Baba, however, told Don, Pendu and Adi to keep theirs as they were often sent on outside work for which they would need their watches to be punctual. Twelve watches were collected, including one from the women.
Baba then instructed Eruch to send a telegram to Keki Desai in Delhi to come to Benares with the sum of Rs.500. When Desai arrived on the 8 th , he was given the twelve watches in exchange for the amount. All the luggage was dispatched with him to Dehra Dun on the 10 th . Keki was instructed to sell the watches to recover his money.
Dr. Nath and Dr. Khare had sent a camel, christened Bholababa (Innocent One), the camel cart, two cows with their calves, two she-donkeys and a white horse to Sarnath.1 Individual duties for looking after these were assigned in a morning discussion on 10 December. Don pointed out that during the journey, the companions would be sleeping out in the open in the severe cold, so Baba ordered Vishnu to purchase secondhand (if possible) khaki woolen pants and socks. Vishnu was successful in purchasing the pants, but not the socks, and Baba distributed a pair to each companion before retiring for the night.
In the afternoon of 11 December 1949, the day before they left, Baba discussed with the companions how best to acknowledge the services rendered by Khare and Nath.
"Although their services were undoubtedly by way of bhiksha," Baba explained, "I still feel a wee bit of a boja [burden], due to their sincerity and wholeheartedness, in spite of so many inhibitions, tribulations, corrections and bindings imposed — and despite their being new to me and my ways of getting things done."
In appreciation, Baba granted an audience to Gaya Prasad, Dr. Khare, Dr. Nath and his brother at 5 P.M. at the women's bungalow. They were told not to offer any homage and not to ask any questions. Baba had Eruch read out this message from him:
In the beginning of this New Life, God had ordained for me and my companions to be connected with the Nath and Khare families. All that Dr. Nath and the Chairman [Nath's brother] and all that the father Khare and his son Dr. Khare have offered to me in bhiksha has been done with wholehearted love; and I have accepted this bhiksha with still greater love.
From the 12 th onwards, this connection must cease. I have to keep the spirit of this New Life in real earnest. I must not seek help in a way that would go against the conditions that I have laid down. Till January the 1 st , it will not be difficult as we have enough provision. After 1st January 1950, we will live on begging and labor, without asking for or accepting money. In this New Life of complete renunciation and absolute helplessness, hardships will gradually increase. And if what I have in mind comes true, after about two months' stay at Hardwar, the real hardships of the New Life will take shape, and we will plunge in the New Life 100 percent. This New Life is endless and will be kept alive by all who wish to keep it alive.
The relics of my and my companions' clothes must either be used or kept by you two families, but must not be given away. The messages that I have been sending with Eruch and Adi were all dictated by me and were correctly conveyed. Babadas has been trying to do his best to help me in his own way, although he may have created misunderstandings, due to his zeal and way of approach.
A copy of the message in English was handed to Nath and in Hindi to Khare, who were delighted to have their first opportunity of being in Baba's presence since Baba had arrived in Benares.
On the morning of departure, Baba handed a blanket to Sant Mali and some clothes to another gardener. Sant Mali's hands were spread to receive "Bhagwan's gift," as he called it, but he was so dazed he did not realize when Baba was placing the bundle in his hands.
Baba came out of his cottage with his arm draped around Sant Mali's shoulder, and gazed at the Nath and Khare families from a distance. In light of their inordinately sincere and wholehearted selfless service rendered, Baba had invited them there on his last day in Sarnath so that they could have a second glimpse of him.2
At 7:30 on Monday morning 12 December 1949, Baba, leading the way, left Sarnath on foot with the four women, and Eruch and Don nearby. The whole caravan followed an hour and a half later. The white horse — symbolizing purity and the sanctity of the Avatar's advent — was in Babadas' charge.3 Behind it came the camel cart driven by Baidul, the bullock cart driven by Sadashiv, the New Life caravan pulled by the black English bull, Rajah with Pendu driving, followed by the two cows and their calves, looked after by Nilu and lastly the two donkeys in Ghani and Gustadji's charge.4 The rest of the companions while walking were to stay on both sides of the camel cart, caravan and bullock cart lest the animals get out of control for some reason.
The procession rendezvoused with Baba and the women in Shivpur at 11:30 A.M. The companions and Baba were dressed in white kafnis with green turbans, and the women wore blue cotton saris. When the complete entourage began again, it was a wonderful sight.5
The gypsy life had begun. Age was in an exalted state while witnessing the scene. It drank in every detail to describe to generations to come. The angels wept in longing to participate in the Creator's caravan. How they wished to take physical form to walk by his side!
Footnotes
- 1.The women recalled the camel's name as Bhola Ram
- 2.With Baba's permission, five more persons had also been invited by Khare and Nath, one of whom was the district sessions judge of Benares.
- 3.On reaching a halting place, Babadas' duty was to end and Don was to take charge of the horse for feeding, etc.
- 4.The English bull Rajah had been named by Baba. It and another bull, Pradhan, had been given to him by Sarosh as calves in Meherabad and were raised there. Baba sometimes fed them milk from a bottle. Pradhan had died just before the New Life began.
- 5.It was such an exalted moment when the caravan departed Sarnath, Padri (who had been permitted to remain in the area until Baba departed) was watching from a distance and often expressed how he wished he could have photographed the caravan and all the animals following. But during the New Life, taking photographs of Baba was not permitted.