{"id":1221,"date":"2026-09-20T16:18:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T15:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/?page_id=1221"},"modified":"2026-09-20T16:18:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T15:18:45","slug":"life-of-sai-baba-volume-3-chapter-10-sri-narayan-ashram-sannyasi-of-wai","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/life-of-sai-baba-volume-3-chapter-10-sri-narayan-ashram-sannyasi-of-wai\/","title":{"rendered":"Life of Sai Baba \u2014 Volume 3, Chapter 10: Sri Narayan Ashram, Sannyasi of Wai"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.ap-story-page{--ap-ink:#17324d;--ap-muted:#49657e;--ap-teal:#08736e;--ap-line:#dde7ea;--ap-soft:#eef8f6;color:var(--ap-ink);font-family:Inter,system-ui,sans-serif;line-height:1.7}.ap-story-wrap{max-width:1060px;margin:0 auto;padding:8px 0 54px}.ap-story-kicker{color:var(--ap-teal);font-size:.78rem;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase}.ap-story-dek{max-width:780px;color:var(--ap-muted);font-size:1.2rem;margin:.45rem 0 1rem}.ap-story-subtitle{font-size:1.05rem;color:var(--ap-muted);margin:0 0 18px}.ap-story-grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) 300px;gap:34px;margin-top:28px}.ap-story-main,.ap-story-card{background:#fff;border:1px solid var(--ap-line);border-radius:12px}.ap-story-main{padding:clamp(22px,4vw,46px);box-shadow:0 12px 28px rgba(16,52,80,.05)}.ap-story-main h2{font-size:1.8rem;margin-top:0}.ap-story-main h3{font-size:1.25rem;margin-top:2rem}.ap-story-main p{margin:0 0 1rem}.ap-story-main p:first-of-type:first-letter{float:left;font-size:4rem;line-height:.8;padding:.1rem .5rem 0 0;color:var(--ap-teal)}.ap-story-aside{display:grid;gap:16px}.ap-story-card{padding:20px}.ap-story-card h2{font-size:.8rem;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--ap-teal);margin:0 0 .7rem}.ap-story-card p{margin:.45rem 0}.ap-story-card a{color:var(--ap-teal);font-weight:700}.ap-story-source{background:#fbfcfc}.ap-story-teaching{background:var(--ap-soft);border-left:4px solid var(--ap-teal)}.ap-story-tag{display:inline-block;border-radius:999px;padding:4px 10px;margin:4px 4px 0 0;background:#e8f4f2;color:var(--ap-teal);font-size:.82rem}.ap-story-note{border-top:1px solid var(--ap-line);margin-top:24px;padding-top:16px;color:var(--ap-muted);font-size:.86rem}.ap-story-nav{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:12px;margin-top:24px;padding-top:18px;border-top:1px solid var(--ap-line)}@media(max-width:760px){.ap-story-grid{grid-template-columns:1fr}.ap-story-nav{display:grid}}<\/style>\n<section class=\"ap-story-page\">\n<div class=\"ap-story-wrap\">\n<div class=\"ap-story-kicker\">Chapter 10 \u00b7 Life of Sai Baba \u00b7 Volume 3<\/div>\n<p class=\"ap-story-dek\">Sri Narayan Ashram, Sannyasi of Wai<\/p>\n<p class=\"ap-story-subtitle\">From Das Ganu\u2019s kirtan to sannyasa: a devotee\u2019s experience of Baba\u2019s silent teaching.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"ap-story-tag\">Sai Baba<\/span><span class=\"ap-story-tag\">Devotee experience<\/span><span class=\"ap-story-tag\">Volume 3<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ap-story-grid\">\n<article class=\"ap-story-main\">\n<h2>The chapter<\/h2>\n<p>In 1910 Mr. Toser, later known as Sri Narayan Ashram, heard Das Ganu Maharaj\u2019s kirtan and asked whether Sai Baba was still living. Das Ganu told him that Baba was at Shirdi. Within five days Toser went there and fell at Baba\u2019s feet. His attachment was immediate: he visited Shirdi nine times in six months and continued to return in later years.<\/p>\n<p>Until 1918 Toser remained under Baba\u2019s influence. Afterwards he believed Baba had placed him in the spiritual care of Vasudevananda Saraswathi of Gurudeswara near Nanded. In 1931 he received sannyasa diksha at Kasi from Vedasrama Swamy. He did not describe this as Baba ordering him to renounce; he said the movement toward sannyasa arose within him through the influences and \u201cstepping stones\u201d Baba had provided.<\/p>\n<p>Narayan Ashram explains that Baba dealt differently with different people. Sometimes Baba touched a devotee\u2019s head, sometimes pressed it, patted the back or worked inwardly without touch or speech. Toser\u2019s own decisive experience came when Baba conveyed, without words, that differences between souls were unreal and that the one reality beneath them was Divine.<\/p>\n<p>He also experienced long periods of inner bliss, both in the Masjid and while sitting away in Sathe Wada. For him physical distance did not end Baba\u2019s influence. He regarded the Guru as a medium who gives the first push, after which the disciple must rise through his own effort. This continuing bliss and the recognition of unity led him to describe Baba as Satchitananda.<\/p>\n<h2>What this account invites us to reflect on<\/h2>\n<p>Narayan Ashram\u2019s story is told through actual stages\u2014hearing Das Ganu, reaching Shirdi, receiving an inward experience, coming under other spiritual guidance and taking sannyasa. Baba\u2019s teaching works through direct contact, silence and the freedom to continue the work oneself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ap-story-note\"><strong>Editorial note:<\/strong> This page is a concise paraphrase for web presentation and does not reproduce the complete chapter. Please consult the original PDF for the full account and wording.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ap-story-nav\"><a href=\"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/life-of-sai-baba-volume-3-chapter-9-g-g-narke\/\">\u2190 Previous chapter<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/life-of-sai-baba-volume-3-chapter-11-kusa-bhav\/\">Next chapter \u2192<\/a><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<aside class=\"ap-story-aside\">\n<section class=\"ap-story-card ap-story-source\">\n<h2>Referenced source<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Life of Sai Baba<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>By <em>Sh. B. V. Narasimha Swami<\/em><br \/>Volume 3, Chapter 10: <em>Sri Narayan Ashram, Sannyasi of Wai<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/life-of-sai-baba-volume-3-10-sri-narayan-ashram-sannyasi-of-wai.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View original chapter PDF \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/life-of-sai-baba-by-sh-b-v-narasimha-swami\/\">View the complete book \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ap-story-card\">\n<h2>People and places<\/h2>\n<p><strong>People:<\/strong> Sai Baba \u00b7 Devotees<\/p>\n<p><strong>Places:<\/strong> Shirdi<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ap-story-card ap-story-teaching\">\n<h2>Related teaching<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Love, compassion and equality<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This account may be read alongside Sai Baba\u2019s teachings on faith, patience, equality, love and compassion.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/teachings-and-parables-of-sai-baba\/\">Explore teachings and parables \u2192<\/a><\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chapter 10 \u00b7 Life of Sai Baba \u00b7 Volume 3 Sri Narayan Ashram, Sannyasi of Wai From Das Ganu\u2019s kirtan to sannyasa: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1221","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1221"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1222,"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1221\/revisions\/1222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}