THE GLORIOUS CULTURE TRADITIONS OF INDIA

       Culture is the very soul of a country. Simply immeasurable is the greatness of Indian culture. The customs and traditions of India, which have been there in our society from time immemorial, have a highly philosophical and scientific basis. Some of the major customs are as follows:

NAMASKARA: 

THE GATEWAY TO DIVINE LIFE

Namaskara is an invaluable gem of Indian culture. Namaskara means Namana (bowing), Vandana (adoration) or Pranama (salutation). In Indian culture, Namaskara has a unique place of significance. In western culture people greet each other by shaking hands. While, in Indian culture, there is the ancient tradition of saluting each other by joining both one's hands and bowing the head to the other. This is called Namaskara. Namaskara has various motives and meanings. 

Namaskara is an excellent practice. When you bow with folded hands before an elder, parents, saints or learned men -your ego melts, and your heart is purified. You happen to shed your ego and become simple and pious within. When you bow in Namaskara, you perform one Yoga Mudra as well.

In Namaskara., you join both your hands and touch the fingers to your forehead. Your eyes are half-closed with both the hands folded and resting on the chest near the heart. This posture gives you control over your thoughts, restrains your tendencies and reduces your arrogance. You surrender yourself into the hands of faith, and in return you gain other peoples' confidence. This posture enables you to be one with all creation; all notions of duality disappear.

A man of humility is loved by all. The act of showing respect is as cool and soothing as the sandalwood. It brings peace, happiness and a sense of contentment to both. Only by becoming thinner and lighter than even air, i.e. by shedding the weight of the ego, can we become truly great, and it is Namaskara which helps us to accomplish just that.

When our ego bows down before a 'competent' person through Namaskara, it gives rise to a sense of self-surrender as well.

The importance of Namaskara has been recognised in all religions. Christians bow their heads with their hands on the chest. Buddhists too bow their heads. In Jain religion as well, salutation involves bowing of the head, but Namaskara of our Vedic religion issimply unique. Both hands join together to form a closed circuit which stops the aura and life force from escaping. This kind of salutation is much more beneficial than shaking hands with each other, which actually causes loss of life force; and if one person has some infectious disease, the other person may become affected too.

TILAKA: 

INCREASES INTELLECTUAL &.SPIRITUAL POWER

On the forehead between the eyebrows is the centre of discrimination and power. Yogis call this centre 'ajna chakra' i.e. the centre of dominion. It is also called the ' shivanetra' or the 'centre of auspicious thoughts'. Atilaka of sandalwood paste or vermillion on this spot helps promote the power of discrimination-(right thinking) or the ajnashakti. Therefore, in Hindu religion, a tilaka is applied on the forehead before the performance of some auspicious rite. Women predominantly live in the world of emotions and implicit faith. Hence, in order to enhance their judgement, the rishis instituted this tradition of applying tilaka for women. Most women's minds remain in svadhisthana and manipura centres. These centres are associated with fear, emotions and imagination. The rishis have instructed that women should constantly keep a tilaka applied on their foreheads so that they are not carried away by these emotions and imaginations, and their shivanetra, the centre of thoughts or judgement, is developed. There have been several great women like Gargi, Shandili and Anasuya, to name just a few, in the Hindu religion. A woman represents a great source of power -the 'Mother-Power' -which gives birth to brave heroes, great men, great thinkers and even saints who have the ability to lead people to God-realization.This Mother-Power is today being prohibited from applying tilaka to their foreheads by some schools in India. How long will the Indians continue to tolerate such oppression? How long will the Indians go on falling prey to such conspiracies after all?

 

Shri Sainath Stavan Manjari
A Humble tribute of praise to Shri Sainath

History of Shri Sai Nath Stavan Manjari and its Author Shri DasGanu Maharaj
Das Ganu Maharaj is the spark behind Sai movement in Maharastra. He travelled to every small towns and villages in Maharastra singing kirtans about saints Turkaram, Gnanadev keeping a portrait painting of our Shirdi Sai Baba . Whenever the listen asks about the saint in the portrait, Das Ganu will tell them about the greatness of our Sainath and request them to go to Shirdi and have darshan of Shridi Sai Baba.
Much of the literature we get to read today had been written in times of Sai Baba with His permission and thus we have received first hand treasure of literature and hymns from Sai Baba Himself. Such treasure is very much powerful and reciting and reading it will make one closer to Sai Baba. At Sai Baba's divine order, we have such literature available and only making full use of it with great love and devotion is only demanded from us.

In that book it was said that Dasaganu maharaj wrote that book just before 36 days of Baba's Maha Samadhi. In that he mentioned that whoever do parayana of this book daily with Sradha and Bakthi their all wishes will be fulfilled by Shirdi Sai Baba.
After he completed writing the "Stavana Manjari" he read that before Baba in which he wrote in phalasruthi (results that come after reading that stavana manjari) whoever read this Stavana Manjari all their problems will be solved, poor people will become rich, and those who are looking for children will be blessed with children and many more.... "
On hearing this baba himself agreed by nodding his head and saying, "Yes they will be blessed with those results. The very good thing in this Stavana Manjari is - there are no rules for reading this book. Anybody can read this at any time - either in day time or night time but with full sradha and bakthi.

