Not all who came to Shri Nathji could fully understand His real Divine Form. Different people saw different things in Him in accordance with their own spiritual attainments. Lord Krishna was looked upon differently by different people. To the Pandavas, he was a confidant, an adviser, a friend. To Duryodhana, he was an enemy. To Arjuna, he was a friend first and a Guru later–and God, only when He revealed His Divine form.
If God was exhibiting Himself through Shri Nathji, there was hope for mankind. Never before had such a loving face of God been made so real. God is love, is what people often said. But never before had this been so strongly evident as in the personality of Shri Nathji, whose arms went out to embrace all.
I do not believe in an invisible God, said an atheist, Mr. Bali of Lahore, who used to come to Shri Nathji, but if there is a God, He must be in Shri Nathji.
Once he said to Shri Nathji: I have done nothing for you or your mission–why do you love me so?
Shri Nathji replied: I salute the very God, which you deny, within you. How can I not love you? Does not the very existence of him, who denies, prove the existence of God? Does not the picture prove the artist? I love even atheists because God is present in them.
The God within Shri Nathji was such that no atheist could deny Him.
Shri Nathji said to the atheist, using a verse that Shri Babaji Maharaj often used:
Andeshaaye khaar ast dareen saire gulistaan
Dar khilwate dil gulshane be khaar babeened
“In the gardens of this world there is the fear of thorns;
But in the garden of solitude within the heart, there is no thorn!”
It was a verse that was to change the man’s life and remain with him forever.
The very same person brought Shri Nathji before a large gathering and said to him:
Nathji cast but a glance at the multitudes here, and change their hearts, like you have changed mine!
Professors, intellectuals, agnostics and atheists flocked to Shri Nathji’s sermons. When asked what attracted them, they said:
We do not believe in God. But there is an atmosphere of indescribable peace whenever Shri Nathji speaks. We go to him to be part of that peaceful atmosphere. It brings us calm and peace of mind, and enables us to do our worldly tasks later with greater zest!
It was the astonishing ability of Shri Nathji to conquer the intellect that attracted men of great learning and knowledge to Shri Nathji.
Whilst most mahatmas and holy men spoke in terms of faith and devotion they failed to convince the intellect of hard-core intellectuals who could be convinced by argument alone. Shri Nathji always had the incontrovertible argument, the perfect answer to every query, the most logical reply. This was what drew lawyers and judges to him in particular.