From the Inaugural Message: Expressing how religion and faith in God build a strong society and enhance the welfare of a nation, Sri V.P. Menon stated that, “A man, or society without a

religion is like a horse without reins. In the Hindu tradition of thought, our Philosophy gives us not only an ideal and a perfect way of life but also prescribes the means and the method by

which individuals irrespective of their basic qualities can reach that state of perfect living. This is most important at the present time when there is so much misconception about Religion and its

moral values.”

Honored Attendee: On a nostalgic note, Sri Vishwanatha Iyer, the District Judge who presided over the yajna, recalled the vibrant, fun-loving youth of Pujya Gurudev. Knowing Pujya Gurudev from schooldays, He shared that even from that early age, the extraordinary brilliance in Pujya Gurudev’s eyes set Him apart from others. Pujya Gurudev being the pride of Kerala and a great champion of the Gita, it was an honor to preside over His first Gita Jnana Yajna at Thalassery, acknowledged the district judge.

From Pujya Gurudev’s Inaugural address: Pujya Gurudev first clarified that He had no mystic powers and was no divine messenger. He said unequivocally: ”We should not merely accept its (Gita’s) teachings simply because Lord Krishna is quoted as having said this and that. But we should merely treat it as the words of a Gopal or cowherd speaking to a frustrated and dilapidated prince Arjuna and seek to analyze the basic truths contained in it and study its pros and cons without any prejudice.”

“The lessons of the Gita bring home to us the relationship between the mind and body controlled by the intellect in the most efficient manner. The mind has to be tuned even as the engine of an automobile has to be for better efficiency and performance.”

The Audience: Impressed by Pujya Gurudev’s depth of knowledge and clarity of expression, the devoted audience of Thalassery listened with great faith. They understood that without decrying the distractions of the world, they could develop the ability to concentrate on the divine, as guided by Pujya Gurudev.

For Reflection: Through those crucial post-independence years in India, when Vedic scriptures were considered irrelevant to secular progress, Pujya Gurudev emphasized repeatedly that external progress is sustainable only with internal spiritual reconditioning.

From the Inaugural Message: A longtime admirer of Pujya Gurudev, the academically eminent Prof. Vadekar said that the Gita was the gospel of life and the distilled essence of the spiritual literature of India.

The Chief Guest: Known for his great contribution to Yoga, Swami Kuvalayananda of Kaivalyadham, Mumbai, who was close to 80 years old, admired Pujya Gurudev for His tireless service in bring Srimad Bhagavad Gita to the forefront of modern minds. Calling Pujya Gurudev as a spiritually advanced Guru , Swami Kuvalayananda noted, “Swami Chinmayananda, for all his black hair, is older!”

From Pujya Gurudev’s Inaugural address: Thanking both the professor and the yogi for their assurance about the grandeur of the Gita, Pujya Gurudev began, “I am here to represent the man on the street. We have all heard that the Gita is a great book, a scripture…contains wonderful advice, gives an ideal to pursue, a goal in life to live etc. Can Gita give us strength to bear nobly our Cross? Can it give us the courage to suffer our bitterness, agitations, despairs, despondencies? If a study of Gita can help us even a little in these, certainly we will start its study right away.

“Our text for the current Yajna is chapter 2. In short, it is the ‘index’ for the Gita, and I assure you that there will be a lot of real-drama in it!”

The Audience: They had listened the previous year to Bhagavad Gita chapter 3 from Pujya Gurudev, where He extolled the glory of action through Karma Yoga. In the pleasant Mumbai winter, thousands of Mumbai seekers filled the Gymkhana grounds, not wanting to miss the transcendent knowledge that Bhagavan Krishna was transmitting through Pujya Gurudev.

For Reflection: As 1960 came to an end, Pujya Gurudev slowly declutched the features of the yatras, havana, or laksharchana from His further yagnas. It was not that He considered such modes of Sadhana as no longer required. The groups were getting bigger, and Pujya Gurudev had delegated, with clear guidelines, such yatras and activities to the different Chinmaya Mission centers. 

Meanwhile, Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in Mumbai was taking shape, and Pujya Gurudev devoted time to nourish its roots while carefully managing the demands of His increasing Jnana Yajnas.

