However, his choice of Economics in M. A. did not go down well with his Philosophy lecturers. In fact, S. Radhakrishnan is rumored to have remarked, “Look at this fellow. He has deserted us for Economics. He has prostituted his intellect.”!  (Of course, they meant well, but were bitter at losing him to a stream different from their own. Vi. Si. was a coveted asset, no doubt.).

Vi. Si. taught for a while at Sarada Vilas High School, Mysore. This was to supplant his income during his M. A. course at University of Mysore, which he eventually completed in 1922. University of Mysore was synonymous with Maharaja College and in Vi. Si.’s own words was “Oxford of Karnataka”! It’s faculty line up, during his student days was thus:

•Principal: Prof. C. R. Reddy

•Economics: Prof N. S. Subba Rao

•Philosophy: Prof M. Hiriyanna

                   Dr. S. Radhakrishnan

                   Prof. A. R. Wadia

•English Literature: Prof J. C. Rollo

                              Prof B. M. Srikantaiah

                              Prof Macintosh

•Kannada: Kanakanahalli Varadachar 

                B. Krishnappa

During this time, Vi. Si. came into contact with other intellectual giants like T. S. Venkannayya, A. R. Krishna Sastry and Ralapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma. All these personalities are fondly remembered with the greatest reverence and affection in Vi. Si.’s later memoir “College Dinagalu”. In this recollection, he describes his days at Maharaja college and more so Mysore in the words of William Wordsworth: “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive. But to be young was very heaven”. After completing his education at Mysore, Vi. Si. felt that a Law qualification would ensure a more robust financial situation for him in future. With this in mind and with some money saved from his earnings, he set sail for Bombay to complete his L. L. B. degree. For maintenance in Bombay, Vi. Si. secured a part-time employment at the office of ‘Deputy Comptroller of Currency’.