Eruch Jessawala Men Mandali and interpreter of Meher Baba
Eruch Byramshaw Jessawala
(October 13, 1916 – August 31, 2001), born in Bombay, India, was a close disciple of the silent Indian master Meher Baba, and one of his mandali. He was also the primary interpreter of Meher Baba’s alphabet board, and later his unique sign language.
Early life
Eruch was born in Bombay to Zoroastrian parents, Byramshaw and Gaimai Jessawala. His father Byramshaw was an engineer, and was the Chief Inspector of Boilers for The Central Provinces, a high post in the British Indian government. The family lived in Nagpur (now part of Maharashtra State). Due to constant relocations of his father, Eruch was placed in an orthodox Zoroastrian boarding school in Nashik at the age of 6. When his father eventually bought an estate, Jessawala was transferred to a Catholic school at the age of 8 where he excelled as a student, eventually planning to study engineering like his father.
Meeting Meher Baba
According to Eruch the first time he remembered meeting Meher Baba was in 1925 at the age of 9, on a trip with his family to Ahmednagar.
He met Meher Baba in what later became Meherabad, Meher Baba’s main ashram and the site of his Tomb-Shrine today. Twelve years later, while Jessawala was preparing to study engineering, Meher Baba called him to Panchgani and asked him, “Will you leave everything and come to be with me?” To this Jessawala answered, “By your grace anything is possible.” Thus Eruch Jessawala joined Meher Baba as his close companion in 1938, at the age of 21.
Work as translator of Baba’s silent gestures
Meher Baba was silent for 44 years, from 10 July, 1925 until His death on 31 January, 1969. Eruch Jessawala was Meher Baba’s main interpreter, interpreting both His English language alphabet board and later his sign language. He also transcribed Meher Baba’s major book God Speaks from Meher Baba’s dictation on the alphabet board, wrote the ninth chapter of that book working from a chart by Meher Baba under Baba’s direct supervision, and wrote the book’s conclusion. During Meher Baba’s lifetime Eruch dealt with correspondence and acted as companion and valet for Meher Baba on His many journeys in India and around the world. Eruch Jessawala’s stories of his life with Meher Baba were published during his lifetime (see below).
Death and legacy
Eruch survived Meher Baba’s death by 32 years, continuing to live at Meherazad and assisting Meher Baba’s sister Mani Irani in her work as Chairman for the Avatar Meher Baba Trust. After her death in 1996, he continued to go to the Trust Office in Ahmednagar until his own death in 2001. He was an inspiration for followers and disciples of Meher Baba from the East and the West until the end. Eruch was well known for telling stories of Meher Baba’s life, and his books are taken from those accounts.
Books
ERUCH BEHRAMSHAW JESSAWALA (Eruch)
Eruch B. Jessawala, primary interpreter of Baba’s signs and gestures, as the “Tongue of God” was well known for his deep understanding of Baba’s life and work and hundreds of seekers came to hear him speak of Baba.
Eruch Behramshaw Jessawala (October 13, 1916 – August 31, 2001), born in Bombay, India, was a close disciple of the silent Indian master Meher Baba, and one of His mandali. Eruch was also the primary interpreter of Meher Baba’s alphabet board, and later his unique sign language.
Eruch was born in Bombay to Zoroastrian parents, Beheram and Gaimai Jessawala. His father Beheram was an engineer with a high post in the Indian government in Nagpur, the capital of central provinces at that time. Due to constant relocations of his father, Eruch was placed in an orthodox Zoroastrian boarding school in Nasik, India at the age of 6. When his father eventually bought an estate, Eruch was transferred to a Catholic school at the age of 8 where he excelled as a student, eventually planning to study engineering like his father.
Due to family pressures, Eruch married his cousin Khorshed Damania on 25th may 1945, at Ahmednagar, which was attended by Meher Baba but according to Baba’s orders, soon after the wedding, he joined Baba permanently and never lived with his wife.
Eruch’s wife Khorshed became involved with Gangaram Mirchandani, who claimed to be a guru. Mirchandani was the same “bogus saint” who had sent three of his followers to confront Baba at Ashiana in Bombay in 1957. Baba forbade Khorshed from visiting Bindra House and also wished that the four Akbar Press families not get involved with this so-called guru.
According to Eruch the first time he remembered meeting Meher Baba was in 1925 at the age of nine on a trip with his family to Ahmednagar.
There had been many events and conversation with Meher Baba in his life time. He was the Baba’s interpreter. Many of humorous episodes carried spiritual messages are elaborated as under.
In August 1930, at Nagpur, Meher Baba stayed at Pappa Jessawala’s house. He told Gulmai that, “Eruch is My Son. I will give you another.”
Baba informed Gaimai that in the morning before Eruch went to school and after returning in the afternoon he should first meet Baba. Eruch was also to have his meals with Baba. Being a teenager, Eruch found this irksome and would deliberately hide and depart for school without seeing Baba. In the afternoons, Baba would stand outside in the yard by the gate, waiting to catch Eruch. For the first few days, Eruch was caught and had to spend the afternoon and evening playing games with Baba.
