नाग महाशयकी झोंपड़ी पुरानी हो चुकी थी । उसकी मरम्मत आवश्यक थी। मजदूर बुलाया गया। परंतु जब वह इनके घर पहुँचा तो नाग महाशयने उसे हाथ पकड़कर चटाईपर बैठाया। आप तम्बाकू भर लाये चिलममें उसको पीनेके लिये । वह छप्परपर चढ़ने लगा तो रोने लग गये – ‘इतनी धूपमें भगवान् मेरे लिये श्रम करेंगे!’
बहुत प्रयत्न करनेपर भी मजदूर रुका नहीं, छप्परपर चढ़ गया तो आप छत्ता लेकर उसके पीछे जा खड़े हुए। उसके मस्तकपर पसीना आते ही हाथ जोड़ने लगे- ‘आप थक गये हैं। अब कृपा करके नीचे चलिये। कम-से-कम तम्बाकू तो पी लीजिये।’इसका परिणाम यह हुआ था कि जब ये घरसे कहीं चले जाते थे, तब मजदूर इनके घरकी मरम्मतका काम करते थे।
‘आप बैठिये! बैठिये भगवन्! आपका यह सेवक है न ? आपकी सेवा करनेके लिये।’ नौकापर बैठते तो नाग महाशय मल्लाहके हाथसे डाँड़ ले लेते थे। मल्लाहोंको बड़ा संकोच होता था कि वे बैठे रहें और एक परोपकारी सत्पुरुष परिश्रम करता रहे। परंतु नाग महाशयसे यह कैसे सहा जाय कि उनकी सेवाके लिये भगवान् श्रम करें और सभी रूपोंमें भगवान् ही हैं, यह उनका विचार-विश्वास नहीं, दृढ़ निश्चय था।
Nag Mahashay’s hut was old. It was in need of repair. The laborer was called. But when he reached his house, Nag Mahashay held him by the hand and made him sit on the mat. You brought a pipe full of tobacco to smoke it. When he started climbing on the roof, he started crying – ‘God will do labor for me in this much sun!’
Even after trying a lot, the laborer did not stop, when he climbed on the roof, you stood behind him with the hive. As soon as sweat appeared on his forehead, he started folding his hands – ‘You are tired. Now please go downstairs. At least smoke tobacco.’ The result of this was that when he used to go away from home, the laborers used to repair his house.
‘You sit! Sit down God! Is this your servant? To serve you.’ While sitting on the boat, Mr. Nag used to take the oars from the hands of the boatman. The sailors used to hesitate to sit and a philanthropic good man kept working hard. But how could Nag Mahasaya tolerate that God should work hard for his service and God is only in all forms, this was not his thought-belief, it was his firm determination.
