Pujya Gurudev called himself the Chief Priest of the jnana yajna. He stayed in a small place near the temple. He would walk to the house of any person who offered him bhiksha. When his clothes got worn out, he would dye the white material offered traditionally by devotees manually, using a gerua stone. His doors were always open for people to clarify their doubts. Morning and evening, he would walk punctually to the temple to deliver his lectures.

Among the early devotees attracted by the power of the talks and the personality of the speaker was Susheela Mudaliar. She worked in the postal department and was of immense help in handling the heavy correspondence of Pujya Gurudev at this stage and also in dispatching the yajna prasad booklets. Letters poured in and there was a tremendous demand for yajna prasad, which seemed to connect with people immediately and often draw them to the yajnashala also. In fact, they ran out of copies of yajna prasad and then decided to charge one rupee per copy to cover the costs.

Susheela Mudaliar served Gurudev in many ways. She would bring food for him, sometimes wash his clothes, serve as a secretary and do many kinds of odd jobs as well. In fact, she began to function as his right hand and for the subsequent yajnas, Gurudev would often refer people to her to learn how to organize a jnana yajna.

On Mahashivaratri Day, February 23rd, Pujya Gurudev developed a fever and it was diagnosed as para-typhoid. The lectures had to be suspended for a week. Swami Tapovan Maharaj was informed and he sent a message. On March 10, the sessions were resumed. By this time, Kenopanishad had been completed and they were studying Kathopanishad. The meditation sessions, where the intricacies of Om upasana and the significance of the Brahmajnanavali verses were revealed, created immense interest and people walked from distant places to attend the evening discourses.

At this time, S. Seshadri, the secretary, was relieved and a new secretary appointed. The yajna prasad booklets on Kathopanishad could not be published for lack of funds. Later, by August 1952, they were printed and made available for the devotees

In the run up to the yajna, Pujya Gurudev had sent out pamphlets and a booklet which explained how the listeners had to prepare themselves to receive the highest knowledge of the Upanishads. In very brief and practical terms, he detailed in simple English the virtues of sadhana chatushtaya, essential for any spiritual seeker. The dos and don’ts were spelt out clearly: maintain celibacy and self-control in all aspects of life, eat simple sattvic food, maintain purity of thoughts, avoid distraction through the radio (now cell phones and television) or cinema, practise regular prayer, japa and meditation and so on.

The booklet also contained the letters from Swami Sivananda, blessing this unique endeavour of his dear disciple and a bird’s eye-view of the yajna scheme, indicating what the seekers were to expect.

Active participation of the devotees was ensured through the akhanda kirtan right from the beginning of the yajna. Each one was allowed to offer only one small measure (chatak) of oil for the lamp, making sure that they visited the place every day for the special privilege! People would take turns in batches to continue the kirtan and in the lean hours of late night and early dawn, Gurudev himself would pitch in. The akhanda kirtan culminated in a massive procession in the city on April 6, heralding the conclusion of the yajna on April 8. A caravan of cars and trucks wove through the city, filled with devotees chanting the maha-mantra. The procession ended in silent meditation at the yajnashala.

A week-long Upanishad Homa had been planned by Gurudev months earlier. This was held in the final phase of the jnana yajna, from March 31 to April 6. Five Maharashtrian priests officiated, offering ahuti with the mantras of Kenopanishad and Kathopanishad. On the final day, the devotees were also given the opportunity to offer ahuti.