Ragupathi Yogi arranged for My first public discourse on Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtras when I was 11, in Tiruvannamalai. He had a public function and put Me on stage. He himself did pādapūjā (pūjā to the feet) and fell at My feet saying: As per tradition, in all the Advaita mutts, including the Sringeri mutt, the Guru does pādapūjā and ārati (offering of lit camphor) for all the others to follow the one initiated as Peetadhipati, to respect him. I also kept quiet. But the devotion with which he did, I was not able to tolerate.

The next day I remember, just leaning on the pillar, I was sitting next to him pressing his calf muscle and asking him, “What is this thatha… (it is the word for grandfather)… Why did you sprinkle (all that)… and I saw tears in your eyes. Tell me the truth.” This is too intimate a moment. He was actually relaxing with closed eyes. When I asked him he said, “Aye, leave it, it is okay.” I still remember, I shook his leg and said, “No tell Me.” Then he slowly opened his eyes… the tears rolled from his eyes, and he said, “I know you are an incarnation and I want to be the first person who did pādapūjā to you!”