The venue for the short 11-day yajna was aptly chosen; it was the Kali Prasad Inter (K. P. I) College founded by the greatly respected Munshi Kali Prasad Kulbhashkar who gave all of his land and property to educate the less fortunate in the late 1800s.

In His summary of the 13th chapter, Pujya Gurudev called it one of the most brilliant chapters in the Gita which provides “a direct subjective method of meditating upon and realizing the Imperishable and Eternal in ourselves.” He pointed out how the plurality of all experiences of perception, feelings, and thoughts in the “Field” are supported by the One Indivisible and Changeless Knower.

The theme of All-pervasiveness continued in the morning classes on Ishavasyopanishad when Pujya Gurudev eloquently guided the aspirants to contemplate upon the how the All-Pervasive must also be something that cannot move. He explained: “Since Consciousness is all-pervading, it cannot move, and nothing that moves in the Universe can ever move except in the medium of Consciousness.”

Just as in that 90th yajna, in every Jnana Yajna, Pujya Gurudev’s depth of spiritual expression astounded the large group of seekers. 

A Meditation Minute: The verses of Chinmaya Ashtakam written in poetic Sanskrit echo the reverence that many thousands began to feel in that spectacular first decade of Pujya Gurudev’s Vedantic Renaissance. In the momentous 108-yajna pilgrimage, Pujya Gurudev illumines the way and embodies the goal; thus, to meditate on Him turns our attention to the Highest.

ओंकारसूनमकरन्दरसं पिबन्तम् अध्यात्मभृङ्गमवनीतलभाग्यशृङ्गम् ।

आनन्दपूर्णमतिमप्रतिमप्रभावं श्रीचिन्मयं गुरुवरं हृदि भावयामि ॥१॥

oṁkārasūna-makarandarasaṁ pibantam adhyātmabhrnga-mavanītala-bhāgyaśṛngam, 

ānanda-pūrna-matima-pratima-prabhāvaṁ śrīcinmayaṁ guruvaraṁ

“I meditate in my heart upon Sri Chinmaya, the best of teachers, the bee of spirituality that drinks the nectar in the flower of Omkara, the greatest blessing upon the earth, whose mind is full of bliss, and whose glory is incomparable.”

• Chinmaya Ashtakam verse 1

Pujya Gurudev wanted the ‘educated yet lost’ to taste the unparalleled sweetness of Vedanta that He enjoyed. His great compassion made Him go from place to place proclaiming that secret to true happiness. To that inimitable blessing “Sri Chinmaya,” our heartfelt prostrations.

With the Om flag silently proclaiming the onset of the Gita Jnana Yajna, the happy and large gathering awaited Pujya Gurudev’s discourses on the 16th chapter of the Gita. In His welcome speech, Sri B. B. Sharma reminisced about the previous yajnas in Karol Bagh and Ashoka Road. Full of reverence for the glorious work of Pujya Gurudev across the country, he conveyed how the people of Delhi felt blessed and had been trying to live up to His guidance. 

The morning discourses were on Kaivalyopanishad. The audience, enriched by the teachings of the upanishad as well as the Gita, grew in numbers and understanding. The Community Hall could not hold the crowds as seekers stood in corridors and the outside lawn. One advantage of having the yajna in the indoor setting was that interruptions due to downpours were avoided. Somehow in Delhi, when Pujya Gurudev’s yajnas were conducted, the clouds too celebrated without realizing that they became an obstacle!

Paada Puja: On the morning of July 27, 1961, as early as 6 am, a big group of devotees of Delhi convened at Pujya Gurudev’s place of stay. It was the auspicious day of Guru Poornima. He had given them permission to do His Paadapuja – the worship of His Lotus Feet, and they were elated. Laden with fruits, flowers, garlands, Bhog, and all puja essentials, they waited until Pujya Gurudev emerged from His room at 8 am. Greeting Him with the most reverential silence first, the devotees understood what a great blessing it was to offer worship to His Lotus Feet which symbolized the glory of the Guru Shishya Parampara, particularly Parama Guru Swami Tapovanam through Pujya Gurudev. Then, a beautifully meaningful Paada Puja was conducted while chanting the Vishnu Ashotthara followed by melodious bhajans.

