The Five Perfect Masters

In every Avataric Age, five Perfect Masters (Sadgurus) are responsible for bringing down the Avatar and enabling His manifestation. The five Sadgurus of the present age who were instrumental in manifesting the Avatar Meher Baba were:

1. Hazrat Babajan (1806–1931)

One of the five Perfect Masters of the age and a Qutub (spiritual axis of the universe). Babajan lived for most of her life under a neem tree at Char Bawdi in Cantonment, Poona (Pune). She was a Muslim woman of infinite majesty and love.

When young Merwan Irani (later Meher Baba) came to her, she kissed him on the forehead, instantly plunging him into God-consciousness — the state of divine bliss. This was in 1913.

2. Sai Baba of Shirdi (1838–1918)

Sai Baba lived at Shirdi in Maharashtra. Revered by both Hindus and Muslims, he is one of the most beloved saints of modern India. He was a Qutub and one of the five Perfect Masters responsible for bringing down the present Avatar.

Meher Baba visited Sai Baba at Shirdi. Sai Baba acknowledged Merwan with the words “Parvardigar!” (The Sustainer of all).

3. Upasni Maharaj (1870–1941)

Upasni Maharaj lived at Sakori, near Shirdi. It was he who grounded Meher Baba’s divine consciousness and brought it down to the level of normal consciousness — a process that took seven years (1915–1921).

Upasni Maharaj confirmed the Avatarhood of Meher Baba by throwing a stone at his forehead — symbolically returning the full divine consciousness while maintaining the physical body. He declared: “This boy is the Avatar of the Age.”

4. Tajuddin Baba (1861–1925)

Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur was one of the five Perfect Masters of the age. He was a Qutub and performed his spiritual work while appearing outwardly to be a madman — a characteristic of many great saints who conceal their true spiritual station.

5. Narayan Maharaj (1885–1945)

Narayan Maharaj of Kedgaon (near Poona) was the fifth Perfect Master of the age. He was renowned for his spiritual powers and the inner work he performed for the Avatar’s manifestation.

In Meher Baba’s spiritual hierarchy, a Perfect Master (Sadguru) is a human being who has reached the seventh and highest plane of consciousness — the state of God-realisation — and who, out of compassion, has returned to the world to work for the spiritual upliftment of humanity.