Yogi Vishnu Panigrahi has been steeped in spiritual endeavors since childhood. As a young boy, his grandfather advised him to meditate and pursue spirituality from an honest and pure perspective.

A Radhe-Krishna Temple was constructed by his grandfather in their village in Odisha, India where Vishnu would frequently serve food and water to wandering sadhus.

In the larger town ten kilometers away from his village, young Vishnu would skip school and attend the Satsang (spiritual company and discourse of the saintly) of several swamis, counting among them was Swami Avdheshanand Giri of Haridwar. He found a Kalyana-Mitra (a friend on the noble path) in a boyhood friend who would arrange to meet with him at 3 a.m. in secluded places away from the village. Here they would join for meditation and chant "Mohamudgaram," a famous hymn by Adi Shankaracharya, to dispel their fears and gain vairagya (intense inclination to renunciation).
On Sundays and holidays, Vishnu would serve the impoverished people at the nearby hospital by washing them and taking care of those waiting and recovering from treatment. There was always a lack of nurses to care for the patients who had to lay on the cement floor with bare facilities. One day, young Vishnu met an old man who had a horrible odor with small worms attached to his legs. He was neglected by the doctors for a long time but eventually, his legs were treated and bandaged. For a few days, Vishnu took it upon himself to care for the man by cleaning his beard and taking care of his every need.