Dr. N.V. Purekar, the doctor of jails who had seen Shri Nathji in a vision in Pinjar in Berar province and then found him at Lahore, was in Nagpur during those days.
He had a friend, Dr. Gobind Babtiwale, who was a sceptic and an agnostic. Dr. Babtiwale would not even tolerate the pictures of gods and goddesses.
When Dr. Purekar told him of his new found faith in Shri Nathji and his trip to Lahore, Dr. Babtiwale told him that it was all irrational and that there was no such thing as God, far less God upon earth in the form of an avatar.
It was with great difficulty that Dr. Purekar persuaded him to come and have a glimpse of Shri Nathji who was then at Nagpur.
The moment Dr. Babtiwale came before Shri Nathji, something happened to him. The agnosticism of his soul vanished. He saw before him the most Beautiful Being in existence, radiant with divine light that was so powerful that it reached down into the innermost recesses of his soul. Quite suddenly he realised that he was standing face to face before God. His ego vanished and he became Shri Nathji’s forever.
Vo jo hosho akal havaas thhe teri yoon nigaah ne urraa diye
Ke sharaabe sad kade aarzoo khume dil men thhee jo dharee rahi
The, mind, consciousness and desires were blown away by Thy Glance,
The wine of a hundred desires lay in the goblet of the heart, just as ever
Dr. Babtiwale’s heart was so touched that he became the staunchest of the devotees of Shri Nathji.
From a doctor he turned into a poet and singer, singing the glories of Shri Nathji, and composing numerous bhajans on him, which were to remain on the lips of many in the days to come. The transformation that had come about in him was evident in the refrain of his song:
“Jab se Bhole tum mile ho raaste lagi hai zindagi
“Since the time, Bhole, Thou hast met me, my life has taken the right direction”
It became the mission of his life to spread the name of Shri Nathji to as many people in the world as he could, as was seen from his famous bhajan:
“Gobind ko ik aas jeevan men,
Prabhu yash deep jalaaoon ghar ghar men
Mar jaaoon Prabhu ke charnon men
Armaan poori karo re Prabhuji
Gobind has only one desire left in life,
To Light the Lamp of the Lord’s Glory in every home
Let me die at Thy Feet O Lord,
Fulfil thou my wish, O Prabhuji