From the Governor’s Inaugural Message: “Swami Chinmayanandaji is doing great service carrying the message of the Geeta to the very doors of those who are too busy in the work-a-day world even to take a glance at this great book of perennial wisdom…”

“Of the 18 chapters of the Gita, the third and final group of six chapters commences with the 13th chapter which is termed the Kshetra-Kshetrajna-Vibhaga Yoga.It contains the entire metaphysics of the Gita…The chapter commences by telling us that this body is the kshetra or the field of operation for the Indwelling Spirit or Kshetrajna.”

Honored Attendee: Sri. Mali Mariyappa, Minister for Co-operation, who expressed the wish that humanity must rise above the narrow view of a selfish,ego-driven life

From Pujya Gurudev’s Inaugural address: “This sociological development of man could only be done by an intelligent and critical study of the philosophy of Geeta. The great principles enunciated therein are to be looked into from this point of view, of building up a healthier society than as a mere religious narrative…man is not only a materialist by nature: but has a spiritual background also. It is the spiritual background of ages that has sustained us till today.”

The Audience: Over 10,000 thronged the yajnashala to admire the “ forceful personality of Pujya Gurudev coupled with the rare characteristic of scholarship, oratory, and approach to the subject studded with convincing illustrations and anecdotes of everyday occurrences in life.”

The Yatra: 500 pilgrims had the Avabhrta Snaana in the holy Kaveri near Shree Ranga-pattana. Chanting the Gita and singing keertanas, they trekked up the sacred Yadugiri hill at Melkote which overlooks the Kaveri valley for darshan at two shrines – the temples for Lord Cheluvanarayana and Lord Yoganarasimha.

The Conclusion:  Sri. B.D. Jatti, Chief Minister of Mysuru presided over the concluding ceremony on December 2nd at the Dasara Exhibition Building. Dr. M.L. Mariswamy, treasurer of the yajna committee, read the statement of receipts and expenditure; the yajna committee donated Re. 11,111 to support the upcoming Sandeepany Sadhanalaya.

For Reflection: Secular clarity is key for Spiritual upliftment – Pujya Gurudev ensured that the financial background of every Jnana Yajna is kept transparent to the public through the statement of accounts submitted to Usha monthly.

Swami Pranavananda first pointed out the ritualistic connotation of a yajna as oblations offered by householders in the sacrificial fire to please the gods. In comparison, he said, in the Gita Jnana Yajna, Pujya Gurudev was the yajna-karta as well as Adhyaksha, the preceptor; the gods who received the offering of knowledge were the seekers. Like the Om flag flying high in each yajna, he said the yajna’s purpose was to hoist Self-Knowledge in the hearts of the audience.

 The scientist cum Vedantin, Dr. Swami Gnanananda, then spoke clarifying about the vision of scientists: “A true scientist recognises this divine presence, harmony in all his discoveries and the more he discovers the more he becomes constantly aware of His play.”

Starting on a humorous note, Pujya Gurudev observed that caught between the “champion of Sanaatana Dharma, Swami Pranavananda” and the very scientific (Dr.) Swami Gnanananda, between “jnana and pranava,” He was there to share the immortal words of Bhagavan Krishna in the Gita. 

Apart from His forceful discourses on Karma Yoga since that evening, Pujya Gurudev taught Atma Bodha at 7 am in the mornings from October 21st. He expressed great reverence and admiration for its author – the spiritual missionary, prodigy and Advaitic Master Sri Adi Shankaracharya who re-established Hinduism in the face of atheistic challenges.

As the 75th yajna approached a fulfilling conclusion, Pujya Gurudev led the yatra to Machilipatnam and the sacred venue of Shivaganga nearby as a practical exercise in Karma Yoga.  The yatra itself was a unique excursion with a dual viewpoint of science and spirituality. The devotees visited a pharmaceutical laboratory and a scientific equipment company; they had enlightening satsangs, avabruta snaana in the sea, darshan at Panduranga Mandir, the only temple in the state dedicated to Lord Panduranga Vittala in Chilakalapudi (a suburb of Machilipatnam), another invigorating satsang, and prayers at the powerful Jagatjanani temple in Sivaganga. A stopover at Pranavashram in Gudivada enabled all to also witness Pujya Gurudev’s reception by Swami Pranavananda.

Back in Vijayawada, in the final days of the 75th yajna, thousands of devotees were immersed in devotion while performing the Laksharchana of an attractive Bhagavan Krishna in the yajnashala. 

