ChaptersChapter 15Page 2,239

Chapter 15: Seclusion

1941Page 2,239 of 5,444
Kitty was giving typing lessons to Mani and Katie (which were a prelude to Mani handling correspondence in the future).
Gulmai arrived to see Baba on the 10th, and the same day Baba visited a place called Dharamshala, a gathering place for wandering sadhus twelve miles from Belgaum.
On 12 November, Baba left Belgaum for Dharwar at eleven o'clock, reaching there three hours later. Although Mokashi's bungalow at Saptapur, which had been rented, was quite spacious, there was the problem of scarcity of water. Krishna, Venkoba Rao and Kashinath (an employed servant boy from Dharwar) were given the work of bringing water, after drawing it up from a deep well. But Venkoba was weak, and Kashinath also had the duty of doing the marketing, so the task usually fell to Krishna. To bring sufficient water for nearly 40 women was an exhausting task.
On Friday, 14 November 1941, accompanied by Baidul, Krishna, Gustadji, Savak and Kaka, Baba left Dharwar by train to see Chatti Baba. He first proceeded to Bangalore, where he spent the night at Zulekha Lodge, on Margrette Road. The next day, they traveled on to Nagapattinam. Chatti Baba had left his usual place for another spot quite far away and Baba had to traverse twelve miles of rough dirt roads to find him. Heavy rain began falling, but Baba continued through the mud and slush, wading through knee-deep water to reach the place where the great mast was sitting.
After Baba's contact with Chatti Baba, he and the men went to Bangalore for the night of the 17th, where Baba met the Jessawala family, Adi Sr. and Don. Baba described his meeting with Upasni Maharaj to them. (Don recorded in his diary: "It's like a deep drink of celestial wine to see Baba!") Baba left the next morning and returned to Dharwar on the 19th. On the way back, Baba contacted masts in Bellary and Hubli. One mast was called Chela , a subtle-conscious initiate who had taken a vow of silence and fasted for long periods. The mast was a disciple of a great yogi called Swami Sidharudh, who was famous in the area.
Chhota Mastan was a very high mast of the sixth plane. He was a young saint, only 22 years old, who sat naked in all weather on a particular stone in a street, facing a public water tap. The people of Hubli called him Dev Purush , meaning Divine-Man . He was truly a remarkable young saint.
of 5,444