Ganika Katha, a devotee to God

Ganika literally means a prostitute or such woman who sells her body for money. We are going to read a story about Ganika, who got the God by speaking God name again and again. A women, whose life gone in fun and lust reached on such situations, where no one easily reached. This is all happened because of Nam Jap, a name which is capable of floating the stone on water, a name which is capable to turn each and every bad person to good. Let's see how this happened.

There was once a ganika who lived in the outskirts of a city. All her life she did only bad karma and never even in her dreams did bhajan kirtan (simran, meditation) for God. If someone ever asked her to do good deeds, she made fun of that person. She indulged in dirty worldly pleasures all day and never thought or believed in any good work or god name.

Time passed and age start showing her its mark on her face. She was getting older, she noticed people took less interest in her. Her profession was only for youth and there was no place for old wrinkled faces. She lost customers and as thus she started feeling dejected and also developed a lot of diseases. She was getting worried about her future and did not know what would be her end.

One day it was raining very heavily when a group of Sage, unaware of her house and her nature came in to seek refuge. These were her good karma from previous birth, which had blossomed and the reward of that she got the arrival of Sages at her doorstep. She had never done any service to holy people or good karma in her life. Though she was unaware of any good deeds but due to her past life Karmas and age change, she made her best effort for Sage service. By this time Sages also realized who she was but never expressed their feelings on her. They chose to ignore her background.

Sadhoo Jan briefly spoke of the real purpose of ones life in this world and told her about the next world. They also told her about hell and Death messengers, who punish sinners in the next world. She had heard all this many times but that particular day due to change in her nature, every word that the holy man spoke, got carved on her heart.

Before leaving, the Sages told her that they are very pleased with her services and asked her to wish for something. At this she fell at his feet and said as follows, "O Sadhu jan, I have never done anything good in my life. I have experienced all pleasures of life and have now found out that all pleasures feel good when you enjoy them but in the aftermath, they result in greater sorrow. O pious one, if you are really merciful on me at this time, then kindly grant me such boon that I may be saved from death messengers and not lose honour in the next world".

Sadhoo jan thought for a while after looking her condition, nature of work and services provide during past days that might the way of bhagti would be difficult for her but they thought an idea to get her to recite God name. They gave her their parrot and asked her to teach the parrot how to say Ram and that this will ensure her salvation in the next world. Saying this they all left.

The Ganika brought her full faith on the words of the Sadhoo and started the mission to teach this parrot to speak God name i.e. Ram. Fortunately, this parrot was a real dumb parrot. It took a lot of effort on Ganika's part to teach him how to say Ram. Some of you may not be aware that parrot is a gifted bird because it can talk like humans. But off course they don't know the meanings of what they say.

Ganika spent her days and nights teaching the parrot, how to say Ram. She would say Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram in front of the parrot and parrot would make effort to say it out but it took him long time, since it was a really dumb parrot.

Saying Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram had a mesmerizing effect on her. She could not stop saying Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Raam Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Raam Ram Ram Ram. She just went on and on saying Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram. The more she said Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram, the better she felt.

Her mann (mind) started getting purified and as her mind got purified she realized what Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram can do. Now she remembered that people who told her all her life to do good karma were right. She cried and cried and said Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram.

Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram is what she did all day after that. Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram is what she got absorbed in. Her whole body was full of pleasure by taking name and was thankful of Sages, who paid visit to her home.

Even after the parrot had learned how to say Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Raam Ram Ram Ram Ram, she could not stop saying Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram. Both the parrot and the Ganika kept saying Ram Ram Ram Ram all day.

The name shown its effect and a Ganiks turns to Saint by repeating Ram name and now she was a great Saint. Her name has been mentioned in Gurbani several times. Here is one pankiti to prove that:

Sooaa Paraavat, Ganika tari!

Sooa means parrot, Paraavat means by teaching, Ganika means that lady we are talking about above. By teaching the parrot, the Ganika swam across this ocean of life and death.

We should not forget that by repeating god name only a sinful lady can turn into saint and crossed the ocean of life and death without any fear, whereas before that she was worried about her life.

Therefore, we all should not forget the god name and keep saying that Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram!

Hari Bol!

(Source: Kulbir Singh)