 In that glorious yajna where knowledge of action was understood and applied in divine outlets, Pujya Gurudev made the hearts of Vijayawada soar high like the Om flag above the yajnashala.

The open air theater of Nagpur University was a refreshing and serene space. The dais on which Pujya Gurudev sat was decorated tastefully with green plants to simulate the sense of being in an ashram. The devotees were in awe as Pujya Gurudev brought out the glory of the bhakta, bhakti, and Bhagavan as expounded in Bhakti Yoga. They were captivated by His charming wit, His delightful sense of humor, and His incredible electrifying Presence. 

The evening discourses were from 6-30 p. m. to 8 or even 8:45 pm. Additionally, during His short visit there, Pujya Gurudev infused the spirit of the Vedantic Renaissance during His many talks at various cultural organizations.

His address to the employees of the office of the Accountant general (Madhya Pradesh) on October 8, 1960, was about recognizing the “Joy of Work.” The next evening at 5 pm before His Gita discourses at the university, He stopped at the International Relations Club to speak on “World Problems and True Religion.” Pujya Gurudev explained how no problem of the new world was truly new; when every individual in a country adopts a value-based life according to the time-tested guidance of the wise prophets, the world’s issues get solved. On the 10th and 12th of October, Pujya Gurudev carried the spiritual theme to the Vishwapunarnirwana Sangh. Then, on October 13th, again at 5 pm, he spoke at the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on “Students and their Duties.”

That same night, after He completed the evening discourse on Chapter 12 of the Gita, He rushed to enlighten the members of the Rotary Club on the “Secret of Success” at 8:30 pm. Even on the final day of His Jnana Yajna, on October 14th, before His concluding discourse at the university, Pujya Gurudev addressed central and state government employees on the “Secret of Achievement.” 

The hectic but happy 74th Jnana Yajna drew to a close on October 14, 1960. At the Guru Dakshina ceremony, the grateful audience donated Re. 10,000 for the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya before they received Pujya Gurudev’s yajna prasad, “At a Glance, Our Culture.”

Pujya Gurudev could move from one meeting to another most punctually, tailoring His message perfectly for the audience in different organizations.Through the years, the way He wielded time and thought was much above extraordinary.

After a happy inauguration on the evening of September 3rd, the Gita Jnana Yajna began in full earnest in the large Hall of Sri Narayana Guru before another enthusiastic congregation of seekers. Every evening, half an hour before Pujya Gurudev’s main discourse in English, Miss. Parukutty, the secretary of the yajna committee, gave a synopsis of the previous evening’s discourse in Malayalam. Braving the heavy rains, the audience attended the yajna to listen to Pujya Gurudev expound on the verses that sketched the ‘Yoga of Action, the ‘Path of Love,’ and the ‘Path of Renunciation’ as presented in a glorious synthesis of the Sankhya Yoga of the exemplary chapter 2 of the Gita.

The morning discourses on Atma Bodha were held in another venue called the Besant Hall. Because of the inclement weather and Pujya Gurudev’s ill-health, the features of the Laksharchana and the yatra had to be canceled. However, the people of Kozhikode enjoyed an extra day on September 25th with Pujya Gurudev as He delivered a civic address that evening before leaving to Guruvayoor enroute to Ernakulam.

By 1960, Pujya Gurudev’s schedule was packed and showed no signs of letting up. In the few days between two successive Jnana Yajnas, Pujya Gurudev had made it a practice to complete important activities overseeing the growing wings of the Mission as well as monitoring the preparations for the upcoming Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in Mumbai. Thus, in that precious window of time after the 73rd yajna, Pujya Gurudev made the trip to Ernakulam to visit Kochu Narayani Amma, the aunt who raised Balakrishna Menon and whom Pujya Gurudev revered as His mother. 

The way the frail Kochu Narayani Amma embraced the commanding sage and how Pujya Gurudev responded with playful banter to her anxious enquiries about His health warmed the hearts of all the devotees in Ernakulam. Pujya Gurudev spread much cheer in that home and refreshed His mother’s spirits. He enquired about the wellbeing of those who clamored for His attention, caring equally for the ordinary and the influential. In that trip to Ernakulam, Pujya Gurudev kindly encouraged His dear, young devotees of the Chinmaya Balavihar group, reveling in their delightful stories and Gita chanting. He also blessed a Kathakali performance with His presence.  Effortless was His love that He gave so abundantly wherever He went.

