During these days in 1918, two men came into Merwanji's contact who would later play significant roles in relation to him. They were Sadashiv Govind Shelke, known as Sadashiv Patil , and Sayyed Saheb Pirzade .1 Sayyed Saheb, a Muslim, was a regular visitor to Babajan, who had personally introduced him to Merwanji. Through increasing contact with Merwanji, Sayyed Saheb was gradually drawn closer to him. Merwanji took personal interest in Sayyed Saheb's individual difficulties, financial and otherwise. Because of Merwanji's genuine concern, Sayyed Saheb opened his heart to him.
When they first met, Sadashiv Patil, a Hindu, was 29, five years older than Merwanji. Sadashiv was the Maratha landlord of Merwanji's new toddyshop in Kasba Peth, and he and his wife Gita lived over the shop. One day Merwanji happened to stop by Sadashiv's apartment and requested a meal. Sadashiv was quite unprepared and answered that the food was not ready.
Merwanji replied, "That's all right, some leftovers will be fine."
Wishing he had more elaborate fare to offer, Sadashiv reluctantly put the leftovers in front of Merwanji, who ate with pleasure.
Initially, Sadashiv had taken Merwanji to be merely a toddyshop keeper, but he later recognized him to be someone quite different. It was Sadashiv who, for the first time, used the appellation Merwan Seth in referring to Merwanji. ( Seth is a term of respect and means a person of influence.) No one yet acknowledged him to be a God-realized Master, although most of his acquaintances thought him to be extraordinary. Some accepted him as a staunch, devout disciple of both Babajan and Upasni Maharaj, but no one thought of him as a "saint" or spiritually advanced soul. However, although Merwanji was only in his mid-twenties, young and old alike looked upon him with respect. So from 1918 onward Merwanji was called Merwan Seth by the people living in Kasba Peth.
Merwan Seth introduced Sadashiv to Sayyed Saheb, and they immediately became closely connected. Later Merwan Seth would take either man with him when he visited Upasni Maharaj. It was through Merwan Seth that both came to recognize Upasni's greatness and spiritual authority as a Perfect Master. As mentioned, both men served as personal messengers for letters and messages passing back and forth between Merwan Seth and Upasni Maharaj.
Another devotee from this period was a Muslim named Ahmed Abbas (later nicknamed Khak Saheb ), who had grown up in Poona.
Footnotes
- 1.Patil is a respectful form of address to someone who is well-off.