BABA DRINKS STARS AND PLANETS
IN HIS CUP OF TEA

 
The wedding of Naval Talati and Dina Karani took place on the 9th of April, 1923 at Camabang, a traditional venue for Parsi weddings and navjote (thread ceremonies). The main road is on one side of the building and by-lanes on the other three sides. Throughout the ceremony Baba, with Gustadji, drove round and round the Camabang in a Victoria (horse) carriage. All the mandali, ordered by Baba to attend the ceremony, were seated respectfully in the front row. Among them were Padri, Adi Senior, Ramjoo and Homi Vajifdar. Baba also ordered that the Mandali were to leave and join him immediately when the ceremony was completed, and that they were to have no refreshments there whatsoever. They left as instructed, and Padri recalled that at the point they reached the gate, Baba also came round the corner and they then joined Him. Baba was pleased to learn that they had consumed no food or drink at the ceremony as He had ordered.

Navalsha's sister, Jer, was also married on the same day at the same place. She and her husband lived at Kalyan, an outer suburb of Bombay.

In accordance with tradition, the day after the ceremony the bride spends with her parents, and the son-in-law then escorts her to his home at night. The following day after Navalsha's wedding, he left in the early morning to join Baba at Manzil-e-Meen as Baba wished. Dina joined her now sister-in-law, Jer, and travelled with her to Kalyan.

Two days later, in the early morning, Baba called Navalsha to Him. He was thoroughly displeased and asked, 'Where is Dina?!' On being told where she was, He ordered Navalsha to go and bring her to Him at once. This Navalsha did, and when he told her how displeased Baba was, they tried to think of anything they had done that could have provoked this mood in Baba. With the intense love they both had for Baba, they anxiously sought an answer, but none came.

As soon as Dina was before Him, Baba scolded her, 'Where have you been?'

Dina explained that with Navalsha's knowledge and permission she was staying with his sister.

Still stern Baba said, 'I know all that, but what did you do there?'

So Dina detailed how she and Jer chit-chatted whilst doing embroidery work.

But Baba kept on asking, 'And what else?'

Dina became more and more confused and anxious about what she had done to so upset Baba.

At last Baba asked: 'And what did you do yesterday afternoon!?'

It was only then that she remembered, 'Oh, yes Baba! While we were sitting on the porch a Brahmin astrologer approached us.'

Baba, very sarcastically exclaimed, 'And of course you showed him your hand!'

Innocent, Dina replied, 'Yes Baba, both of us did' — because with her upbringing in the house of her grandfather-astrologer, she thought nothing of consulting one. She could not understand how such a thing could so upset Baba.

Then Baba asked her what the man had said, and she replied that he had predicted a grave, prolonged illness for Navalsha, and a severe financial loss in Jer's husbands business. Dina went on and said how they had both asked how they could help their husbands, and the man had given elaborate instructions to give to some temple and to distribute food, etc in order to avert the disasters. Since they could not themselves carry out the instructions, the man offered to do it all for them asking 10 Rs. each. They finally agreed on 5 Rs. each.

Baba listened to all this and again sarcastically said, 'So 5 Rs. each! Do you think that paying some astrologer Brahmin some money can change your destiny? How could you believe such stuff?!' Then in all seriousness and intensity, Baba said, 'You have placed your head on My feet and I have accepted you, now I am responsible for you and for everything in your life. Your stars and planets no longer govern your life. For those who lay their head at My feet and are Mine, I put all their stars and planets in My cup of tea and drink them up! Remember, from this day, do not consult any astrologer for your horoscope or show your hand to anyone. Just leave everything to Me and obey Me.'

While speaking he had gestured as if holding a cup and saucer in his left hand, adding the stars and planets with his right hand, stirring it with the right hand index finger and then lifting and drinking from the imaginary cup. After speaking, Baba embraced Dina as a sign of forgiveness.

Baba has said on a number of occasions, that during His lifetime He takes His followers through a number of lives, that He blindfolds them and leads them avoiding all temptations on the path. Perhaps it is for this reason that horoscopes and hand readings of His lovers did not prove correct.