Posts Tagged ‘Shaktinagar’

When Mother was my Guest

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

I begin this with sincere prayers at the lotus feet of Divine Mother Sree Rama Devi.

United prayers of thousands, with one accord shall never go unanswered.  It was such an answer to our prayers that brought Mother to the land of Kauveri. That was my greatest pleasure to have the utmost honour of receiving the shakthi roopini as my honoured guest.

I first heard of Mother from a friend of mine who introduced me to the leaders of Sree Rama Devi Bhaktha  Mandali, in Madikeri.  I was desperate after the demise of my beloved husband.  Everything seemed dark and empty.  Added to this the responsibility of bringing up eight small children alone was a strain and I always prayed to embrace death.  With no interest in life or my surroundings I used to go about like an automaton, eating if I felt like it and crying day and night.  Though a devotee of Lord Krishna, when my husband was alive, I never prayed after his death, as I felt, in spite of all my prayers, God has let me down.

Mechanically, I used to read chapters from Bhagavat Gita, especially the second one, to feel sure of the existence of atma.  Without a proper Guru one cannot understand such things.  Now after I met Mother my ignorance is slowly clearing and I can understand a little of such matters.  After weeping I used to get very often bad headaches and chest pains and omit blood.  In spite of all cares from my parents I felt disgusted with the world which had no meaning to me.  I could not travel.  I was shunning everyone, never liking to talk.

One day my mother persuaded me to go to a bhajan.  She arranged it at the Mahila Samaj, by the Sree Rama Devi Bhaktha Mandali.  Having stayed there for five minutes I came away, unable to bear the noise of the cymbals.  After two days mother asked them to come to my house for a programme of bhajans.  She wanted me to find solace in prayers.  For that Ramnaam Sankirtan, I sat for fifteen minutes.

Next day on October 20th two devotees of Mother, Shanthakka and Sulochanakka came home with prasadam  from Mangalore and spoke to me of Mother who could cure all agonized souls.  A sudden inspiration and a desire to see Mother got into me after partaking of the prasadam.  I who could not bear to hear the noise of cymbals begged for another Ramnaam Sankirtan again in my house as I was unable to go out.  It is Mother’s advice to members of the Mandali to help a suffering child.  On October 28th another Ramnaam Sankirtan was conducted.

Mother was in Bangalore at that time.  Hearing this, my only desire was to see Her.  I prayed hard to God to fulfill this desire.  My people would not allow me to go as doctors had told them that if I travel I risk my life.  Shanthakka asked the ten members of our Mandali to have a mass pooja to pray so that I may be allowed to go.  It worked and I was sent.  Kudva Mam, the kind man with an iron will, assured my parents of my safety and took me to Bangalore on November 3rd with Shanthakka.  From Mercara to Bangalore we spoke only of Mother as I wanted to know all about Her.  Time and distance was lost on us and I who could not travel even two miles without vomiting, travelled that long distance safely.  Just that unseen power guarded us.

For fear of being detained from my one goal, Mother, I never let my sister or aunt in Bangalore know about my coming.  That night itself I wanted to see Mother.  I was unable to do so.  So I rested with the thought that I was at least in a place where Mother is.  Next day November 4th the memorable day I saw divinity.  Mother came.  I offered flowers prostrating before Her.  Patiently Mother let me be there, threw flowers over me, blessed me and washed off all my sorrows.  Lifting me from darkness to light, Mother infused courage in me.

We invited Mother to our land. Mother nodded with a smile.  At once a champaka flower from Her veni fell down.  Being a widow I had no hopes of getting it, but to my luck Mother divining my thoughts gave it to me. She said She would talk in Canarese that day, about controlling the mind for the benefit of sorrowed persons like me.  For the sake of Bombay Mandali I was asked to translate it into English.  I was stunned.  I had forgotten all languages and scarcely talked after my widowhood.  I who was so immersed in sorrow and lost all power of speech to repeat Mother’s words! How could I!  hearing Her for the first time how could I!  I who had no idea of spirituality!

