IN A STATE OF IMMENSE JOY

 
It was in the year 1936 that my father [Pritam Singh] heard the Name of Avatar Meher Baba in one of the columns of the English Daily Newspaper, 'Advance' of Calcutta. He was at Asansol then. This article was written by Dr. C. D. Deshmukh of Nagpur.

My father accepted Meher Baba as his Guru and Master soon after reading this article. He was a person who would get tears seeing Ram Lila. He had the longing and desire to have Baba's darshan. He had to wait for six long years before he had the opportunity of Baba calling him to Meherabad. He was invited to Meherabad for Darshan programme from 27th to 29th December 1942.

We were at Dehradun in the year 1942. My father used to recite sufi couplets in the early morning. One, I remember, 'I was neither man nor god, I did not Know, I was different from these, I did not know.' One morning one of the family member woke up and there was fragrance of roses from his body and bed. Then all the family members were awake and experienced the sweet fragrance of roses. With the rising of the sun it vanished slowly.

Often my father described his first darshan of Baba:

"I reached Meherabad at about 3 pm on the 26th December 1942. Soon after arrival there, Adi K. Irani (Secretary to Meher Baba) came running, there saying Baba wanted me. This call came to me as a blessing from God. I followed Adi in a state of immense joy, my heart full of His love, my eyes full of joyous tears, running towards the Lord of my heart, who made me His own long before I met Him in person.

"One step in the hut at lower Meherabad and I was face to face there with Baba in a reclining position. I saw His brilliant face shining as a full moon, more beautiful than anyone I had ever seen before. His two most beautiful, charming and twinkling eyes, wide and deep as the ocean forever that I belonged to Him and Him alone. I was lost in Him for a while, when Adi held my hand and made me sit beside Baba. Baba looked at me for the first time and His one gracious look won my heart forever.

"Happiness of my millions lives cannot equal the bliss of that one moment with Baba. Baba held my hand, drew me to His heart and gave me a warm embrace and made me aware that I was in the lap of the God-mother drinking deep from the well of His love.

"Baba asked, 'What do you wish for?' Before I could speak in reply, Baba dictated on the board, 'I know what you want. For you words are unnecessary.' And He took me in His embrace again."