After Baba arrived, Pankhraj sent a message to him through Pendu, Vishnu and Kakubai. Baba sent back word for Pankhraj to return to Nagpur at once, assuring him that Baba's nazar was on him. Deeply disappointed, the young man sat under a tree and began weeping. He wept for four hours. At last Baba sent him instructions to go to Narayan Maharaj at Kedgaon. Hearing this, Pankhraj exclaimed, "I now believe in Meher Baba's omniscience and know why he has sent me this message."
The fact was that, just as there had been hostile opposition against Meher Baba and Upasni Maharaj, there was also much propaganda against Narayan Maharaj in the press, and Pankhraj had once been led astray by all the false publicity.1 On one occasion, when Narayan Maharaj had gone to Nagpur and was giving darshan to his devotees, Pankhraj stood outside and actually spoke against him. But when he read about Narayan Maharaj in Charles Purdom's book The Perfect Master , he repented for his folly. Thus, Baba's message affected Pankhraj deeply, and again he began shedding tears.
After some time, Baba sent for Pankhraj through Vishnu and allowed him darshan from 50 yards away.
Baba indicated to him, "I am pleased with you. You may now return."
Pankhraj left, walking backwards without turning from Baba, and when he had gone some distance, Baba sent Vishnu to talk with him.
Baba again called him and said, "Whatever you are now doing [studying or a job], go on doing. I will call you after a year [to stay with me]."
Pankhraj left, firmly establishing Baba in his heart for all time, and continued to see him whenever the opportunity arose.
During this period, Narayan Maharaj came to a suburb of Bombay to give darshan to his devotees there. Nariman, Arnavaz, Nargis, Roda and Bachamai Dadachanji decided to pay their respects to the Sadguru, and went to see him. Inside, they were taken before Narayan Maharaj, who was dressed very simply in a white kafni, pajamas and a sleeveless vest and was seated on a chair, surrounded by a group of devotees. Narayan spoke to them in Gujarati, asking where they had come from and various other questions.
After some minutes of conversation, Arnavaz wanted to see Narayan Maharaj's reaction to, or comments about, Meher Baba. She broached the topic: "You know, Narayan, my paternal uncle [Chanji] is staying with Meher Baba."
Footnotes
- 1.Narayan Maharaj actually had to go to court to face a lawsuit at this time. A devotee had given him a large sum of money, but for some reason the man turned against Narayan and demanded the money back. Narayan would not give the man the money; therefore, the man filed a lawsuit and tried to sue Narayan for the money. The man eventually lost the case in court.