I just looked at Mother who was smiling and something prompted me to say “With thy grace I shall try”.  All the while Mother’s divine eyes were penetrating me and sending courage to every cell in my body.  I held tight the champaka flower Mother gave in my hands and none might believe me if I say that I had it for a year.  Though dried, it used to emanate a heavenly fragrnce, and always gave me strength to talk well. That day, while listening to Mother, I sat transfixed and with Her grace, repeated a few words of it in English.  My sister who had come to see Mother, was wonderstruck listening to me at my sudden change and was delighted to see me shine with an inner glow.

I went to Bangalore as a broken hearted desperate widow too disgusted with life and I returned full of life, my face radiant with the peace I got from Mother.  I cast off my widowhood internally as I had now steadfast faith in Mother’s words that my “Mangalasootra” is the duty of bradcasting Her principales to suffering millions and as my “Kumkum” is pure bhakthi, prem and viswas as “kankanan.”  I felt with these jewels and wedded to divinity I was no more a widow.

I was able to travel back alone as Shanthakka stayed back to drink more nectar. My people were thrilled to see me.  Never have I fallen ill after that as I have no time to think of illness.  During all the time of eating or drinking, waking or sleeping it is thirst for God that was persisting.  All other actions are mechanical.  Endless energy to carry on the additional responsibility filled me with pleasure and I find the meanings of the spiritual words easy. Dhyanam and smarana are my tonics and vitamins.

Doctors were puzzled and pleased to see my increased vigour and improved state of health.  All my problems seemed to be solved by an unseen hand.  My overnight change so sudden and fruitful was a topic for all our people.  Many come to our bhajans and kept on asking when Mother will come here.  We had to request the Vedantha Sangh, a bigger hall for conducting bhajans.  Words about Mother spread very fast.

Mother fulfills all desires of Her children.  We have to become pure vessels to receive Her grace.  In order to cleanse ourselves to receive Mother, we started Devi poojas and mass prayers. This brought fruit.  To our land of Kauveri came the incarnation of Kauveri Herself, on the 7th November 1959, just after a year and four days after my seeing Mother.  We were all happy and felt like birds of joy.  My home is called “Devi Villa’’ as though it predicted the coming of Devi, long before.  After the second Ramnaam when Shanthakka installed Mother’s photo in my house for the sankirtan, she prayed that Mother Herself should come there in person.  How very true it came to pass !

Although there are very many palatial buildings in Mercara it was this lucky house that was sanctified.  Daily before retiring to bed I used to take up the dried champaka flower and pray that the giver of that should bless our land.  Talking to Mother’s photo and laying beneath it all our sorrows and happiness after poojas, we used to feel sure that Mother would emerge out of it and bless us.

Mother came to “Devi Villa” amidst blowing of conches and arathi.  After Her entrance the house seemed to glow with Her brilliance.  We were too thrilled to act or speak as we were in ecstasies.  The thought that the Mother was actually with us in form gave us untold joy.  What touches one most is Her unselfishness, always thinking of other’s comforts first.  Mother’s needs are very few.

November 7th was a day packed with programmes.  Yet our Mother would not rest without seeing my children.  She called every one of them and spoke so lovingly, bringing peace and laughter.  After hearing Mother none can go wrong. What power made Mother pick up a rebellious child of mine among the lot and direct all attention to her, I cannot understand.  It has transformed my child completely.  What amazes one most is that once a name is uttered Mother can clearly remember it, although she has thousands of children to see.

When I am tired I go to bed directly not even wishing to speak to my children.  What a mortal mother could not do, Divine Mother did by speaking to them even late at night asking about their studies and so on. Qualities like this endeared Mother to us most and children are drawn to her irresistibly.  Her heart is an ocean of love.

November in Coorga is a very trying time with a biting cold.  It was a great wonder to us that Mother rise up at 3 am. and take Her bath in cold water. She disturbed none.  In that brahma muhoortam she was submerged in prayers becoming one with the universe.  Without a cup of strong bed coffee first thing in the morning, one cannot do anything in Coorg.

