Shri Nathji would leave people thirsting for spiritual truths. After he had gone, they would become like fish out of water. Having had a taste of spirituality, they would seek it everywhere, and some amongst them would fall a prey to pseudo sadhus and mahatmas ever ready to increase their score of devotees.
A Muslim Maulvi had said to Shri Nathji on the eve of his departure from Lucknow in the 1930’s:
You are leaving your devotees, but in whose safe-keeping? In search of the divine food you have given them, they will wander here and there. The pure waters shall become impure!
Mrs. Chopra once said to Shri Nathji:
Give your devotees a Guru-Mantra or some such thing so that they may not wander elsewhere.
And Shri Nathji would reply:
Those whom I have made mine, carry my stamp on their hearts, and they can never turn to another.
Shri Nathji used to narrate the parable of the man who had always eaten at home, but who started eating outside at times. One day he went out to eat, but failed to get food, so he returned home. But no food had been kept ready for him that night because it had been assumed that he would be eating outside. Such is the fate of one who seeks more than one master.
Shri Nathji would say:
If a woman is married she would not look upon another man as her husband. The relationship between a devotee and God is similar.
H. S. Karai would often say: Others in the world have a Guru who is their God as well; but I have God, who is also my Guru. To me, Shri Nathji is a God-Guru!
The relationship Shri Nathji had with his devotees was like the one Lord Krishna had with Arjuna, or Draupadi or Radha, or those who believed him to be God.
As Shri Nathji’s name began to become legend, numerous imitators began exploiting the situation. There were many who, during the earlier days of Shri Nathji’s stay at Lahore, would attend his darbaar, take notes of his sermons, and later deliver lectures to the public, adorning themselves with fancy titles. Some even began calling themselves Shri Nathji.
There were also some who were to become mahatmas of repute later–who prostrated before Shri Nathji in private, and preached to the public outside. There was one who would visit Shri Nathji at Mussoorie and would prostrate himself along the entire length of the verandah of Shri Nathji’s house. He was to become a very famous mahatma later.
A specific instance was that of a devotee at Allahabad. He began by worshipping a photograph of Shri Nathji in small congregations at his house, and ended by transferring the worship to himself. People flocked to him to listen to Shri Nathji’s teachings–which he had memorised from Shri Nathji’s books. He took upon himself the title of a saint, and began building ashrams. People thought he was acting under instructions from Shri Nathji, but Shri Nathji had no idea of his activities. Later, When Shri Nathji dissuaded him, he apologised, and promised to wind up shop–which he never did.
A devotee must seek to please his God! Shri Nathji would say, not the world! The desire for self-worship will take you away from God!
The devotee was well aware that Shri Nathji did not approve of his activities, nor did they have his sanction. He confessed he was a non-entity without Shri Nathji, and therefore found it necessary to use his name to draw people to himself. No one else ever benefited so much as did the devotee from the name of Shri Nathji–but if he was genuine spiritually, he must have known that each head he caused to be bowed before him, must have placed an ever widening gap between him and his God.
Shri Nathji would smile:
These people are running after the toys of the world. If they are busy amassing wealth and building ashrams worth lakhs, they are really competing with the millionaires of our land, rather than with the saints. I pity them, for they might be able to impress the people but they cannot impress their inner selves.
Shri Nathji had warned people about self-worship. The devotee did not heed Shri Nathji’s advice and the net result was that terrible suffering visited him in the later years of his life when he was not to have a moment’s peace. He was not able to enjoy even an iota of the wealth, devotees and ashrams he had accumulated
Although the man had made many mistakes in life there was one mistake that he never made, and that was the mistake of irreverence before Shri Nathji. Whenever he came to Shri Nathji he would beat his forehead on the ground and smear the dust of Shri Nathji’s feet on his forehead. This repentance of the devotee pleased Shri Nathji and he forgave the man and continued to shower his Divine Love upon him, which became the only solace in the man’s life.