ADI KAIKHUSURU IRANI (Adi Sr.)
Rustom’s brother and son of Kaikhushru Irani (Khan Saheb), Adi K. Irani served as Meher Baba’s secretary and was one of His chief spokesmen of Baba messages. His family was devoted to Upasani Maharaj before coming to Baba. He widely travelled with Baba and carried Baba in car from place to place
His biographies in brief and reminiscenceA`s with Meher Baba are elaborated as under:
Adi attended Deccan College in Poona and Baba promised he would arrange for better meals from one of his followers. Adi, being especially fond of good food, was further touched by Baba’s consideration and he was drawn closer into Meher Baba’s first circle of contacts.
One evening at the hut, Baba told Gulmai’s son, Adi, “Keep your actions subject to your obligations. Your obligation is to devote your mind and heart to me while, at the same time, studying diligently at college. But always remember that the chief duty of your life is to think of Me.” Adi asked, “Should I think of you even while studying?”
Baba advised, “When studying, have no thought of Me; but when you find the time, devote your entire attention toward Me, remembering Me in the same way in which you naturally remember those whom you love. It is the inner contact that matters.”
One day Baba walked alone with Adi behind the house, where Baba sat on a stone near a well. There He asked Adi, “Do you know who I am?” “I know that you are the chief disciple of Upasni Maharaj,” Adi replied. “More than that I do not know.”
“I shall not tell you who I am today,” Baba stated, “But you will definitely come to know and you will see that your name is made known all over the world. Your future has deep significance in My work. With My love and with your obedience of My instructions you will prove to be a fit instrument for My work.” Later Baba added, “I will make you like Vivekananda.” Adi was overcome with joy and began thinking of joining Baba permanently.
In 1921, Adi fell seriously ill with a high fever. Maharaj treated Adi with quinine tablets, which he took several times a day. Baba would also visit Adi every day and inquire about his health; then he would personally give Adi tea or water and help him walk back and forth in the room. Adi recovered more quickly than expected and never forgot the loving care that Baba expressed to him at that time. He thought: “My mother’s or father’s love is like a small pond when compared to Meher Baba’s —which is like an ocean! It is better I seek the love of the ocean!”
Once they passed a thick cactus hedge alongside the road. Baba suddenly turned to Adi and asked, “Are you prepared to do anything I tell you, at any time?” Adi answered he was, and the Master ordered, “Take off your topee and throw it into that hedge.” Adi was fond of fine clothes and this was his favorite solar topee.
In 1922, it was more alarming that, at any time, Baba would suddenly ask them what they were thinking, and they were required to admit their sometimes dreadful thoughts. For instance, once a week people would come to Manzil-e-Meem for darshan, and very often this included attractive young ladies. One day a beautiful young woman came and bowed to the Master. Adi was standing on Baba’s right and, admiring the buxom lass, had some undesirable thoughts. Baba turned to him and said, “What are you thinking?” “Nothing,” said Adi quickly. The incident was not forgotten, and Baba’s probing went on for days. Each time, Adi would reply, “Nothing.”
Ghani also was not free from such lustful thoughts. Once Baba addressed them both and said, “Do you think I’m a fool? Do you think I don’t know what you’re thinking? I know everything. I know what you thought yesterday, I know what you are thinking today, and I know what you will think tomorrow. The past, present and future are open books to Mme.”
Meher Baba startled both Adi and Ghani by narrating some intimate incidents in their lives that had occurred before they had met Him — revealing the dates, locations and circumstances — information only they could have known. Both were dumbfounded as to how the Master could know these details, and they began to weep. “Don’t tell Me lies,” Baba said. “You two scoundrels have been lying to Me for days.”
Adi blurted out, “Then don’t ask us such embarrassing questions in front of others!”
“Nothing of the sort,” Baba said. “I will ask you whatever and whenever I like. You must obey Me!” And Baba did continue to question them often, and they would openly confess their thoughts — good or bad.
Despite Baba being quite thin, one day he demonstrated His strength to Adi. He told Adi to wrestle with Him with all his might. Taken aback, Adi did not know quite what to do, but began lightly grappling with Baba, who said, “No! As hard as you can!” Baba looked so frail that Adi did not wish to hurt Him, but he had to obey and exerted his full strength against Baba. He was, therefore, greatly startled when Baba, without much effort, picked him up and threw him on the floor!