Mother would not touch anything till 8am., even then it is only a very light breakfast.  With a busy day ahead it bewildered me how Mother can withstand such strain with a light diet.  Always for Mother’s programme there was a terrific rush and the crowd used to behave very well.  It was all a wonder to us.

Mother not only preaches but practices what She preaches.  This can only be noticed when one comes in close contact with Her. No harsh words, not even a rude expression can be got from Her.  Every servant or employee is spoken to very gently.  My servants and children vied with one another to do any little job for Her. Mother is very particular about punctuality.  Never have I seen Mother delayed for any programme. At home in every step or action, Mother teaches good manners and corrects our speech with perfection.  All that Hindu Dharma lays down is reminded to us to be followed.

It is Mother’s universal love that unites us to her children, irrespective of cast and creed on a common platform.  This She does with compassion in Her heart and elixir in Her voice.  To worried masses of humanity Mother gives a balm of peace, truth, justice and love.  Never has anyone gone back forlorn.  Rich and poor alike, from a general to a labourer who came to see Her, She treated all alike.

When Mother was here we had all our wishes granted.  We always felt a current pass through us uplifting us. One memorable day, Mother put a garland over me after a pooja. The vibrations from Her and the divine touch gave a strength to me to last for ages, rejuvenating me. There was no urge to eat, drink or sleep but just to see and hear Mother.  In my life time I cannot forget the whole sweet experience of having divinity at our home and all my prayers now are for the repetition of it.  May God grant that prayer.  On everyone’s face there is the emblem of divine love.  We see mother in every sister and brother.

When Mother leaves a house She always gives presents of new clothes to servants and archakas.  What a wonderful act?  Simple in attire and habits, ever smiling with nobility and speaking soft words are attributes of Hers to be remembered and followed.  Let us bear this in mind and march forth to spread Her gospel with confidence and truth.

I write this with profound feelings coming from the depth of my heart with loving gratitude towards Mother for taking me from death to everlasting bliss.  With the very good fortune of having such a divine guest treasured deep in my heart I have now found shanthi, where once turbulent waves roared.  May Mother always guide us.

– Mrs Bollamma Appanna

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Guru Bhakti

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

Guru Bhakti is reverential love and sanctified feelings towards the Gurudev.  It is total surrender to Satguru and absolute faith in His words for they are veda-vakyas.  Doing obeisance with humility and reverence, perfect obedience in carrying out his commands, worshipping His lotus feet with love and devotion, listening to His holy upadesh and sincerely practicing it are the multiple expressions of Guru Bhakti.

It is not possible for any aspirant to attain the highest if only he has Guru Bhakti.  The Guru’s grace frees the sadhaka from the thralldom of matter and the fetters of prakrithi.  The surrender at the lotus feet gives peace to the agitating mind and ushers steadiness and composure.  What is the secret of Guru Bhakti?  It is complete self-surrender backed by sincere and earnest effort.  Faith in the words of the guru is the first and the last rung in the spiritual ladder.  The identification of the guru with the supreme is a great stride in the spiritual path.

Guru bhakti is the grace of the divine and is not a result either of intellectual knowledge, interpretation of shastras; good vocabulary; or scholarship.  Meditation, satsang, austerities, and vairagya — (the essence to realize that Paramathma is the abiding and eternal truth and everything else is transitory), induce detachment and dispassion.  The guru will imperceptibly help the aspirant from downfalls and shield him to resist temptation.  The redeeming grace of the guru is a sheet-anchor for a sadhaka.  The impenetrable armour of guru’s grace protects the chela from the piercing darts of the prarabdha.  With surrender, the guru helps to erase the disturbing elements of the mind and gives him strength to do sadhana and overcome maya.  Guru bhakti transforms the ego-sense into infinite consciousness.  It is the culmination of the three yogas and the foundation of the spiritual life.  Without Guru bhakti one cannot proceed even an inch.  Divine Mother Sree Rama Devi has often said to serve mankind is the service of the guru who manifests and pervades as one supreme shakthy.  Guru “uchista” is the bodhana given by the guru.  True and abiding happiness is at the lotus feet of the Guru, but the ringing note is unconditional surrender.

