REMINISCENCES, Part 10:

 
One afternoon in commenting on a performance just given by the Telugu group of his own Barra-Katha (the story of Baba's life dramatically portrayed in song and dance), Baba had Eruch tell of events concerning Baba's birth which had been described to Eruch's mother by Baba's mother, Shirinmai.

Shirinmai had an unusual dream just a few days before Baba's birth (February 25, 1894). In the dream she was led to a wide, open area where she was rapidly surrounded by a sea of foreign appearing people, extending on all sides to the horizons. Shirinmai felt that all the strangers were looking steadily and expectantly towards her. She awoke in a state of alarm.

When she described the dream to relatives and friends, an elderly person told her that, rather than worry, she should feel happy, as the symbolism of the dream indicated that the child (Baba) would be awaited and esteemed by vast numbers of people.

On another occasion Ramju retold more of Shirinmai's stories:

"Merwan (Baba) [Meher Baba's name is Merwan Sheriar Irani — ed.] has been my problem even as a child. Some months after his birth I dreamed that I was standing in the doorway of our house, holding Merwan in my arms. I saw that there was a well nearby in the compound (court) of the house. The figure of a striking woman, like a Hindu goddess, was rising out of the center of the well. I could clearly see the lavish green sari in which she was dressed, and the many green bangles with which she was adorned.

"Bright flowered designs were painted on her forehead in many colors, and in her hands she held a tray containing flowers, a lighted lamp and other articles used by Hindus in their worship. I stood motionless in fascination until the weird figure beckoned to me to hand Merwan over to her. Trying to hold him all the more tightly, I was awakened from the dream."

Shirinmai had continued her telling of the early worries about her precocious child.

"Merwan was very active and mischievous from the time he was able to toddle, and would walk out of the house when my attention was distracted. This often compelled me, when I was especially busy with housework, or had to go for my bath and there was no one in the house to look after him, to tie one end of my sari to his waist and the other to the bedstead. Even then I could not always keep him out of mischief.

Once (About January, 1895) I had left him playing on the floor. Returning to the room some minutes later I was horrified to see him playing merrily with a big black snake. This time it wasn't a dream. With a piercing scream I rushed forward, but the snake slipped quickly out of the house and was never seen again."