Brunton looked startled and said, "I don't know if I can do that; the world will probably think I am mad."
Baba assured him that he was mistaken, "I will help you to render service to me in the West."
Baba then directed Brunton and Fletcher to meet Hazrat Babajan in Poona, to see the Tiger Valley Cave in Panchgani, and then to visit Kolhapur High School and the Madras Center. At one point during his interview, Baba had explained to Brunton:
The feet are potent for receiving the bad sanskaras of other people, while the forehead is potent for giving them. Hence devotees lay their foreheads on the feet (especially the toes which are most potent) of the Sadguru and he takes up consciously some of their sanskaras. But the same process will happen with you if you allow others to touch your feet. Hence never permit it, but if it has occurred, immediately put your own forehead on the feet of this other person and he will have to take some of your bad sanskaras in exchange.
Accompanied by Jalbhai, Brunton and his friend left soon afterwards to meet Babajan. In Poona, Abdulla Jaffer took them to Babajan. When Brunton stepped forward to face Babajan, she gripped his hand, looked into his eyes and then said in a slow feeble voice, "He has been called to India and soon he will understand."1
On Tuesday, 25 November 1930, Baba came out of the Panchvati Cave and left for Nasik the following day, where he met with the women mandali.
He returned to Meherabad on the 27th, and remarked, "My seclusion has been disturbed and now I wish to complete it. There should be no more obstacles in my work. No one should know the place of my seclusion. From now on, I will have to keep my whereabouts a secret."
Baba left for Delhi two days later with Raosaheb, Chanji, and Vishnu. During the three weeks in Delhi, the mandali in Nasik and Meherabad were informed that Baba's health was poor and that was why he was detained there and not meeting with anyone. The fact was, however, that Baba was seriously occupied with sending various messages through Chanji to different political leaders, thereby establishing contact with them. Baba himself did not see any politicians in person, but used Chanji as his emissary.
Baba returned to Meherabad on Tuesday, 23 December 1930 and then left for Nasik a week later on the 30th.
Footnotes
- 1.According to Pendu, Baba tried to discourage Brunton from writing anything about him, and instead suggested he visit Shirdi and Sakori and write about Sai Baba and Upasni Maharaj. Baba even instructed the mandali not to speak with Brunton, Pendu recalled.