Previous Page
Table Of Contents
Next Page

 

 

received and the letter signed Meherwan must have come from Meher Baba. Baba, the compassionate father, had been trying to bring Sorabji in His infinite love-net and Sorabji had been trying to avoid it!

 

Sorabji began writing the life of Upasni Maharaj with the help of the manuscript. It was a difficult task as he knew nothing about him. Whenever Sorabji got puzzled over something in the manuscript, he would soon receive a letter from Meher Baba giving him an explanation or Baba would send His disciple to Sorabji to clarify matters. It so happened, that each time a difficulty arose, the clarification would arrive on the same day! Sorabji was being slowly drawn into Baba's love net. When the book was printed, Baba autographed one copy and sent it to Sorabji as a gift.

 

In 1923, on the 1st of July, Baba decided that He and His men would walk to Bombay from Ahmedabad. They started at 2:30 in the morning and after much exhaustion, partly through the burden they had to carry and partly because food and drink were strictly rationed, they arrived at Surat on the 4th in the early hours of the morning. Part of the journey had to be undertaken by train. They walked twenty-five to thirty-five miles a day. At Surat, they stopped for only a little rest and began their tramp for Navsari which they reached in the evening of the same day. All were wearing long "Kafnis" and looked disheveled and bearded. Luckily, Baba had asked them to throw away their Mogul caps into a river on the way. The small town of Navsari was astir at the sight of these men and they were mistaken for a gang of bandits who had been carrying off little children! The party headed for a cheap resting place, "Sorab Baug," meant for Parsees only. A few minutes after their arrival, the local police were informed that a gang of bandits was in town. The party, being completely exhausted and on the point of a breakdown, wanted to sleep. Just then, the police and a police sub-inspector arrived to interrogate them.

 

A man living near Sorab Baug heard a part of the interrogation and learnt that the leader of the party was Meher Baba. He rushed to inform Sorabji. The long-awaited meeting between the lover and his Beloved had now finally materialized. Sorabji hobbled to Sorab Baug as quickly as he could. To his amazement, he found Baba sitting on a staircase and singing while the police were making inquiries of the party. Baba was young, handsome, and His eyes were bottomless pools of infinite love and tenderness. His voice was wonderful. After bowing down to Baba, Sorabji went and told the police sub-inspector that it would be his good fortune if he would take Baba's darshan and then leave. The police sub-inspector had high regards for Sorabji and he promptly obeyed.

 

The story of Baba having come spread through the orthodox Parsees of Navsari quicker than the wildest fire. Sorabji talked to Baba for a little while. Having assured the manager of Sorab Baug that be had nothing to worry about, he asked Baba's permission to leave. Baba asked Sorabji to send tea for Him and His party the next morning. Sorabji's joy knew no bounds. On his way back home, Sorabji must have repented for refusing at first to do Baba's work of writing the life of Upasni Maharaj.

 

The next morning, Sorabji got tea ready and sent it with a servant. Baba and the party had already left Sorab Baug and were on their way to Sorabji's house. The servant met Baba and his party on the way. Baba asked the servant to return and guide them to Sorabji's home. Sorabji never dreamt that Baba and His men would come to his home early in the morning. Baba entered the house and to the surprise of all, sat on a broken chair. People began to gather and come for Baba's darshan. Baba put His left foot forward and people bowed down on it. Sorabji's sister had long been ailing from kidney stones. When she heard that Baba had come to their home, in her joy she forgot her pain and came for Baba's darshan. Miraculously, she never got another attack. She made coffee for Baba and Baba very

 

2

 

Previous Page
Table Of Contents
Next Page