Nand Baba and his wife, Mata Yashoda, were a Brahmin couple who had one son and one daughter. They were greatly attached to their son. One day the son became very ill. Even though they gave him the best of medical aid yet he appeared to become progressively worse and worse. When all hope appeared lost someone came to them and told them of the great saint who was living near Jaure Peepal at Amritsar – Shri Babaji Bhagwan– who had relieved many persons of their incurable sufferings.
The couple came before Shri Babaji Bhagwan and fell at his feet, weeping bitterly. Shri Babaji Bhagwan said to them: “Do not despair! Whatever God will do will be for the best!”
The words of Shri Babaji Bhagwan had an electrifying effect on them and their hearts became at peace. They began to come to him every day. One day Shri Babaji Bhagwan said to them: “Tomorrow your son will be released from his suffering.”
The next day their son died. This did not lessen their faith in Shri Babaji Bhagwan, for they had understood what he had meant, and they knew that their son had gone to God Himself. However, since they were old and weak they could not bear the shock of the passing away of their son. They wept and cried in great agony. The boy was young and had been a student in a college. All their hopes had been pinned on him.
Shri Babaji Bhagwan said to them: “Do not grieve so much! Look, I am giving you a son! Here is Nathji! From today you are his parents! Love him as you would have loved your own son!”
And, turning to Shri Nathji, Shri Babaji Bhagwan said: “Look upon them as your parents!”
Shri Nathji was about the same age as their boy who had passed away. Shri Nathji began to shower his love upon the aged couple, and very soon their grief had vanished and their hearts lit up with a joy that they had never experienced before in their lives. An inner realization came to them spontaneously, and they began to look upon Shri Nathji as the young Lord Krishna. They would call him “Krishna! Krishna!” the whole day long. Shri Nathji in turn would call them “Nand Baba!” and “Mata Yashoda!” who had been the legendary foster parents of Lord Krishna.
The couple ceased to grieve over their son and they began to live in a world of untold bliss and happiness, as if they had gained everything they had to gain in life. They would derive great solace and comfort from embracing Shri Nathji. They ceased to desire either heaven or earth, so great was the happiness which they found in Shri Nathji. He on his part loved them even as a son would love his parents.
Whenever they came before Shri Nathji, Shri Babaji Bhagwan would say with great happiness:
“Nand ghar anand bhayo! Jai Kanhaiya Lal ki!
Joy has come to the house of Nand! All Glory be unto Kanhaiya Lal–Lord Krishna!”
The couple would frequently say: “There is nothing that we desire now, in this world or the next! We have found the bliss of salvation in this life itself!”
As time passed they gave their daughter away in marriage and continued to reside with Shri Nathji and Shri Babaji Bhagwan, content in every way.
After a while Mata Yashoda fell ill and very soon was on her deathbed. As the last moments of her life came upon her she called Shri Nathji close to herself and embraced him with great feeling, passing way with the bliss of this last embrace enshrined in her heart, and content in the knowledge that she had embraced Lord Krishna before she left the world.
Thereafter Nand Baba left Amritsar and went to live elsewhere. Shri Nathji had begun to go out of Amritsar himself during those days, and when he returned to the city after an extended trip he discovered that Nand Baba, too, had left the world. He too attained the final goal of life due to his faith and devotion in Shri Nathji.
As their devoted son, Shri Nathji prayed to Shri Babaji to give peace to their souls, and, indeed, to the souls of all the devotees who had left the world one by one. Shri Nathji would ask Shri Babaji Bhagwan to bring these souls back upon earth to witness the advent of the golden age of the revelation of the Avatar upon the earth.
There was Shri Nathji’s verse on this theme:
Jo baadaakash thhe puraane vo utth te chale jaate hain
Kaheen se aabe bakaaye davaam le Saaki
The older lovers are leaving the world one by one,
O Saki, bring forth Thy Wine of Eternal Life!