‘My intuition tells me these are false accusations,’ he shared. ‘Should they hold up in court, the fallout would be immense—public confidence in saints could collapse overnight. We’ve barely recovered from the shadow of Asaram Bapu, whom we distanced as running his own path. I fervently pray for the Shankaracharya’s innocence.’

He elaborated on the vulnerability of ascetics, quoting Goswami Krishnadevray: ‘Lust wields immense power. Saints counter it through ceaseless bhajan, pooja, and pleas to the divine to shield them from vices.’ Accusations, he stressed, are simple to hurl but torturous to bear, especially for those vowed to purity.

On the Prayagraj lathi-charge controversy, Devacharya was forthright: ‘Suspend those officers who wielded sticks on the streets. The incident was regrettable, but CM Yogi Adityanath’s service to UP—reviving maths and temples—earns him reverence. That said, this is Bharat, home to eternal dharma, Brahmins, saints, and cows. No Sanatani will stomach such violence.’

As courts deliberate the Shankaracharya case, Devacharya’s appeal underscores the delicate balance between justice and preserving spiritual trust in modern India.