It was probably the year 1974, when Pujya Gurudev came to Hyderabad to conduct Geeta Jnana Yagna in Exhibition grounds, a famous ground for holding yearly exhibitions where thousands throng to see the famous exhibition of the year. 

My father took me to Pujya Gurudev’s yagna being conducted in exhibition grounds. I was studying 3rd class. The very first impact of seeing Gurudev was so deep on me. My father sat on the ground and of course near a speaker. Those big speakers were placed all around the ground and they were all on the floors, their size being very huge, the audio was very clear and loud. 

I sat beside my father and he gave me three instructions. Look into the face of Swamiji. You will notice his eyes as two glowing fire balls. The rays that emanate from his eyes are very powerful. If you can catch them, your life will be transformed.
Second instruction was – “Don’t ask me water or anything to eat.” 
Third instruction was – “Don’t ask me to take you to washroom. Sit quietly for 90 minutes.”  

Obviously, in the midst of thousands of listeners, we were sitting in, may be in tenth or eleventh row but near one of the speakers. My only entertainment was to see Gurudev’s face, his actions and moments of his hand moving over the BMI chart. Sometimes I used to look at the loud speaker itself and wonder what he is speaking, for I did not understand anything. Yes. When Gurudev used to crack a joke, I used to look at the others around me and was entertained by the various types of laughters of listeners around me. 

On the last day of the Yagna, when we went near the stage to collect the Yajna Prasad Pustika, my father nudged me to look into Gurudev’s eyes and offer namaskarams.

Thus, I feel I was initiated by Gurudev’s presence itself. It was powerful because I know how it has chiseled me and transformed me into what I am today. The transformative process, of course, still continues.

The very first encounter had taught me, as my father used to talk at home with my mother, (some days she used to accompany us for the Yagna) how Gurudev was punctual and how audience have to maintain pindrop silence in the ground. 

One of the days, when I did not go to Yagna that day but my father and mother went. It was raining when they both reached home fully drenched. My mother told me the experience of that day. It seems, as soon as Pujya Gurudev started the yagna, in five or ten minutes, it started raining. All the thousands of listeners started getting up to find the nearest shelter. The ground was not covered. Of course, Pujya Gurudev’s Yagna stage was covered, it had a canopy.

Seeing the rain which had just started and people getting up, Gurudev, as my mother told me, bent little forward to see the space outside and roared “Sit down. Rain will not disturb our Yagna.” Within a minute or so, the rain had stopped completely. Talk was over and here comes the declaration from Gurudev, “Go and find a nearest shelter for you. It is going to rain heavily.”
My mother said all of them found rain lashing at the ground from above and they all had to run literally to find some shelter nearby.

At that age of mine, I came to know that Gurudev can stop the rain for Yagnas. Of course, later on I found this was true, since many-a-times I had a direct experience of this.
Somewhere the journey began for all the devotees of Pujya Gurudev, but for me, that was my first  encounter with Gurudev. That was a surprise to me then, as a small boy. But not later, as I found this was a play for Pujya Gurudev.

Whatever it was, the very first encounter arose in me a great devotion, admiration and fascination towards such a great Master. 

Salutations at the feet of Pujya Gurudev, now and for ever.
OM TAT SAT

– Swami Chidrupananda