BEHERAM SHERIAR IRANI (Meher Baba’s brother)
Beheram Sheriar Irani, Baba’s brother, served Baba devotedly all his life. He used to live in Poona but spent days with mandali from time to time.
Beheram, the third brother of Meher Baba was born on 20th June 1908, when Merwan was fourteen year old. Beheram would grow up to be sweet natured individual and took after Merwan, while their brother Jal was similar to Jamshed in temperament. Both Jamshed and Merwan knew that Jal was Memo’s informant, and they avoided trouble when he was around.
Some of his lifetime episode and conversation with Meher Baba are recorded as under:
In 1925, Meherwan Sheriar and His brother Beheram were business partner, Beheram. They owned a toddy shop in Poona. They were Maharaj’s bhaktas (devotees)
Pointing to His brother Beheram, Baba continued:
A philosopher such as Beheram told it, “Brother, you are already free.” But the parrot had no idea of its freedom and so Beheram said, “All right, I will show you what freedom is. First, come to Me and submit yourself to My care.”
The parrot was intelligent, so it flew to Beheram and said, “I am now in your hands. You can wring my neck or you can give me the experience of freedom.”
However, Beheram put the bird in a cage. In a few days the parrot found it could not fly or eat the fruit it liked, nor could it sit in its favorite tree. It was shut up — locked in a cage. The parrot thought, “I used to be free.” At that moment it had the experience of freedom which it had lacked before. It knew freedom only when it had become imprisoned.
In a similar manner, every soul is God and free, but since one was free from the very beginning one has no idea of the soul’s freedom. To have it, one should allow oneself to be caught by a Sadguru. One should give one’s neck into the Sadguru’s hands so that He may keep one locked up- under His orders and discipline — and give the experience of the soul’s real freedom.
In 1932, Baba stayed in Hollywood for one week. He held conference and gave message. Baba met 200 invited visitors in batch of 50 each. Baba then went to His room, and the visitors were served tea and refreshments while Adi Jr. and Beheram entertained them with Indian music. This procedure was repeated four times for each of the batches.
In 1945, Baba had been in Poona and met with Behram and Perin, who was expecting twins. Baba joked, “If the twins are born feet first, Perin will die!” At the end of September, Perin was seriously ill, vomiting blood and was admitted to the hospital. The doctors had sadly informed Beheram that they were doing their best to save her, but they would not be able to save the twins. Beheram thought, “The Savior is Baba!” They remembered Baba fervently, and on 1st October 1945, Perin gave birth to two healthy boys. When Baba went to see Perin in the hospital the following day, He named the boys Rustom and Soharab.
On 23rd November 1945, Baba and the mandali arrived in Poona. Baba went to see his brother Beheram at Baba House.
Baba walked into the family’s home and greeted Perin and held one of the one-month-old twins, Sohrab, but he deliberately avoided seeing the other one, Rustom. Perin informed Baba, “Rustom has been sick ever since we returned from the hospital.” Baba seemed indifferent to the news. He did not reply and continued showering His attention on Sohrab. Perin was thinking, “Why isn’t Baba asking about Rustom? Why doesn’t He at least go into his room and see him? He is ill. Baba should have His eye on him.”
Shortly, Baba sent for Jalbhai and asked, “Do you love the children?”
Jalbhai replied, “They are my nephews, so naturally I feel love for them.”
Baba put the same question to Beheram, and he said, “Of course I love them.”
Baba then asked Perin, who answered, “The children are yours, Baba — though I am their mother.”
Baba spelled out, “Rustom will die.” Regardless of what she had said, Perin was shocked and frightened by these words.
Baba stepped outside and began walking briskly on the verandah. For ten minutes He paced back and forth, and Beheram then approached Him and informed him that Perin was weeping.
Baba entered the house, and asked Jalbhai, Beheram and Perin the same question: “Do you love these children?” Each gave the same answer, so he said, “It means that you do not love me!”
Anxious, all replied, “That can never be, Baba.”
Baba wiped Perin’s tears and requested that she smile, which she did. He went and picked up Rustom, and reassured his mother by saying, “I have My nazar on him. Don’t worry.” Rustom gradually recovered, and the whole family was indebted to Baba.
In 1950, one day, Beheram’s wife Perin came with her sons Sohrab and Rustom, her daughter Gulnar and Gulnar’s fiancé Jehangu Sukhadwalla. Baba had approved the match and fixed the date of their wedding for 16th October 1950, in Bombay. He remarked to Jehangu, “You are really lucky to have found Gulnar, for through her you have found Me!”
Twelve days before the marriage in October 1950, Beheram had a severe ulcer attack. He refused to go to the hospital, but after telegrams were sent back and forth between the family and Baba, he relented. An emergency operation was performed. His condition was grave, and the doctor said it would be impossible for him to attend his daughter’s wedding. Baba was informed and He cabled back: “Go ahead with marriage preparations. Tell Beheram not to worry. I am with him.” Baba also told the family, “Leave all to Me. The wedding will not be postponed,” and He ordered Beheram to repeat his name constantly. The doctor advised Beheram not to go anywhere for one month, but Beheram did accompany his family to Bombay for the wedding.
One day, in April, 1966, Baba sent for His brother, Beheram, and His entire family: Perin, Sheroo, Sohrab and Rustom. Beheram’s daughter, Gulnar, and her husband Jehangu Sukhadwalla brought their daughter, Mehernaz, and their son, Merwan.
Siganporia and Gajwani came the same day Beheram’s family was called. Gulnar’s daughter, Mehernaz, was quite small, and her grandmother, Perin, was handing her candy in both hands when Gajwani joked, “If Mehernaz goes on eating candy like this, and she too will become as big as Rustom and Sohrab!”
On 13th October 1968, Baba held a meeting to inform His main workers of His decision to give darshan the following year from 10th April to 10th June 1969 at Guruprasad. Besides the resident men mandali, Beheram from Poona was called Meherazad with others.