Baba added, "If we want to know God as He is, we must be as honest as He is. The least hypocrisy creeping into our hearts keeps Him away. So let us be honest. I give you all my blessings and my love."
Standing up, Baba motioned to the secretary to take him to Shivananda. Baba entered Shivananda's room with Eruch and Bal Natu. Shivananda was suffering from lumbago and could not rise from his bed. As asked by Baba, Eruch explained to him everything that had been said before the ashramites.
Eruch then read this message from Baba: "Whether you have personally and directly or indirectly spread the false rumor, or whether others have done so in your name, I bow down to you with my love for your having been an instrument of help in my Universal spiritual work."
Baba laid his head on the Shivananda's feet and then, sitting down on his bed, began pressing his legs. Baba gestured to Eruch to repeat the message delivered in the hall, and it was read out again.
Baba assured Shivananda, "Don't worry about anything."
With folded hands, Shivananda replied, "When I came to Rishikesh, people, including the sadhus of this place, began to spread nasty stories about me, too. Let us be unmindful of such groundless rumors."
Baba asked Shivananda if he recognized Bal Natu, with whom he had talked one night in 1949 and to whom he had repeated the rumor. Bal spoke about the meeting and Shivananda remembered the painful incident. Again with folded hands he told Baba, "Baba, I don't speak ill about anyone or anything — from an ant to an elephant — but I regret that my tongue slipped in making that remark."
Baba spelled out on the board in reply, "It was to happen and it happened; otherwise, I would not have sent you this message and would not have come to your ashram or offered my namaskars to all the inmates."
He added, "God is honesty personified, and therefore let us all be honest. Let there be a link of love between us."
On a previous occasion, Eruch and Pendu had presented to Shivananda Baba's message on honesty (first circulated in Eluru) and Shivananda told Baba, "I have read your message on honesty."
Baba repeated, "Let the link of love be maintained."
When Baba was about to leave the room, Shivananda recited a Sanskrit prayer in Baba's honor, the chorus of which his devotees repeated.
After it was over, Baba pointed to himself and dictated on the board, "I am the Ancient One."