THE GOD-MAN The Life, Journeys and Work of Meher Baba with an ...

16 THE GOD-MANAt thirteen years of age Sheriarji left his father and became a monk. He could neither read norwrite and had had no schooling whatever; but he made up his mind to lead a life of renunciation andmeditation and for eight years roamed over Persia as a dervish, wearing the ochre robe of a monasticlife. He found that this was not bearing the desired fruit, so with his brother he went to India, landingin Bombay, where they both got work. After five months Sheriarji left his employment, and, keepingtwo rupees of the pay due to him, having given the rest away, became a monk again. For ten yearshe wandered throughout India with wooden bowl and staff. This second experience of renunciationseemed no more fruitful than the first. He did not gain the spiritual beatitude he was seeking. Indespair he returned to Bombay and went to live in his sister Piroja's house. It is said that he was toldin a dream that what he wanted was not destined for him.His sister wished him to marry and bring up a family, and so persistent was she that Sheriarjipretended to have fallen in love with the daughter of an Irani named Dorabji Khoramshahi. This girlwas no more than six years old, and Sheriarji was over thirty; he was sure that her father would notgive her to him. He said he would marry no one else, however, and Piroja had to bring off the matchso as to carry out her intentions. She succeeded in getting the consent of the parents, for Sheriarjiwas regarded as a holy man, and it was agreed that the marriage should take place when the girl hadgrown up. Eight years later, in 1892,when Shirinbanoo was fourteen, the marriage took place.It was a happy and successful marriage. When he became engaged Sheriarji turned his attentionto earning a living. He first worked as a gardener, then took charge of an estate, and afterwardsopened a tea-shop. He also began to educate himself; learned to read and write his own Persianlanguage, also Arabic, Gujarati, and Marathi. He became a singer and a poet, writing hymns used bythe Zoroastrian community. His wife, Shirinbanoo, was 'as intelligent as she is fair', says one whoknew her then; she also understood four languages. They went to live in Poona, 119 miles by railfrom Bombay, about 1,850 feet above the sea. This is an important city, a cultural and educationalcentre, once the Mahratha capital. It had for long been the seat of the government of Bombay, andthe British cantonment, east of the old city, had an area of four and a quarter square miles. The cityis at the conjunction of the Mutha and Nula rivers. It was a Brahmin stronghold with a large numberof temples mostly small, though some have historic