Again on 23 February 1923, 200 poor, crippled or blind persons were brought and fed at the Manzil, and 50 of these were given clothes.
Baba would daily stress to the mandali the importance of complete obedience to his orders — and would daily find fault with someone.
In the first days of the Manzil, he would say, "By making you eat ghee and wear a coat and pants, I will realize you!"
This meant that despite giving them all the comforts of the world, he would still bestow God-realization upon them. But, by the closing days of the Manzil, the mandali felt dissatisfied with good food and clothes — and Realization was far from actuality. Their experience in Manzil-e-Meem was only the beginning of their discipleship; they had no idea of the hardships which they would have to undergo in the near future.
Dowla Masi had recently visited Upasni Maharaj at Sakori. On 24 February, she told Baba and the mandali what she had witnessed there: "Maharaj has become very weak, imprisoned in a small bamboo pinjra [cage]. He has not left that cage once in three months, remaining seated inside it ... He is often heard repeating Merwan's name. He seems to long to see Merwan."
Gulmai had also been to Sakori recently, and she revealed that Maharaj had complained to her: "Why did Merwan have my life published? That book will drag me into trouble. It is not good! I don't want people to know of me!"
He also complained about those at Sakori: "Tell them to stop this arti business before me. I don't want to be worshiped! I am planning to take samadhi [die] in this pinjra!"
Distressed, Gulmai inquired, "What is the purpose of your sitting in this cage?"
Angrily, Maharaj replied, "It is on account of you! And on account of the whole world! What do you expect? What does the world expect from me? When one's eyesight becomes weak, one has to wear spectacles. Similarly, when I am unable to do anything for the good of the world, I have to do this."
Gulmai then pleaded, "How long will you remain in this cage?"
Maharaj responded, "Still there is time; when I do come out, I shall either leave Sakori or leave this body!"
Hearing these stories, Baba remained quiet for quite a while and then spoke a seemingly cryptic sentence: "It is better to die than to live; better to fear than to die; better to fill than to fear; and better to do, or make, than to fill!"