True spiritual mastery is achieved through complete self-emptying and devotion.
"Becoming the sandals worn on the Master's feet"
Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai
Vinayak Nilkanth Narayan Godse
Ashram physician, in charge of the Meher Free Dispensary, New Life companion
Vinayak Nilkanth Narayan Godse, known as Nilu, was born on 13 November 1902 into an upstanding Brahmin family of Poona. At the New English High School in Poona he became a close friend of Vishnu, who later joined Meher Baba and kept writing to Nilu about the Master. While Vishnu left his studies, Nilu went on to college and then to Grant Medical School in Bombay.
In 1927, aged 24, Nilu came to Meherabad during the celebration of Upasni Maharaj's birthday, ostensibly to see his old friend and with no interest in a guru. Baba at once told him to go and find Vishnu and talk with him as long as he liked. Convinced that Baba had read his thoughts, Nilu said, "I came with that intent, but I have changed my mind. I, too, wish to follow you." Baba told him to think of him, during his studies, as a friend or a brother. Through his medical training Nilu visited during holidays; in 1930 Baba called him from Bombay to give him an injection just before his final exams, and in September 1932 Baba sent him to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who agreed to meet Baba at once.
Nilu became the mandali's doctor. On 1 February 1937 the Meher Free Dispensary opened at Rahuri with Nilu in charge and Jalbhai as his assistant, and soon nearly 200 patients a day were coming for treatment, many of whom had never seen a doctor before. From 1 June 1937 he ran the free dispensary at Meherabad. He went on to serve during the years in Bangalore and the Blue Bus tours, treated the ashram residents alongside Dr. Donkin, and helped Eruch with Baba's mast work.
In October 1949 Nilu set out as one of the companions of the New Life. He remained with Baba for the rest of his life, keeping night watch and accompanying him on mast tours, and in July 1956 he flew with Baba, Eruch, Adi Sr. and Meherjee on Baba's 1956 visit to the West. He loved sweets and liked to write amusing poems to read out to Baba, and his quick temper sometimes flared up among the mandali.
On 2 December 1956, as Baba's car was returning to Satara from Poona, the steering suddenly failed near Udtara and the car crashed against a stone culvert. Nilu was thrown out and suffered severe internal injuries; he was carried to Rosewood in Satara, where he was pronounced dead without regaining consciousness. His body was cremated at Meherabad and his ashes were buried at lower Meherabad near the dhuni. Baba said, "Nilu was particularly fortunate to have breathed his last in my physical proximity, and it is as he would have wanted it."
โThis whole lot is useless! When they are indisposed, I have to prescribe medicines for them. It is true that I am the Doctor of doctors and I possess medicine for every disease, but that medicine is quite different. I want a doctor who can give relief to my patients. That sort of doctor must be here.
โ 1929, Meherabad: said to Nilu, then a medical student visiting in his holidays, pointing to the men present
โMind your studies and don't think of coming here yet. Vishnu will keep writing to you, pestering you to come, but ignore him.
โ 1929: when Nilu wished to stay at Meherabad; it would be six more years before he came to live there permanently
โSuch thoughts are against the spirit and conditions of the New Life. Remember, I will forgive such mistakes only up to the end of December. On and from 1 January 1950, he who commits a blunder will have to pack his bag and baggage.
โ 20 October 1949, at Satara on the way to Belgaum: Baba overheard Nilu wistfully ask Adi Sr., "When will we ever be back in Meherabad?"
โWhat is there to worry about if you are not at fault and I reprimand you? If you are wrong, then correct yourself. Right or wrong, never argue with me or try to defend yourself.
โ New Life, Belgaum, 1949: after Nilu made an unconscious mistake in carrying out an order
โDon't worry about anything. Keep thinking of me constantly. I am the Only One that exists, the Only One that matters.
โ Satara, 1956: said to Nilu several days before the car accident in which he died
โWho told you to pull out his teeth? Are you doctors or barbers? Have you come to shave all? You are worthless good-for-nothings! I'm convinced that you had to bribe someone for your degrees!
โ Bangalore, March 1940: Don had pulled out two of Naoroji's teeth for a toothache, and the pain only grew worse. Hearing of it, Baba scolded the two doctors, Don and Nilu.
โWhen the women drink this water, why don't you? This is disobedience to my orders and both of you should rub your noses on the ground as punishment.
โ Manjri Mafi, 1950: Vishnu and Nilu would not drink from the newly dug well on the property, saying the rain had made it smell foul, and fetched their own water from another well.
โIf your trousers fall down when you strike a dead cobra, what would happen if you killed a live one?
