For years, Shri Nathji had frequently had the experience of over-zealous devotees who would become unmindful or Shri Nathji’s comforts. People would come all day long and he would speak to them for hours. They would arrive at odd hours of the day, whenever it was convenient for them, and sit for as long as they wanted to, consuming hours and hours of Shri Nathji’s time, during which he poured out his heart and soul to them. While the visitors would leave elated and invigorated, Shri Nathji would be left exhausted. And, no sooner would the first visitor leave than a second would arrive, and this would continue till the late hours of the night.
Tell Shri Nathji to hurry and meet us, would be a frequent plea, we have a train to catch.
And Shri Nathji would leave his meals unfinished, or his sleep uncompleted; he would even leave his daily ablutions, or personal work to attend to his devotees. It was not unusual to find visitors coming at exactly one-o-clock in the afternoon, just when Shri Nathji was about to have his lunch.
Have you had your lunch? said Lala Hargopal Khanna to one such devotee who had come to see Shri Nathji at Hargopal’s house.
Yes, thank you, said the man.
Why have you come at lunch-time then?
For Shri Nathji’s darshan.
Well, he hasn’t had his lunch! said an irate Lala Hargopal, so you can come at another time!
O no! I don’t have time later. I will wait till Shri Nathji finishes eating!”
And Shri Nathji would promptly leave his lunch half-finished, and attend to the man.
Satsang on Sundays only, said a signboard at Shri Nathji’s residence.
Visitors would, however, continue to pour in on all days of the week at self-appointed hours. Everyone would be in a hurry to catch a train or a plane or a bus, to attend to his office or shop or visit his relatives–and would insist upon instantaneous darshan. Having entered within once, he would sit for as long as he liked, having little regard for Shri Nathji’s time.
Thus it was that the Creator had made himself freely available to all. The rich or the poor, the young or the old, could walk into his house at any time of the day or night. It was almost as if they considered it their birthright.
When R.R.Khanna had tried to put a little order into things, he had become most unpopular with the people. His appointment hours had been sheer anathema to people who wished to meet Shri Nathji at their own convenience.
There were times when Shri Nathji had spoken for such long hours that his health had given way.
If another man comes now, Shri Nathji said to himself, I won’t be able to utter a word.
And just, then, another man would come in and Shri Nathji would begin again from scratch.
Son! Shri Babaji Maharaj had often said to Shri Nathji, take the joy of your own Divine Bliss sometimes. Don’t give everything away to the world!
Alas, while people rejoiced in seeing the divinely beautiful face of Shri Nathji, all that Shri Nathji could get to see were the faces of the worldly men before him.