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Chhagan Deshmukh

Chhagan Deshmukh

Chhagan Sitaram Dattatrey Deshmukh

Teacher at the Meherabad school, cook, Baba's representative at Meher Melas

December 1908 โ€“ 1 February 1972
India โ†’ India

Biography

Chhagan Sitaram Dattatrey Deshmukh, commonly known as "Chhagan Master" due to his role as a schoolteacher, was one of Meher Baba's longest-serving mandali members.

Chhagan came to Meher Baba at Meherabad in 1925, at the age of nineteen, and quickly became an integral part of the mandali. Baba remarked about him to the other mandali in 1927: "Chhagan is a very loving and sincere fellow, and up to now he has pleased me and induced me to give him a push."

Chhagan served in numerous capacities at Meherabad. He was assigned duties as a cook, preparing meals for Baba and the mandali during their travels across India. He was also appointed as a teacher for the boys at the Meherabad ashram, earning the nickname "Chhagan Master." His duties ranged from cooking and teaching to serving as a personal attendant, preparing Baba's bedding, and accompanying the Master on extended journeys throughout India.

In 1927, an episode revealed the depth of Chhagan's love and emotional nature. After a difficult incident at Akolner involving insults directed at Baba, Chhagan became so deeply depressed that he handed his clothes to the police and wandered into the fields in a loincloth, intent on ending his life. He later recounted hearing a voice near the Tank that stopped him. When brought back to Meherabad, Baba forgave him and smeared sacred ash from the dhuni on his forehead as a blessing.

Chhagan's wife Shanta supported his spiritual path. When Chhagan told her of his commitment to Baba's service, she agreed to live simply and not demand the obligations of family life. During the New Life phase in the late 1940s, Chhagan wrote "Yes" to participate in Baba's call, but when his wife began weeping, Baba freed him from the obligation while ordering him to eat food obtained by begging.

In 1967-68 Baba sent Chhagan as his representative to "Meher Melas" (fairs) in Uttar Pradesh, at Hamirpur, Bagda, Khandarka and elsewhere. Before each trip Baba would call him to Meherazad to read out the Hindi speeches Bhau had prepared for him. In September 1954, Chhagan was photographed standing behind Meher Baba, and in the 1960s, his family posed with Baba at Guruprasad in Poona.

Chhagan remained devoted to Baba throughout his life, serving for over four decades. He passed away on 1 February 1972 at the age of 63. In 1971, shortly before his death, he participated in the Oral History Archive Project, giving an interview to Irwin Luck that preserved his firsthand memories of life with Meher Baba. Meher Baba Travels gives his birth as December 1908, while Lord Meher describes him as nineteen when he came to Baba in 1925.

Photo Gallery(12 photos)

Life Timeline

1908

Born in December in India

1925

Came to Meher Baba at Meherabad, after frequenting Upasni Maharaj; joined the mandali (Lord Meher gives his age as nineteen)

1925

Began teaching boys at the Hazrat Babajan School, Meherabad, earning the nickname 'Chhagan Master'

1926

In May, Baba falls at his feet and tells him, "Henceforth, don't do any work"

1927

On 23 March his wife Shanta comes to live with him at Meherabad, in a partitioned part of the Post Office

1927

Baba praised Chhagan as 'a very loving and sincere fellow'; experienced spiritual crisis at Akolner

1930s

Served as cook and personal attendant to Baba during extensive travels across India

1945

In May, at the Meherabad meeting, Baba says, "How can I describe the love of Chhagan? He has been with me from the beginning"

1949

Answered 'Yes' to the New Life call; freed from the obligation when his wife wept

1960

His daughter Shakuntala marries Suresh Kirtane in May; in June they come to Guruprasad for Baba's blessing

1960s

Sent by Baba as his representative to Meher Melas in Uttar Pradesh (1967-68); family photographed with Baba at Guruprasad

1969

On 31 January, after Meher Baba dropped His body, Chhagan stayed the whole night inside Baba's tomb with Padri

1971

On 22 May, gave an oral history interview to Irwin Luck at Meherazad for the Archive Project

1972

Died on 1 February 1972

Quotes

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Henceforth, don't do any work. Simply eat, drink, and loll about the place.

โ€” Meherabad, May 1926: Baba asked Chhagan a question, and when he did not answer at once, Baba fell at his feet

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You only think of the man who is hurt, but you have no thought for me. How will you help him by thinking about him? Your sympathy is empty; it carries no weight. You see me eating food, but what do you know of what I am really doing for that man? If you believe that everything is in my hands and not a leaf moves without my will, then why don't you accept that whatever has happened to him โ€” and whatever will happen to him โ€” is according to my will? Your only duty is to follow my wish.

โ€” On the train journey north in May 1929, after a man had been struck by the train near Khandwa and Chhagan silently judged Baba for calmly eating his lunch

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Now listen to this: In brief, you always live in water, but you have no idea what water is! Understood?

