As the multitudes thronged to Shri Nathji at Lucknow and he went on giving freely of himself untiringly day and night, an event of historical importance occurred which heralded the coming of another age.
Shri Nathji was at the house of R.R.Khanna. He had just finished giving a private audience to J.P. Srivastava, the Education Minister, and had gone to sleep.
He had a historical dream that night one that signalled the going away of an age. But in fact it was not a dream. It was a vision, which was as follows:
Shri Nathji was alone in a room. A monstrous apparition appeared before him.
Do you know who I am? said the spectre.
It is not my business to find out who is who,” said Shri Nathji, it is enough for me that those who come to me seek spiritual truths from me.
Let me then, introduce myself, said the fearsome spectre, I am Kaliyuga–the Prince of the Age of Darkness!
Shri Nathji laughed and said: So you are Kaliyuga? It is your reign that exists far and wide. Even the angels must dread your existence. There are, indeed, very few that are not ruled by you. Wherever there is hatred, anger, greed and lust, there you must exist. But, tell me, why have you come here to me even though you are so great?
You are angry with me, said the spectre, I have come to apologise.
I am never angry with anyone, Shri Nathji said, my mission is that of Love. My personality and my teachings go against yours. The opposition is as natural as the opposition between light and darkness. One must draw a dividing line between the two. My very existence negates everything that you stand for.
No, said the spectre, You are angry with me. I am going away. I have come to say goodbye! Main goodbye kaihne aayaa hoon!
There was an iron rod in Shri Nathji’s hand. Suddenly the spectre of Kaliyuga turned into smoke and entered into the rod. The rod became as hot as fire. Kaliyuga was gone.
No sooner had the Prince of darkness disappeared when a second figure appeared before Shri Nathji, bearing the same ferocious countenance.
You have captured my prince, said the figure, I will destroy you!
And saying this, he fell upon Shri Nathji. Kaliyuga had already entered into Shri Nathji’s rod.
And Shri Nathji said with some anger: You can do nothing to me, when even your master failed!
And saying this, Shri Nathji flung the rod upon the figure and – the dreadful apparition disappeared.
Shri Nathji awoke. It was morning.
The verse echoed in his mind:Zamaanaa aayaa hai behijaabi kaa
Aam deedaare yaar ab hoga
Sakoot thhaa pardaa daar jiskaa
Vo raaz aashkaar ab hogaa
The Age of Revelations has dawned
All shall see the Eternal Friend,
The secret that lay concealed in veils of silence
Shall stand revealed to all
When Shri Nathji narrated the dream to people, some asked him:
How can you say that Kaliyuga–the age of darkness–has gone? It appears to be before us, as real as ever.
And Shri Nathji explained:
When you take a hot vessel off the fire, the heat lingers on in the vessel for some time. When it was on the fire, it had been very hot. Without the fire, the vessel will gradually cool, but if it were left on the fire, the heat would remain in it indefinitely. In reality, the moment the vessel is taken off the fire, the process of heating is finished. There is only the time of cooling. In a like manner, Kaliyuga has gone. The apparent face of Kaliyuga, which exists before us, is one that is going.
Shri Nathji also explained this with another example: There is a mother and a child. They are sitting in darkness. The mother has a watch with herself and knows the time. Though to outer appearances the darkness appears to be increasing with the passage of the hours, the watch of the mother tells her that dawn is approaching, and that it is 3 a.m. The child still sees only darkness. The mother sees the end of the darkness and the coming of the Sun even in the apparent darkness still surrounding them.
“In a like manner the age of darkness is coming to an end, no matter how dark the days may appear to be at the present moment. This is a phase that is going. And a new era is being ushered in–one which will bring the Light of the Glory of God, in which even the last vestiges of darkness shall vanish forever. Sorrow and suffering shall cease to be, and there shall be only peace and happiness everywhere.
As a matter of fact the era had begun on the very day that Shri Nathji had been born into the world.