โ Hyderabad, 1951: Krishna Nair had killed a cobra near the bungalow, and Nilu began whacking the dead snake as a joke, when the string of his pajama pants broke and they fell around his feet.
โThank you, no. I appreciate your feelings for me, but it is not necessary. Come what may, after this period of seven days I may live or die, or the blood may rush to my head and crack my skull!
โ Meherazad, January 1952: during Baba's seven days of dhuni work in the Manonash period, Nilu came into the enclosure with his stethoscope before the evening dhuni to check Baba's heart and pulse.
โCompose the rhymes well and they will be printed.
โ Satara, 1955: during Baba's seclusion Nilu wrote humorous verses and read them out to Baba in the evenings. Baba took a keen interest in them, and the rhymes kept him in good spirits.
โIf you stay awake the whole night and repeat God's name, then I will give you all the good, sweet things that have been brought for the masts, and serve you as I do them.
โ Meherazad, 4 January 1952: during the Manonash period, when masts were being brought to Baba and sweets were kept for them, Baba sent this humorous message to Nilu through Padri. Nilu replied, "God forbid that I should ever be a mast! I only wish to be the doctor."
โIf the mast does not come, every hair of your beard will be plucked out!
โ Meherazad, January 1952: Baba was waiting for a suitable mast to be brought for his work, and Nilu, who had grown a beard at the time, received this message from him.
On his first visit in 1927 Nilu marvelled at the mandali, who had distributed food for hours in the hot sun on Upasni Maharaj's birthday without any sign of fatigue, living on plain food. He asked Baba where their energy and enthusiasm came from. Baba replied, "It comes from me. It is I who give it to them internally. The Master always gets his work done through his disciples."
In Satara in 1956, Baba winked at Baidul and asked him, in front of Nilu, about a girl from Nilu's college days. A furious quarrel followed, until Nilu admitted that a girl had loved him and was still unmarried because of him. Baba explained that since she loved Nilu, her sanskaras were with him, and that by Nilu's staying with him Baba would have to bear that burden; he then told Nilu not to worry. Lord Meher notes that Nilu had completely forgotten the episode, and Baidul knew nothing of it: by sparking the quarrel, Baba brought the hidden memory to light and freed Nilu from it.
In 1945 Baba told Dr. Donkin how he had once tested Nilu, who was very fond of sweets. On April Fools' Day at Meherabad, Baba had Pilamai fill a tin with cowdung and wrap it like a gift. He told Nilu how dear he was to him and asked him to open it, keep half the sweets and share the rest. Seeing the cowdung, Nilu turned pale, and Baba told him: "If you turn white on seeing the contents of this, remember the whole world is like cowdung. When you realize it, your attachment to the world will pale!" Baba also recalled that when Nilu first came he had wanted to marry; instead of forbidding it, Baba sent him to Poona with Kakubai and Shireenmai to see some girls. The girls Nilu liked did not like him, and those who liked him he did not like, so he came back and said, "Baba, I don't want to marry." Asked if this was true, Nilu answered, "Quite true. No one else in the world could have played such a perfect game."
In April 1952 Nilu flew to New York with Adi Sr., Sarosh, Meherjee and Gustadji for Baba's first visit to the West in fifteen years. After the car accident near Prague, Oklahoma, in May, Meherjee stayed with Baba in the hospital from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. and Nilu from 7 P.M. to 7 A.M. Baba would often send Nilu to Dr. Burleson with some minor complaint so that the doctor would come. Back in India, Baba praised Nilu for his tireless nightwatch, and later said, "In America, Nilu did not sleep for three months, because the whole night he was keeping watch by me."
In April 1953 the yogi Shuddhananda Bharati meditated in Baba's room and afterwards told Nilu, "Baba is a very great saint." Nilu corrected him: "Meher Baba is not a saint. He is above all saints!" When the yogi asked what spiritual practices Baba did, Nilu said there was no need for him to do any sadhana, and explained, "Meher Baba is the source of all knowledge. There is nothing for him to achieve or know, as all knowledge flows from him."
In Satara in 1955, while Baba was in seclusion at Grafton, he asked Nilu to compose poems, and with great effort Nilu would write one "song" a day and read it to Baba, first telling him how he had been inspired. One day he could think of nothing and asked Bhau to help; Bhau wrote four lines, and when Nilu read them out that evening, Baba told him, "The verse is not good today." "Yes, Baba, I did not like it either," Nilu said. Baba took great interest in Nilu's rhymes, told him, "Compose the rhymes well and they will be printed," and instructed Bhau to send them to Nariman in Bombay for printing.