He had a generous nature, helping the poor and giving medicinal herbs to the sick. He had the gift of healing and many who came to him were cured by his potions.
Dorabji was also jovial and sharp-witted. Once, while he was enjoying the company of a few friends, one of his patients came to see him, complaining of a severe cold. Dorabji knew the fellow to be a hypochondriac and facetiously told him to take a cold bath, drink sour buttermilk, wrap up in a wet blanket and sleep in a draft. Dorabji resumed his conversation, having no idea that the fellow, having such strong belief in Dorabji, would take him seriously and follow his obviously absurd advice. Several days later when the two met again, Dorabji inquired after the man's health and the fellow assured him that he was fine after following all of Dorabji's instructions. Dorabji was taken aback because such a routine could have resulted in pneumonia. From that day on, he was extremely careful when counseling people about their health.
Dorabji loved his little daughter Shireen very much. She was quite intelligent and her beauty befitted her name. Shireen's sweet ways and conversation delighted her entire family. When she was five years old, she began her elementary schooling at the home of an Irani family.
At this time, Sheriar was living with his sister in Poona. The dervish kept aloof and would spend his days in meditation and quietude. Occasionally he would cause his sister anxiety by remarking that he was considering resuming his old life as a wandering mendicant.
Piroja was a loving, innocent and gentle soul, whose love for her sadhu-brother was deep; she did not want him to leave, to lose himself in what she considered an aimless life. Piroja would often tell Sheriar that he should get a job, marry a nice Zoroastrian girl and settle down with a family. But Sheriar would politely avoid the topic of marriage. He had not given up his longing to realize God. Although he had heard God speak to him, he did not fully understand the message.
Brokenhearted, but not broken in spirit, Sheriar became restless to be alone again under the open sky with his heart's sole companion. Searching for an answer to his profound dilemma, Sheriar earnestly implored, "Beloved Yezdan, what is Your will?"
One day in 1883, Sheriar was overcome with melancholy and gently told Piroja that the time for him to leave had come.