Chari had met Baba briefly in Nasik in 1932, and at that time Baba had given him a tall glass of hot milk as prasad. The next day Chari went to see Upasni Maharaj, who casually asked him, "Did you have any hot milk today?" Only years later did Chari realize the close connection between Maharaj and Baba, and remembered Maharaj's "innocent," casual query.
Fifteen years later, at this meeting in Madras, Chari asked Baba to bless him to do Baba's work better.
Baba answered by spelling out on the alphabet board, "Try to get over lust and greed."
A tall, stoutly built man was among the crowd attending darshan at Meher Bhavan. He approached Baba for darshan, and Baba smiled exceptionally lovingly at him. The man neither asked for anything nor did Baba tell him anything. But Baba's smile bound him for life, and revealed to him the way to freedom. This was none other than Dr. Thota Dhanapathy Rao Naidu, 57, the man who would eventually spread Baba's name across the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Naidu had first heard of Baba in December 1941, when he read Purdom's book The Perfect Master , and had been waiting to meet Baba for six long years. After the darshan, Dr. Naidu began disseminating Baba's messages in Andhra, with the result that many workers came forward to share in the Master's cause.
Age recounts: "The fire of Baba's smile spread throughout Andhra, earning it the distinction of having the greatest number of lovers and devotees in India — and probably the world. What power the Master's smile held behind it! His pure smile had such sweetness within it; yet it also contained a fire which, while spreading laughter and joy, was at the same time creating lifelong pain!"
On 4 April, the last day of his darshan in Madras, Baba called Minoo Kharas and Adi Dubash to him. They had been attending the programs during the day, and sleeping at the Theosophical Society at night. Baba ordered them to sleep at the men mandali's quarters that night. They were thrilled to obey. Baba occupied a small room on the first floor, and the mandali a larger room connected to it. Minoo and Adi slept on the floor with the men, and then traveled with Baba by train to Bombay the next day.
Prior to his departure on Saturday, 5 April 1947, Baba gave this farewell message to his Madras devotees: