It was when Shri Nathji was at Silverwood Cottage at Charleville, Mussoorie, that a historic event took place. The year was 1932.
One day, a lover of God, whose name was Mr. C. G. Roy, and who was working as a lecturer in English at the Lucknow University, came to see Shri Nathji and disclosed what follows.
He went into Shri Nathji’s private room, offered his prayers, and came back with the following message, which he dictated to Mr. R. R. Khanna, Registrar, Lucknow University:
To all people, Hindus, Mohammedans, Christians and those belonging to other Cognate Religions and Sects:
Peace and goodwill is urgently needed, but sadly lacking on account of the activities of the evil influences, and of their chief agents rampant on earth. These are the days of the Great Tribulation when there is to be such misery as never was before.
But, for the sake, of a few, the duration of this misery is to be curtailed, and those who wish to be on the side of the Lord and His good influences are hereby invited to attend a meeting on Wednesday, the 6th July 1932, at Silverwood, Mussoorie, at 5:30 p.m. and to give in their names to Mr. M. P. Khanna after the meeting, to show their willingness that they will be ready to fight against the Common Foe (Ignorance) till Victory is achieved and peace restored (to them).
This document was submitted to His Holiness Shri Bhola Nathji Maharaj, who, after a brief silence, consented to address the gathering at the appointed time, because there was nothing in this subject contrary to the principles and teachings of His Holiness or of His Lord and Master (Spiritual Father) the Revered Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Shri Nathji treated it as a Message from His Master conveyed through Mr. Roy, for it contained a warning for mankind to not to forget their True Lord in the bright glamour of this world. This announcement was issued over the signature of Mr. M. P. Khanna, and Shri Nathji’s lecture on the subject lasted over two hours. The audience went away greatly impressed, and several of them, amongst whom were Hindus, Mohammedans, Sikhs and Christians, gave in their names immediately.
The object of this sudden movement is ‘unveiling of the Soul’ and therefore the Society has been named: ‘Divine Love Society.’ Its motto is, Love, Faith and Service. Its Founder is His Holiness Shri Bhola Nathji Maharaj, and the President, Mr. R. R. Khanna, and Registrar, Mr. M. P. Khanna. It is hereby communicated to you all, Lovers of God, that you, too, may send in your names to Mr. M. P. Khanna, expressing your willingness to enter this Kingdom of the Spirit. This Society does not aim at giving prominence to any personality. But, just as you will pray to the Almighty for admittance to the life of the spirit (or for the upliftment of your Soul), in the same manner, the Founder, like every other member, will pray to the Real Master. If God wills it, the rules and principles of the Divine Love Society will be printed soon and supplied to every member, together with a little book of verses, containing poems and songs connected with Divine Love, Faith and Service, full of peace-giving and all-embracing sentiments.
Note: His Holiness has hitherto been scattering his heartfelt beliefs and sentiments of Love, like unthreaded pearls, but this sudden movement has for various reasons stimulated an effort to string these pearls on the thread of the Divine Love Society.
The Divine Love Society was described as the Majlise Ishqe Ilaahi in Urdu, and Ishwar Prem Sabha in Hindi. Though initially the Divine Love Society began with a gusto and fanfare associated with worldly organisations, it soon turned into an invisible, non-existent institution that had the entire world within itself. The society began to function without members, without a register, without a treasurer, without any formal trappings. All those associated with the society so lost themselves in the divine bliss of Shri Nathji that they forgot about the working of the society altogether.
There was the gargantuan M.P. Khanna, who would carry the register of the Divine Love Society with him just to seek an excuse to enter within the chambers of Shri Nathji and to secure his darshan and blessings!
R.R. Khanna himself was so lost in the divine intoxication of serving Shri Nathji that the functioning of the Society became of secondary importance to him. Shri Nathji could not be bound within the narrow framework of a working society. Neither he nor his devotees had a zest for propaganda and organisation. Wherever Shri Nathji’s living force of Love Divine was present, a Divine Love Society existed. Ultimately the organisational form of the Society disappeared altogether and the Divine Love Society merged into its Founder, Shri Nathji, to be lost forever in him. And for many years afterwards Shri Nathji was known as the Founder of the Divine Love Society.
I do not need an Organisation, said Shri Nathji, I have Truth with me – and, therefore, the whole world is with me!
Thereafter followed a period in which Khanna was able to get a book, Rays of Light published at Lucknow through the Newal Kishore Press, which told the world that the Avatar had come upon earth in the human form of Shri Nathji. This was the first historic book of Shri Nathji to be published in English. It was published in Hindi as well under the title, Prakash Ki Kirne. And then there was the monumental monograph on the “Life and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad”, which brought about a feeling of unity between Hindus and Muslims as never before. This was the book on which Nawab Istafa Khan wrote his introduction.
In the introduction to the book, “Rays of Light” R.R. Khanna expressed his feelings about Shri Nathji in the following words, which became legend with the passage of time.