The rainy seasons was about to end. On the eve of Deepavali, Acharya Maharaj commenced his meditation which lasted through the night. He opened his eyes at the crack of dawn, exactly when Mahaveer Swami had attained nirvana. He looked at us for a moment and said in a voice heavy with emotion, “Bhagwan Mahaveer attained nirvana years ago. A day will come when we will find salvation, too. But when will that day come?".
As he uttered these ambrosial words, his eyes peered into the horizon and a divine peace reigned over his visage. We were rendered speechless. For a moment, he seemed to have severed all worldly bonds and immersed himself in the bliss of self-realisation. There is no doubt that this insatiable thirst for salvation will soon liberate him from the cycle of birth and death.
Muktagiri (November, 1980)