Mateshwari’s health had begun to show a marked improvement in the warm and sunny atmosphere at Meerut. Humanity would always owe a debt of gratitude to Wheler Club for restoring Mateshwari to good health.
Mateshwari began to walk in the lawns of the club, and there were even occasions when she tried to drive the Ford car in the club premesis, even as Pran Nath and Priya Nath taught her how to use the gear by the side of the steering wheel.
Mateshwari already knew how to drive the Standard car, and she had once driven it with great speed over the notorious curves of the Mohund jungle road. However, that had been about ten years ago and she was out of practice. But it was nice to see her feeling well and active and using her limbs which had been frozen by the cold weather that had caused the joint pains at Mussoorie.
Even Pran Nath and Priya Nath would take the car out and drive it in the city of Meerut. Pran Nath was a first class driver, but Priya Nath was shaky at the wheel. There was a time when he was driving and he ran over a dog. There was a dreadful thud at the wheels and later they saw the dog lying dead on the road. Priya Nath burst out into tears and never forgot that incident for years to come. He never drove a car for years afterwards.
The birthday of Shri Babaji Maharaj was celebrated by Shri Nathji at Meerut that year. A hall was booked at the Allahabad Bank premesis where the Manager had developed a great respect for Shri Nathji. The birthday card of the time was as follows:
All Glory Unto Him
The undersigned requests the pleasure
of the company of
Mr. Mrs. Shri Babaji Bhagwan, Mataji and all others,
on the auspicious occasion of the
Sacred Birthday Celebrations of his temporal Father and Spiritual Preceptor
Bhagwan Shri Babaji Maharaj
on Monday Tuesday the 21st and 22nd January 1957
Wheler Club
Meerut
Swami Bhola Nath
It didn’t matter to Shri Nathji what some of the people might think when they saw the name “club” in the invitation card and wonder what Shri Nathji was doing in a club in the first place. Those who knew Shri Nathji intimately knew that whatever he did was for the salvation of mankind and that no matter where he went he purified the place. No place in the world could be impure for Shri Nathji who was the personification of Purity itself.
People who visited Shri Nathji usually returned to their family and friends with a spiritual glow on their faces, which reflected the Light of Shri Nathji.
Time and again he had said: I have not come to be worshipped.
But worship was a humble offering to God, and Shri Nathji could not hurt his devotees by refusing to accept it.
He had often told people:
Whenever you come and touch my feet it is in return for the salutations I offered you. Early in the morning when you were asleep, I stole into your homes and bowed before the Divine Reality within you. When you came before me you thought you were placing a question before me, while I thought it was an answer.
“Aap samajhte hain ke savaal kar rahe hain, aur main samajhtaa hoon ke javaab de rahe hain!”
While accepting a garland, he would tell the person who offered it:
“I must bow my head to receive your garland. It is in acknowledgement of the fact that defeat–haar, this garland–is mine, while jeet–victory–is yours! I submit myself to your devotion!
“Haar meri huyi, aur jeet aapki!”
It had become his habit since years that whenever people would gather together and hail him with a loud Jai–Bhola Nathji Bhagwan Ki Jai! he would immediately say: Sab Bhaktan Ki Jai! i.e. he would hail the devotees in return.
Shri Babaji Maharaj had never been too happy at the titles of Swamiji, Maharaj, Holiness etc., – for these titles had a tendency to place Shri Nathji in the category of Sadhus and Mahatmas. Nobody ever referred to Lord Rama as Swamiji or Lord Krishna as Maharaj. These titles were for ascetics. However Shri Nathji allowed the lesser informed this latitude in addressing him.
Perhaps it was Shri Nathji’s Will that he hide his divinity from the world under these assumed titles, or perhaps it was the short-sightedness of people.
There were many who referred to him as Nathji Bhagwan, and many who called him: “Nishkalank Premavatar Bhola Nathji Bhagwan–God, the Incarnation of Love”.
Shri Nathji had often said:
“God is Love! An atheist may deny the existence of God but he cannot deny the existence of Love! The entire world exists on the foundation of Love.”
Shri Nathji said:
Everyone has the right to describe his object of love and devotion in any manner he chooses, for this is his feeling. But call water by its real name, or call it nectar or call it anything you like, or even nothing–it shall be what it is. Just drink of it. And, if it satiates your thirst, it is everything for you!
He also said:
God is Love and Love is God. Who can deny such a basic truth? But when Love becomes limited, one cannot attain eternal happiness. It is only when Love becomes unlimited that it becomes another name for salvation.
Shri Nathji said:
An avatar can be defined in many different ways. But, in brief, an avatar is one who is an answer to the need of the times. My work is that of Love. I deal with the hearts of people, not their minds The minds shall of themselves follow the dictates of the hearts.
Shri Nathji had often said:
“My body is from India, but my heart belongs to the whole world.
The Word of God was revealed to Christ, the Ten Commandments to Moses, the Holy Koran to the prophet of Islam, Mohammad, the Granth Sahib to the Sikh Gurus, and the Vedas to the Rishis.
Shri Nathji carried all these revelations within himself and fused them together with a Love Divine. It was as if this fusion of religions was the final revelation. In a broader sense it meant unity of all mankind and an answer to the need of the times.
Shri Nathji’s life was above desire. He wanted nothing from this material world, nor from the world to come. He was content in himself like the calm ocean, which never left its shores but swayed gently within its depths. Like the fragrance of a flower, the message of Love spread out from him.
Shri Nathji would say:
“Water is that which satiates thirst; food that which satiates hunger; and an avatar is one who gives fulfilment to the soul, who takes away the false pride of ego, who removes one’s I and fills it with the light of God.
“Intellectuals can convey wisdom through words; tirathsthaans, holy places of pilgrimage, sanctify through contact; and those spiritual souls, the avatars, who come to this world from time to time to grant salvation to mankind, can give everything through their Grace, and a single glance of kindness.”
Shri Nathji gave no promises of a salvation to come tomorrow. He brought peace of mind and rest to the restlessness of the heart today. He would say:
“Main kal ke moksh kaa vaayedaa naheen karne aayaa! Main abhee moksh dene aayaa hoon!
“I have not come to give you promises of a salvation to come. I have come to give you salvation just now!”
The state of mind of those who came for Shri Nathji’s darshan, and left with the same desire that had brought them to him, was described by Shri Nathji in His verse below:
Aarzooye deede jaanaa hamko laayi bazm men
Bazm se ham aarzooye deede jaanaa le chale.
It was the desire to see thee that brought me here
And, leaving, I carry this desire with myself.