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I returned to Trondheim, the arctic base after 11 days (about 2,000
miles for going and return)and from there I entrained for Stockholm the
capital of Sweden. The train takes about 10 hours to travel the 400 miles distance
across snow covered mountains and dense forests. Not far from Stockholm is
the university town of Uppsala noted for its antiquities which indicate
that it was an ancient Aryan settlement. From there I travelled in a
through train (22 hours with 500 miles) to Berlin across the Baltic Sea.
The train itself was taken into the boat so that the passengers had no
trouble to change.
At Berlin I had an interesting time. The professors and students of
Sanskrit showed better appreciation and knowledge of the subject and here I
gave my best lecture. The next place in my itinerary was Praha or Prague
about 180 miles from Berlin. The journey took me about 6 hours. I met there
Dr.Winternitz, an old and respectable professor who was my co-worker at the
Santi Niketan in 1923. From Prague to Vienna was another six hours’ run
(150 miles). The route along the banks of the river was very much like
Malabar. The university professor Dr. B.Geiger was a student of the late
Dr.**il**rn (Kailharn?) whom we all refer to as another Panini, the sage
and grammarian. He is now engaged in writing the history of Panini and
enquired if he could have the help of some ***** (Vedic?) Scholar and I
mentioned to him the names of M.M.Kuppusamy Sastry of the Madras
University, the well-known authority on such matters and his student
T.R.Chintamani of the Research department.
From Vienna I went to Budapest, the Hungarian capital, an old and
beautiful city on the Danube, so reposeful and ideally suited for bath and
prayers. (4 hours’ journey with 120 miles). Another two hundred miles
across flat country (8 hours’ journey) brought me to Belgrade at the
junction of the Save and the Danube. Wheat is grown in those parts of the
country and harvest was in full swing when I reached the place. The next
big junction I arrived at after leaving Belgrade was Nish. (10 hours with
250 miles.) Here one line goes eastward to Istanbul (Constantinople) and
another south-east to Greece. The country resembles very much Malnad and 12
hours’ run with 250 miles, brought me to Salonika. With this change to the
south we passed from the bright nights to darkness and people’s features
also changed from light to dark. Opium is grown to a large extent in these
parts. After covering a further 220 miles in 12 hours I came to Athens, the
capital of Greece and the centre of one of the ancient civilisations. India
had touch with Greece from ancient times and the Sanskrit books often refer
to Yavanacharyas. Megasthenes came to India in Chandragupta’s time. Athens
is the eastern gate of Europe.
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