To touch Baba's feet was strictly forbidden, but practically no one could resist. Baba would crack jokes with each as they approached.
Dr. Deshmukh was a bit clumsy when garlanding him, so Baba remarked, "He is a professor of philosophy, yet he does not know how to garland properly."
Baba gestured to Deshmukh to garland him again, this time correctly, which he did.
Dr. G. S. N. Moorty from Kharagpur was coming to Meherabad for the first time and only came after Deshmukh sent him a telegram urging him to come at any cost. Moorty had not purchased a garland and was feeling bad about this.
Baba told him, "Don't worry. Become my living garland. I will help you to become my real, living garland.
Gadekar had brought a very large garland, and Baba asked facetiously, "Have you no pity for me? You want to weigh my neck down with such a big burden!"
Baba asked its cost, and when he replied only ten rupees, everyone had a hearty laugh.
Soon after the garlanding had begun, Baba stretched out his legs, had them covered by a white sheet, and then pointing to it stated to the rest of those approaching him, "Place your garlands here as you would on the tomb of someone very dear to you."
Mauni Bua stepped in front of Baba to garland him. Baba had previously kept him on silence and then, in Satara, ordered him to break it in his presence. But Mauni Bua had again begun observing silence. Baba asked him to speak the words Parabrahma Paramatma which he did. Baba again ordered him to start speaking from that day on.
Baba lovingly embraced one man who had come to see him after quite a long while.
This prompted Burjor A. Gai of Delhi to step forward for an embrace, and thereupon Baba admonished him, "You should not have done that as you see I am not embracing others."
When Abdul Majid Khan approached Baba and placed a large basket of flowers before him, Baba inquired, "Why do you look so wan and pulled down? How is it you have become so thin? Perhaps it is because of your love for me!"
Abdul Khan replied he had been ill.
Heaps of garlands were piled on Baba's lap by the time every man had finished and, calling Waman Subnis, Baba remarked, "You are an athlete, so remove these garlands!"1
Waman did as told and piled them on the verandah.
Baba then began:
You have five days here. Be free and at home in my sahavas here. If you want to weep, weep inwardly; outwardly put on a smiling countenance. Don't waste time tomorrow with garlanding me. Let us not waste money, and let me not be burdened with garlands.
Footnotes
- 1.Waman Subnis was an old devotee who had stayed with Baba at Meherabad, Toka and elsewhere.