Wondering if he even had the qualification to inaugurate Pujya Gurudev’s Gita Jnana Yajna, the Chief Minister Shri B. D. Jatti, said, “If, as stated in the Gita Dhyana shloka, the Upanishads are the cow, Arjuna is the calf and Vasudeva is the cowherd, then Swami Chinmayananda is the milk-boy who brings the ‘Gita milk’ to our door. In the present Yajna, Swami Chinmayanandaji will discourse on the third Chapter of the Gita which deals with the Path of Right Action or Karma Yoga. It is a Chapter in which Lokamanya Tilak found the quintessence of the Gita. I am sure that since action is the very essence of life, we are all eager to know what exactly is the path of Right Action.” 

 After three reverberating chants of Om, Pujya Gurudev began, “Man cannot remain without acting. Act he must, rightly or wrongly. On analysis we find that action is propelled by thought, good or bad. As one thinks, so he acts. Action remaining the same, we call it good or bad according to the thought and motive behind the limbs of action.” He outlined how actions differ in their qualities and urged aspirants to rise above selfish motives to achieve the perfection that brings glory to all.

From August 8th morning, Pujya Gurudev carried the audience of Bengaluru to an added realm of bliss when He brought out the extraordinary wisdom of Kathopanishad in another huge yajnashala constructed in Kaadu Malleshwara. He began His upanishadic discourse saying that  religion, rightly pursued, beautified the individual and uplifted the society.

The yatra for the 72nd yajna was to Srirangapatna and Melkote, on the 27th August 1960. 

Boarding nine buses and a fleet of cars all adorned with the fluttering saffron Om flags, about 400 devotees followed Pujya Gurudev who explained how a yatra is a reflective journey of utter simplicity and devotion away from the mundane. The hearts of the devotees were in ecstasy with the satsangas with Pujya Gurudev, their holy dip in the Pashchimavahini river, and worship at the Lord Ranganatha temple at Srirangapatna and Lord Narasimha at Melkote temple. Throughout the yatra as in His yajnashala, Pujya Gurudev showed how actions become divine when dedicated to an altar.

The 71st Jnana Yajna held at Keyes High School started with a stirring welcome by Sri Ramesh Chandra Chowdri and an inaugural address by Sri Kaleshwar Rao, Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. Urging the audience to think about intellectual evolution which included scriptural knowledge, Pujya Gurudev pointed out: “We are now in the scientific age. We want to know the scientific basis of every object. Yet the scientific age says we do not want religion. That is not a scientific approach.” His evening discourses on the 13th chapter of Gita was a thorough analysis of what constituted the field of experiences and who the Knower of the field was. In the morning sessions from July 18th, Kenopanishad drew hundreds of seekers; Pujya Gurudev completed His discourses on that contemplative text and then continued teaching until August 3rd about the significance of Om and the different personality layers that veil Consciousness.

On July 30th, 450 devotees boarded 9 buses and three cars with disciplined eagerness for the spiritual yatra to Nagarjuna Sagar, about 3 hours away from Secunderabad. Even before the yajna’s inauguration, Pujya Gurudev had visited Nagarjunasagar with the Raja of Muktyala. It was a place of scientific progress, natural beauty, and cultural worth. At the scenic site, a new dam across the perennial river Krishna was being constructed to become the world’s largest masonry dam, and the Nagarjuna Konda in the middle of Nagarjuna Sagar which had ancient Buddhist excavations was a thought-provoking venue.

The late night satsang, the early kirtans, and the Avabhrta Snaana in the bathing ghats near the ruins of an ancient Shiva temple refreshed the spiritual aspirations of all. The marvel of the architectural carvings of Lord Buddha, the wonder of the learning that happened in that ancient university of Nagarjuna, and the bliss of a midday satsanga with Pujya Gurudev under a neem tree – the devotees returned with memories to uphold for a lifetime.

When the 71st Jnana Yajna concluded on August 4th, along with the sacred sprinkles of the Ganga waters, each seeker received the yajna prasad booklet – “Vedanta, a bird’s eye view,” indicating how Pujya Gurudev wanted to equip all with a higher perspective.

