Shiridi Sai Baba Bhaktas - Prof G. G. NARKE

Prof  G.  G.  NARKE

 

Prof  G.  G.  NARKE., M.A.(Cal), M.Sc(Manch)

Professor of Geology & Chemistry in College of Engineering, Deccan Gymkhana, age 53, Brahmin, Poona.

  

(Narke was a learned person and could examine any matter critically. He was noted for his intellectual perspicacity and opined that Baba was operating in other worlds too, in an invisible form. He also said that Baba was frequently talking of his travels with an invisible body across great distances of space and time. Narke knew that Baba is a God and not a Satpurusha. Narke also said that Baba controlled the destinies of the departed souls.)

Ganesh Govind Narke or G.G.Narke studied M.A. in 1905 and in 1907-09 he was at Calcutta and was trained in Geological Survey Department as a scholar. He was sent in 1909 as a State Scholar from Govt. of India to Manchester where he stayed for three years till 1912 and secured M.Sc. in Geology and Mining. He came back to India in August 1912. He was the son-in-law of Booty, the staunch devotee of Baba. His wife, his mother and Booty were visiting frequently Shirdi and some times they were staying in Shirdi. They wrote to him to visit Shirdi and pay his respects to Sai Baba. He wrote back to them and informed that he would go, if Baba wanted him. Booty then approached Baba and with Baba’s permission, wrote to him that Baba wanted him to visit Shirdi. Then Narke went to Shirdi in April 1913 and paid his respects to Baba. He also observed that Baba was very kind to his wife, his mother and Booty. When Shama took Narke and introduced him for the first time to Baba. Baba replied, "You introduce him to me! I have known him for thirty generations". What wonderful knowledge of the past that Baba was having After going to Shirdi, Narke was convinced with the supernatural powers of Baba and started serving Baba just like his mother and Booty. His early surroundings were also responsible for developing his faith in Sai Baba. Booty, his father-in-law, his wife and his mother were all great devotees of Sai Baba and worshipped him as God-Incarnate. Narke was in the habit of reading Jnaneswari and other works which deal with greatness of Satpurushas.

Once at Arati time, Narke observed that Baba was angry and fumed and was cursing without any valid apparent reason. So Narke doubted whether Baba was a mad man and a thought developed in his mind. On the same day in the afternoon, when Narke was massaging Baba’s legs, Baba gently stroked Narke’s head and said, “I am not mad”. Narke was surprised at this remark and concluded that Baba knew every thought that was crossing in every mind and that he was convinced that Baba was God beyond doubt..

In the year 1916, Shirdi was under the grip of  severe plague-epidemic and the havoc it was creating. As a result of the ravaging epidemic, every body was gripped with fear of death and Narke was also afraid of fear of death. He was thinking that if he stayed in Shirdi he would have to face death. At this stage, Sai Baba called Narke and gave some money and asked him to go and bring sweetmeat from Rangarao’s shop for Prasad to Baba. In Shirdi, there were not many shops of sweetmeat and Narke knew this and was also aware of Rangarao’s shop as he was living in Shirdi for a considerable length of time. It was evening, when Narke reached the shop he saw that the shutter of the shop was half closed as Rangarao, the vendor of the shop was dead and the dead body was lying on the floor and Rangrao’s wife Sitabai was crying. Narke observed the situation and was in a fix as to what to do. He was in a dilemma that on one hand a dead body was lying in the shop and the death was due to plague and on other hand Baba had strictly asked him to get the sweets from Rangarao’s shop. Narke, being highly qualified with high analytical thinking, thought that there must be some special reason in Baba’s sending him to Rangarao’s shop. Narke picked up courage and then asked for sweetmeat from Rangrao’s wife. She pointed to the cupboard and said, “You yourself take sweetmeat from the cupboard” . Narke took the sweetmeat and kept the money aside and came to the masjid and placed the sweets on the  Holy Feet of Baba. Baba then distributed the sweetmeat among the devotees present in the masjid. Then Baba said to Narke, “Do you think that by living in Shirdi you will die and if you leave Shirdi will you be saved? This is your delusion. This masjid will save the one whose death has not come and the one whose death is definite, will die”. Thus the fear of Narke was totally destroyed by Baba in a practical way.

