Bekhoda's wife explained, "That is Sheriar's son, Merwan, and the other is his business partner, Beheram. They own a toddyshop in Poona. They are Maharaj's bhaktas [devotees]."
Gulmai replied, "I have heard that Sheriar has a son who is insane and abstains from eating meat, fish and eggs. Is he the same son?"
Bekhoda's wife said, "Yes. However, wait till you hear him sing. He sings beautifully."
"I would like to hear him," Gulmai said. "We will ask him to sing later."
In the meantime, Merwan Seth had been explaining to Kaikhushru Masa and Bekhoda how he had met Upasni Maharaj. He was telling them about Upasni's great fasts and penances when the Sadguru called to see them. All went inside Upasni's hut. They bowed to him and Maharaj asked Bekhoda and his wife where they came from, to what family they belonged, et cetera. They answered him, then he remarked sternly (in Marathi), "This family life is all filth!1 Lifetime after lifetime is wasted in this way. If one wants to purchase wheat but inquires at a cloth shop, the shopkeeper will say, 'No grain is available here; you can only buy cloth here.' Similarly, you will only get from here whatever I have."
Upasni Maharaj asked each about matters pertaining to them personally. As soon as Gulmai had entered his hut, she was astonished to find that the near naked Master was the same figure who had appeared to her recently in a vivid dream. She listened intently to his words as he spoke of God, the spiritual path and the need of a Perfect Master. Gulmai was impressed with Upasni Maharaj, and she immediately felt comfortable in his presence, as if she had found an old friend.
Gulmai spontaneously said, "Maharaj, you have what is not available elsewhere. I want only that!"
Upasni then told them to have their lunch and rest. They were to meet him again in the afternoon. As they came out of the hut, they found Merwan Seth waiting for them. He helped them take their parcels to the Maruti temple nearby and then said that he would return at three o'clock to take them to Upasni.
After lunch, Merwan Seth arrived and narrated how he had met Babajan and Sai Baba. When Merwan Seth started to take the group to Upasni, they told him that they had heard that he sang beautifully and asked if he would sing one song.
Footnotes
- 1.The actual word Upasni Maharaj used was most likely the Marathi equivalent of "shit." Upasni would often use swear words and abusive language. Cursing or vulgar language was symbolic of his work of annihilating sanskaric bindings — the grossness of a person's consciousness.