It is conformed on the sadhaka to obey the guru, whose words are “Amritha-dhara” based on supreme knowledge, and a wider and deeper vision, while the sadhak’s knowledge and vision are limited.  It is like a man on the hills who can see miles in front while the man on the plane can see only a small portion.  The only condition for the manifestation of grace is surrender.  Then the “I” will remain an unattached observer of actions and thoughts and be convinced that everything is being controlled by the higher power and the ego should  submit to it.  The ego has to be sacrificed and one needs strong perseverance, but the guru’s grace will protect and aid the aspirant, which he on his own  is incapable of achieving by his own efforts.  True bhakti is a matter of intense feeling and it is unshakeable whatever the trials and tribulations are; his mind remains unmoved.

Guru bhakti is the kernel of dharma.  All Gods are propitiated if and when the guru is propitiated.  We in our ignorance are not able to realize His glory and greatness, just as the sun to our naked eyes seems no bigger than a huge ball due to the distance.  The guru’s grace is the pillar and support for a sadhaka, for it flows in a mysterious way if one only opens oneself with total surrender, and dedication, sincere and earnest prayers.  One can always keep contact with the guru for distance is not a barrier.  Constant communion opens a channel between the guru and shishya, for the grace and light to flow.  Reverence and humility alone can break down the prison walls built brick by brick by ahankara, and crush the web woven by the notion of “I and mine.”  The relationship between guru and shishya is one which goes much deeper than anyone can understand.  He cannot reach the guru by growing higher but the guru comes down in His infinite compassion, responding to his appeals, Disciple should execute guru’s will follow His lead and do His bidding with intense devotion, pure and unselfish motives, and untainted with desires.  Guru bhakthi elevates the mind and culminates in jnana.  The grace of the guru falls on one and all alike, as the rain falls on trees, shrubs, plants, weeds, and grass, uniformly but the growth depends on ones potentiality.  The guru comes not when we want but when we need.

Govind, the farmer, tall with a calm face, friendly eyes, hospitable and God fearing, lived in a village near Dhond, with his faithful wife, and two sweet children.  The rustic farmer lived a simple life, cultivating his few fields, and contemplating on tragedy of life, and the mysterious way of nature: The year passes and never returns, the days of the year are unrolled while the days of his own life are shortened, and how time eludes.  Life like a candle flickers in the wind and vanishes.  Man sits to plan but old age creeps in and his energy is diminished.  The scene of song and dance passes away in the twinkling of an eye, sorrow and misery takes vantage.  Man clings to glory and wealth, vying with one another in the ambitious race for power and fame.  He thus wonders at the instability and the diverse problems confronting life.

Very near his hut, under the deep shade of the spreading branches of an old and majestic tree a few disciples gathered in the evening to pay homage and listen to the words of a Guru.  Govind was extremely eager to join the group of devotees, but knew not how to approach.  Early one morning when he was in his fields at work he saw the venerable Guru passing along the bund of the field. Mustering courage he fell at the lotus feet of the guru, who blessed him and enquired his needs.

Govind replied “Maharaja, I have no desires, my only wish is to surrender and seek peace at Thy lotus feet.”  The Guru smiled, and to test his sincerity and obedience asked him to cut the crop in his field.  Govind was only too glad to carry the behest of the guru.  He ran home to fetch a scythe and started to cut the crop which was yet unripe.  The wife in bewilderment followed him and so did his friends and neighbors, who were amazed at the sight.  They failed to persuade him to desist, for he was too absorbed in his act.  Next morning Govind met his Guru, who had learnt that the crops had been cut.  The guru said, “I may have asked you to cut the crops, but should you not exercise your discrimination?”  “Maharaj,” said Govind “when everything has been surrendered where is the intellect to discriminate?”  The guru smiled and was pleased at the steadfast faith and total surrender of Govind.  At the harvesting time all were amazed to notice that Govind’s crop yielded the thrice the quantity, than it usually did.  The grace worked its own wonder.

