We had the opportunity of undertaking a pilgrimage sacred Bharat in October, 1968. During this pilgrimage, we had the feeling that we stayed beneath the cool shade of intimate friendliness.

Our feeling of joy at the prospect of this pilgrimage is due to our having heard in our young age the reports of our Revered Father, Maharaja Guru Vidhi Shri Vishnuddhiguna, who had visited India. From then on, the longing to have darshan of Bharat has ever been lingering in our heart. Sacred Bharat is the source of Dharma pervading throughout the world. Its greatness is unparalleled. Every dust of the soil of Bharat has a history of its own. This is no exaggeration, for the whole world of the wise ones has recognised this truth.

We are thankful to Sri Karuna Kusalalaya, and his friend, now living in Delhi, for it was they that built a bridge for us to go to the God who moves on this earth Jagadguru Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peethadhipati. When we think of the great fortune that was ours in having visited Vijayawada and offered worship to Sri Jagadguru, when we think of the opportunity to have seen the hoary seat of Sri Adi Sankara-naturally our profound thanks go to those who laid the path for this pilgrimage.

It was on Monday, October 14, 1968, that we had darshan of Sri Jagadguru Sankaracharya in the holy atmosphere of Kamakoti Peetha. Then we had the feeling of standing before all our ancestors united into a single person. As if bearing testimony to the truth of this feeling, hundreds of Brahmins assembled in the courtyard were chanting the different branches of the hoary Vedas in the traditional way.

Vedic Pandits from all over India had assembled there underneath the shade of the tree of Kamakoti, and we opened out our ears to drink deep of their Vedic chant. This was the first occasion in our life to attend a Vedic Conference on such a grand scale and hear the Vedic recitations in such a big way. For the first time, we found out the differences in svaras in chanting the four Vedas. Our mind was overjoyed to hear the Vedas delivered in pure intonation. In particular, our heart was filled with the Ghana Patha of Krishna Yajurveda.

In the night, we attended the competition in Vedic recitation, when students were examined. At the conclusion of the sammelan Sri Jagadguru himself made gifts to the Vedic scholars and students by his lotus hands and blessed them. In addition, thousands of rupees were spent for the stay and travel expense of these scholars from all regions of India.

We too, with those who came with us, received gifts and blessings from Shri Acharya.

Such Vedic conferences, we feel strongly, would go a long way in reviving Vedic learning and in enthusing those who take to the study of the Vedas. We had the definite feeling that such conferences, if held frequently, would confer benefit on the whole of humanity.

The first words that flowed out of Sri Jagadguru Acharya Swami's mouth on our greeting him were :

"You live far away from here, from Bharat, from me. So it is natural some differences are apparent between your ways and those of the Vedic descendants of Bharat".

These words of Sri Acharya may appear common to the outside world. But, to us, it was an ablution in the river of Grace. It is beyond the power of words to describe how our heart was immersed in the ocean of joy and burst out in ecstatic dance on hearing these loving words from a loving soul.

Reverence, faith, devotion and love surged in our heart and this upsurge was offered at the lotus feet of the Acharya, whose heart was overflowing with Grace that drenched us completely-all this is even beyond our power to experience. How then to express? Only the divinities that preside over Kamakoti Peetham have the capacity to realise in full what this Grace is. Sri Acharya Swami has attained the very end of wisdom. He is a Yoga Siddha, verily a God on earth, a like of whom will be rarest among the rares of this Yuga. This is our firm conviction.

I saw this because throughout our month long sojourn in Bharat, we had the intense feeling that Sri Acharya was looking after every little detail of our pilgrimage and was ever by our side.

We had contact with him either directly or indirectly wherever we went - Vijayapuri, Nagarajuna-sagar Dam and Reservoir, Tirupati, Kancheepuram, Mahabalipuram, Madras, Delhi, Mathura, Agra, Hardwar, Hrishikesh, Lakshmanjula, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Saranth, Gaya, Bodhgaya, Rajagriha, Nalanda and Calcutta. His disciples attended to our comforts in all these places. Under this gracious instruction , an assembly of Pandits greeted us in Madras and Delhi.

With the power of Sri Acharya guarding us constantly, our pilgrimage was thoroughly enjoyable. It would not be out of place if we record here the excellent way in which the Cultural Affairs people arranged for our boarding and lodging throughout.

We were so pressed for time that we had to leave our camp even without taking food n the day we left Delhi. The Railway Department which is doing commendable public services came to know of this somehow and detained the train to suit our convenience. So the Jagadguru's Grace was there with us to give a sendoff.

We pray to the Trinity and the divinities of Bharat and her sister countries that Sri Jagadguru Kanchi Kamakoti Peethadhipati lives in this human case in perfect health and energy for long time to come. Sri Jagadguru, though a person of utter renunciation and complete detachment, is deeply attached to-and is the Great Protector of the Vedic way of life, because, it alone makes for the welfare of those who have faith of Dharma.

The name of Sri Acharya, his form, his staff of Sannyasa, the padaku (Sandal) of his feet-each and everything that pertains to him are transfigured beyond the material plane and takes spiritual dimensions. That is why these holy things get implanted in our hearts. Let us pray that they remain as such for ever and for ever.