Baba, however, did not pay the slightest attention to him and only asked the mandali about their journey.
After an hour he inquired, "Who is that lying in the corner?"
When told that it was Karim, he called for a cup of warm tea. Karim's pulse was faint and his complexion was as pale as a corpse. Baba opened Karim's mouth and poured tea down his throat with a spoon. In a short while Karim began perspiring and, after an hour, regained consciousness. Within two days he was completely revived and fully alert.
On Friday, 18 October 1929, the men were permitted to take a bath at a hamam khanna (Turkish bath) and launder their clothes (having not done either for more than ten days). The cold had been intense, so they had hardly perspired. Isfahan was also cold, yet they felt refreshed after washing off the dust and sand of the journey. Baba took a hot bath at the same place the next day with some of the men who had not gone the day before.
After their bath on the 19 th , the talk turned to the kings of old. Baba remarked:
Akbar was large-hearted, kind and broadminded; he wasn't as brave as Shivaji. He was matchless among the Moghal kings.
Shivaji was brave; knew no fear. Was very kind and clever. He was the founder of a kingdom and so big-hearted he was willing to sacrifice even his empire at the feet of his guru Ramdas. That's no small thing. He was incomparable among the Marathas. He had two masters, Ramdas and Tukaram. He used to go daily to hear Tukaram Maharaj's abhangs. Once when he was with Tukaram, his enemies surrounded him. But Tukaram's grace prevented any harm being done to Shivaji as the enemies could not see one Shivaji but so many. All the people around him looked like Shivaji to his enemies.
Akbar's son Jahangir was indolent, easy-going, fond of pleasures. His good fortune got him Nur Jahan [his wife] who was ruling and dispensing justice well.
Aurangzeb was industrious, hard-working; a man who earned his own bread from working. But his fanaticism wiped everything out — massacres. It brought about the ultimate ruin of the Moghal empire.
Babur was brave but lazy; too fond of the good things of life.
Alexander the Great was very brave, most fearless, but too ambitious and power-hungry.
Later Baba made these pronouncements about the salient qualities of the men mandali accompanying him:
Gustadji belongs to the seventh plane!
Vishnu is inspired, spiritualistic; but impulsive and prone to occasional outbursts of anger.
Chhagan looks as if he is always in samadhi, like a yogi; but his cheeks swell in no time [he gets angry and excited easily]!
Raosaheb is our general manager, handling everyone with firmness.
Jalbhai is a musician; Sidhu is a singer; Chanji is one who pick up and continues on the notes of the singer — a drum-beater. Buasaheb, Karim and Masaji are the audience.
After serving dinner to the mandali on the 19 th , Baba made the following remarks concerning the immorality of some Iranians: "We should pity them. They are not to blame; it is their ignorance. Now that I have come to Persia, I shall finish this work [of purifying the atmosphere] before returning to India."
Baba then confronted the men, "Meanwhile, tell me one thing and be frank; I have a special reason to ask about it. Today I want you to disclose to me any wrong actions you have done before or after joining me. If you have done something, I want you to confess it with an open heart and without the least fear — whatever it may be."
Each man candidly revealed his weaknesses before Baba, which pleased him.
Afterward he remarked, "Now you do not have to repent for anything. You have been open with me and I have forgiven you for every wrongdoing. There are a few among you without any fault, but I have forgiven all the others."
Baba explained:
Just as I asked you today to confess openly your weaknesses, Jesus would meet daily with his mandali at a fixed time, and forgive their weaknesses and advise them. From this act of Jesus, the Catholics approach a priest for confession to this day. It is a good practice. But after a confession and pardon, the actions should not be repeated. If they are repeated, where is the benefit? It does no good if you commit 700 wrongs in seven days, and go to a priest to confess, only to repeat them later.