(photo: Wikimedia Commons image) 

Mehera met Meher Baba for the first time on October 15, 1922 at the age of 15 in the Sakori ashram of Upasni Maharaj during a visit with her mother, but did not come to stay with Baba permanently at Meherabad until 1924. Unique among Meher Baba's women mandali, Mehera was sequestered by Baba from contact with men. It was not until the late 1960s that Mehera J. Irani was permitted by Meher Baba to come out of her seclusion and meet some of the men mandali from a distance. On the porch at Meherazad, she simply folded her hands to them out of respect to their love for Baba and saluted them with "Jai Baba!"

In accordance with Meher Baba's directive, Mehera's final resting place is by his side, adjacent to his Samadhi. Although Mehera was born in January, from 1968 her birthday has been celebrated on December 22 as it was in 1968 in accordance with the Zoroastrian calendar, that being the last year it was celebrated in Meher Baba's physical presence.

 Mehera song by Jamie Newell

(click link to hear)

 

 

 

Mehera, seated on the Main Bungalow Verandah, Meherazad (1980) (Photo by Win Coates)

Meher Baba, the Divine Beloved of all hearts, has called Mehera His Beloved. I'm sure His lovers must wonder what this can actually mean.As Mehera's constant companion throughout our lives with Baba, I can besaid to be entitled to answer this unspoken question in so far aswords can be entitled to speak for the heart! My words can only try,through this introduction to Mehera's book which gives a glimpse ofher unique life and role in this Avataric Advent.

As Sita was for Ram, Radha for Krishna, Mary for Jesus, for this Advent of Meher Baba it is Mehera who plays the leading role. This role, of being the chosen counter-part to the God-Man, amounts to the highest, purest, most spiritual relationship consisting of a divine love which the world cannot imagine.

This love between Baba and Mehera is in an inner realm which has nothing to do with the 'love' as defined in the world's dictionary. In these times, when the outer has become the altar of worship, when the wrapping of a gift often receives more attention than its contents, it is natural that everything, concerning 'love' should be translated into the external, the physical. But do not make that mistake about Mehera's relationship with Baba; or for that matter, about any of us living with Baba. The keynote of our life with Baba was purity, and Baba was very very particular and strict about it. He never allowed the slightest compromise in this regard, so our relationship with Baba and with each other was always totally innocent of physical involvement.

 

You could even say that we were as children together around Baba. Easterners and Westerners, young and old, Baba kept us like children in this respect and shaped that childlike quality of life which leads to true purity of heart, involving self-forgetfulness and self-sacrifice of the highest order. And so, just as Mehera is Baba's Beloved, she is also His "child" in the spiritual sense. The absolutely clear mirror of Mehera's immaculate heart, which Baba took great pains to keep unclouded by the dust of the world, reflects Baba's image, the image of the Divine Beloved, as none other can...

 

 

 

...Shortly before He dropped His body, Baba asked me to make a message to Mehera. He told me to tell her, "Mehera, be brave." And, although it seems Baba was asking something from Mehera with these words, in actuality Baba was giving her the courage with which to be brave. And because it came from Him, she was able to be brave during that most difficult period after He left His form...

 

...Beloved Baba has said of His Beloved, "Mehera loves Me as I should be loved."

 

This Divine Romance of infinite beauty will be sung and celebrated throughout the world inspiring lovers of God to aspire for Mehera's one-pointed love for the Beloved God-Man.

From foreword by Mani S. Irani, in Mehera (1989), Beloved Books

          (photo: courtesy of Mehera Irani Videos)

Such Was Her Love For Baba

 

Although Mehera was no longer alive when I was a resident, I did have the wonderful opportunity to meet her when I used to visit as a pilgrim. Baba said that she was the purest soul in the universe. He also said that she was His beloved and that she was to Him as Radha was to Krishna, or Sita was to Rama.

When I would sit on the porch with her, listening to her stories, I always felt that she was giving me all of her attention. This is what everyone felt around her. She could touch your heart in such an intimate manner, bringing to mind stories of how Baba, when in a crowd of thousands, could make each person feel that He was giving His full attention only to him or her. Of all the Mandali, I have found Mehera to possess this quality.

