During the early days of his childhood and youth, Shri Nathji kept himself in the background and allowed all glory to go to Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Indeed his part at the time was that of an obedient son and a silent spectator, while the divinity of Shri Babaji Maharaj revealed itself.
In later years, even as Shri Nathji came into his own, he began to propagate the life and teachings of Shri Babaji Maharaj, as they were made manifest during those early years.
The events that are recorded below have been taken from the biography of Shri Babaji Maharaj which Shri Nathji wrote in 1932 in Urdu and Persian and which was entitled: Zahoore Haqueeqat – “The Manifestation of Reality”.
All the events in the life of Shri Babaji Maharaj, and all the teachings and examples derived therefrom, were to form the basis for the revelations that were to come from Shri Nathji when he came into his own in the years that were to follow.
As a matter of fact the teachings of Shri Nathji were exactly those of Shri Babaji Maharaj and vice versa. All his life, in later years, Shri Nathji was to say that he was carrying with him the mission of Shri Babaji Maharaj, which was meant for the whole world.
And this was at a time when Shri Babaji Maharaj had himself declared Shri Nathji to be God Incarnate upon earth.Shri Babaji Maharaj had been a millionaire before he took to the spiritual path. He gave away all his wealth, houses, buildings, and lands and kept very little with himself. As a consequence, he had to lead a life of extreme physical hardship and privations. To one accustomed to living in the luxury of mansions -havelis- these hardships must have been a severe physical discomfort. However he bore these physical travails with happiness.
The feet of Shri Babaji Maharaj were white like marble and softer than the softest muslin. These were feet that were accustomed to walking on carpets in banquet halls and drawing rooms. And yet here they were treading the bare stone floors of cold inhospitable dwellings. His delicate body, which had been accustomed to sleeping in silken beddings and quilts, was now exposed to the extremes of cold and hot weather. He had taken to the spiritual path, knowing of the physical hardships that would come his way. It was a spontaneous call of the divine.
While there were many persons who came from humble beginnings and found that taking to the spiritual path not only brought them followers, name and fame but also great material riches, here was Shri Babaji Maharaj doing just the opposite – renouncing his wealth and taking to the spiritual path to endure the physical sufferings it imposed.
Shri Babaji Maharaj could have built up a large following around himself, and begun a spiritual organisation or even a new cult or new faith and lived a life of luxury that many spiritual persons of his time were leading, but this was against his principles.
People knew that here was one who would not be attracted by the lure of name, fame or wealth, for he was one who had renounced everything.
It would have been easy for Shri Babaji Maharaj to have renounced the world had he been unmarried. But he had done it at a time when he had a wife and two children. who were with him. He did not renounce his family, like Buddha or other ascetics; rather, they shared in his renunciation.
Multitudes thronged to Shri Babaji Maharaj to listen to his words, which were surcharged with divine wisdom. People experienced the nearness of the Divine in his presence. Whatever he said came to pass. Events of the external world did not move him. He was often heard saying in Persian:
Dile daaram ke darvai gham na gunjad,
Che jaaye gham ke shaadi ham na gunjad
I have a heart in which there is no sorrow,
Nay! It contains no place within itself for joy as well.
He described the sorrows and joys of the world as temporary and without any significance. Sorrow was unpleasant when it came, and pleasant when it left. Joy was pleasant when it came, and unpleasant when it left. Sorrow left behind joy in its wake, while joy left behind sorrow in its wake. These two phases of life did not affect him.
He had risen above both, and was fond of the Urdu verse:
Khwaab kaa kaasaa gadaayi taajshaahi ek hai
Ye tannazul ye tarakki dil teraa baihlaaye kyon
“The begging bowl and the crown of thy dream are one and the same,
Let not your heart be touched by the one or the other.”
The innate spirituality of Shri Babaji Maharaj began manifesting itself. It started as a bud and blossomed into a flower that spread its fragrance everywhere. His voice carried a message. The highest of spiritual truths were revealed in the simplest of words. Scholars, philosophers and scientists were overwhelmed. A great seer, saint, a prophet had appeared before the people.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say in Persian:
Rishtaye dar gardanam afganda dost
Mi burad har jaa ki khaatir khaaye ost
My Eternal Friend has thrown a string around my neck
And leads me wheresoever He Wills.