Das Ganu first meet Baba with Nana Saheb Chandorkar in 1890. Das Ganu retired from Government service at the advice of Baba, and Baba advised him to settle down in Nanded. He used to do perform Kirtan, His wife died in 1919 leaving him childless leaving him unfettered to pursue his path as a Kirtankar. He had adopted a son and named him as Damodar.
Besides Kirtankar Das Ganu wrote several books, Santakathamrita (1903), Bhakta Leelamrita (1906), Bhakta Saramrita (1925). Several compositions of Das Ganu are embodied in the Shirdi Arati.
“The Shri Sainath Stavanamanjari” or “A Humble Tribute to Shri Sainath” was one of Das Ganus Compositions, completed on 9th September 1918 at Maheshwar, near Indore, on the banks of Narmada just Thirty Seven days before Baba took Samadhi on 15 October 1918.

The theme of this Hym of Praise of one hundred and sixty four slokas is very simple ones. After invoking Ganesh and other deities the tribute to Baba starts subtly in the fifth slokha without naming Him but calling Him Vishnu and Shankar. Baba is named only in the 13th slokha.
The persistent plea of Das Ganu to Baba is to cleanse him of His sins and to help him and all devotees to overcome their worldly and spiritual difficulties. Baba is compared to the imaginary stone parees which can turn iron into gold.

Das Ganu Maharaj attained Samadhi in 1963 on Karthika Ekadasi at the age of 95. His Samadhi is at Gortha. Shri Das Ganu Maharaj has set up a very modest Ashram in a small but a very beautiful village called Gorate, dist. Nanded of Maharashlra State.

HISTORY OF THE POET SAINT SHRI DAS GANU MAHARAJ
Long long ago there lived a notorious dacoit who by the Grace of the Lord was converted into a famous poet. He composed the saga of the Ramayan even before the advent of Lord Rama on this planet. In this era a policeman was converted into a famous poet by Lord Baba's divine Grace. This poet saint not only composed the biographies of various saints but also became a cause to spell out the name of the Avatar to come. Of course, Shri Das Ganu Maharaj does not any introduction to the millions of Sai devotees all around the world. They have been reading his name in almost every chapter of the Shri Sai Sat Charita. They know several episodes from Baba's life connected with him. We do crave to know more about him. Maralhi devotees can read his biography written by Shri Athavale Swami.

Das Ganu's ancestors - Sahastrabuddhcs were the village chiefs of Kotawade in Ratnagiri district in Konkan. Konkan in general and Ratnagiri district in particular have produced a number of dignitories in India. Maharaj, in one of his poems has said that the Giri (mountain) that gives birth to Ratnas (gems) is Ratnagiri. Sahastrabuddh.es were well to do people. The ancestors of famous Peshwa knights Patwardhans were, then, in their service. Patwardhans moved out of Konkan and with their gallantry, dedication and hard work earned the knighthood in the darbar of the Peshwas. Remembering the past relations, Patwardhans urged the hard working men from the Sahastrabuddhe family to join them. These men also earned fame in the Maratha Empire. They settled down in a place called Karkamb.
When British came to power in India, most of the States were merged in their Empire and the knights lost their importance. The great grandfather of Das Ganu Maharaj - Shri Appaji Narayan Sahastrabuddhe moved to Ahmednagar from Karkamb. He served as a Tahasildar and after retirement, became a Sanyasin and went lo Kashi to leave his body at the feet of Lord Vishweshwar. His son - Shri Eknathpant, worked very hard and made a very good name for the family. His fourth son Shri Dattatreya was the father of Das Ganu Maharaj. Dattopant was not a keen student. He neither bothered to take good education nor did he try to get a government job. He stayed back in his family house and looked after the family farms and property. He was very much interested in music. He was always surrounded by a number of music lovers. He did not pay much attention to his business. He was married to Smt. Savilribai. The bride was from a royal family of Akolner. She was a very well cultured, intelligent, disciplined and pious lady. Since her husband was a happy go lucky type of a person, she spent most of her time in devotion.
In the year 1867, she gave birth to our Maharaj. After the nativity, the child would not suckle the mother and started weeping continuously. Doctors and Vaidyas were invited but in vein. The child's grandmother prayed to Lord Khandoba with tears in her eyes. These fervent prayers were answered and the child stopped crying and suckled the mother.
The child was named Narayan in Akolner but when it was taken to Nagar, his grandfather saw his big belly, big ears and a Siva Lingam type projection on his temple. randfather spontaneously named the child Ganesh. Baba later started calling him Ganu.

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