Another distinctive feature of Mehera's personality was that when she told stories, it wasn't so much that she was remembering past incidents, as it was that she was reliving them at that moment. The expression on her face showed that she was seeing Baba in her mind's eye.

 

She also seemed to see Baba in everyone and everything, such was her love for Baba. It is for this reason that Baba had declared, "Mehera is the only one who loves me as I should be loved." Though I did not meet Baba, I feel fortunate to have met His reflection in His beloved Mehera.

From Rustom Falahati, The Real Treasure, Vol. 1, p. 4

Upper Meherabad (circa Jan. 1937) photo taken by Elizabeth Patterson

Last meeting of Meher Baba with Upasni Maharaj at Dahigaon (1941)

 

"Mehera Sees the Lord"

Meher Baba and Sadashiv arrived in Sakori early in the morning on October 15th. On the same day, Daulatmai had also arrived with her two daughters, Freiny and Mehera. While Maharaj's niece, Ganga, was giving them a tour, they heard footsteps descending a nearby staircase. Ganga told Mehera and Freiny, "Merwanji, Maharaj's closest disciple, is coming." Meher Baba swiftly descended the stairs and walked past them, giving Mehera her first opportunity of seeing him, though she was very shy.

 

Although no words were spoken, it was a great moment in silence. Our Age was destined to be deeply moved by its significance. Mehera's heart was struck by his countenance and sang out:

"At last, at last! I've seen the Lord at last!"

Mehera's mother, Daulatmai, had met the Master before when she had been to Sakori, but she had not explained to her daughters about Upasni Maharaj or Meher Baba. Later, in Upasni Maharaj's thatched hut, Mehera and her mother and sister were seated on the floor when Meher Baba entered. With folded hands, he stood before Maharaj, who beckoned him to leave and wait outside under a nearby mango tree. He immediately bowed to Maharaj and left, circling the hut three times performing what is known to Hindus as parikrama - reverently honoring the Guru's abode.Seeing Meher Baba's love for his Master touched Mehera's heart. The Divine Song had called her awakening heart to Sakori, and he himself had traveled here only to meet her. Her tears were now crying:

Oh Song! How humble you are! How beautiful you are!

And the Song replied:

"I am yours forever and you are mine. Because I am humble, my melody will melt the hardest stone!"

Mehera spontaneously longed to be with Meher Baba and the voice of our Age whispered:

Pure one! Soon you will join your beloved Lord, and the lute of your life will play his sweet song every day!

 

Lord Meher , 1st ed, Vol. 2, pp. 443-445

              

Baba's Love for Mastan 

 
In the afternoons I would give Mastan his food, but later on Baba wanted to feed Mastan Himself. He would ask me to bring Mastan to His room. Mastan was never allowed to be free. Except in the mid-afternoon when he would rest in the passageway, I would keep Mastan on a long leash. When I would free Mastan, he would never run away. He would wait patiently until I said, "Go to Baba, Mastan. Go to Baba." Then he would go romping happily to Baba's room. We taught Mastan to kiss Baba and he would do it so sweetly, like a child showing affection for his father.

 

Baba would pat His bed for Mastan to come on and jump up. Rano and Meheru would place an old spread over the bed at Baba's feet and Mastan would sit there contentedly. He would look at us with a twinkle in his eyes as if to say, "See! See where I am seated! Right next to Baba!"

 

Baba would then tell me to quickly bring Mastan his food. His plate would be kept ready - bhakri (millet bread) broken up in gravy with pieces of mutton. Baba would carefully take out the pieces of meat - the very best ones and give these to Mastan, leaving the remainder for me to give to Mastan later.

 

Baba was relaxed and happy as He fed Mastan on His bed. With His own hands, He lovingly fed Mastan morsel by morsel. Then when all the meat was finished, Baba would snap His fingers, gesturing for Mastan to jump down. I would have to coax Mastan, saying, "Come on. Down, Mastan, down." Of course eventually he would obey me and jump down, wagging his tail slightly in a sort of "Thank you, Baba," gesture.

 

I remember one day especially when Baba gestured to me, "Isn't Mastan like a child? He looks so big, but he is just like a child. After this life, I will see that he is born as a human being." And Baba's love for Mastan affected us all very deeply.

 

Mehera

 

from Mehera J. Irani, Baba Loved Us Too  (1989), pp. 149-150  

 

 

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