Baba would go to such lengths to drive home a message to his disciples, sacrificing his own comfort and often spending hours in the process for their sakes.
Reaching Delhi on Saturday, 11 May 1929, the group rested that night. They continued the next morning at 7:00 A.M., on the Peshawar Express into the mountains to Hardwar. The following morning, Baba walked to an isolated spot on the banks of the Ganges River, where he sat absolutely still for some time. To the mandali's surprise, Baba then declared that his work in Hardwar was over and he wanted to depart. Age was perplexed. "What might Meher Baba have been doing by sitting silently at this spot for so short a time?" Age wondered. Only one who has infinite consciousness can fathom it, because the Avatar's work touches every living and lifeless thing in his infinite shadow of creation. Every particle and every being is always before his eyes.
From Hardwar, Baba proceeded to Rishikesh the same day.
Coming across a group of sadhus and sanyasis, Baba remarked, "Look at them. They wear long hair, apply ash to their bodies, put on ochre-colored robes and give spiritual discourses. This is only an outward show; within, they are merged in maya.
"They are hypocrites; it is a sin to pretend that one is away from maya. These so-called sadhus are full of desires and have thoughts of eating, drinking, and wearing fine clothes. Outwardly, they show themselves to be sadhus, but inwardly, they are quite the reverse. [They are merged in maya.]"
Baba concluded, "Only he who has annihilated himself is a real sadhu."
Baba left Rishikesh by train for Quetta. On Thursday, 16 May, while dictating some points to Chanji in the train, Baba suddenly felt uneasy. He complained of heart pain and turned ghastly pale. Restlessness overcame him; one moment he wanted to sit down and the next he got up.
The month of May is the hottest month of the year in India. The railway compartment was overcrowded and stifling. Baba got down at Rohri at 11:45 P.M. They slept on the open railway platform, since the waiting room was crowded, but the noise at the station was so bothersome, they left and sought shelter in a nearby dharamshala. Baba was unable to rest and had frequent loose motions.
The next day, 17 May 1929, Baba still looked as ill and the mandali were naturally worried about his condition.