Every night Shri Sukhdev and his wife would bring the food for Shri Nathji and Mateshwari in Shri Nathji’s room. They would prepare hot chappaatis in the kitchen and place them in Shri Nathji’s thaali-plate. No sooner would Shri Nathji take a few bites from one chappaati, than Sukhdev would replace it with a fresh one, taking the first one away. Shri Nathji was to learn later that Sukhdev and his wife would feed upon the leftovers from Shri Nathji’s thaali, which was why they immediately took whatever remained, after Shri Nathji had taken only a few bites.
Devotees would consider it a great privilege to be given the leftover food-prasaad, from Shri Nathji’s meals. For them, it was food which had been sanctified by the mouth of God, and eating which led to a purification of the body, mind and soul.
After dinner, it was the practice of Sukhdev and his wife to bring hot milk for Shri Nathji. One night Sukhdev did not come. His wife explained that he was in his room, and deeply hurt because his nightly prasaad had been eaten by two other devotees, who had been in the house at that time. For him, it had meant a denial of the food of God.
Shri Nathji called Sukhdev to himself and said:
Sukhdevji, do not be hurt if someone else has eaten prasaad, today. After all, you eat it every day. Let some poor, anguished souls satisfy their hunger today. Surely others must yearn for such satisfaction if they have a faith equal to yours! You should be pleased that another devotee has got once, what you get so many times!
Since the man appeared displeased still, Shri Nathji began to correct him for his selfish attitude, and indeed, would have been greatly angry with him had not the little Priya Nath intervened and said: Forget it, Pitaji! Everyone makes such a mistake! Pitaji, aisee galti sab se ho jaati hai!”
Shri Nathji began to laugh, and, Mateshwari, who had been watching the scene, immediately came to the rescue of Sukhdev. She said: He has not eaten anything tonight, he must be hungry! It was the heart of a mother. And her final judgement was equally just. She asked that fresh food be prepared and brought to Shri Nathji, so that he could eat a part of it and leave the prasaad for his devotee. It was 11 p.m. But the food was made, and Shri Nathji partook of it, and the prasaad was given to Sukhdev, who thanked the divine mother for her affection and concern for her devotees, who were like erring children.