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
Vishnu Narayan Deorukhkar
In charge of marketing, accounts and correspondence; founding trustee of the Avatar Meher Baba Trust
Vishnu Narayan Deorukhkar, known affectionately as 'Vishnu Master,' was one of Meher Baba's close mandali who served the Master for decades. Born on June 21, 1903, he was educated at New English School in Poona, one of the leading institutions of the time.
Lord Meher records much of Vishnu's life. He was a fatherless fifteen-year-old in Kasba Peth, Poona, when Merwan Seth met him in 1918 and told him, "From now on I am your father." His mother Saraswati, whom Merwan Seth called Kakubai, cooked for him and later lived and died at Meherabad. From the days of Manzil-e-Meem in 1922 Vishnu was always with Baba, and he was counted with Adi, Pendu and Padri among the "four pillars" of Meherabad (Lord Meher, pp. 206, 4799).
Vishnu travelled widely with Meher Baba in India, where Baba relied on him for marketing and travel arrangements. In 1932 he was among the mandali sent ahead to China, and a photograph shows him with other mandali at the statue of Deng Shiru and his cave in Hangzhou; he was sent back to Nasik before Baba himself arrived in China (Lord Meher, p. 1446). In the early Meherabad years he also taught at the Hazrat Babajan School, and later in Baba's other ashram schools (Lord Meher, pp. 570, 786).
Baba also teased Vishnu affectionately about Napoleon. In 1941, after Vishnu tricked the reluctant mast Chatti Baba into boarding a train at Laksar, Baba laughed and joked: "Vishnu is short and does all the work of marketing and travel arrangements. But now I see that not only does he look like Napoleon and labor like Napoleon โ even his brain works like Napoleon's!" (Lord Meher, p. 2209). Meher Baba Travels adds a note that Baba claimed Vishnu had been Napoleon Bonaparte in a previous life, but Lord Meher does not record this.
Vishnu's dedication to Baba was tested in the most dramatic way during the 1956 Satara automobile accident. He was in the car with Meher Baba, along with Eruch, Dr. Nilu, and Pendu, when the accident occurred. While Dr. Nilu lost his life in this incident and Baba sustained serious injuries, Vishnu survived, continuing his service to the Master.
Vishnu passed away on May 13, 1962, at Guruprasad in Poona, Meher Baba's summer residence where many significant events in Baba's later years took place. His death came while Baba was still physically present, allowing him to leave in the Master's proximity. He died of a heart attack that evening after a qawwali program, and Baba sat beside his body, remarking, "Never before have I sat near the body of any of my mandali as I am doing today by Vishnu. He is indeed most fortunate!" (Lord Meher, p. 4799).
Born on June 21, 1903, in India to Narayana 'Kakabai' Deorukhkar and Kakubai
Sent ahead to China with other mandali and photographed at the statue of Deng Shiru in Hangzhou; sent back to Nasik before Baba arrived (Lord Meher, p. 1446)
Was in the car with Baba during the Satara automobile accident, along with Eruch, Dr. Nilu, and Pendu. Dr. Nilu died in the accident.
Died of a heart attack on the evening of May 13, 1962, at Guruprasad, Poona, after a qawwali program; Baba sat beside his body (Lord Meher, pp. 4798-4799)
โNow you too are siding with Rustom. Padri and Pendu are his old friends because they have past connection with him from previous births. But why do you want to fall into that pit also?
โ Toka, 18 June 1928. Baba did not want the mandali to form close friendships, which bred partiality, and he took Vishnu severely to task over Rustom.
โBy burning your fingers today in preparing dal for me, you have obliged me to make you into something one day.
โ August 1929, on the bus journey back from Kashmir. Baba asked for dal to be cooked in the jolting rear compartment, and Ramjoo and Vishnu scorched their hands at the kerosene stove.
โThis is my reply to your question. You have both wanted this prasad for days, and today I have given it to you!
โ Nasik, February 1932. At Dastur's prompting, Feram asked Vishnu and Buasaheb why a boy had been dismissed from the workshop, and the two went to Baba to inquire. Baba took off his sandal and slapped them with it.
โOn second thought, bring him here at 2:30. If you do not, Deshmukh will die! โฆ Why are you sitting here? Go fetch him!
โ Nasik, 16 September 1933. C. D. Deshmukh was hours late, and Baba, after saying he no longer wanted to see him, ordered Vishnu to bring him, though no one knew where Deshmukh was staying.
โWhat do you know of the gain this loss has given us? Your job is to continue doing as I tell you!
โ Dehra Dun, July 1942. At Baba's order the stored grain was sold at a loss, and Vishnu, who kept the accounts, told Baba they had suffered a big loss.
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, March 1950, during the New Life. Vishnu and Nilu would not drink from the newly dug well, saying the rain had made it smell, and fetched their water from another well.
โEven if you had seen God approaching the gate, you should have closed the door and not waited for Him to enter. โฆ I suddenly became angry, which is not good.
โ Mahabaleshwar, October 1950, during the New Life, at a meeting of some 200 lovers. Vishnu was slow to shut the gate because he saw Gustadji coming, and two uninvited men slipped in and touched Baba's feet. Baba caught himself at once after the rebuke.
โI am the Highest of the High and have come down to your level for your own and humanity's good. Although you are moving about in the presence of God Himself, still you are lacking in the elementary rules of discipline and respect. โฆ People from thousands of miles away come for my darshan, and in spite of being with me, you are so irreverent and rude! Next time, I will not forgive such behavior.
โ Meherabad, 18 November 1955, between sahavas groups. Busy with the work, eleven of the mandali had not come to the hall when Baba arrived; he singled out Pendu, Padri, Vishnu, Bhau and Aloba and took them severely to task.
โDon't worry. Money comes and goes. Let me complete my seclusion; we shall see then. โฆ Forget it. I have a plan. I am going into strict seclusion for a year.
โ Meherabad, November 1955, at the sahavas. Baba told the gathering how Vishnu, his treasurer, came to him before and after the Satara seclusion with no money for the coming month's expenses, and what he answered him each time.
โVishnu, you have been with me from childhood. A deficit of Rs.3,000 compared with your love for me is nothing at all. Even if the deficit is Rs.300 crores [three billion], it is nothing at all when compared with your love. Do not worry about it and forget all about it.
โ Meherabad, February 1958, at the sahavas. The special train for the Andhra group's return was short of passengers, leaving a deficit of some Rs.3,000, and Vishnu, who was in charge, met Baba by the roadside trembling with worry. Baba later told the gathering what he had said to him.
In 1941, at Laksar, the mast Chatti Baba refused to board the train until Vishnu told him, "We are trying to take you back to your native place, but we can't, if you won't board the train." When Baba heard of it, he laughed and joked that Vishnu, short and doing all the marketing and travel arrangements, not only looked and labored like Napoleon but even had a brain that worked like Napoleon's (Lord Meher, p. 2209).
In 1956, Vishnu was in the car with Baba, Eruch, Dr. Nilu, and Pendu when a serious accident occurred. While Dr. Nilu lost his life, Vishnu survived and continued his service to Baba for five and a half more years.