News of his fast reached the Master five days later. Solely because of Munshiji's situation, Baba once again left for Bombay; but before departing he asked the mandali what special things he could bring for them. Such simple acts of kindness toward his men and women disciples touched them deeply and kept them at his feet under all circumstances.
Baba visited with Munshiji for two days and persuaded him to start eating again. When Baba returned to Meherabad, he was informed that a student was ill, and he promptly went to the hospital.1 After seeing the boy, he inspected matters at the school. Vishnu had asked him to bring samosas (vegetable turnovers) from Bombay, and Baba distributed them to all. Vishnu's broad smile was evidence of his gratitude.
For several days, the men mandali had been talking among themselves about Arjun; they had concluded that the Master loved Arjun more than any one of them. They had observed that when Baba ate his food he would always give leftovers to Arjun, and it was obvious that Baba had established some special bond with him. At the time, however, Baba did not mention anything particularly special about Arjun.
Soon after, a situation arose which revealed how Baba felt about Arjun.
One day, when Baba was inspecting the school, he suddenly turned to Vishnu and demanded, "Take that stick lying on the ground and strike me on the hand with it!"
He held out his palm to Vishnu.
Shocked, Vishnu replied, "If you order me to do such a thing, I will commit suicide!"
Baba then said the same to Rustom, who replied, "I would prefer to leave Meherabad than to strike you."
Baba then called Arjun, who was standing nearby. In a most serious tone, Baba told Arjun to strike his hand. Arjun at once picked up the stick and struck Baba.
Baba then explained, "This is love; he who values my word loves me the most!" Pointing to Vishnu and Rustom, he added, "You love your own feelings and personal fancies more than the worth of my words. This is the reason why I love Arjun more, and even he has only recently begun to understand the importance of carrying out my orders."
Sidhu Kamble returned to Meherabad after working for a year in Bombay, according to Baba's instructions. Upon his arrival, Baba asked him what he would do now.
Footnotes
- 1.Who among the mandali accompanied Baba to Bombay at this time is not known.