One of the main forces behind the Poona group was Madhusudan. He was engaged to another singer, Subhadra Bundellu, and their wedding took place before Baba at Guruprasad on Thursday, 14 May 1959. For the occasion, Madhusudan had specially composed a new song, which both sang. The wedding was truly an example of the kind of "miracles" which Baba's love brought about. Subhadra was a Harijan (an Untouchable, the lowest caste), while Madhusudan was a high-caste Brahmin. His family had been opposed to the marriage when they first heard of it, but afterwards had relented. Baba blessed the couple, and later they were formally married in a civil ceremony at the registrar's office.
In the middle of the ceremony at Guruprasad, Baba commented: "Only Eruch knows why I am doing this [marrying them]. No one knows the work I am doing in between. This is the first and last wedding performed by me as Baba."1
He then said:
I am God — God the Beyond. I draw you ever closer to me by giving you frequent occasions of my close companionship. But too much familiarity often makes you forget that I am God in human form.
I know all that happens and will happen. In fact, anything that happens, happens not without my will. Knowingly, I allow things to happen in their natural course.
All that I ask of you is to love me most and obey me at all times. Knowing that it is impossible to obey me as you should, I help you to carry out wholeheartedly my instructions by frequently bringing home to you the importance of obedience.
Now listen very carefully to what I say.
Baba then repeated what he had told Deshmukh about wanting what he wanted. He concluded by stating:
I know it is not easy to want what I want; it is almost impossible. However, I want you to try your utmost to put your heart and soul into carrying out anything that I may want you to do. Only intense love for me can lead you to obey me as I want.
Many Baba lovers gave the couple wedding gifts, and the father of the bride hosted a luncheon for everyone present. The list of presents was read out before Baba, and when he heard that Meherjee, who was quite wealthy, had given them a very small gift, Baba was so annoyed he threw a basin at him!
Footnotes
- 1.Baba had given his blessings to other newly-married couples previously and he would again (such as Dara and Amrit) so what he meant by this statement remains a mystery.