When Baba finished, he was in a good mood.
"How fine it would be if we have a game of marbles," he said. "Today, I feel so happy."
And for a few minutes, they played marbles. Yeshwant Rao also took part in the game and, after Baba, was the best shot.
Before leaving Upasni Maharaj's samadhi at 11:20 A.M., at the request of the Sakori devotees, Baba sprinkled rosewater over the marble impression of Maharaj's feet, and also on everyone present. Again Maharaj, Godavri and Meher Baba's Jai were shouted. Baba walked back to Yeshwant Rao's house where Godavri, Jiji and the other kanyas served him lunch. Baba put a few morsels in Godavri's mouth, and after his meal, instructed that the remainder of the food be distributed as his prasad for those present.
At noon, Baba visited the room of an old devotee of Maharaj's, Beheram Dastur, who was ill. Baba asked about his health, told him not to worry and touched his head. Baba visited Wagh's room also and then that of an old Parsi, Nusserwan Gustad Bharucha.1 Bharucha loved Maharaj deeply and was residing in the ashram. As Baba was leaving the room, the old man uttered a Persian couplet and then whispered, "Baba, you are God!"
Baba came out of the room and began walking about in the open. Many gathered, and Baba permitted them to take his darshan. He sat down under a bamboo shed near Maharaj's hut and asked Rustom Kaka, his wife Silla Kaku and their son Manek to sing.
When they had finished the song: " O Govardhan Girdhari , who will take care of me except You!" Baba quipped, "I take care of everyone, but no one takes care of me!"2
Someone told Baba that Dhake had eaten a lot of laddoos.
Sending for him, Baba asked, "How many laddoos did you eat?"
Smiling, Dhake replied, "None! Those who have told you this have no sense. They don't know that Baba is the sole doer. I know that Baba is the doer, the deed and everything! So, how could I have eaten laddoos? It is Baba who ate them; and, they may ask you how many you have eaten if they wish to know."
All burst into laughter, and Baba remarked to Godavri, "See his legal mentality!"
(Dhake was a lawyer.)
Footnotes
- 1.Nusserwan Bharucha was the paternal uncle of Dr. Hoshang Bharucha of Navsari, who also had close connections with Maharaj's Sakori ashram, but who would later become a devoted disciple of Meher Baba.
- 2.Govardhan and Girdhari are two names for Lord Krishna. Govardhan means the cowherder, and Girdhari means he who moved the mountain.