On the third day, Eruch was more cautious. Cycling home from school, he saw Baba from a distance and thought: “There He is again; He’ll spoil my evening fun.” To avoid Baba, Eruch quietly entered the house through the back door. After having a snack and changing clothes, he went out. Eruch did not want to spend his free time being with Baba, preferring instead to participate in football matches with his school teammates.
When he returned, Gaimai asked why he had not come home from school that day. Eruch explained that he had been home, but snuck off to play. Gaimai scolded him, “This is not good. You don’t realize how blessed you are. Baba was waiting a long time for you. He is Zoroaster!” she exclaimed. “He is our Prophet returned! Do you not know that?”
Although religious by nature, Eruch was skeptical of what his mother said and remained unimpressed by his mother’s words. Eruch had more of an interest in Jesus, having attended a Roman Catholic school in Nagpur. He did not yet realize that all Avatars are one and the same. Eruch thought to himself: “How much better it would have been if I had been born at the time of Jesus. I would love to have been by his side. Will that day ever come for me?” Little did he know that Christ had heard his longing and was waiting to play with him each day.
On one occasion, Baba opened Eruch’s clothes trunk. He took out a shirt and pair of pants, held them up to examine them and motioned to Gaimai, “I must have clothes like this prepared for Agha Ali.” Gaimai immediately sent for her tailor, a Gujarati man who was very old and partially blind. Baba himself explained to the old man about sewing suits for Ali, and Gaimai gave him silk fabric that had been meant for Eruch.
Eruch was studying in college and would visit Meher Retreat with his family. On one occasion, Baba introduced him to his Western lovers. Baba asked him, “What do you want to become?” Eruch replied that he wanted to study engineering at a college in Benares.
“What will you do by becoming an engineer?” Baba asked. He sent for Kaka and spelled out to Eruch, “Kaka was quite a big engineer in the Tata Company. Ask him what he did after becoming an engineer.”
The mandali were expert at catching Baba’s hints and would say anything to please Him in a ruse. Taking the hint, Kaka said, “Engineering is totally useless! One may follow any vocation in the world, but to become an engineer is a sin! I was faced with so many difficulties in my job I wanted to die.
Baba then asked Eruch, “Did you hear what Kaka says about engineering? Why don’t you become my engineer instead?” Eruch replied that he would see what happened.There is no worse profession on earth than engineering!”
Eruch was very strong physically. One day in Nasik, Baba asked Eruch to massage His legs. While Eruch was rubbing the muscles, Baba asked, “Do you know everything?”
Eruch answered proudly, “I have learned many things.”
“Do you know how to swim?” Eruch said yes.
“Will you swim in My Ocean?” Eruch burst out laughing.
Baba then directed him, “If you know everything, repair My chappals and bring them back within three minutes.”
One of the leather straps had come loose and Eruch took the sandal, thinking: “If I don’t stitch it in time, Baba will claim I was only boasting.” He approached Freiny and asked if there was a sewing machine in the house. She pointed it out, and Eruch proceeded to begin repairing the leather strap.
Freiny’s children Meheru and Naggu watched noisily as Eruch fixed the sandal. Eruch told them to be quiet. He sewed the sandal and went back to Baba in seven minutes. Baba examined it and gestured, “Good, but you took so long.”
“The proper tools were not available,” Eruch replied.
Baba congratulated him on doing a good job and then asked, “Do you know carpentry? Tailoring? Cobblery as well?”
“Yes, I do,” said Eruch. “My parents have taught me many things.” Baba appeared pleased and praised Eruch’s abilities.
While staying at Nasik, Baba called the Jessawalas to Rahuri on 26th April 1937, and showed them the ashram and explained his work there. When Baba bathed the masts, he kept Eruch by His side.
In Bangalore, Baba had sent a telegram to Nagpur instructing Eruch Jessawala to meet Him in Panchgani. Eruch’s father Pappa Jessawala was on tour when Baba’s telegram arrived and Eruch’s mother Gaimai told him to leave immediately. Eruch was working in the garden at the time and casually replied that he would start the next morning. It would take time to wash and get ready. But Gaimai urged, “Baba wants you immediately! Does immediately mean tomorrow?” While this exchange was occurring, a second, identical telegram from Baba arrived instructing Eruch to start for Panchgani at once!
Gaimai said, “I was telling you to go, but you would not listen. Now leave immediately!”
Eruch did not wish to upset his mother, so he promptly left for the train station and arrived in Panchgani the next day, 29th April 1938, along with Jal Kerawalla. Baba was waiting for them. He was pleased to see Eruch and remarked, “You came at once!”
Eruch said, “You asked me to leave immediately, so I did.”
Baba asked about his family and then motioned to the mandali to leave and spoke privately with Eruch using His alphabet board. Eruch could read the board without difficulty, which was surprising for someone without practice. Baba said, “The world and its affairs are all illusory. Only God is real. Only God exists and everything else is transient!”
