Kakubai Deorukhkar

KAKUBAI DEORUKHKAR

KAKUBAI DEORUKHKAR

(Mother of Vishnu Master)

Kakubai Deorukhkar had been in Baba’s contact from the very early days of the Poona toddy-shop in Kasba Peth. From the beginning, she would address Baba as “Deva” (God). In those days, Baba would visit her home at any odd time and ask for rice and dal. Kakubai used to keep it ready, as Baba was always in a hurry and would not allow her time to cook it. By coming to her house almost every day, Baba had captured Kakubai’s heart. She moved permanently to Meherabad in 1925 and there dropped her body.

Her close contact and reminiscences with Meher Baba are s written below:

Vishnu’s house was across the street from the toddy shop, and soon after this encounter Merwan Seth decided to visit the boy’s family. Vishnu’s mother, a devout Hindu named Saraswati, received Merwan Seth reverently, addressing him as He entered the house as Deva (God). He in turn would always call her Kakubai, meaning his paternal aunt.

Merwan Seth inquired about her welfare and asked, “Would you cook dal and rice for Me in the afternoons?”

She replied, “With great pleasure, Deva.”

From that day on, Merwan Seth would go to her house every day for lunch. After a few days, He started coming at any odd time saying, “I am hungry, Kakubai. Can you prepare something for Me?” The woman accepted Merwan Seth’s request and felt it a privilege to be allowed to serve him. So Kakubai made it a point to always have something ready in case Merwan Seth came unexpectedly. Merwan Seth would give her money as his prasad to buy essentials, and although she did not want to accept it, he prevailed on her to do so and she could not refuse her Deva’s prasad.

One day Kakubai complained to Merwan, “Deva, Vishnu goes to the movies every day. I am afraid that he is associating with a bad group of boys. Please talk to him and set him straight, before he gets in trouble. He will not listen to me.” Merwan immediately went to the local movie theater and caught hold of Vishnu, who was about to enter with some other boys.

He took the boy aside and slapped him soundly a few times.

Vishnu was taken aback and said, “Merwan Seth, I have bought the ticket with my own money. I have not stolen anything! Why are you beating me?”

“Did you ask Me if you could go to the movies?” Merwan Seth replied. “Didn’t I tell you that I would be your father? Why didn’t you ask Me before going to the movies?” Vishnu did not reply, for he instantly knew that, from then on, he should not do anything without Merwan’s permission. Kakubai was delighted with the change in her son’s attitude.

In 1936, During Baba’s stay at Mysore, one of the men mandali had to stay awake on guard duty at the women’s bungalow to guard against the possibility of thieves and miscreants throwing stones and damaging the tatta compound. Vishnu’s mother Kakubai and others arrived on the evening of 18th April 1936 to help with matters in Mysore.

Leaving Rahuri, they drove on to Meherabad, arriving at eleven o’clock. Baba showed them the men’s quarters at lower Meherabad, and then took the Western women up the hill to see Mehera and the other women mandali: Naja, Mani, Khorshed, Soonamasi, Gulmai, Walu and Kakubai. Memo was also there, and Baba took them to meet her at the Family Quarters where Daulatmai (Mehera’s mother) and her sister Freiny Masi (Padri’s mother) were living.

At four o’clock in the early morning of Thursday, 8th December 1938, Baba left Meherabad Hill in the Blue Bus with Kakubai and other 19 ladies.

From 19th February 1938, began three-day celebration, cannot at Meherabad. Almost 500 lovers from Bombay, Poona, Ahmednagar, Nasik, Navsari, Nagpur and other towns and cities, gathered. More than 200 came from Bombay including Vishnu’s mother Kakubai.

Baba left Meherabad for Ranchi on 3rd July 1940, by train with the men and women mandali, and three masts, Chatti Baba, Shariat Khan and Mohammed. The women who accompanied Baba Kakubai was one among them.

Baba ordered the mandali to give a feast to the Arangaon villagers on 13th October and on 14th October, in memory of Dowla Masi and Nonny Gayley respectively. On the 13th, women and children from the village came up the hill, and Soonamasi and Kakubai distributed sweets to them. It began to rain, and Baba remarked, “This will make the villagers even happier! They need rain more than sweets, so Dowla Masi gave them rain.”

Baba watched Soonamasi and Kakubai distributing the prasad. Again, the next evening, showers came just as Rano, Kakubai and others were distributing sweets.

As soon as Baba arrived in Meherabad, He divided the women into five different small groups. Each group was assigned a separate room on Meherabad Hill. Kakubai with others was kept in the fifth room.

During period 1944, there were approximately 26 men, 33 women and ten children staying with Meher Baba under His orders at Meherabad and Pimpalgaon. Among women was Kakubai at Meherabad.

Reaching Aurangabad, Baba called the other women there from Meherabad — Kakubai and other lady members described to them His Kashmir visit and, after a few days, sent them back to Meherabad.

Kakubai died in Meherabad on 11 th April 1950, Kakubai’s cremation was held at Meherabad the same day at 11:00 P.M.

Kakubai, had died in Meherabad, and now Vishnu had laid aside his body at the Beloved’s side. Vishnu was incomparable in forbearance, and Baba was always pleased with him. Even under the most trying circumstances, he would never utter a word of complaint, and he put up with every hardship. Baba remarked to the mandali that Vishnu had held on to His daaman until the very end


Resources

References/Images from: Various Lord Meher volumes, discontinued website's ambprasarkendra & love-remembrances, images and dates, stories etc from respective copyright owners websites or publications used with permission - i.e. In His Service, Glow International, MeherBabaTravels, MSI and MNP Collections, from AvatarMeherBabaTrust, BelovedArchives websites and from various other website sources, Books, journal etc. More information where ever available with us like letter scans, stories etc are added. Kindly feel free to Contact us with any updates, photos or corrections etc.
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