Shri Nathji would narrate the parable of the legendary Sohini going her way, lost in the thought of her beloved, Mahiwal. Along her path there was a Maulvi offering namaaz –prayers to God. Sohini was so completely absorbed in the thought of Mahiwal that she did not see the Maulvi and passed close to him. The Maulvi was at once enraged. The woman had disturbed him when he was in communion with God. He got up and shouted angrily at Sohini, telling her of the great sin she had committed by breaking his communion with God.
He said to her: “ I was absorbed in the thought of Allah but you passed close to me and disrupted my prayers. Woman you are surely accursed and deserve the fires of hell!”
Sohini was very apologetic and begged for forgiveness from the Maulvi. She said to him:
“ Maulvi Sahib, please forgive me for disturbing your prayers. But the fact is that I was so absorbed in the thought of my beloved that I did not even see you.”
But the Maulvi would not be placated. He continued shouting at her much to her great distress. Just then a thought occurred to Sohini and she said to him: “Maulvi Sahib, I was so absorbed in the thought of my beloved that I failed to notice you along my path– but, tell me, was your absorption in God so weak that you noticed me?”
The Maulvi was taken aback. He realized then how correctly the woman had spoken. He lacked the concentration and love for God which the woman had for her beloved. His was a life of mere preaching and moralizing, but the life of a woman was one of steadfastness and real devotion to the object of her love.