The next morning, Baba served seven poor people. After washing the feet of a lad named Bhupati Rao, Baba also bowed his head to him, and gave him seven rupees as prasad.
From Eluru, Baba sent Dr. Donkin back to Meherazad for some work; but from there Bal Natu joined the group that same day, January 24th. (1953).
Baba expressed a desire to play a game of marbles that morning. Ten or twelve of the mandali took part in it, and Baba hit seven shots at a stroke. The game lasted for half an hour. The members of the reception committee were amazed to see Baba playing marbles, and when the game was over, he stated: “After many years, I have again played marbles. But in fact, since eternity I have been playing marbles with the universe, and have never once missed the mark.
“I am the smallest of the small and the biggest of the big. This is my actual experience. And one who gets purified completely will know me to be everyone.
“I have been repeatedly saying we must be honest. The least hypocrisy truly drives away the Infinite which is Baba. So, my blessings are for this honesty in loving God.”
A very large mass darshan took place in Eluru in the afternoon at the grounds of the C. R. Reddy College. Villagers from neighboring places had come in large numbers, and it was similar to the festive scene at Saoner. People arrived in buses and in hundreds of bullock carts. The crowd was estimated at twenty-five thousand people.
Everyone stood up when Baba entered the tent at four o’clock. When they sat back down, Baba dictated this message:
I feel very happy to be among you all. Consider me to be one of you. I am the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich. Every one of you has within you the source of infinite power, knowledge, bliss and peace. And if in spite of infinite power within you, you feel helpless, and if in spite of possessing infinite happiness within you, you feel miserable, it is because of ignorance; and to get rid of ignorance, the only way is to love God. If you love God sincerely, honestly and intensely, you will find Him within yourselves.
I give you my blessings for the attainment of this love divine. If at least one of you loves God as He ought to be loved, then my purpose in coming here will have been served.
A member of the Eluru Bar Association read out a welcoming speech. After Dhake read out Baba’s messages on the “Fiery Free Life” and on “Freedom,” prasad distribution and darshan began. Darshan lasted for about three hours, after which Baba was driven back to his residence.
Lord Meher, Bhau Kalchuri, Original Publication, Vol. 11, pp. 4054 – 4055.