He added, "I had taken your darshan in Madras at Sampath Aiyangar's place, and from that day on I have been taking you as my Master and myself as your disciple. According to the message you had given on that occasion in Madras, I am serving this ashram. Swamiji [Shivananda] has great respect and love for you and it is our good fortune that you have taken the trouble to come here."
But, in fact, contrary to what the secretary claimed, the rumor had not been started by Abhyan Ananda, but by Swami Shivananda himself! It so happened that before Baba set out in the New Life, Mauni Bua had come for Baba's darshan in Meherabad. Baba had inquired whether he would follow his orders, and he had agreed. But when Baba ordered him to eat mutton and drink wine, he was shocked. So Baba asked him, instead, to proceed to Rishikesh, and he did so willingly.
In the New Life, Baba was to go to Manjri Mafi from Benares, and was to contact many sadhus in Rishikesh. But for his own reasons, Baba did not wish to see Mauni Bua, and so Bal Natu was asked to go to Rishikesh and tell Mauni Bua to leave the area. Bal did so accordingly, informing Mauni Bua of Baba's wish.
Then Bal Natu saw Swami Shivananda, from whom he came to know about damage in transit to a parcel containing liquor bottles in 1942 and, coincidentally, Baba's supposed hurried departure from the place. Bal's faith in Baba remained unshaken and Shivananda could only attribute such faith and devotion to "black magic on Baba's part which had mesmerized" Bal. This false rumor spread in the whole of Rishikesh. In the land of the ancient rishis, such was the treatment given to the Avatar!
Bal Natu narrated the event to the ashram inmates in Baba's presence, and after he had finished Baba remarked to the secretary:
"Up to now I have not come across a single true disciple in the whole world. Had I found one, he would have understood my divinity. In the whole world I am the only real disciple and all are my Masters. All my gurus are sitting here, even though I am the Ancient One."
He then addressed the ashram inmates:
"I advise you to hold fast to Shivananda and carry out his instructions 100 percent. You have accepted him as your Master and so you should stick to him wholeheartedly."