For Reflection: Pujya Gurudev had said, “All through the pāda pūjā, understand the significance that the feet are borrowed from Swami Chinmayananda. You are not worshiping the Swami. If you say or feel so, it is a disaster to me because my vanity will increase. All of us are worshiping Him. I will be turning my mind to my Teacher, and you are turning your mind to your teacher and the Lord.”

Since it was Pujya Gurudev’s first Jnana Yajna in Warangal, Pujya Gurudev highlighted the purpose of Jnana Yajnas during India’s times of spiritual inertia and moral distress. He stated clearly that “in order to achieve the renaissance of our culture, each individual must become an active center of cultural reintegration and this makes his own contribution.” From June 16-22, the discourses covered key introductory aspects of Vedanta and Srimad Bhagavad Gita, priming the audience to delve into the beauty of the chosen chapter of Bhakti Yoga in that 88th yajna. The topic for study in the mornings was Kenopanishad.

The Chinmaya Spell: Warangal was entranced by Pujya Gurudev’s powerful voice and spiritual vibrations, and the large number of seekers who clustered in the yajnashala understood the Chinmaya phenomenon for the first time. The incessant rains could not wet their enthusiasm, and the lack of space inside the auditorium did not deter them from finding options to hang on to every word that Pujya Gurudev uttered. They wished they could experience the bliss of the yatra with Pujya Gurudev; they were disappointed that the Ganga Prokshana ceremony also had to be cancelled. Nevertheless, Pujya Gurudev comforted their devoted hearts with His bountiful love which itself sanctified like the Gangajal.

Apart from His discourses and satsangs through the days, Pujya Gurudev invigorated the members of the Warangal Rotary Club and the students of the Engineering College and the Multipurpose School, Warangal.

For Reflection: Pujya Gurudev’s devotion to His audience awakens a sense of awe. Such was the Guru, deeply aware of the needs of a new audience, that He never resorted to shortcuts while teaching and did not dilute His precious foundational introductions.

With an enthusiastic crowd looking on respectfully, a Purna Kumbha welcome was offered on May 28th evening to Pujya Gurudev after which Sri. Pasupati, then secretary of Chinmaya Mission Trichy hoisted the Om flag. Dr. Kalamegham, the president of the yajna committee, welcomed Pujya Gurudev warmly and also informed the audience about the upcoming Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in Mumbai. As a flagship spiritual institution, the Vedantic College would carry out the Chinmaya vision of spreading the message of the Hindu scriptures across the land while demonstrating the Upanishadic way of life. 

Pujya Gurudev, in His previous yajna at Trichy, had taught Kena Upanishad. In the 87th yajna, He chose to conduct morning classes on Ishavasya Upanishad which belongs to the Vajasaneyi branch of the Shukla Yajur Veda Samhita. One memorable way in which He explained the famous Shaanti Paatha, “ Om Poornamadah Poornamidam…” of the Ishavasya Upanishad was through the simple but vivid analogy of the “ghost in a post.” Like the “ghost rose in the post, remained in the post, borrowing its reality from the post, and it merged back in the end into the post,” Pujya Gurudev explained that the entire world of plurality was sustained by the Absolute Reality that remains Unchanged and Whole. With brilliant clarity, expounding verse-by-verse the Upanishadic theme of realizing the Oneness of the individual and the Infinite, Pujya Gurudev infused confidence in the modern seeking minds that the Upanishads were not abstract literature of the past but contained the most applicable approach to rediscover the true identity of the individual, the world around, and the supporting Supreme.

As We Reflect…The firm foundation of Vedanta that Pujya Gurudev laid by “nationalizing the Vaidika Heritage,” by daring to bring the Upanishads and the Gita within the grasp of the maximum is a monumental blessing that continues to transform the world of seekers.