Narke also observed that Bhagoji Shinde, leper devotee of Baba was daily changing in the morning the bandage on the burnt hand of Baba and was also massaging daily Baba’s legs. On Baba’s instructions, the leper devotee was taking the udhi from the dhuni and was giving it as prasad to the devotees and was also putting udhi into the mouths of sick people. Even though a leper was doing all these things, no harm had happened to any devotee. All these things were known to Narke.

Once Baba told Narke in 1913 itself that Booty, his father-in-law would construct a Dagdiwada (a stone edifice) in Shirdi and that Narke would be in charge of that building. Booty actually started constructing the Butiwada from 1915 and it was completed only in 1918. As told by Baba, Narke was one of the Trustees in charge of the building.

Narke was not employed for a considerable length of time and in this background whenever he went to the masjid, Baba used to ask him on several occasions for dakshina of fifteen rupees which was a considerable amount in those days. Though Booty, his father-in-law was very rich, Narke, because of his self respect, did not ask him any single penny which Baba knew. On all occasions when Baba asked for dakshina he could not reply any thing except listening silently to Baba. Narke was a learned person and could examine matters critically. He knew that Baba was omniscient and was fully aware of his unemployment. Even then, Baba was asking for dakshina frequently. Then he thought that there must be an inner meaning behind Baba asking for dakshina of fifteen rupees every time and wanted to find out the underlying meaning. One day after picking up courage when Baba was alone in the masjid after noon meals, Narke asked Baba, “Baba, you know that I am unemployed from a long time and you ask for dakshina of fifteen rupees from me, I don’t understand the reason behind this”. Baba said, “Oh son, do you think that I need this money made of gold and silver? What will I do with such money? You read Yog Vashishta daily, so inculcate Fifteen teachings from the chapter which you are reading right now. Practise those fifteen teachings and they will help you in your good and bad times. I don’t require any material money from you.”

On one day in 1914, Baba was distributing kapnis to Thosar, Bapusaheb Jog and Vamanrao Patel because Baba knew that these devotees would take to sanyas in near future. Narke was present at that time and thought within himself, “If Baba gives me kapni, I will leave this worldly affairs at this very moment”. Narke also stretched his hand to receive kapni, but Baba spoke in sweet words, saying, “What can I do if this fakir of masjid does not allow me to give you kapni”. Baba was fully aware that asceticism was not suitable for Narke and that even if he was unhappy at that time, Baba knew that his future was going to be bright and he had a different mission to carry out.

Narke continuously tried for jobs while staying in Shirdi. He stayed in Shirdi for as long as 13 months without any job. Once it so happened that interview calls from Burma and Kolkatta came simultaneously. When enquired, Baba said, “You go to Burma-Poona”. Baba used to add suffix Poona after every city’s name which he recommended. Narke was not mentally prepared to go to Burma as well as Kolkatta, so he declined both the offers. In that way years passed away. After some time, Narke got an interview call from university of Banaras, but Baba said to him, “There is no need to go to Banaras, you go to Poona”. Narke said, “Baba, there are no colleges and universities of geology in Poona”. But he did not get any answer from Baba for his statement. However Baba was uttering Poona frequently.

