EDKE G. P.
Edke was school teacher in Meherabad and conducted classes in the school regularly and exams periodically.
Here are the events which brought him to Meher Baba and his conversations described:
P. Edke lived near his house of Angal Edke would observe Angal leaving each morning and he once asked the tonga driver where Angal was going. The man told him, “To Meherabad, where an Irani saint lives.”
Edke had recently received a postcard informing him that a job was waiting for him at another town. He thought that before beginning his new job, it would be propitious to take the darshan of a saint. One morning he asked the tonga driver if he could be taken to Arangaon with Angal. The driver agreed, and Edke sat up front with him while Angal rode behind.
When they arrived, Baba was sitting by the Jhopdi. Beckoning Edke over, Baba asked him who he was and what he was doing. Edke replied by taking the postcard out of his pocket and handing it to Baba who asked Vishnu to read it aloud. After he did, Baba instructed Vishnu, “Soak it in kerosene and burn it!” Baba then informed Edke, “We have a high school here and need a teacher. If you wish, you can start tomorrow.” Edke readily accepted.
From then on, every morning Edke would walk from his home to Meherabad. The first day he met Baba coming down the hill around seven o’clock, with Kaka Shahane holding an umbrella over Baba’s head. When Baba saw him, He instructed, “Never lay a hand on any of the students. Don’t scold them, either. Just teach them from the bottom of your heart and don’t worry if they do not listen to you.” Edke began teaching English and Marathi in the school, but he soon found that the boys would only write Baba’s name over and over again in their notebooks and on their chalk slates.
Not one student seemed to be paying any attention to the lessons, which seemed rather peculiar to the new teacher.
It was Baba’s order for all to take a lantern while going out at night in the dark. On the night of 10th September 1927, Edke was stung by a scorpion that same night.
In 1958, Padri was in charge of the dispensary at Toka, with Beheram serving as his assistant and as compounder. After residing in Toka for two weeks, Edke (one of the teachers) developed terrible sores on his leg, which became septic and would not heal. His condition became so severe that Masaji had to carry him around on his back. No treatment cured the infection. Dr. Sathe was convinced that the only resort was to send Edke to Ahmednagar where the leg would have to be amputated. A date was fixed for the operation and the doctor came to Toka for one last checkup. This time Baba attended the examination and inquired what medicines had been tried. Pointing to a bottle of lotion, Baba asked if it had been used. Dr. Sathe replied that it had not, so Baba picked it up and, handing it to Edke, directed him to apply the lotion. The very next day, all traces of the infectious sores were miraculously gone and no amputation was necessary.
In 1945, Taking about mandali Baba said: There are many others like Abdulla (Jaffer), Sayyed Saheb, Edke, who all their lives have been loving Me with all their heart.