Once back in Mussoorie, Shri Nathji immersed himself in the education of the boys. This was the only excuse he had for a ready interaction with the world.
There were numerous souls who had been born into the world in various different professions–some had been born as school teachers, some as principals, some as officers and clerks in the municipality, some as shopkeepers, some as drivers, petrol pump attendants, some as the poor on the street, etc., the list was endless.
God had a debt to pay them since ages. It was a debt that had become their birthright since long. They were destined to have the darshan of God in the twentieth century in the vast ocean of life and death, the cycles of births and deaths. It was to give salvation to these numerous people that Shri Nathji had to involve himself in some activity or the other. The boys’ education was just an excuse that moved him to come out of his eternal meditation.
There was the verse of Shri Babaji, which applied equally well to Shri Nathji:
Chhorro mujhe bekhud meraa aaraam yehi hai,
Be-name nishaan raihne do bas naam yehi hai
Leave me alone in my self-forgetfulness, that is my only rest,
Let me be without a name, that is only name.
Shri Nathji had to get Priya Nath admitted into college. He had had a brilliant academic record in school. He had stood first in every class, in every single monthly test, and had finally stood first in the school examinations and emerged with a first division in the senior Cambridge. It was one of the best academic records of any student of Allen Memorial School. Mr. Biggs had been very proud of him and had given him a unique letter of recommendation, which no principal had ever given to his student.
Although Priya Nath’s natural bent of mind lay in the Arts, yet he had followed his elder brother into Science unwittingly. He decided to continue with Science and Mathematics and to pursue his Inter-Science in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, the same subjects Pran Nath had studied at St. George’s College.
And Shri Nathji got him admitted to St. George’s College.
On the first day of the opening of the College in March 1957, Shri Nathji took Priya Nath to his classes in the Ford car, since the driver, Khazanaram, was still with them. On the way to the college, they met the Hindi teacher, Shri Malhotra. Shri Nathji had the car stopped and offered to give the teacher a lift to the school. The teacher was apparently very grateful to Shri Nathji.
Later, after Shri Nathji had gone, and the classes were in progress, the Hindi teacher said in class, referring obviously to Shri Nathji:
“Car bhee hai, chauffeur bhee hai, aur mahatma kaihlaate hain! A car and a chauffeur–and he is called a holy man!”
Priya Nath could hardly contain his anger at the hypocrisy of the man, and seldom spoke to him, thereafter. When Priya Nath told Shri Nathji about the remarks made by the Hindi teacher, Shri Nathji said:
“Priyaji, don’t be angry with the man. He does not understand that worldly possessions have nothing to do with spirituality. I may own the whole world and yet be totally unattached to it. I have no desires in my heart for worldly things, and use them as and when necessary, as medicines that serve their purpose and nothing more.”