One was sent back immediately, but the other was kept for a few days. Baba shaved, bathed, fed and clothed him, and worked with him for one hour in the mornings and a few minutes each evening. He was sent back on 3 February.
On Friday, 30 January 1948, a mad person who was walking on the road in Ahmednagar was brought to Pimpalgaon. The person who brought him thought he was a mast, but Baba indicated that he was simply mad. He was full of lice and Baba shaved his head, gave him a bath and clothed him in new clothes. After feeding him, Baba sent him back to Ahmednagar the same day.1
On the morning of 30 January, Baba had mentioned, "A very significant event will occur today," but when the day progressed as usual, everyone forgot the remark.
Yet something did happen that night ...
Adi Sr., with his young assistant Waman, arrived at Pimpalgaon unexpectedly. Adi would come each afternoon, but never so late. Kaka, Baidul, Don and Vishnu were surprised by his sudden appearance, and Kaka went to inform Baba. Baba came to the ashram from Gyara's cabin with Chhagan, who was now doing nightwatch in Krishna's place. Adi informed Baba that Mahatma Gandhi had been assassinated at 5:17 P.M.
Baba at once dictated on the board: "Gandhi's whole political life of sacrifice and selfless service was for his love of God, whom he longed to see until the very end!"
Elizabeth's dog, Foundy, had been ill in Satara. When Baba had seen Elizabeth crying, he inquired the reason. She replied, "Foundy is dying."
Baba had remarked, "That dog will live longer than Mahatma Gandhi."
True to Baba's words, Foundy lived for six months more after Gandhi was shot.2
Much correspondence had been exchanged between Mahatma Gandhi and Chanji, who, along with Dr. Deshmukh, had met Gandhi a number of times. Gandhi had seen Baba three times — once on the Rajputana in 1931, a second time in London and thereafter in Bombay. Baba would talk about him often, and loved, appreciated and praised his dedication to the nation.
It would not be wrong to suggest that Mahatma Gandhi was Meher Baba's medium for accomplishing his work in the political sphere; because of Gandhi's efforts India had won its independence from the British. This also must be the reason why, until the last, Gandhi had remained in politics, though he was a lover of God and had even promised Baba to join him after India was freed.
Footnotes
- 1.A few weeks later, in February 1948, Baba commented humorously: "A tame cow, a tame dog and a tame ass are more useful than a madman who is not only useless, but also dangerous — although the former is very low in evolution and the latter is fully evolved as a human."
- 2.The mandali also recalled Baba's statement to Eruch in Satara six months before that the month of February 1948 would be eventful.