The saint had aroused in the young man the spiritual longing for knowledge of God the Beloved.
Tajuddin changed. He was no longer an exceptional student; he now preferred solitude and lost interest in socializing with his friends. He had received an inner treasure but had no idea what it was! The young man gradually came out of this state and appeared reasonably normal. At this time, he began reading the Divan-e-Hafiz (collection of Hafiz's poems) with fervor. The words of Hafiz came alive and the following couplet impressed him profoundly:
Drink wine! Set fire to the Koran and demolish Kaaba! Dwell in the temple and never hurt the heart of another.
Tajuddin was drinking divine wine; he was burning the Koran and Kaaba in the flames of his heart. He had entered his own inner temple of solitude and was in a blissful state.
When Tajuddin was 20, circumstances led him to encounter his Beloved Master. Black clouds hovered over the district and heavy rains caused terrible flooding of the Kanhan River. Recruits were sought by the army to handle the disaster. The town of Kamptee suffered severe damage; many lost their homes. In 1881, to ease the financial situation of his distressed grandmother's family, Tajuddin enlisted in the army. Although worldly demands placed him in this position, inwardly the young man was calling to God and his heart was stirred to meet Him. His heart had become a wine cup of song: "Where are you? Where are you? O Beloved, come! Call me to you or come yourself. I can wait no longer!"
The Beloved is always merciful, and hearing Tajuddin's wholehearted cry, He could not remain indifferent. Tajuddin's regiment was stationed in different parts of the country. It was even sent to France for a time. On its return, the regiment was posted in Hyderabad.
The young man's enlistment in the army would eventually lead him to the one he sought, as in 1884 his regiment was transferred to Sagar (which means ocean ). Tajuddin was destined to go to Sagar to turn into an ocean!
While the other soldiers were being trained to fight the enemy, Tajuddin was battling within himself. For a soldier to conquer an enemy is simple in comparison to overcoming one's own limited self and gaining victory over the false ego. His was a secret war. How can one gauge the inner struggle of the young Tajuddin?