From Margao the Swami went by train to Dharwar, and from there direct to Bangalore, in Mysore State. He was taken in as a guest by Dr. P. Palpu, the Municipal Medical Officer of Bangalore. Dr. Palpu belonged to the Ezhava community of Kerala,l and as a result had had to suffer at the hands of the highercaste Hindus. Though having the necessary qualification, he had not been able to get a Government post in Travancore State, because of the caste prejudice prevalent there. Subsequently he obtained a post in the Mysore State service.

It was not long before the Swami became acquainted with Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, the Dewan of Mysore State. A few minutes' conversation was sufficient to impress this great statesman with the fact that the young sannyasi before him possessed "a magnetic personality and a divine force which were destined to leave their mark on the history of his country". It is not known where the Swami first met the Dewan, but recent findings show that he was the Dewan's guest for three or four weeks, at his house in Mysore City. There the Swami met officials and noblemen of the Court of Mysore. Later he stayed at the palace as guest of the Maharaja of Mysore._x000d_ _x000d_ (Kerala was then common name for Cochin and Travancore States and some neighbouring districts, which comprise the present Kerala State.)

Wherever the Swami went he was sought after not only by Hindus, but by people of other faiths as well. For instance, one Abdul Rahman Saheb, a Muslim Councillor of the State, found, to his surprise, that the Hindu sannyasi was well ac-quainted with the Muslim scriptures: he did not know that the Swami had made the Koran an intellectual and spiritual possession some years earlier. This Muslim came to have some doubts concerning the Koran cleared.

Sir Seshadri Iyer was delighted with "this learned sadhu" and said on one occasion, "Many of us have studied much about religion; and yet what has it availed us? Here is this young man whose insight exceeds that of anyone I have ever known. It is simply wonderful. He must have been born a knower of religion, otherwise how could he at such a comparatively young age have gained all this knowledge and insight?" Thinking that the Maharaja of' Mysore might be interested in this "young Acharya", Sir Seshadri Iyer introduced the Swami to him. The Swami, clad in ochre robe, himself princely in bearing, entered the audienceroom of the Maharaja, Shri Chamarajendra Wadiyar. The latter was delighted with him. "Such brilliancy of thought, such charm of personality, such wide learning and such penetrating religious insight" quite won him over. The Swami was then made a State guest and given an apartment in the palace itself. Often he was closeted with the Maharaja, who discoursed with him and sought his advice on many important matters.

One day, in the presence of his courtiers, the Maharaja asked, "Swamiji, what do you think of my courtiers?" "Well, I think Your Highness has a very good heart, but you are unfortunately surrounded by courtiers, and courtiers are courtiers everywhere!" came the bold answer. "No, no, Swamiji; ' the Maharaja protested, "my Dewan at least is not such. He is intelligent and trustworthy." "But, Your Highness," said the Swami, "a Dewan is one who robs the Maharaja and pays the Political Agent " The Prince changed the subject._x000d_ Afterwards he called the Swami to his private apartments, and said, "My dear Swami, too much frankness is not always safe. If you continue to speak as you did in the presence of my courtiers, I am afraid you will be poisoned by someone." The Swami burst out, "What! Do you think an honest sannyasi is afraid of speaking the truth, even though it costs him his very life? Suppose, Your Highness, your son should ask me tomorrow, `Swamiji, what do you think of my father?' Am I to attribute to you all sorts of virtues which I am quite aware that you do not possess? Shall I speak falsely? Never!" But with what love and regard he spoke of this Maharaja in his absence! It was the Swami's habit to take a man to task for his weaknesses; but behind that man s back he would have nothing but praise for his virtues, while his defects would be disregarded.

During his stay at the palace, the Swami was introduced to a noted Austrian musician with whom he had a discussion on European music. All were amazed at the Swami's knowledge of Western music. Another day he met an electrician who was engaged in the installation of electricity in the palace. Casually the talk turned to the subject of electricity; and here also the Swami proved himself more informed than the electrician.

