THE DAY OF THE MASTER

 
For several years, Sadguru Upasni Maharaj had been earnestly telling Gulmai K. Irani, "I wish to see Merwan!" During this period, Gulmai repeated this to Baba who replied, "I will see Maharaj only once, and once alone," meaning Maharaj should not ask for another meeting. Baba stipulated that the place of meeting should be away from either Meherabad or Sakori, and added, "I will see him on the condition that, since I am still observing silence, I will not speak to him."

Gulmai told this to Maharaj, and he consented to the terms. Maharaj took Gulmai to Dahigaon, a few miles from Sakori, where he showed her a hut. Gulmai returned to Panchgani, and informed Baba, who fixed the date of their meeting for October 17th. He stated, "To meet Maharaj, I will come out of my seclusion for one day."

Baba summoned Sarosh to Panchgani from Ahmednagar with his car on October 16th. That whole night, Baba's health appeared terrible. He had such a high fever, the mandali thought it would be impossible for him to keep the appointment the next day.

But by the following morning, like a beautiful blossoming rose, Baba appeared with his usual smiling countenance, and asked each of the mandali, "Do you know why I am seeing Maharaj?"

All gave a different answer, and Baba explained, "I will present Maharaj with my locket."

Baba left Panchgani at 7:15 A.M. on Friday, October 17th, 1941, in Sarosh's car, with Savak, Rano Gayley and Sarosh driving. They reached Poona at 9:30 A.M., where his mother, Shireen, gave lunch to the group. Baba then left for Meherabad at 11:15 A.M., arriving there at 1 P.M. Sarosh went to Ahmednagar to pick up Gulmai and Kaka Baria, returning to Meherabad at 2 P.M. Rano was left at Meherabad to do some other work, and Padri was taken in her place, after he and the other mandali entreated Baba to allow him to accompany them, as Padri was anxious to take photographs of the two Masters together.

Dahigaon is about forty miles from Meherabad. The group left at 2:30 P.M. and reached there after an hour and a half.

Baba looked over the site and was satisfied with it. There was a small thatched hut surrounded by a beautiful garden. Yeshwant Rao was waiting for them, as Maharaj had sent him in advance to unlock, sweep and clean the hut.

Baba sent Sarosh and Gulmai to bring Maharaj from Sakori at 4:30 P.M. He asked Gulmai to bring only Maharaj and no one else from the ashram.

They drove to Sakori and returned to Dahigaon at 5:30 P.M., with only Maharaj. Alighting from the car, Maharaj strode toward the hut, where Baba was already sitting alone. According to Baba's order, all the others kept outside the compound, and were not to even look towards the hut. They were only to enter the boundaries of it when Baba clapped.

After half an hour, the mandali heard clapping. It was 6 P.M. They saw Maharaj, and then Baba, come out of the hut. Baba's face was flushed. Gulmai rushed forward and garlanded both, and the mandali offered obeisance. Yeshwant Rao went forward to take Baba's darshan, but Maharaj prevented him, saying, "Meher Baba's order is not to take darshan!" Baba laughed at this.

Padri was busy trying to take photos in the diminishing evening light. But both Masters would not stand still. Maharaj looked at the camera in Padri's hand and asked, "What is that box?"(1) Padri was afraid Maharaj would be annoyed and take a swing at the camera, but nothing like that happened, and Padri went on taking pictures — immortalizing the momentous meeting.

After final salutations, Sarosh and Gulmai then drove Maharaj back to Sakori. Before leaving, Maharaj remarked, "This meeting place was ideal — solitary, and at the same time so near." Gulmai remained at Sakori.

Baba was meeting Upasni Maharaj for the first time in nineteen years, since October 15th, 1922. It was to be their last meeting. October 17th, that date of this most significant meeting, was also an important Hindu holy day — the Day of the Master.

When Sarosh returned after leaving Maharaj at Sakori, Baba and the others left for Meherabad. Savak Kotwal amused Baba on the way back with his Hindustani and English songs. They stopped at Khushru Quarters for dinner, prepared by Sarosh's wife, Viloo, and then went on to Meherabad, where Padri got down. Rano returned to Panchgani with Baba, where they arrived at 1:20 A.M.

On the way, Baba was in a happy mood, and remarked to the men about the meeting: "I took his darshan. Avatar or not, he was my Master! He lifted me with both hands, embraced me heartily and wept like a child. We sat down, and he talked for half an hour about the war, my speaking, suffering, et cetera.

"Then I motioned, 'I must be going,' and he said, 'Wait for five minutes. We will not meet again. Now Merwan, you have all the work and powers of the great Sat Purushs — the five Perfect Masters. They are all focused in you. I leave everything to you.' And so saying, he folded his hands in reverence, and I felt moved. I presented Maharaj with a box of my lockets, which he surveyed with deep thought."

Baba concluded, "I will speak any day from February 15th, 1942, to February 15th, 1943, unannounced. It will be when all the world has gone to the dogs! And Upasni Maharaj will at the same time leave his body. It will all automatically be so. But I shall speak unannounced. You won't know even a day or an hour ahead. In the future, there will be infinite suffering for me physically, too."

No one dared ask Baba more; but back at Panchgani, the mandali persuaded Vishnu, the usual "stooge" in such matters, to ask. Baba elaborated slightly in cryptic fashion, "I can bring down the stars... I now have full powers... Maharaj has handed over his side of things to me."(2)

(2) On a later occasion, in 1954, Meher Baba explained that Upasni Maharaj had requested him to watch over Sakori, Godavri Mai and the kanyas.