One day Yeshwant Rao presented Baba with a long, black woolen coat made out of rough blanket-cloth called kamli . Baba was to wear this woolen coat for years and years. When the coat was torn, he would insist that it be patched; he never accepted any other as his favorite coat.1
As the six-month period drew to a close and it was becoming evident that Baba was soon to depart from Sakori, Upasni Maharaj would tell those who came for his darshan, "Go to Merwan! I have given over my charge [authority] to him. Merwan now holds my key."
On another occasion among a group of his disciples Upasni told them, "Whatever I received from Sai Baba, I have handed over to Merwan. And this [pointing to the gunny sack wrapped around his waist] I shall give to someone else. If you want what Sai Baba gave me, go to Merwan."
Later, when a large gathering of disciples, including Durgabai, were present, Upasni looked at Durgabai and pointed to Merwan, saying, "This lad will shake the whole world!"
Another time, when Maharaj's disciples from Kharagpur and Nagpur had come, Upasni interrupted his discourse and pointed to Baba, remarking, "Up to now, no guru has opened a college of dnyan [divine knowledge], but he will soon do so."
Late in 1921, Gustadji, Sadashiv and Behramji were each called to Sakori. Baba discussed his plans with Sadashiv to stay in a hut somewhere in a remote area of Poona.
When Upasni Maharaj and Baba were seated together, Upasni solemnly told Gustadji, "I have made Merwan perfect. From now on, hold on to him."
On one occasion Sadashiv was sitting with Upasni Maharaj, who suddenly started shedding tears and uttered, "Merwan now has all that Sai Baba gave me. Everything has been transferred to him ... The whole burden is on his shoulders now!"
Maharaj told Behramji, "Your friend Merwan is now God-realized. Always do as he says and obey him implicitly."
Baily reported that Maharaj declared, "I have nothing left with me now. All of you now follow Merwan. I have given him all that I had; I have become totally naked. Everything is now with him. Don't trouble me anymore. I can't do anything [for you] now. Now you should all go to Merwan. He has got everything. He is the only one who can do anything for you now. Take him to be your Protector, Sustainer, and Destroyer, and obey all his orders with respect. He is now the only one who can lead you to your final destination. Believe what I tell you in full faith and leave me alone."
Footnotes
- 1.The black kamli wool coat may have served as a link to keep Yeshwant Rao and the other disciples of Upasni Maharaj in Meher Baba's contact. Although Yeshwant Rao stayed permanently at Sakori and did not live at Baba's ashram, he maintained personal contact with Baba until he died. Meher Baba once remarked that "the coat is spiritually connected with India and should not leave the country." The coat is now preserved at the Meherabad Museum.