When Pujya Gurudev arrived at the entrance to the yajnashala at exactly 6:30 pm, Sri P. V. G. Raju, then Minister for Health, Andhra Pradesh, who inaugurated that yajna was waiting respectfully. Sri Daulat Rai, the president of Chinmaya Mission Hyderabad, promptly hoisted the Om flag, and the 70th Jnana Yajna’s inaugural ceremony began with the Chinmaya touch of punctuality that His yajnas stood for. 

In His inaugural address, Sri. Raju sketched the struggle of a war-weary, progressive world and the questions that plagued it: “ ls there a positive way of arriving at the truth? Can we get light and guidance to lead us towards the goal of life? I believe that it is through the systematic revival of our ancient spiritual knowledge that we can move forward.” 

A champion of spiritual revival, logical and scientific, Pujya Gurudev began the yajna devoting two days to the purpose, scope, and fundamentals of Upanishads. The admiring audience of Hyderabad grew in number each day and, as predicted, the hall was inadequate; the sea of seekers spilled over the galleries, the two wings of the hall, and the verandas. After a week, Pujya Gurudev directed that the evening discourses would move outside the hall. Mesmerized by His commanding voice and masterly exposition, even the breeze moved soft and cool, providing the keen seekers the perfect ambience to listen and meditate on that Brahma Vidya.

Pujya Gurudev ‘s morning classes on the most sublime second chapter of the Gita at the Liberty Gardens was in the idyllic setting under the fully-ripe mango trees. Occasional showers shifted the study indoors to the nearby Balaji Bhavan hall and Pujya Gurudev enthralled a bigger crowd on the glory of a Sthitaprajna at the main Mandali Hall. On May 29th,  a Laksharchana of Vishnu Sahasranama transported all to a realm of rapturous devotion.  The yatra to Yadagiri Gutta, to the  ancient temple dedicated to Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami, was a journey to cherish for the 350 devotees. 

When Pujya Gurudev concluded Mundakopanishad on June 8th and sanctified the audience with the Ganga waters, the thousands who gathered had an unforgettable glimpse at the Highest Knowledge that could remove the knots of ignorance and bestow lasting liberation.

Warmed and inspired by Pujya Gurudev’s introductory talk that evening, the audience forgot the discomfort of sitting on the wet grounds. When they heard the promised blessings of Bhagavad Gita from the Master, they were drawn into a higher spiritual orbit where they would be energized for the next 21 days.

Pujya Gurudev declared how Bhagavad Gita was a forever relevant, divine exposition on a vital, vibrant technique of living. He eloquently sketched the background of the Gita where the Divine Charioteer becomes the skillful boatman, Keshava, to ferry Arjuna out of his stormy confusions. In His inimitable style, using the language of commonplace life, He effortlessly took the listeners of all backgrounds to the highest common factor of cooperative action, motivated production, and shared growth as advocated in Karma Yoga. He stressed that work is worship, and alerted the attentive audience how actions get tainted by anxiety, fear, attachment, and selfish motives.

Pujya Gurudev’s sheer logic and poetic power of expression stimulated the aspirants to examine how the two enemies of desire and anger cause havoc, sway the senses, cloud the mind, and render the intellect ineffective. His Jnana Ganga in Tirunelveli was in spate, cleansing the outlook of thousands who came with faith and fervor. The Gita in the evenings and His Upanishad classes in the mornings inundated the temple town with surging spirituality.

To ensure that both Jnana and Karma are always divinized, Pujya Gurudev arranged for the powerful Laksharchana on May 1, 1960. The yajnashala was transformed into a resplendent altar of Bhagavan Krishna as people streamed in all day offering flowers through ten rounds of the Sahasranama chanting by ten pandits. Pujya Gurudev explained how the ten pandits represented the ten senses. He described the intricate meaning behind offering offers during archana: “Watch the hand when it picks up flowers. The fingers are brought together, and they face down. How clearly and perfectly this posture symbolizes the human mistake of gathering vasanas – the senses collect and go downward, and the personalities fall. When they face upward, the vasanas are thrown out; thereby, ‘exhausting’(vasanas) becomes easy and possible.”

Though His body had to submit to a high fever for a couple of days, Pujya Gurudev concluded the 69th Jnana Yajna on May 8th with unabated dynamism personifying how the highest form of action is a liberating art and an indisputable science.