With the grace and blessings of our Gurudev, the seer-saint, Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya, the first international edition of 'Akhand Jyoti' is in your hands. With its publication we have further carried forward the more than six decades old tradition of the original Hindi magazine 'Akhand Jyoti', which first went out in January 1940. Its cosmopolitan readership has already crossed the one million mark. Such is the rich tapestry of Gurudev's scientific spirituality and divine knowledge that it has inspired millions of people all over the globe, irrespective of their caste, creed and calibre, to explore deeper and more purposeful meaning of their life and existence. It has also given them unfailing courage in the moments of adversity. The account of how this widely read magazine was first published will be a befitting tribute to the single-mindedness and hard and tireless work of Pandit Shriram Sharma, who placed the good of humanity above personal desires and motives. While in deep communion with divine energies in the vast stillness of the Himalayas, he was prophetically inspired to address the issues of global welfare through spirituality. Through his intuitive insight, he could foresee the struggle for political independence of India becoming a reality. A mass movement for Indian independence, led by Mahatma Gandhi, was already in progress at that time. However, the spiritual heritage of India was in tatters. Someone was needed to lead the social, ethical and intellectual revolution in order to re-establish the glory of eternal soul of India. He braced himself for this mammoth task. In order to give a voice to this vision and awaken the spirit of the Indian citizens and of humanity at large, he decided to publish a monthly magazine of enduring value. Literature is one of the best means of spreading ideas, and writing for the greatest good of humanity has been one of the cornerstones of Gurudev's mission.

He brought out the first issue of the magazine in January 1940. It was aptly called 'Akhand Jyoti', literally meaning 'eternal flame of light'. It was the expression of a divine determination. In those days the birth of Gayatri Pariwar organisation had not taken place and modern facilities were not available. There were no volunteers or supporters to help Gurudev in his work. Despite these apparent hurdles and modest monetary resources, he went ahead with his planned task.

The first issue consisted of 35 pages and was published by the New Fine Art Printing Cottage, Daulat Market, Jauhari Bazaar, Agra. The owner of the company, Pandit Madhusudan Sharan Sharma, knew Gurudev as a spirited freedom fighter and was impressed by his personality and patriotism. He ensured the printing of the first issue at the right time and also its quality. Gurudev opened the 'Akhand Jyoti' office in Freeganj Muhalla in Agra....