Mahan Kosh has the following comments on Ganika:
ਸੰ. ਗਣਿਕਾ. {ਸੰਗ੍ਯਾ}. ਵੇਸ਼੍ਯਾ. ਕੰਚਨੀ. ਦੇਖੋ, ਗਣਿਕਾ. ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਦੋ ਗਨਿਕਾ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਗ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ. ਇੱਕ ਪਿੰਗਲਾ, ਜੋ ਰਾਜਾ ਜਨਕ ਦੀ ਪੁਰੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਹਿੰਦੀ ਸੀ. ਇੱਕ ਰਾਤ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਕੋਈ ਕਾਮੀ ਪੁਰਖ ਨਾ ਮਿਲਿਆ. ਅੱਧੀ ਰਾਤ ਵੀਤਣ ਪੁਰ ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਪਛਤਾਵਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਅਤੇ ਖ਼ਿਆਲ ਉਪਜਿਆ ਕਿ ਜੇ ਇਤਨਾ ਧ੍ਯਾਨ ਅਤੇ ਪਿਆਰ ਕਰਤਾਰ ਵੱਲ ਜੋੜਦੀ, ਤਦ ਕੇਹਾ ਉੱਤਮ ਫਲ ਹੁੰਦਾ. ਉਸੇ ਵੇਲੇ ਸਭ ਕੁਕਰਮ ਛੱਡਕੇ ਕਰਤਾਰ ਪਰਾਇਣ ਹੋਈ ਅਤੇ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਿਤਾਇਆ. ਇਸੇ ਗਨਿਕਾ ਨੂੰ ਦੱਤਾਤ੍ਰੇਯ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਲਪਿਆ ਸੀ. "ਅਜਾਮਲੁ ਪਿੰਗੁਲਾ ਲੁਭਤੁ ਕੁੰਚਰੁ ਗਏ ਹਰਿ ਕੈ ਪਾਸਿ". (ਕੇਦਾ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ) ਦੂਜੀ ਗਨਿਕਾ ਉਹ ਸੀ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਸੇ ਸਾਧੂ ਨੇ ਤੋਤਾ ਦੇ ਕੇ ਹਰਿਨਾਮ ਸਿਖਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਉਪਦੇਸ਼ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਨਾਮਅਭ੍ਯਾਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੱਗਕੇ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰਾਤਮਾ ਹੋ ਗਈ. "ਗਨਿਕਾ ਉਧਰੀ ਹਰਿ ਕਹੈ ਤੋਤ". (ਬਸੰ ਅਃ ਮਃ ੫) "ਜਿਹ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਗਨਕਾ ਸੀ ਉਧਰੀ". (ਸੋਰ ਮਃ ੯) ਦੇਖੋ ਗਨਿਕਾThe second Ganika was that whom the legendary Yogi, Dattatreya had adopted as one of his Guru. She was a resident of kingdom of Raja Janak. She was into flesh trade. One day she did not find a customer and got very anxious and impatient. Then as per her good fortune she had a thought that if she had developed such love for God, how great the reward she would have received. She gave up her sinful life and spent the rest of her life in love of Vaheguru.
There is another such tale in India history. Tulsidaas who wrote Ramayana in Hindi was married to Ratnavali and during his early years he was deeply in love with her. Actually, his love was more of a lust than true love. Once Ratnavali went to live in her parent's house and Tulsidaas could not restrain kaam at night and went to see his wife at middle of the night. So much he was under the spell of Kaam that he crossed a huge river on his way, travelled through a very dangerous jungle and when he reached his in-laws' house, he saw that there was a rope suspended from the window of her wife's room. It was actually a cobra that was hanging there. He was mad in lust and did not care whether it was a cobra or a rope. He climbed up using that cobra and reached his wife's room who at that time was sleeping. She was astonished to see him so late at night. She knew why he was there. She was irritated and remarked that if had such love for Raam (God), he would have found him. She said, "why don't you love Rama with same passion?". He came out of the spell of Kaam hearing her wife's words of wisdom and immediately set off to find God. This one incident changed the course of his life.
Sometimes one incident in one's life can change the course of the life for good (or bad). A similar incident happened in my life. I was a monna from childhood and at the age of 19 or so, stopped cutting hair and took Amrit. When I stopped cutting hair (before chhakking amrit), I was still not sure if I wanted to grow hair or not. I remember, a relative of mine came to our home and asked me if I was going to stop cutting hair. Since I was not sure, I gave him a vague answer. This Singh is a very straight shooter. He immediately said, "ਕਿਉਂ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਚੱਕਰ ਹੈ? ਹੋਰ ਕੀ ਤਕਲੀਫ ਹੈ ਤੈਨੂੰ, ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਕਰਕੇ ਹੀ ਤੂੰ ਕੇਸ ਨਹੀਂ ਰੱਖਦਾ। ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਲੋਂ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਪਿਆਰੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਤੈਨੂੰ (It seems like the reason why you don't keep kesh is girls. What else is your problem. For sure you are not keeping hair because of girls. Girls are dearer to you than the Guru). Even though I was not involved in this kind of stuff but his words did pierce my heart and I made a firm resolve there and then to never cut my hair again.
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