Earlier, in the august company of Swami Pranavananda of Gudivada (Vijayawada), Pujya Gurudev had been welcomed ceremonially. After the Om flag signaled the onset of Vedantic vichara, Swami Pranavananda, revered as a ‘Vision Teacher,’ spoke in chaste Telugu about the significance of the Gita for spiritual growth and the lasting contribution of Pujya Gurudev’s Gita Jnana Yajnas. Then, expressing His happiness for being back with the sincere audience in Hyderabad, Pujya Gurudev commenced talking about the wisdom in embellishing materialistic progress with rejuvenating value-based living. The stage was set to analyze the path of right action in the following days.

On the morning of May 12th, it was the turn of Hyderabad’s twin city, Secunderbad, to offer another effusive welcome to Pujya Gurudev who was again accompanied by Swami Pranavananda to the grounds of Keyes Girls’ High School. In that venue, Pujya Gurudev had chosen the topic of the poetic Kaivalyopanishad. 

Outlining the Upanishadic thought-process, Pujya Gurudev said: “When Shraddha (faith) is more and more, Bhakti will automatically develop; and, when Bhakti comes, automatically Jnana will dawn. The analogy of the “Churning of the Fire” symbolizes the Jnana Abhyasa. When the personality is withdrawn from the Body-Mind-Intellect, the fire is ignited. Then the Paasha or bondage is burnt down. The spark of ignition, of understanding, does not result until we rub ourselves off our negativities The sparks of ignition thus generated is ‘that Energy which, ‘passing’ through the equipment gets the required work done because none of the instruments can function without the ‘I’ presiding over them.”

At Hyderabad and Secunderbad, the discourses in both yajnashalas reinforced both the path of deep introspection and liberating action. Over 5000 devotees followed Pujya Gurudev as He moved from Karma Yoga to the state of Kaivalya, swept and spellbound by His erudite knowledge and dynamic functioning.

For Reflection: Pujya Gurudev had almost a magical ability to make thousands churn their minds in unison on the most sublime concepts of Vedanta, simultaneously tasting the cream of the Upanishad and the Gita.

It was another crisp beginning, and the hoisted Om flag indicated that another unforgettable Jnana Yajna had commenced on the evening of April 24, 1961; it was the fourth Jnana Yajna hosted in the first 108-yajnas series at Palakkad, and the audience of Palakkad were primed and ready for the swift pace and focused learning. As Pujya Gurudev painted the picture of the mystical ‘tree of samsara,’ and instructed the ways to cut down the trapping roots of bondage, the audience visualized and absorbed with deep regard. Pujya Gurudev Himself had referred to the chapter 15 – Purushottama Yoga – as the rarest piece of spiritual literature which came closest to defining the Indefinable. So, when He explained verse after verse, the all-pervasive and beyond-all, the discourses were truly pure meditation.

Vedanta Non-stop: Wherever Pujya Gurudev went, a spiritual ripple effect was established. So, in addition to Gita chapter 15 in the evenings in Palakkad from 6 pm to 8 pm, the town of Kollengode (14 miles away from Palakkad) was blessed with Pujya Gurudev’s discourses on Vivekachoodamani in the mornings from 6 am to 7 am. He then traveled back to the Palakkad Government College auditorium to conduct Kenopanishad classes from 8 to 9 in the morning.

Motivating Moments: Apart from His yajna commitment, on April 26th, Pujya Gurudev inaugurated the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak’s (RSS) Camp at Nurani, the place where cadets from all southern states trained intensely for a month. Calling for value-based actions aligned with our Vaidicka (Vedic) scriptures, He defined “a Bharatiya is one who revels in his own self-effulgence.” 

Stopping at Kalady, the birthplace of Adi Shankara on April 30th, He presided over the Silver Jubilee celebration of the Advaita Ashram & College there. The very next day, He went to Tattamangalam, about 15 miles away, to give an encouraging address during a meeting organized by the Devi Group and the local Bala Vihar. After the Jnana Yajna was completed, He thrilled the children in the three-day Bala Vihar camp at Kollengode, awarding prizes and participating in the valedictory ceremony.

We reflect…In all the haste of events one after another, Pujya Gurudev displayed superb harmony in thought, word, and deed. It was as if events moved around Him while He was centered on That Purushottama.