English translation of the author's introductory notes ("येथे सांगावेसे वाटते"). See the Glossary for special terms.
1) The original book itself is supreme; only by reading it shall (one) be fulfilled; the rest are secondary, and therefore one shall not get as much fruit — one should not believe that another book should not be read. Because whatever you read, if you read with feeling from the heart, with the inner-being's pull, with feeling, fruit shall surely be obtained. You shall surely obtain mental peace. As the Lord has various forms, so it is with books.
2) Importance lies in oneness, in doing regularly, in continuity, likewise in doing with affection and a loving heart. Such an act proves effective.
3) The whole play runs on faith. (It) runs on faithfulness. Destined experiences have not been avoided even by gods. The fruits of past-life karmas remaining, and (the fruits) of some karmas of this life — for bearing those is our birth. What is in destiny must be borne. Worship is so that destiny may seem bearable while bearing it. If you focus your attention on the path of devotion just to forget pleasure-pain, you can live with ease, naturally. (One) does not have to do (it) deliberately.
4) An unbroken stream of inspirations is going on. These inspirations depend on our thoughts, past karmas, surroundings. If excessive importance is given to inspirations, a person becomes confused. Not all inspirations bear fruit. When failure comes, occasions of dejection arise. On the contrary, when success comes, ego, "I"-ness awakens, which is always dangerous. Better than that, live according to (His) command. Sin-merit, success-failure — all is the Creator's; nothing in this world is mine — live with such a non-doer feeling.
5) How shall you recognize inspiration and command? — When from the urge of the inner being a command-form emerges, when imperative words come out, that is a command. E.g. "Do this. Don't do that." Inspiration means just feeling like doing (something). From it itself is born ambition. This ambition burns the consciousness.
6) In life, contented disposition has great importance. In contented disposition is joy. If (one) wants to obtain joy in life, a person must be content. Some people are content by nature. Some become content through contemplation, name-remembrance, austerity; some through behaving according to (His) command.
7) A contented person has stable disposition. He is of peaceful nature. He can live with peace of consciousness. He bears destined experience easily, and lives with non-doer feeling.
8) Don't do devotion out of jealousy. Do devotion to praise the Lord, to acknowledge the Lord's infinite favors, to speak to him with an open heart.
9) Don't always tell tales of woe to the Lord. He himself knows in what state we are. So if (you) want to speak with the Lord, say to the Lord: "How great you are! How compassionate you are! How gracious you are! You take a deficient person like me close. Truly your heart is vast. Although the world has spurned me, still you take me close. (You) not only swallow (my) faults; you alert me from time to time. (You) make me revel in your devotion. (You) make (me) forget bodily sorrow."
10) Don't be lustful, addicted. By that, the brain's balance goes, and the situation of doing unprecedented acts comes. To avoid this, to reduce (it), make the mind revel in a good place. To know good and bad, in the Kali-yuga name-remembrance is necessary. "The Name itself (is) my Guru; by it (one) crosses the worldly ocean."
11) Don't live a desire-filled life. Don't be smeared with desire. Desires are countless. The web is vast. If in life there is no relation with the Name, with good company, with saints, with the listening of bhajan-kirtan, a person's life shall become beast-like.
12) For what is the human body? The human body is for self-contemplation, for the spiritual path. See the Lord in all moving and unmoving (things). Forget discriminating feeling. Love all with pure feeling, with selfless feeling.
13) If household life is conducted with the feeling "You are, I am not," in worldly life the spiritual can be excellently achieved. Don't believe worldly life is different from the spiritual. There is no need to deliberately go to the forest for the spiritual. Living in worldly life, the spiritual can be done. E.g. Vasishtha Muni, King Janak.
14) In life, purity of consciousness has great importance. By name-remembrance, our own faults begin to become known to us. By the influence of the Name, our consciousness can remain pure. We have to do only one thing — that is: "We should listen to the Name; never listen to the mind."
15) Never reduce (to) comparison your mother-father, religion, caste, Guru, husband, wife, the home you live in, motherland. Another's appears good on the surface. Otherwise each one has torment in his own way according to his karma. So don't waste time contemplating this. We should do our duty-karma.
16) Do name-japa and recitation with faith. Do (it) with the longing that "Maharaj shall surely give us darshan." Earnestness and faith have great importance.
17) During name-japa and recitation, don't speak with others. There is no harm in telling and writing down the inspirations that occurred during name-japa.
18) Never have competition in the path of devotion. Do (it) as one's duty-karma.
19) Recitation of this book should be completed in 1 day, in 3 days, in 7 days, or in 21 days. At the time of resolve, decide the chapters and complete the recitation in that very order. Don't make changes in it. Doing recitation in one day is excellent indeed. 7 recitations, 21 recitations, 108 recitations, 1008 recitations should be done with some pure motive in mind. Doing recitation with desireless disposition is even better. Do recitation of the book in three days — Dashami, Ekadashi, Dwadashi. Those who can do recitation in one sitting should do it every Thursday. Likewise:
1) Guru Gajanan Manifestation Day — Magh Krishna Saptami 2) Shri Ram Navami 3) Guru Purnima 4) Guru Gajanan Maharaj Punya-tithi — Rishi-Panchami 5) Recitation should certainly be done on the Guru-Pushya Nakshatra convergence.
On the day of completion of recitation, or as convenient, according to capacity, give a Brahmin-meal. Make dishes that please Shri Guru Maharaj. Stay in the feeling that "Maharaj has come to my house for the meal."
20) Be of effort. Be of ideals. But not jealous-natured. Entrust everything to Maharaj.
21) For bearing destined experience naturally, name-japa with faith, the mantra "Gan Gan Ganat Bote," and reading Guru Gajanan Leela are extremely necessary.
22) "Remember the Name anytime, anywhere; thereby the Lord meets (you) anytime, anywhere." Experience (this) yourself.
23) The Lord's Name has no caste-distinction. Anyone may chant the Name. By the Name (one) should become the Lord's.
24) The Name has no purity-impurity distinction; the Name has no defilement. To keep the mind fresh and renewed, cheerful, filled with the Lord — for everyone from small to great — child, woman, man — the Name is useful.
25) For the pure motive that all of us should obtain darshan of Shri Gajanan Maharaj, by Saraswati giving a vision through me, and by the gracious blessing of my Guru P.P. Pandurang Shastri Athavale, in 1987 from Magh Krishna Saptami to Shivaratri — that is, from 20 February 1987 to 26 February 1987 — in seven days the Guru Gajanan Granth was caused to be written. With minor changes, the book written for the third time in the third saptaha (4 June 1989 to 10 June 1989) is being presented to you. The doer-causer is the Lord. Nothing of mine. If any deficiency feels, please forgive me, correct (it), and read so. This is my request.