Haridas Giri had just completed an Upanyasam in the North. He returned to Tapovanam. He tonsured his head & shaved off his moustache & beard.
Suddenly, there was a guest at the Matam (Mutt). It was Durga Das, an industrialist from Bengal.
"Can I meet Guruji"?
Haridas thought that he had come to meet his Guru, Swami Gnananada Giri. "Guruji has gone out and should be back in the evening."
"What can I have for lunch here?"
Haridas talked about the lunch being served in the Matam & about nearby hotels. Durga Das gave Haridas some money & asked him to get some Masala Dosas for him & the people with him. Haridas returned with the Dosas & some change.
"Keep the change!"
"No, no. My Gurunathar will not like it." And he returned the change.
In the evening, Gnananada returned. Sishyas welcomed Guruji. But Durga Das was puzzled. This is not the person he had seen. He explained. He had gone to an Upanyasam/Pravachan and was extremely impressed with Guruji's eloquence. He had come all the way to Tapovanam in the south to meet Guruji.
Gnananada gently guided him to the truth. It was Haridas he had come to see. He simply failed to recognize him owing to his changed appearance.
Durga Das was horrified. What had he done?
Haridas had indeed realized who Durga Das had come to see sometime after the initial conversation, but he had decided to let things play out until his Guru returned.
Maybe he just had fun serving his devotee. Not unlike the Puranic stories where Bhagawan serves his Bhakthas (devotees).
Reference:
Haridas Giri Upanyasam, where he narrated this experience, in the context of Puranic stories where we don't recognize who we came to see.
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