Pran Nath and Priya Nath continued to call Mateshwari Mo and their father Pitiji even as they grew up.
It was a strange life that they led. Nine months of a western oriented education in Mussoorie, western literature, story books, comics, western films, western music, western religion, western culture, and then three months of a totally Indian spiritual atmosphere. The journeying to Akola and like places, the spiritual encounters with thirsty souls, the revelations of Shri Nathji, in short all the events narrated in this book, were all part of a very intensely religious experience for the children. They took both phases of their existence in a very natural stride.
It was just as natural for them to see their father helping them out with the rules of Parsing in English Grammar, or carrying out a lengthy harangue with the servant, as it was to watch him reveal His Divine Form to his devotees in the plains. He was God, but he was a very human father as well, and a very loving one, too, who would attend to his fatherly duties painstakingly.
Shri Nathji would treat the children’s friends with great love and affection, so much so, that these friends would visit the house again and again and in ever-larger numbers. The love they got from Shri Nathji was something they had never experienced before; it was greater than any love they ever got in their homes from their own parents. Even when the children would run around the house playing bang-bang recklessly and break window panes or smash tube-lights, Shri Nathji would be very patient and loving. Shri Nathji would also speak to the children on spiritual themes and give them his blessings. These blessings were to serve them in good stead in later years in life.
Mateshwari would prepare all manner of dishes for the children’s friends, and even have ‘chaat’ delicacies brought from the market. It was only when she noticed some of the boys stealing Pran-Priya’s books and comics that she would chide them. We are not thieves, said a German friend, who had stolen half of their library of comics.
The comics, for whatever they were worth–whether of Walt Disney’s cartoon characters, or western heroes, or Tarzan of the Apes or Superman or Classics–had one rare quality: they depicted the victory of Good over evil. It was a nice spirit to imbibe from childhood. There was always some hero with super strength who helped the weak and poor. The children were at once reminded of Shri Nathji.
Mateshwari would refer to the two children as Pran-Priya. The boys were not like other boys, in the sense that they would never tell a lie; they would be extremely polite and considerate to all their friends. Their greatest fault was their trusting nature–a trait they had inherited from their father. This led many of their friends to exploit them. For example, on the very eve of examinations, their friends would borrow their textbooks and not return them. Sometimes the aging Veeran Devi, the elder sister of Mahamateshwari, would walk long distances on cold winter nights to bring back the textbooks their friends had borrowed.
The two boys became more and more interested in science. And Shri Nathji was very happy. As a matter of fact he had often encouraged their interest in science himself, because he considered science to be a vital part of God.
Even the earliest spiritual writings of Shri Nathji carried a scientific flavour and examples from the Natural Sciences, as was seen vividly in his masterpiece, “Payaame Muhabbat” which he wrote at the age of fifteen.
Both the boys took up Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in later years, and excelled in them. Pran Nath had a brilliant inventive mind. His calling was plainly in the field of technology. Priya Nath was drawn towards Theoretical Physics.
Once Maharaja Sarila said, jokingly, to the boys: One of you is going to become an engineer and the other a scientist! Swamiji’s line is finished! And Shri Nathji said: It is not my mission to make my sons follow me. They can serve the world through their own talents. They would be doing my work for me in an indirect manner!
Once the boys said to Shri Nathji: Pitaji, you preach for hours to people who come to you. Why don’t you ever preach to us?
And Shri Nathji said: I talk to them, because they need it. You don’t. Your souls are ever-enlightened.
What was amazing about the boys was their total lack of interest in worldly possessions. They would use everything provided them and enjoy it, but they would never be mentally attached to anything. If Shri Nathji brought an interesting gift, each brother would insist that the other take it. If it were not for Mateshwari’s watchful eyes, the boys might have given everything they possessed to their friends.
It was a novel situation. Shri Nathji’s sons were western educated, and were pursuing studies in science. It appeared totally incongruous to the spiritual views that many held. Some even said: Chiraag tale andheraa! There is darkness under a lamp! For those who did not understand Shri Nathji, his sons’ vocations in life were as contradictory to them as was Shri Nathji’s marriage.