โ€” Meherabad, 1943: busy cooking, Chhagan had missed Baba's explanation of the Divine Theme to the gathering and said so

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You should be ashamed of yourself. When you have surrendered your life to me, what right have you to take it away? Your life no longer belongs to you. It is my property! What right have you to destroy that which belongs to me? โ€ฆ Bravery lies in living while dying, bearing the punishment I mete out.

โ€” 17 January 1928 at Meherabad. Baba had scolded Chhagan for serving the ashram boys half-cooked rice and had him caned; Chhagan then hid in the storeroom with a razor, meaning to cut his throat, until Meherjee and Raosaheb stopped him.

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This frequent losing of temper and being out of mood is of no use, particularly in the company of your Master, whose will, wish, and word must be your law. โ€ฆ So whenever I tell you to do a thing, never question why. Only say, "Yes, Sir," not merely outwardly, but inwardly from the bottom of your heart, and act accordingly. That is your real service to your Master, even if you know or pursue absolutely nothing of the Path, meditation, and spiritual things.

โ€” July 1929, on Baba's motor journey north toward Kashmir. Chhagan had been gloomy since the day before, and Baba questioned him about his sour mood and then spoke to the gathered mandali.

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Because you get tired, your mood is spoiled. Wherever we halt in the course of our journey, you have to cook; and when the others are out on a walk or sightseeing, you cannot go because you are burdened with the duty of preparing our meals. But what can I do? It is your fate. How lucky you are to cook the food which I eat. And besides, I like the food you prepare.

โ€” July 1929, on the same journey north. After rebuking Chhagan for his moods, Baba consoled him; as cook, Chhagan had to prepare the meals at every halt while the others went walking or sightseeing.

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Are you here to serve me or am I supposed to serve you?

โ€” November 1929, on the journey through Persia. Baba had taken Chhagan to task for waking late and had taunted Buasaheb, and at mealtime both were in irritable moods.

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But why didn't you come as you were? โ€ฆ God himself is knocking at your door and you keep him waiting by tying your loincloth. Remember, if you are not diligent and alert when He knocks, He will go away while you go on fumbling with your underwear until your dying day. You should be ready to welcome Paramatma anytime. These women wait for me, scanning the horizon for my car; and there you are โ€” in the toilet, bungling with your drawstring!

โ€” 1948, at the Family Quarters near Arangaon. Baba had Vishnu call Chhagan, who came out late from the toilet after washing his hands and pulling up his trousers, and explained the delay.

Notable Stories

"I won't leave Meherabad!"

A strict Brahmin of Bhingar who had frequented Sakori, Chhagan first came to Meherabad in 1925 because of his family's financial ruin, and agreed to serve as a teacher. But used to food cooked in rich ghee, he could not digest the plain dal and rice and went home. Baba sent for his father and told him of his son's deep spiritual connection; the father then ordered Chhagan back, saying he had given Meher Baba his promise. Later Upasni Maharaj scolded the father for sending a Brahmin son to an Irani who ate with outcasts, and the father came to take him home. Baba said, "He is your son, and if you want to take him, you may." But Chhagan told his father, "When I left here, it was you who sent me back. ... I cannot go back now! I won't leave Meherabad!"

The Master at his feet

On the night of 18 May 1926 Baba asked the mandali whether he needed anything, and explained, "If I need anything, if I want anything, and if I require anything, then it is only love and nothing else!" The next day he asked Chhagan a question, and when Chhagan failed to answer at once, Baba actually fell at his feet, saying, "Henceforth, don't do any work. Simply eat, drink, and loll about the place." As Vishnu had been the day before, Chhagan was stunned that the Master would bow at his feet.

"What are you thinking?"

On the way north in May 1929, a man was struck by a train near Khandwa and a crowd gathered around him. Baba sent Chhagan to buy rice and dal. Chhagan thought, "A man has just been seriously hurt, all are rushing to his aid, yet this Deva feels hungry and wants something to eat! How can Baba be so merciless?" Watching Baba eat, he thought, "Outside a man is dying and inside Divinity himself is quietly enjoying his lunch in peace." Baba asked what he was thinking; Chhagan said it was nothing. Baba then spelled out on his board that Chhagan's sympathy was empty, that he did not know what Baba was really doing for that man, and that his only duty was to follow Baba's wish: "I am eating this food, but it reaches the belly of that man!"

Not a job for an ordinary man

In January 1939, in Benares, Baba was contacting masts and searching for boys who fitted his ideal. Chhagan would look for boys and bring them to Baba, but Baba would always send them back and criticize Chhagan at length: "For goodness sake, what sort of boys do you bring me? Are you blind? Can't you find even one to my liking?" Exasperated, Chhagan replied, "To find such a boy, I would have to be God-realized! This is not a job for an ordinary man!"

"You always live in water"

At Meherabad in 1943, while Baba explained the Divine Theme to a gathering, Chhagan was busy with his duty of cooking and could not attend. When Baba asked what he was thinking, Chhagan said he had heard that Baba had explained the Divine Theme very well but had not had a chance to hear it. "All right," Baba spelled out. "Now listen to this: In brief, you always live in water, but you have no idea what water is! Understood?" Chhagan laughed: "Yes, I have understood that much, Baba. I've grasped it well."