On another occasion, to convince them that He had superhuman strength, He once challenged all the mandali to a tug-of-war. Even 40 of the men, using all their strength, could not budge Him an inch!
In 1923, on one occasion, Baba casually inquired of Adi if he found tour enjoyable. “Enjoyable?” Adi snapped. “How can one enjoy it when one is about to pass out from exhaustion!”
Baba became irate and scolded him, “Only this is real anand (bliss, joy)! What do you know? Do you hear Me?” Adi lost his temper and retorted, “No, I do not hear you!” At this, Baba slapped him so soundly that his eardrum was injured and his ear started oozing blood. Later Baba tenderly examined Adi’s ear and repented for His insolence. For several days afterwards Baba nursed him and administered medicine in his ear.
Adi Sr. would be on watch with Him for some hours, during which Baba would have Adi massage his legs. Once when Adi was on watch, he witnessed Baba silently weeping. Adi kept quiet as Baba wept (actually shedding tears) but he did not ask the reason.
On another night when Adi was on duty, Baba gestured to him to stop pressing His legs. Baba was suddenly overcome with pain; He was unable to sit or stand, and lay sprawled on the stone floor of the room writhing in intense agony. Sweat broke out on His forehead, and then His hands and feet turned cold. This went on for 20 minutes and the sight was almost unbearable for Adi to behold. He did not know what to do to console Baba. He wiped Baba’s forehead, and after a while Baba rested His head on Adi’s lap and lay still.
Later, Baba remarked, “Today you have had ample evidence of what My Universal suffering means!”
Since Adi Sr. was living with his parents at Khushru Quarters, he was not subject to the same strict rules of conduct, diet, et cetera, under which the other mandali members at Meherabad had to live. Apparently, Adi made some remarks to one of the mandali while he was there, causing Baba to joke, “Adi is now so free — saying anything at any time to anybody — that one day I will give him such a severe thrashing that he will remember it until his dying day! Even if the police charge Me with assault and lock Me in jail, I will serve My sentence and then return to Meherabad and resume My activities!”
As the monsoon rains had still not fallen in Ahmednagar, on Friday, 9th September 1927, a group of people came to Baba at Meherabad, praying for rain. Adi Sr. asked Baba, “There are floods elsewhere in India. Why is there no rain in Ahmednagar?” Baba only smiled and would not reply.
Sitting beside the dhuni the next day, Adi repeated his question and requested that Baba produce rain. Baba immediately took off His woolen kamli coat (which He had not done for a very long time, having worn it even at the height of summer in May). Baba remarked, “All the heat has been taken out; there will be cold now,” meaning it would rain. As soon as Baba did this, clouds began gathering in the sky, and a heavy rain fell which continued throughout the night.
Baba put the coat on again the next morning and, though still cloudy, it did not rain that day. Baba remarked to the mandali, “You won’t be able to understand the significance of the taking off and putting on of this coat.” (Lord
He Qutub, the pivot of the universe. So His every outer act was a reflection of His inner, invisible, spiritual working. The Avatar takes on the responsibility of planning the destiny of the world, and with that responsibility comes universal suffering which He must bear while He works on a universal scale for all beings.” That suffering was visible during October of 1926, while Baba was resting at night.
In 1933, Adi drove back to Rustom’s garage, where Rustom asked him to drive some General Motors officials to the travelers’ rest house. Adi thought there was still plenty of time so he agreed, but Rustom kept talking with the men. Adi finally insisted, “We must leave now, as I have to pick up Baba at twelve o’clock.”The men got in the car. Adi began driving very fast to the Dak bungalow. He was almost there when he approached a culvert where a few small children were playing. One of them pushed a little girl who fell in front of Adi’s car. He swerved to avoid her, but she was struck by the back fender. Adi got out of the car and saw that blood was oozing from her mouth. The businessmen also got out, and Adi told them to walk the rest of the way. He put the girl in the car and glanced at his watch.
Adi took the girl to the hospital and then drove to Gyas Manzil. Baba was standing on the verandah. He looked annoyed and asked, “What happened? Why are you late?” “Baba, I had an accident,” Adi cried, and he sorrowfully described what had happened.
