It was while Shri Nathji and Mateshwari were at Royal Hotel that bad news arrived from Delhi. Lala Hargopal, Mateshwari’s father, was ill. Shri Nathji asked Mateshwari to go to the bedside of her ailing father, but Mateshwari did not go. She could not think of leaving Shri Nathji even for a moment.
Shri Nathji wrote to Sri Krishen Khanna who was in Delhi at the time enquiring about the circumstances there, but even before his letter reached Delhi, there was news that Lala Hargopal Khanna had left the physical world in February 1959.
Mateshwari had been very attached to him, being the youngest child in the family, and he had doted on her. It was natural for Mateshwari to be grieved. She wept for a while, but then acquiesced in the Divine Will. Even though Shri Nathji asked her to attend to the funeral ceremonies at Delhi, Mateshwari did not go.
Shri Nathji would always speak of this great sacrifice of Mateshwari. Years afterwards Shri Nathji would say:
“Mateshwari ke Pita beemaar thhe, magar Mateshwari mujhe akelaa chhorr kar naheen gayeen. Pitaa kaa shareer chhoot gayaa magar Mateshwari phir bhi naheen gayeen!
“Mateshwari’s father was ill, but she did not go to Delhi because she did not wish to leave me alone. Even when her father died, she did not go for the same reason. Her service to me remained constant and dedicated through every phase of life.”
The passing away of Lala Hargopal Khanna marked the end of an era in the history of Shri Nathji.
Lala Hargopal belonged to the time of Shri Babaji Maharaj. Shri Nathji was genuinely saddened at the going away of this last elder in both the families.
Shri Nathji would always address Lala Hargopal as “Pitaji”–“Father”– and call himself “Aapka putr, Nath” – “Your son, Nath”.
Even though Lala Hargopal knew of the divinity of Shri Nathji and regarded him as God, still Shri Nathji would touch the feet of Lala Hargopal every time that he came before him. Shri Nathji would seek advice from Lala Hargopal, like a son seeking advice from his father. However Lala Hargopal knew that all this was part of Shri Nathji’s manushya leela upon earth and that no one in the world could match the wisdom of Shri Nathji.
He would often say to Shri Nathji: “Tussee te dhurro dhurraayi aaye ho! You have come into the world ever-enlightened.”
Lala Hargopal was a man of resolute will- power and faith. After the marriage of Savitri Devi to Shri Nathji, he had said to Mateshwari:
“Beti, daughter, I have given you to Shri Nathji. It does not matter now whether you are thrown to the lions, or given a throne.”