That night at Meherabad, 700 people were fed until 1:00 A.M.
On the 23rd, Baba stopped his fast on liquids only, stating, "I will eat one meal every 24 hours and drink water and tea between 3:00 and 8:00 P.M."
Baba's lighting the hearth to inaugurate the new kitchen the previous December began to have its effect on the Hindu mandali. A meeting was called that night to discuss a proposal that all the men should eat the same type of food and sit together during meals as a group instead of separately. The orthodox Hindus and the progressive Muslim and Zoroastrian mandali became locked in forceful arguments.
To end the arguing, Baba decided that the separate cooking and meals should be continued. He stated:
To me all religions are equal and the wrangles over religious dogmas and practices are mere exercises in futility. All religious customs are mere drill and routine. Still the religious feelings of each other should be scrupulously respected, and under no circumstances should the susceptibilities of anyone be injured. On the contrary, a staunch follower of any religious practices should be encouraged and accorded all facilities.
Baba ended the discussion, calling it a Garudi meeting.1 His decision satisfied the Hindus. The lamp of awareness was still not lit in their hearts, though the Master was trying to light it.
In view of the recent events, the mandali were on edge and especially alert during the night. Near midnight on 23 July, Barsoap heard something moving near the hospital and whistled his danger signal. The mandali awoke from sleep and ran outside with sticks in their hands. Baba, too, had woken up and seen what was causing the noise.
Deciding to play a joke on the mandali, he warned them, "Be careful, a thief is on that side; I just heard his voice."
The group cautiously went to the place where Baba pointed. There they found two horses grazing. Like the incident of Gustadji blowing his whistle because of a rat, the "thief" was hunted and found.
On Sunday, 25 July 1926, Guru Purnima , the full moon day, was observed.
Baba admonished the mandali: "Like innocent children, lay your head on the feet of your Master and take an oath that none of you will leave me until I break my silence."
That night, Baba played the dholak for half an hour accompanied by fervent chanting of "Vithal" [the Marathi name of God].
To those singing, Baba remarked, "Unless you are wholly and solely Vithal's and cry out to Him as a child cries out to its mother, Vithal is not likely to hear you. Remember this or otherwise your crying will only be an exercise for your vocal chords."
Footnotes
- 1.Garudi means one who removes the poisonous effects of a snakebite by incantation.