Baba continued, “Conditions in the world are going from bad to worse, and the outbreak of war is definite. Everything will be chaotic and millions will die. It will not be due to hate and hostility between mankind, but will be due to ‘I-ness.’ ”
It is all a divine game!”
Baba then asked, “What are your plans?”
Eruch said that he had sent his application to Benares University to study engineering.
Suddenly, Baba posed this question, “If I were to ask you to leave everything behind – your studies, your friends, your property, your family — and come and stay with Me, what would your answer be?”
Eruch replied, “By your grace, anything is possible.”
Baba smiled broadly and said, “Fine. Come on 1st August.” Eruch nodded his consent and Baba told him to go. After bowing down, Eruch was just leaving the room when Baba clapped and called him back. “Would it be possible for your whole family to leave everything and come to Me?” Baba asked.
Eruch gave the same reply: “By your grace, anything is possible.”
Baba said, “Ask your father whether it will be possible and write Me a letter. If he agrees, leave everything, and bring your father, mother, sisters and brother to Meherabad on August 1st of this year.”
At the time, Eruch had no idea why he had committed himself, or how he would be able to fulfill his promise and dispose of the family’s possessions in such a short time. There was the question of their house, their property, his sisters’ marriages, his younger brother Meherwan’s schooling — and, most important of his entire father’s permission.
Baba said, “I am the Ancient One. Your decision pleases Me more than you can know. You should stick to it at all costs!”
Baba then asked, “If I tell you to lead a tiger by its ears, would you be afraid?”
“If you tell me to, and if I meet a tiger, of course I will do as you say,” Eruch replied.
Baba beamed, and said, “Instead of that, have your supper and spend the night in My cave in Tiger Valley. If a tiger comes to the cave, do not be frightened. In the morning, leave straight for Nagpur without seeing Me, and come with all your family to Meherabad on August 1st.”
After spending the night in the cave, Eruch departed for Nagpur. When he told the family what had transpired, they were overjoyed. Gaimai was especially pleased, as she had longed to stay with Baba for years. She said, “How lucky we are that Baba himself – the Avatar! Is sending for us!”
Fulfilling his promise, Eruch brought his family from Nagpur to Ahmednagar on Monday, 1st August 1938, to join Baba’s ashram. Pappa Jessawala had come with them also and, after discussing all the arrangements with Baba, Baba sent him back to Nagpur on the 5th. He still had another year of service before he retired with a pension, and Baba advised him to complete his obligation and join Him after one year.
Before he left for Nagpur, Baba joked with him, “Pappa, I wanted Eruch to be with Me from his childhood, but you would not part with him. But had you turned him over to Me at the time, I would have had to look after his upbringing and studies. So, I thank you for giving him to Me now and saving Me all the trouble. It has lightened my burden considerably.”
After settling in, Baba instructed Eruch to help Chanji with his correspondence work. He was also to hold the umbrella over Baba when Baba walked up and down the hill. Eruch’s brother Meherwan and his cousin Dadi, who were both small boys, stayed at lower Meherabad with the men. Eruch’s mother Gaimai stayed with the women mandali in the P.W.D. bungalow along with her daughters Meheru and Manu.
The only “thorn” in the whole affair was that Baba had told Eruch to bring his automobile along with them when they came. Since Pappa Jessawala also needed the car in Nagpur, Eruch explained to Baba that his father had insisted on keeping the car for at least another six months.
Baba was not happy about this and remarked, “This will always be a blemish on My heart.”
At the time, Eruch did not understand Baba’s comment. But eighteen years later, after the automobile accident in 1956 in Satara in which Eruch was driving, Eruch recalled Baba’s words and thought that the accident related in some way to his not obeying Baba in 1938.
Shortly before coming to Baba, Eruch had two significant dreams. One night, he dreamed that Baba had come to his house and began moving about freely. He told Eruch, “Stop everything and come!” Baba made Pappa and Gaimai stand before Him. He gave two children into their custody and started to leave. Eruch said quickly, “There is a lot of milk in the house; it will spoil.”
Baba spoke in the dream, “Throw it away in the gutter and after cleaning the pot, come to Me!”
Sometime later, Eruch had another dream. He was driving a car with Baba by his side. Baba was elbowing him, urging him to drive faster. He accelerated, but still Baba wanted him to drive faster. A sea loomed large in front of them and Baba told him to drive into it! In the water, Baba still insisted that Eruch drive faster, which he did. Eruch was sweating profusely and, after driving very, very far, he saw a white building before him. Baba signaled to park by the side of the building, and with much difficulty he did. But the car got trapped in the sand. Here his dream ended.
The strange dreams stayed with Eruch for many days and helped him maintain his resolve that since he had come, he would stay with Baba permanently.
While Eruch was preparing to study engineering, Meher Baba called him to Panchgani and asked him, “Will you leave everything and come to be with Me?” To this Eruch answered, “By your grace anything is possible.” Thus Eruch Jessawala joined Meher Baba as His disciple in 1938 at the age of 21.