The ochre robe

It is an autobiography by Swami Agehananda Bharati who was born Leopold Fischer in Austria, served in Hitler's Youth, migrated to India at the end of the Second World War pursuing his long cherished desire of becoming a Sanyasi. Sanyasa-ashrama is the fourth stage in a man's life (normally a Hindu's life) before he leaves his mortal coils for the world beyond. The first three stages are: Brahmacharya (when as a youngster one equips oneself with education-knowledge), the second one is Grihastashrama (the stage where one gets married, raises a family, and feeds the hungry), the third stage is that of Vaanaprasthashrama (when one disassociates himself from his human boandages and tests for himself whether he can survive on his own) and the last one, the fourth one is Sanyasashrama when one snaps all relations with the world around, survives as a mendicant, and in return spread the knowledge acquired by him in his life, around (to whomsoever is willing to take from him). So that was young Leopold Fischer who landed in India with the sole desire of becoming a Sanyasi. (One has to be initiated into Sanyasashrama by one who is already a Sanyasi). But the monks in India could not accede to his request for grant of Sanyasa as they said it is the sole preserve of Hindus and he as an European is not entitled to follow Sanyasashrama. However, he luckily met one particular Sanyasi belonging to the Sringeri Sarada Peetam (One of the five Peetams established by Adi Sankaracharya) who was willing to initiate him into Sanyasa. Sitting right in the middle of two burning pyres on the banks of River Ganga at Banares (Varanasi) at midnight he was initiated into Sanyasashrama and Leopold Fischer officially became a Swami and his new name was Swami Agehananda Bharati. He travelled the length and bredth of India on foot and served as a Visiting Professor for a while at Banaras Hindu University, Banares and University of Delhi, Delhi before finally settling down at the Syracusse. I HAVE WRITTEN ALL THIS FROM MEMORY HAVING READ HIS "OCHRE ROBE" NEARLY 25 YEARS BACK. Perhaps it may require a bit of touching up here and there.