CARRYING THE WORRY OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE

 
After the wedding, March 21st 1958, Sam and Roshan [Kerawala] departed for their honeymoon to Agra and Kashmir with the money that was given to them as wedding presents. March in Kashmir is not a good tourist time normally, being too cold and wet, yet for the week they were there, the weather was warm and sunny. But then as Sam reminisced, the lord Himself had told them to stay there, so they were delighted and grateful but not surprised.

On their return, after a five week honeymoon, Baba called them and was very disappointed to learn that Roshan was not pregnant. Again Eruch interceded, 'Baba, why place such a burden on young shoulders?'

Baba replied: 'Look at your cousin [Sam] — what worry has he got? It is I who am carrying the worry of the whole universe, the whole creation. He has no worries — so keep quiet!'

A little later Baba went to the West, May 15th 1958, and the whole family went to see Him depart. The moment He saw Roshan, He gave a sun-smile and put his hand on her head. Then He gave Sam His hand to kiss, and Sam felt, in those moments, that Roshan had already conceived.

Before their first daughter, Mehera, was born, Baba told Roshan to stitch a dress so naturally the whole family accepted that the child would be a girl. When Roshan was again pregnant, Baba did not say anything, so the family assumed that this time the child would be a boy. Before returning to sea, Sam was sitting amongst the mandali with Baba and the conversation was proceeding smoothly, when He suddenly turned to Sam and gestured, 'Would you be disappointed if it's a girl?'

Sam replied cautiously to God, 'No, Baba, I don't think so.' Immediately the conversation continued as though there had been no question. Sam returned to sea, and a couple of months later, he received the news that a second daughter had been born.

The words of Baba to Eruch that He carried the worry of the universe, reminded Sam of a very beautiful story in the life of Prophet Mohammed: It was during the early years of Mohammed's Advent, and He was still in Mecca where the people sought in every way possible to humiliate and denigrate Him.

One day He was standing near the Kaaba, and an elderly woman returning from a journey asked of the people there if a porter was available to carry her luggage to her home. Seeing this as an opportunity of belittling Mohammed, they pointed Him out to the woman as a porter. When she approached Mohammed and asked if He was indeed a porter, He replied: 'Yes, Mother. I am the One who carries the burden of all.'

Not understanding His words, but happy that He was a porter, she had Him carry her goods. As they walked, she expressed surprise that He was a porter. 'You are such a fine upright man, you do not seem to be the usual porter — surely you could do better than this work.'

But Mohammed simply replied to her concerns: 'No, Mother, I am the One who carries the burden of all.'

So they walked and then the woman said: 'Well, you are not like that scoundrel Mohammed that I have been told about — what a terrible man He is, so intent on destroying our religion. But you are obviously different.'

So the walk continued with the woman still speaking against Mohammed. They reached her home and the woman sought to pay Mohammed, but again He only said: 'No, Mother, I am the One who carries the burden of all.'

Then she said: 'At least tell me your name that I may thank you personally. Your company has given me joy.'

Mohammed replied: 'I am Mohammed.'

With that the woman fell at His feet, weeping: 'Forgive me, Lord, I did not know You.' She wept and Mohammed comforted her. She and her whole family became Mohammed's devoted followers.