Baba was furious and bitterly remarked, “I hope they put you in jail! What can I do now? You disobeyed Me!” Adi was pale with fear and remorse. Baba consoled him, “Don’t worry; but never forget to follow My orders literally.”
The girl died and a lawsuit was filed against Adi; it dragged on in court for four months. However, in the end, Adi was found not guilty of negligent homicide, but was fined for not reporting the accident to the police. He went through a very depressing and anxious period for having disobeyed Baba.
After a brief visit, Adi Sr. drove Baba and Jalbhai to Bombay where they stayed at the home of Naoroji Dadachanji for a day. They went to see a film at the Edward Theater in Kalbadevi, titled Public Hero #1. Adi Jr. and Beheram went with them.
On 4th March 1936, Adi informed Beloved Baba that his father Kaikhusuroo Irani has transferred the entire Meherabad property to Meher Baba out of his love for Him.
Despite Baba’s work on the hill, Adi Sr. came to Pimpalgaon every other day at 4:00 P.M. to receive instructions and deliver the mail, telegrams and newspapers. When he came up the hill on 6 December, 1947, Baba told him to bring a gramophone and qawaali records, which He wished to listen to. These were delivered three days later. (Baba later remarked to Adi Sr., “Listening to good qawaali music keeps My mind ‘steady’ when burdened with spiritual work.”
The timing of Adi Sr.’s visit was changed from every other day at 4:00 P.M. to 9:00 A.M. daily. He was always called to drive one of the cars whenever Baba took the women to Sarosh Cinema, which he did on 18 December. They were scheduled to see a mystery (The Dark Mirror), but the reels had not arrived. Baba was furious. Adi suggested they go the following day, but all were ready. They had to watch a disappointing Indian film instead. Since September, Baba had taken the women to a film every week — and sometimes they watched double features!
The Meherabad estate had first belonged to Adi Sr. and his father, who had laid it at Baba’s feet. Meherjee became the owner of lower Meherabad, Sarosh of Meherabad Hill and Nariman of Meherabad. But these three men maintained the properties for Baba’s future work and never considered them as their own.
On 14th March 1952, Adi Sr. and Gulmai met Baba at Meherazad. Baba instructed Adi to have Sarosh continue to pay for the safety-deposit box at the Central Bank of India in Bombay, where among other things, Baba had kept the handwritten manuscript of the book he had written at Meherabad in 1925-26.
Baba said about Adi: you all know about him. Nothing more to be said about him. He has been with Me for the last 30 years.
On Monday, 9 December 1957, Adi Sr. drove Baba to Wadia Park at 9:30 A.M., where Baba watched a cricket match for some time from the car, before returning to Meherabad.
On 28th February, 1963, Meher Baba sent Maharani Shanta Devi to declare open Mehersthan at Kovvur. Adi K. Irani unfurled Baba’s Flag.
On 8th October 1967, Gajwani, Siganporia, Jal Dastoor and Kishore Mistry came to Meherazad with Adi. The international Tourist Fair was to open in Bombay on the 30th, and after reading about what Canadian lovers had one at the Montreal Expo, Siganporia was inspired to set up a similar booth at the fair. Baba spoke with them for half an hour and gave His encouragement to the project.
With the help of Dr. Ginde, Jim Mistry, Nariman, Arnavaz and all the Bombay lovers, a booth was set up and a small booklet titled Who Is Meher Baba? was printed, along with the “Universal Message” in different Indian languages.
Baba himself had approved the material to be included in the booklet. To the first question, “Who is Meher Baba?” He dictated this answer: “He is the essence of your very being which provokes you to ask this question.”
Adi, Sarosh and Viloo were sent as Baba’s representatives in support of the booth devoted to Him. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi officially inaugurated the fair and then rode around it in an open jeep. When she neared the booth, Gajwani went up and drew her attention to the large sign above it which read “AVATAR MEHER BABA THE AWAKWNER”. Amar Singh Saigal invited her to get down and have closer look, but there was no time. Indira Gandhi folded her hands and bowed to Baba’s portrait, as she rode by standing in the jeep.
Adi K. Irani compiled Baba’s sayings and messages in form of book titled “Just to Love Him” and “Meher Baba Calling “
Adi K Irani on Meher Baba’s left.
Adi Sr.’s letter to Pankhraj