During his stay at Bangalore an assembly of pandits was held in the palace-hall. The Prime Minister was in the chair, and the Swami was invited to be present. The topic was Vedanta. The pandits discussed the various theories relating to different aspects of it, but without coming to any agreement. 'Then the Swami was asked to express his views. He rose, and in that assembly gave out some of those grand ideas about the Vedanta which he was often to express later, in his lectures in the West and in India. His hearers were startled with the originality of his perception and treatment, and in one voice applauded him.

Pleased beyond measure with the Swami, the Prime Minister one day requested him to accept some presents. He ordered ode of his secretaries to take him to the best shop in the bazaar and to buy for him anything that he might like to have. To gratify his host the Swami went with the secretary, who took a cheque - book with him, and was ready to write a cheque for a thousand rupees if need be. The Swami was like a child: he looked at everything, admired many things, and in the end said, "My friend, if the Dewan wishes me to have anything I desire, let me have the very best cigar in the place." Emerging from the store, the Swami lighted the cigar, which had cost about a rupee only. He was driven to the palace, eminently satisfied with the purchase.

One day the Swami was called to the apartment of the Maharaja, and the Prime Minister went with him. The Maharaja asked, "Swamiji, what can I do for you?" Evading a direct reply, the Swami burst forth with an account of his mission, which went on for more than an hour. He dwelt on the condition of India. Its great possessions, he said, were philosophical and spiritual: its great needs were of modern scientific ideas and a thorough organic reform. The Maharaja was spell-bound. It was for India, the Swami continued, to give the treasure she possessed to the peoples of the West. He intended going to America himself to preach the gospel of Vedanta. "And what I want", he added, "is that the West should help us in improving our material condition by providing us with the means of educating our peoples in modern agriculture, industries and other technical sciences." The Maharaja promised, then and there, the necessary money to defray his travelling expenses; but for reasons best known to himself-one perhaps being his vow to visit Rameswaram first-, the Swami declined the Maharaja's offer for the present. But from that day the Maharaja and his Prime Minister regarded him as "the man born for the regeneration of India".

The longer the Swami remained with the Maharaja, the greater became the latter's attachment to him. When the Swami spoke of departing, the Maharaja was visibly distressed and requested him to stay a few days more. He added, "Swamiji, I must have something with me as a remembrance of your personality. So, allow me to take a phonographic record of your voice." This the Swami consented to, and even now the record is preserved in the palace, though it has long since become indistinct. So great was the ruler's admiration for the Swami that he proposed to worship his feet, even as one worships those of one's guru; but the Swami did not allow it.

At a later date, Dr. Palpu's son, Shri Gangadharan, recounted to a Swami of the Ramakrishna Order how his father had told Swamiji about the tyranny of the higher castes over the lower-caste people in his native State. Then Swamiji had said to him, "Why do you go after the Brahmins? Find out some good noble person from among your own people and follow him." Dr. Palpu took Swamiji's advice seriously and discovered such a person in Shri Narayan Guru, who became well known as the guide and the leader of the Ezhava com-munity. Dr. Palpu devoted most of his spare time and the greater part of his salary to the cause of his community.

Some days later the Swami said that it was high time for him to depart. Hearing this, the Maharaja wanted to load him with costly presents. The Swami was not willing to accept anything; but the Maharaja insisted. At last the Swami said, "Well, Your Highness, if you persist in offering me something, then please give me a non-metallic hookah. That will be of some use to me." With that he was presented with a rosewood pipe, delicately carved. When the Swami took leave, the Maharaja bowed at his feet; and the Prime Minister made unsuccessful attempts to thrust a roll of currency notes into his pocket. The Swami finally said, "If you desire. to do anything for me, please buy me a railway ticket." Realizing that the Swami would not allow him to do more, the Prime Minister bought a second class ticket and gave him a letter of introduction to Shri Shankariah, the acting Dewan of Cochin.