Khanna would say to Shri Nathji:
Huzoor, main aapse kuchh naheen maangtaa–sirf ek hee cheez maangtaa hoon, ke do vakt sair kar aayaa karen!
“Sir, I ask nothing of you except this –please go for a walk two times a day!
On those occasions when Khanna was with Shri Nathji at Mussoorie he would urge Shri Nathji to go for horse rides during the monsoon season, as he said this was good for the digestion. Khanna laid great emphasis on Shri Nathji exercising and walking about, since most of the time Shri Nathji was closeted in the house with visitors, speaking to them from a chair or sofa.
Khanna once said to Shri Nathji: Sir, you have become weak. You appear to have lost weight.
And Shri Nathji replied: That is just as well. I must make myself small in order to squeeze into the hearts of people!
Sometimes Khanna would even go so far as take the liberty of entertaining Shri Nathji, after a fatiguing day of lecturing to multitudes. After dinner, Khanna would don a comical taihmat–a loose cloth wrapped around the waist and legs– and would play the clown before Shri Nathji trying to make him laugh, saying in Punjabi:
Huzoor, main aapdaa Maajaa Gaamaa haan! Huzoor, I am your Maajaa Gaamaa- the Circus Joker.
Khanna would also say to Shri Nathji in Punjabi:
Huzoor, bhaaven ain noo taassub kaho, magar aapdi jagah koyi doosra lecture den aaye te main onnoo paurriyaan ton thhalle dhakaa de davaan!
“Huzoor, call it bigotry if you will, but if anyone dares to come and lecture in your place, I will push him down a flight of stairs!
There was a learned Pandit who came to Khanna’s house and insisted upon presenting a book to him, which the man had written.
Khanna at first persistently refused to accept the book, but the pandit forced it upon him with the words:
Ye bhent hai, bhent! This is a gift!
Khanna accepted the book, muttering silently under his breath:
Main bhee parrh gayaa to meraa naam badal denaa! If I ever read the book, you can change my name!
Khanna would narrate these episodes and make Shri Nathji laugh. However Shri Nathji was very happy with Khanna’s steadfastness and the fact that he bowed before no other and did not read any writings other than those written by Shri Nathji. Shri Nathji often gave the example of constancy and steadfastness in faith, citing the example of Tulsidas, who was a devotee of Lord Rama. He knew that Lord Rama had later taken birth as Lord Krishna. However, when he came before an idol of Lord Krishna he refused to bow his head and said:
“Kyaa varnnoo chhabi aaj ki bhale bane ho Nath,
Par Tulsi mastak tab namai jab dhanush vaan lo haath
How indescribable is Thy Beauty today, in Thy innocence, O Lord!
But Tulsi’s head will only bow when thou hast a bow in Thy hand.
Tulsidas had been referring to the bow that Lord Rama always carried with him and which had become a symbol of his presence in the Ramayana. Since Tulsidas did not see Lord Krishna holding a bow, he refused to bow before the form of Lord Krishna, even though he acknowledged the form to be another face of Lord Rama. Shri Nathji used this as an example of “ishtth nishtth taa”, firmness in devotion to one form.