For many years now Shyam Lal Kasera had been busy in the intricacies of managing his household affairs and business, and had remained away from Shri Nathji. He had written letters to Shri Nathji over the years expressing the contriteness of the Kasera brothers and their numerous troubles and asking for Shri Nathji’s Mercy and Grace to tide them over.
There was some impelling urge within him that brought him to Shri Nathji in March 1961 at Cavendish Hotel, Allahabad.
Shri Nathji embraced him with love and showered his love and blessings upon him more than ever before.
He could never forget his Shyam Lal, how he had served him as a personal attendant over the years at Shadi Bhavan and later at Savitri Nivas, as also at Allahabad.
Shyam Lal had been his “pen” to whom Shri Nathji had dictated the five volumes of Atma Vijaya at Shadi Bhavan.
Shri Nathji recollected how he had been saddened at the departure of Shyam Lal from Calcutta in March 1949, and Shri Bhutt had said to him:
“Prabhuji, ham kuchh bhee ban jaayen magar Shyam Lal naheen ban sakte! Prabhuji we may become anything, but we can never become Shyam Lal!”
On that particular March 1961, Shyam Lal remained with Shri Nathji for three days, during which time Shri Nathji gave him of his fullest and most overwhelming love.
Shri Shyam Lal returned to Hathras and wrote to Shri Nathji that he could never forget the three days he had been allowed to stay at his feet at Cavendish Hotel. It was as if these three days were the culmination of a long and fruitful life of devotion. It was as if he had come to pay his last homage to his Lord and Master upon earth.
Shyam Lal Kasera passed away blissfully in June 1961, the image of Shri Nathji in his heart and soul and in the regions where he was going. There was no one with him at the time of his passing away at Hathras. There was Shri Nathji’s verse:
Tum mere paas hote ho goyaa
Jab koyi doosraa naheen hotaa
Thou art with me when–
There is no one else
Shyam Lal Kasera had merged into that infinite form of Shri Nathji that resided in eternity and had become a part of his Lord and Master, whose voice he had heard so often in life, calling out to himself with all the love and tenderness in the world: “Shyamji! Shyamji!”
And there was Shri Nathji’s verse describing the state of the devotee at the time of his death:
Nikal jaaye dam tere kadmon ke neeche
Yehi dil ki hasrat yehi aarzoo hai
May my last breath be spent at Thy Feet;
This is my heart’s desire, my only wish