above the efficacy of this
hymn;
And give no place
To doubts and misconceptions.
Go on pilgrimage to Shirdi,
Concentrate on the lotus
feet of Baba,
Who is the succour of the
poor and the meek,
The wish-fulfilling tree
for the devotees!
It was because of the inspiration
received from Him
That this hymn has been
composed.
How else could an insignificant
ignorant one, like me,
Have written it?
In Shake 1840
In the bright half of th
BHADRAPAD month,
On GANESH-CHATURTHI day,
Monday, in the second ‘PRAHAR’,
This humble tribute of praise
to Shri Sainath,
Was completed at Maheshwaram
By the sacred bank of the
Narmada
Near Shri Ahilya Devi’s
SAMADHI.
At Maheshwara, the famous
TIRTHA,
The hymn was completed.
Shri Sai nath made me utter
every word
By becoming part of my
mind.
The disciple Damodar
Became the scribe truly,
I Das, Ganu, Am only an
obedient servent
Of all the saints and sages.
Peace be with you! May this
humble tribute
of praise to Shri Sainath
Help you cross the worldly
ocean.
This is the prayer, with
faith and respect
Of Das Ganu, to Shri Panduranga.
Let this be offered to Shri
Hari-Hara!
Bless us, O Lord!
PUNDALIK VARDA (fulfiller
of wishes) HARI-VITHAL!
I recall sitakanta! Hail
Hail Rama
Parvati-pate Har-Har Mahadev!
Hail to Shri Sadguru Sainath
Maharaj!
Shri Sadguru Sainath, I
offer this to you
Bless us, O Lord!