In the Presence of Vishnudas Sundargiri and Surgram were favourite sacred spots for followers of many religions and sects. The temples and monasteries that dot its landscape provide testimony to this. Religion is a constitutive element of the Aryas who reside in the Indian subcontinent. There are at least four paths to religion: jnana (knowledge), yoga (self-concentration), karma (action) and bhakti (devotion). At various points in history, Sundargiri was the abode of all these paths. The followers of these paths created monuments to their faith. Sarasvatichandra was given a bird’s-eye view of those sacred monuments. Once we know as to which of these four paths Vishnudas’ monastery followed, we shall also acquire the fitness to know Vishnudas. Yoga and karma have withered in our age, but the Aryas have a natural affinity for them. The path of karma is relatively easy to follow if the believer has faith and capability; hence this path still has a large following. The path of yoga is complex and its sadhana demands deep engagement; hence it is rare to find a master of this path. The few exponents who have attained mastery of yoga are greatly revered. The teachings of the path of jnana are accessible to all intelligent persons. The fruits of karma are long in coming; they manifest themselves only when the exponent is on the way to heaven. Unless the exponent experiences a mystical moment and obtains the fruits of his actions, the path of karma demands life-long patience. On the other hand, a follower of the path of knowledge receives the fruits of his learning during his lifetime itself. The preference for the path of knowledge in the age of English education is obviously for this reason. Ultimately the path of knowledge leads to Vedanta. The knowledge of Vedanta is mystical and can be obtained only after great effort. Hence, very few are able to realise this knowledge. For this reason, exponents of the path of knowledge are divided into two separate streams: one stream is for those with average intellectual capability and spiritual effort; the other is for those with mystical knowledge. The stream that demands average intelligence and effort is the more popular of the two; this is the one that supporters and critics of the path of knowledge usually refer to in their debates. The paths of knowledge, action and yoga all require capabilities and means. But among the Aryas, the path of devotion is not contingent upon cultivation of any means. It seeks to pave the way to heaven for the devoted. A devotee is not required to cultivate great learning. This path is imbued with the nectar of love and devotion. The devotees sing: A woman bereft of all power Can make him dance to her tunes; The path of love is sublime. Vishnudas had made profound study of all the four paths and sought to amalgamate them in the practices of his sect. Therefore those who wished to cultivate spiritual capability, whether they had