A PROMISE FULFILLED – PART 1

DURING the first week of the sahavas at Meherabad in November 1955, Godavri Mai had come and expressed her wish that, after the sahavas, Baba would come to Sakori for a few days of rest. Baba accepted her invitation then and had remarked to her, “If I come to Sakori, I will take food prepared by your hands. As Yeshoda (Krishna’s adopted mother) was to Krishna, so you are to me. You are my Yeshoda.”

At first it was decided that Baba should rest in Sakori for a week, but as there was no time before he was to enter seclusion, only two days were fixed and Godavri was informed accordingly. But several days later, Baba sent Adi to Sakori with this message: “As promised, Baba will come to Sakori, but he will stay for only two hours.” Godavri was disappointed and replied that Baba should at least stay there for a day. Eventually, Baba agreed to visit from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M., and the date of January 26th (1956) was decided for the visit. Baba sent a further message to Godavri: “I will not give darshan in Sakori and will eat only the food prepared by you.”

Accordingly, on January 25th, accompanied by Eruch, Pendu, Bhau, Nilu, Gustadji, Kumar and Kishan Singh, Baba left Satara for Ahmednagar. In Ahmednagar, he met with Adi and instructed him, “Go to Sakori tomorrow morning and tell Godavri Mai that I will come at 9 A.M., and immediately return after lunch. There should be no program arranged, either of darshan or reception.”

Baba left to spend the night at Meherazad, and early the next morning Adi, Gulmai, Dhake and Waman proceeded to Sakori and delivered Baba’s message to Godavri. She responded, “Baba considers me as his Yeshoda, and it is the wish of Yeshoda that he remain here until evening.”

Coming to know of Baba’s visit to Sakori, lovers from Ahmednagar, Poona, Bombay and other places had gathered there. Leaving Meherazad at about 7:30 A.M. on January 26th, Baba reached Rahata village (one mile from Sakori) an hour later. In Rahata, Adi delivered Godavri’s message and Baba was happy to hear it.

When Baba reached Sakori, the residents of the ashram and his lovers received him a furlong away. Wagh, the manager of the ashram, garlanded him even before he could get out of the car. Baba was taken in a procession with music and singing. In the vanguard was a beautifully decorated white horse (symbolic of Kalki). When Baba came to the temple, the high priest Vasant Deshmukh (Chhagan’s brother), performed puja. Baba’s car slowly advanced toward Yeshwant Rao’s residence. Baba stepped out of the car, and Godavri garlanded him and laid her head on his feet. The rest of the kanyas (nuns) followed suit.

While Baba was seated on a sofa at Yeshwant Rao’s home, his arti was sung, and he inquired about Godavri’s health. Afterward he informed her, “I will stay here until 4 P.M.”

Leaving Yeshwant Rao’s residence, Baba went to Upasni Maharaj’s old hut and sat inside for a while. From there he walked to Maharaj’s samadhi, where a gaadi decorated with flowers had been prepared for him in one corner, opposite Maharaj’s own gaadi. One of the kanyas sang the song specially composed by Baba [in the 1920s] for Maharaj, which was sung during Maharaj’s lifetime. Later she sang another song exalting Baba. In a happy mood, Baba smiled broadly.

He asked where Godavri had gone and was told she was preparing his food in the kitchen. He asked Wagh whether there was electricity in the hut, and Wagh replied, “There is no electricity now, but on occasions it is temporarily provided by a generator.”

Purandhare interjected, “Since Baba is asking about it, electricity will certainly be connected.”

Baba remarked, “Electricity will add to the splendor of this place.”

The kanya named Jiji was an old lover of Maharaj’s and a resident of Sakori. She could not be present, because she was ill in Hyderabad. Instead, she had sent her brother with the request that Baba sit in her room and that his arti be performed there. Her brother was introduced to Baba, and was so pleased to meet Baba he remarked, “We are blessed today. It is the grace of Upasni Maharaj that we find Meher Baba in our midst.”

Baba then went to the kitchen, where Godavri was busy cooking with the help of other kanyas. Quite an amazing incident occurred: Baba himself lent a helping hand in rolling the puris. At one point, he remarked, “I am not quite as adept (in cooking) as Mai.”

Observing the women in the kitchen, he also advised, “You should install electricity here soon.” Smiling, he joked with Godavri, “I am feeling hungry now. I no longer need any bhajan (song), but bhojan (food)!” Then, becoming serious, he stated:

I am shouldering a great burden, and tomorrow I have to go to Sangamner for giving mass darshan, then to Navsari and Bajwa (in Gujarat). The whole universe is in the throes of suffering, but how happy we are today! After a very, very long time, today I will relish the food prepared so lovingly by my dear Yeshoda. I always enjoy eternal bliss. There is nothing else for me to enjoy; but side by
side, simultaneously, I suffer infinitely through the sufferings of each one because I am everything and everyone.

How I would like to stay here, play marbles and take food cooked by my Yeshoda – instead of granting darshan at various places and sitting through my worship and arti ceremonies. I am eternally free, but for my own reasons I willingly get myself bound. All this is because of my
infinite love for all!

When everyone’s attention was focussed on Baba, he turned, lovingly patted Godavri and remarked to her, “The heat of the fire is too much. You are perspiring profusely. Now don’t go out in the open air at once, as you will catch cold.”

Baba came out of the kitchen and Nusserwan Bharucha, an old lover of Maharaj, who had attended the Meherabad Sahavas this past November, met and embraced him. Tears ran down his cheeks, so overcome was he with emotion.

Holding Wagh’s hand in his, Baba briskly led him to Maharaj’s hut and remarked, “You are very energetic!” Wagh laughed at his remark and then escorted Baba to his seat.