In the year 1916 he returned to Shirdi after a long spell of absence and enquired on arrival who were doing what service to Baba. Narke was told Vaman Rao Patel, a qualified advocate,. was doing the service of begging food in the village on behalf of Baba and Narke felt a bit jealous and thought in his mind. "If that is so why should I not be given that work", This idea crossed in his mind but he did not express. It was then Darshan time in the masjid and Narke had no time to change his dress which was in full suit and he went in his full suit, boot, trousers, coat and hat, to the masjid. At that time Baba was requested three times for permission to send Vaman Rao Patel for begging. Suddenly Baba pointed to Narke and said "Let this man go and beg for food with that bowl to-day". He then went in full suit that day and begged food on behalf of Baba. Later for as long as four months, he went on begging at noon on behalf of Baba in his ordinary dress and he was the only person who went on begging for such a long period. . People could not understand why he was chosen for this work. But since he had that desire, Baba knew his thought in his innermost mind and gave him the opportunity of serving Baba in that way. This honour of begging for food on his behalf at noon time was reserved by Baba for a select few.

At last in the year 1917, Department of Geology was started in Poona University. Narke read the classified advertisement in the newspaper and applied for professor’s position as per Baba’s permission and was selected for the position even when tough competition was there. Then he was appointed in 1918 as Professor of Geology and Mining on a handsome salary and with the money thus earned, he purchased a bungalow and lived happily with his wife and children (four sons). Now the mystery of suffix of “Poona” in Baba’s words, was understood by Narke and he got a practical example of Baba’s all pervasiveness. Narke knew that Baba is a God and not a Satpurusha. Narke also said that Baba controlled the destinies of the departed souls.

Among all the devotees of Baba, Narke was the only person who was highly qualified and was endowed with quizzical eye and questioning mind. He was also noted for his intellectual perspicacity. He had also the opportunity of observing Baba from close quarters and understood Baba very well. He was interviewed by Narasimha Swamiji in 1936 to know about his experiences of Baba and about the nature and powers of Baba from such a highly qualified person and devotee of Baba as Narke. Narke said that Baba told him about the details of his previous four lives and that Baba told this in the masjid in the presence of several people. But all others could not understand as these details referred to Narke only but others treated it as irrelevant talk. He also said that Baba had the peculiar art of giving information esoteric to particular individuals in the midst of a group in a way that the concerned persons only would be in a position to understand it and not others. Narke told Narasimha Swamiji that Baba was operating not only in this world but also in other worlds and that he was operating in an invisible form. He also said that Baba was frequently talking of his travels with an invisible body across great distances of space and time. In the mornings, Baba used to sit near the dhuni and would often make several signs as if telling some thing to others or commanding others for certain things to do and would also say to others in the masjid to what distant places he went previous night and what he had done in those places and some of these were verified and found correct.

Those who had slept by his side either in the masjid or in the chavadi, would know that Baba’s physical body only was present in the masjid/chavadi, but he was actually operating during the nights elsewhere in an invisible form. Narke also said that Baba was controlling the destinies of departed souls. Such were the great powers of Baba which Narke understood very well and which were brought on record for the benefit of all, in the interview with Swamiji.

The compiler has written the article under Saibaba's afflatus-divine inspiration after referring to the universally available material traceable to several common sources existing everywhere containing facts, ideas and incidents about Saibaba and the compiler expresses thanks to the writers concerned in this regard. An attempt has been made in this article to collect the information about the years of happening of certain important events and  of miracles, in a chronological order but it is really difficult to know these details precisely for want of historical details in certain instances despite a serious attempt to collect them. The information compiled in this article is based on the compiler’s best knowledge gathered from several sources and the compiler has brought out the article with expressions of his own. The readers can use the material for their information/welfare at their discretion and the compiler is not responsible in any manner whatsoever in this regard. While every attempt has been made to collect the details accurately, the compiler is not responsible for the correctness of the details. 

The readers can use the material for their information / welfare at their discretion and we are not responsible in any correctness / whatsoever in this regard. The article is not meant for any commercial use. There is no copy right for this article and this article is placed in the public domain for wider publicity. Any review / comments / suggestions to improve the contents in the article are welcome for initiating any suitable rectification / modification / addition.

Om Sai Ram...