Occasionally, Merwan would ask Baily to compose an entire poem by himself within a fixed time. Baily would do his best, and when it was completed, Merwan would examine it, pointing out the errors and correcting them.
During this period, living in Poona was a well-known European astrologer named Mr. Browne who was an acquaintance of Bobo's. Mr. Browne persuaded Sheriarji to allow him to examine his son's time of birth and predict his son's future, since he had been impressed with Merwan for a long time and wanted to take a closer look at the boy's astrological chart.
Merwan did not believe in such occult sciences, but on his father's insistence, when he was fifteen, he and Bobo visited Mr. Browne one day. The man was also an adept palmist and wanted to read Merwan's palm first before doing an astrological chart. He scanned the boy's palm intently and became confounded. He usually required only ten minutes to read someone's palm, but he was so astounded that he examined Merwan's hand for over an hour, consulting various books after minutely studying the lines. Mr. Browne then solemnly declared to Sheriarji, "In the future, this boy will become the greatest philosopher of the age."
Mr. Browne's prediction, however, produced no effect on either Merwan or his father. Merwan disliked fortune-telling or the occult arts and refused to discuss the subject. With the passing of time, the family forgot about the man's prediction.
Merwan's character sketch foretold years later by another astrologer proved accurate, as these excerpts indicate:
The person born under the planetary effects of this chart will be the doer of great and good deeds. The man will be industrious ... He will attain glory and fame all over the world.
This person's devotion is profoundly deep and intense and there will come a day when renunciation of all worldly things will manifest. Then he will become a great yogi and be acclaimed and worshiped as a great being. Anyone coming under this person's gaze or influence will be captivated and charmed, for his power of attraction and personality are marvelous. In conclusion, this soul will do some great work for humanity ...
Why is he born? To carry out the will and work of God on Earth. This illustrious soul will be the medium of salvation for all who come in contact with him.
Merwan's family had grown, so they moved into rented rooms at Bhagwandas Chawl , where they lived for about two years.1
Footnotes
- 1.A chawl is a residential apartment block, usually multi-storied, consisting of series of small rooms or tenements on each floor, linked by a hallway.