Throughout life, we chase success, strength, approval, and happiness. Yet these make up only one side of the cycle of life. Joy and pain, gain and loss, praise and blame — they follow one another as naturally as night follows day.
When fortunes turn, adulation quickly gives way to criticism, and applause fades into silence. In such times, there are few who stay, and even fewer who can stand beside us through our darkest nights.
We spend much of life learning how to pursue happiness, but seldom do we learn how to hold pain. Where does one turn for support when every familiar door seems closed?
The story of Ganika, the courtesan, offers a ray of hope when the mind is surrounded by dark clouds.
The Courtesan Living Outside Town
This story, found in the Puranas and echoed in the Guru Granth Sahib, speaks of a courtesan known as Ganika, whose real name some say was Chandramani. In ancient times, ganikas were women who entertained men for a fee.
One stormy night, a wandering sadhu (holy man) was seeking shelter. Unable to find a village nearby, he saw a distant lamp glowing through the rain and followed it to a house at the edge of town.
Ganika opened the door—expecting a client, not a monk. The sadhu, drenched and calm, asked gently,
“Daughter, it is raining heavily outside. May I wait here until the storm passes?”
The Unexpected
Her heart trembled. It had been years since anyone had addressed her as “daughter.”
Many men had come to her door, but none had seen her as a human being worthy of affection or respect.
Overwhelmed, she fell to her knees.
“Baba, I am not who you think I am. I have walked far down a path where the way back home is no longer visible. My door is open only for those who seek pleasure—not purity.”
The sadhu looked at her with compassion. He knew how the world is quick to judge but slow to uplift; how it delights in reminding one of their shadows, yet rarely offers a path to light.
The Invitation
“May I come in?” he asked.
Ganika hesitated only for a moment, then welcomed him gratefully. She gave him dry clothes and lit a small fire to keep him warm.
“My food is polluted,” she said softly, “but if you don’t mind eating in the house of a sinner…”
The sadhu smiled.
“Child, it is never too late. This world is home to no one. What you are looking for – joy, peace, love and life – cannot be found outside, it is in you. The world may shut its doors, but there is one door that never shuts. The Divine within waits patiently for our return, no matter how far we have wandered.”
At that moment, his parrot fluttered and began to chirp, “Raam Raam… Raam Raam…” repeating the sacred name that filled the sadhu’s days and nights.
There Is Always a Way
The sadhu continued,
“Meditate on the Divine. Your true self is not the glitter of the body, but the light of the soul. Look within—see that beauty. Let it shine through your thoughts, words, and deeds. When the Name becomes your guide, it washes away every trace of sin. What remains is the pure gold of your true Self.”
When he was about to leave, Ganika’s heart sank.
“What will happen after you go? I will fall again. The world will not let me forget what I am.”
The sadhu said,
“Keep chanting the Name. I am leaving this parrot behind—he will remind you of Raam Naam.”
The Turning of the Tide
After the sadhu left, the parrot became her only companion, constantly repeating Raam Raam. Ganika would prompt him, “Bol Ganga—Raam Raam,” and he would chirp back joyfully. Slowly, the chant filled her home, then her heart.
Even when her lips were silent, the Name continued to echo within her being. Her mind turned inward; peace began to flow like a hidden spring.
As Bhai Gurdas Ji writes in his Vaaran, Ganika became so absorbed in Divine remembrance that at her final moment, the noose of death was broken, and she was received in Vaikunth amidst the sound of conches and showers of flowers.
When Stones Can Float
The story of Ganika is often recalled as a reminder to stay in hope and to seek the Divine to cross over the ocean of existence. Her journey shows that no one is beyond redemption—when the heart turns toward remembrance, grace flows.
As Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji reveals:
The Name of the Lord is forever the Giver of peace.
Meditating in remembrance on it, Ajaamal was saved, and Ganika the prostitute was emancipated. ||1||Pause||
Draupadi, the princess of Panchaala, remembered the Divine Name in the royal court.
The Divine, the embodiment of mercy, removed her suffering; thus His own glory was increased. ||1||
That one who sings the Praise of the Divine, the treasure of mercy, finds support in the hour of need.
In his discourse, Aniruddha Bapu reflects on this spirit of faith and remembrance:
“If the vanar sena could make stones float across the ocean by inscribing the Divine Name, won’t you be able to cross the ocean of existence by inscribing it upon your heart?”
He clarifies,
“This inscription is not a tattoo on your arm or a temple outside. You must make your heart the temple of Raam. Let His qualities—compassion, contentment, surrender, truth—shine through your thoughts, words, and deeds.”
If Ganika could cross over, that same raft awaits each of us.
Reflection question
Is there a blame you’ve been carrying — that it’s time to let go of, and return to the light within?
References
- Discourses by Giani Pinderpal Singh
- Discourses by Aniruddha Bapu
- Ganika – Basics of Sikhi, by Gurprit Kaur
- Image credit: Wikipedia
The Sabad Project - Wisdom stories 
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