By this time Godavri, who had completed the cooking, came and, as requested by him, sat near Baba. Baba instructed the mandali to take darshan of Upasni Maharaj’s samadhi, which they did. Noshir Siganporia stepped forward to garland Baba, and Baba directed him also to bow down at Maharaj’s tomb. Bhajans were sung and, through hand gestures, Baba directed the tabalchi (tabla drum player) how to keep in rhythm. Conversing sweetly, he would often remind Godavri to look after her health. On this cool day the room was cold, and she had not put on any warm clothing.

Stopping the singing, Baba stated:

Try to listen carefully to what I tell you now. Eruch understands my gestures very well. He has written God Speaks according to my dictation on the alphabet board. In the past, he was very strong and robust, but now he has grown weak. He does not sleep well, eats very little, does not go out for walks and does not have a good appetite. However, he works very hard for me.

My sister Mani also works very hard. She deals with all the correspondence from the West and remains busy in typing all day long. I have no soft corner in my heart for them both, rather for anyone. It is a fact that my heart is the  Mahasagar (Ocean) of Love. And it is because of that love that I crush the body, mind and heart of my disciples into powder. Unless one turns into dust, resurrection to immortality is impossible.

My physical body, which you all see, is not what you should see, think and feel I am. I am in all and am everything. I am the Real One. I am the One in Eternal Bliss.

I love Godavri very much – immensely. This is all due to her past connections. She has many connections with me. Pointing to Maharaj’s photograph, Baba remarked, “That Old Man has brought me down. The highest type of worldly happiness, which you sometimes feel or experience, is nothing but the seventh shadow of
that Eternal Bliss.”

Turning to Madhav Rao Misal, Baba requested, “Sing a good song, as everyone is now feeling drowsy.” People laughed, and Madhav Rao launched into a song.

Baba picked a rose petal from his garland and gave it to Jiji’s brother, gesturing for him to eat it. Jiji’s brother told Baba, “Jiji is doing great spiritual work in Hyderabad. Even during her illness, she is feeding a number of poor every day, and loves Maharaj so much that she is always doing something in the area, out of her love for him.”

Baba replied, “See to it that Jiji’s work in Hyderabad continues and is not interrupted.”

Baba then began giving prasad to the residents of the Sakori ashram and the kanyas, and then informed Godavri, “During the Poona darshan I distributed prasad to more than fifteen thousand people, and now I feel very tired.” After distributing it to the people present, Baba took a little of the prasad and put it in Godavri’s mouth.

Baba was then taken to a room where one of the kanyas was ill and had been bedridden for a number of days. He gave her prasad, took her hand in his and tenderly passed his hand over her face. He then went to Jiji’s room, where a kanya performed his arti on Jiji’s behalf. Baba commented to her brother, “Jiji loves me much. Convey my love to her.”

From there Baba proceeded to Nusserwan Bharucha’s quarters. Bharucha was suffering from rheumatism and had been eagerly awaiting Baba’s arrival. As soon as Baba entered his room, Bharucha embraced him and burst into tears. He took Baba to his prayer room, where he showed
Baba a copy of God Speaks. He told Baba, “Although I read the book, I forget what I have read.” Touching the book, Baba advised, “Read it again and again. You will be able to read it through now that I have touched it.”

Sitting on his bed, Baba remarked to him, “It is rare that I sit on anyone’s bed. How lucky you are that I have sat on yours. You should not worry about anything.”

Bharucha replied, “Baba, I have surrendered my body to Upasni Maharaj, and so for me there is nothing to worry about.”

Baba was pleased, and from there walked back to Yeshwant Rao’s home. Godavri sent word that the food was ready, so Baba went to her room, where she served him. Lovingly, she would coax Baba, “Please eat some vegetables. Why don’t you try this? Take a little more rice and dal.” Baba ate with zest, and praised every dish. God had become a child and was enjoying his adopted mother’s attentions! Godavri kept serving him, but Baba could not eat everything served and, like a child, expressed his inability to partake of more. There were leftovers on his plate, which Baba told Godavri to distribute among the kanyas as his prasad.

Baba then addressed all those present in the room: “Among all the women in the world, Godavri’s heart is among the purest and I love her very much – much, much more than she could ever love me!”

Coming out of the room, Baba went and sat under a tree. Meanwhile, a woman devotee of Swami Shivananda, named Satchitananda Mata of Ceylon, arrived at Sakori. In the name of Swami Shivananda, she was conducting the Divine Life Society in the area, and had come to Sakori seeking a personal interview with Baba. Accompanied by Eruch, Baba took Mata to a secluded spot and gave her a private interview for a few minutes.

Afterward, Baba came back and sat under the tree again. He asked for a rubber ball. One was immediately brought, and he told the kanyas and others to try to catch it. In a playful mood, he began throwing it here and there for some time, which provided much delight to the kanyas and devotees. Baba then sent them away for their lunch and he went to Yeshwant Rao’s, where several people were waiting for his darshan. When Baba sat down, Rustom Kaka started singing and those present took darshan.

In a short while there was a pile of garlands, and after the darshan Baba went to Maharaj’s hut and sat under a pandal for a meeting. Godavri came and took her seat near Baba. Baba asked, “Did you have your food and did you give the prasad to the kanyas?”

She replied smiling, “Yes, Baba.” The rays of the Avatar’s divine love pervaded Sakori that day, and those present experienced a close intimacy in his love.

(to be continued tomorrow. . .)

Lord Meher, Original Publication, Bhau Kalchuri, Vol. 14, pp. 4868 – 4877.