On my first pilgrimage to Meherabad, as I was sitting in a large group listening to Bhau Kalchuri*, one of Meher Baba’s mandali, his disciple, talk about Meher Baba, he at one point looked at me and said “mastani.”* I felt pleased to be recognized but didn’t know what he meant.
Afterwards, learning that a mastani is a God-intoxicated woman who has little consciousness of the world, I considered Bhau must have some inner knowledge of me, but I definitely didn’t want to be a “mastani.”
Twelve years later Bhau repeatedly referred to me as “Pagali mastani,” saying pagali meant “mad,” but by then I’d learned that Bhau gave most people names and when spoken to, smiling, I’d say, “Yes, Bhau, I’m Pagali mastani.”
Then I received an email where the lexicon meaning of Bhau’s name for me no longer held my interest—only his sweetly-expressed sentiment.
Dearest Prema,
I received your loving email dated 13 March, 2013. You have really proved you are
Pagali Mastani. Your email, though long, touched my heart, and it will remain in my heart
for a long time. And it proved you are really Pagali Mastani!
Jai Ho! Jai Ho!! Jai Ho!!! Jai Jai kar Ho yours, my dearest Pagali Mastani!
With all love and Jai Baba to you,
In His love and Service,
Bhau
Bhau passed away into Meher Baba, in October, 2013, and as I reflected on his role in my life, I realized the most important name he’d ever given me had only been spoken once. It had happened at the Meher Baba Trust compound where Bhau lived. As I was standing where I could say, “Jai Baba,”* to him as he walked by, he had stopped, turned, and said, “Writer,” then continued on.
My realization is, “When our heart hears the right word, it listens, remembers, and one day implements the message.
*Bhau Kalchuri was a Trustee and Chairman of the Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust from 1973 until His return to Meher Baba.
*“Jai Baba” is the official greeting among lovers of Meher Baba