It was in Lucknow that Shri Nathji met another old lady–one who was to have a mother and son relationship with Shri Nathji. She was the Rani of a large State near Lucknow. Because of the spectacles that she wore she was often referred to as Chashme Vaali Mata.
She had heard Shri Nathji’s sermon at Lucknow. At the time she had arrived in a palanquin with a host of courtiers and maid servants. Shri Nathji’s sermon was beaming out knowledge to the intellectuals in the audience. But, to the Rani who had just entered, Shri Nathji presented a different image altogether, that of a radiant child full of a Glory Divine.
A talukedaarni, the Rani had suffered greatly in life. Her husband had died many years ago, and all five of her sons had also left the world. Her daughter had died, so had her daughter’s husband as well as her granddaughter. She was broken down with the burden of suffering and grief. The ministers of her state took advantage of her and exploited whatever little wealth she still possessed. Her body was racked with illnesses, and doctors were around her all the time. She had no peace left in life.
She had heard of Shri Nathji and had come to listen to him. But the vision she was granted was altogether unexpected. The following day she arrived at Shri Nathji’s residence.
Shri Nathji was speaking to a group of persons in the house which included many intellectuals. Mrs. Khanna the wife of R.R. Khanna asked Shri Nathji to step into a side room where he could meet the old lady. While the gathering in the house watched, the old lady came before Shri Nathji and bowed before him. Then she started opening a little bundle she had brought with herself.
Much to the astonishment of all who looked upon the scene, the bundle contained toys! She placed the toys before Shri Nathji.
And she explained: Yesterday, you appeared before me in the form of a little child, so today I have brought you these toys to play with.
Shri Nathji immediately picked up the toys and began playing with them, winding the toy cars and letting them run on the floor. It was a vivid illustration of what Lord Krishna had written in the Geeta:
Ye yathaa maam prapyadante thanstathaiv bhajaamiham
Maam vartmanuvartante manushya partha sarvasha
No matter what path man may choose to come to me,
I go out to meet him along that very path.
She came to Shri Nathji as a mother and Shri Nathji went to meet her as a child.
All the people gathered in the darbaar at R. R. Khanna’s house – which included judges and lawyers – were surprised at this strange phenomenon.
Thereafter, the Rani acquired great faith in Shri Nathji. She saw him as God in Human Form, but the form was always that of a child.
Shri Nathji began calling her, Mataji, -mother-and all the people held her in awe, for she had become Shri Nathji’s mother. Her servants, courtiers and ministers became afraid of her and ceased to exploit her, for she had found a powerful son.
The transformation that came over her was one of the greatest miracles of the modern age. From the very depths of sorrow and despair, she rose to a state of absolute happiness and peace. She would cast one single glance at Shri Nathji’s face, and her joy would know no bounds. People could hardly believe that this was the very woman who had become so tired of the world that she had once said:
Go and burn my entire State for all I care! Each and every hair of my head has been numbered with an infinity of sorrow!
Bringing a dead body back to life was a simple task compared to bringing a faded heart back to freshness. Here was proof of Shri Nathji’s infinite Love. He could make tears of happiness flow from the very eyes which wept tears of sorrow a moment before.
On one occasion, the Rani asked her servant to stand up in the darbaar and say this on her behalf:
I was the most unhappy woman in the whole world one day. But today I am the happiest woman in the whole world. This is due to Shri Nathji’s grace. When I look at him I see all that I lost in the past restored to me! He has filled me with eternal peace and happiness. I see him in the form of God, but always as a child.
Chashme Vaali Mata came to live with Shri Nathji at his house at Dehra Dun. She would iron Shri Nathji’s clothes and serve him in any way that she could, and look after Shri Nathji as a mother would look after her child. It was during her stay at Dehra Dun that Shri Nathji maintained two cars, a convertible Master Buick and a Hillman.
For her the entire world was Shri Nathji, and she remained lost in a state of heavenly bliss, which only the nearness of Shri Nathji could bring.
Shri Nathji would always become like a child before her and even go so far as to occasionally appear to “quarrel” with her on small things like a badly pressed shirt or a missing button. One day, however, he stopped this leela – play. Chashme Vaali Mata fell ill and said: “Nathji! Do you know why I have fallen ill? Because you have stopped quarrelling with me!”
When she was ill, the doctor wrote out a prescription for her which bore the patient’s name as: “Shri Nathji’s Mother”.
She said to Shri Nathji one day:
“Aapke qaidiyon ki zanjeeren kamzor ho rahi hain, unhen aur mazboot keejiye!
“The chains that bind your captives are becoming weak, please make them stronger!”
And her faith was made even stronger than before, as if in a flash.
There was another occasion at Dehra Dun when she said to Shri Nathji:
Nathji! Reveal your Real Divine Form to the world! Nathji Pragat ho jaao!
And the very same day Shri Nathji’s Divine Light flashed with such great brilliance that all who came to him began experiencing the nearness of God. The eyes of people were blinded with tears, so strong was the feeling of Love Divine that emanated from Shri Nathji.
So large were the crowds that the Rani could not get to see Shri Nathji for three days even though she lived in the same house!
Later, Shri Nathji laughed: Mataji–would you want me to reveal my Divine Form to the world again?
“No Maharaj! Never!” said Chashme Vaali Mata, “I could not even get a glimpse of you for three days!”
I know of no God in the Universe other than Shri Nathji, she would say very frequently to people.
She even went to Lahore in later days to be with Shri Nathji after he had been married in 1939.
Time came when after a long association with Shri Nathji lasting over years, she had to return to her State. Shri Nathji was away travelling at that time.
Though the Rani asked for Shri Nathji’s address from certain devotees, they did not tell her out of jealously. The Rani fell ill for the last time and could not go to Shri Nathji. She kept a photograph of Shri Nathji in her room; she fanned it when the weather was hot, and covered it with a quilt when the weather was cold.
Later, when Shri Nathji arrived in Lucknow, the aged mother of the Rani came to see Shri Nathji and told him that Chashme Vaali Mata had left the world. She said to Shri Nathji:
Before she left, she asked that her obeisances-pranams-be conveyed to you, and she also said:
‘When Nathji comes, tell him that I am leaving this world and have attained salvation.
‘Jab Nathji aayen to unhen kaih denaa ke main mukt hokar jaa rahi hoon.’”
During her lifetime, the Rani had fervently wished that Shri Nathji come to her State, but it was not to be. Shri Nathji went there, soon after news of her passing away had reached him. The palace gates were large, and as Shri Nathji entered them, the verse echoed within him.
Kashishe ke ishq daarad naa guzaar datt badeensaan
Ba janaazaa gar na aayi ba mazaar khaahi aamad
The attraction of the world is such, it will not let thee go,
But if thou willst not come to my funeral, Thou must come to my tomb.