– V. R.

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Mother as I see her

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

I do not claim to have true insight into the significance of Divine Mother’s life and purpose of advent and also the various aspects of Her wonderful personality.  But if anyone asks me to what is the outstanding character of Mother’s personality, I would say it is the fully manifested motherhood of God.  With Mother, this cosmic motherhood is not the fruit and fruition of disciplines, nor is it an attitude deliberately adopted for directing Her love and compassion to the seekers, disciples and devotees.  It is Her inherent attribute.  It was there ever since Her birth; though latent, at times it manifested itself to the wonder of Her parents.  To the eye of faith, it was as clear as daylight, and it was in the splendor of such a faith that Her father looked upon Her even in Her childhood, as the Divine Mother of the universe.  Later, she revealed Herself as Goddess Durga to him.

Motherhood implies self-abnegation, compassion, universal love, fortitude and patience, spirit of forgiveness and redemptive power.  These divine attributes inherent in Motherhood, helped Mother to play successfully the self-chosen roles of wife, the mother and the Guru.  In the role of wife, She acquitted Herself in remarkable perfection as the ideal queen of home, as the companion and guardian angel to Her Lord Shri Bhagawan.  Through this role as the wife, shone the Bharatiya tradition of an ideal sahadharmini extolled in the puranas and itihasas.  As the mother – not in the worldly sense, for Mother’s relationship with Her husband had been perfectly spiritual—She showed the world the eternal Brahman is also the eternal Mother of eternal creation.  The triumph of motherhood in Her private circle of home-life, was that She became the mother even of Her ‘patideva’ whom She reverentially addresses as ‘Deva’.  Does this not show that the culmination of bridal intimacy in the life of a dedicated wife in the realm of spirituality is nothing short of elevation into spiritual motherhood?  The woman is the embodiment of the shakti aspect of the Divine.  Quite naturally, motherhood is the latent in her and it blossoms into glory at the peak of her spiritual vision.  Mother has thus revealed to the world of women the immensity of powers latent in them as the God-ordained embodiments of motherhood.  Motherhood is a state, a spiritual status, accessible only to women dedicated to spirituality.  By giving births to children one becomes a mother only in the physical sense and not in the spiritual sense.

As the Guru, Divine Mother chose a sphere hitherto totally neglected, namely Grihasthashrama, for ministry of compassion.  To guide a competent seeker towards the vision of the Supreme is not difficult for a Guru; but to assume the responsibility of guiding and perfecting those who are steeped in delusion and entangled in worldliness, requires exceptional power, patience and perfection.  Hence this time, the Supreme Shakti, in the form of mother and the Guru, descended into the sphere of Grihasthashrama for redeeming men and women sunk in samsara and for restoring the order of home to its privileged position and forgotten glory.  In this respect itself, Mother is unique.  In the hierarchy of spiritual masters and saviours She shines by Her divine right as a personality of peerless compassion of motherhood.

I can only hear with a shudder when anybody says that Mother is a Grihastashrami.  Can Mother of the universe be confined to a particular order of life?  She is in all ashramas and all ashramas are in Her; yet she is above all ashramas.  She is the point to which all recognized orders of life converge, She is the great ocean in which all the four ashramas empty themselves.  Hallowed in perfection and divine excellences, Mother, out of the fullness of compassion, patterned Her life as a queen of home in Grihasthashrama.  That is all.  Let me make it clear that no one can be a Grihasthashrami like Divine Mother.  Emulation of Mother is not possible—we can humbly follow Her precepts and principles, deriving inspiration from Her life and resigning ourselves to Her grace.  This is the course of action open to us.  That picture of Mother’s life, is not a picture among pictures of the world.  It is the solitary picture, the art of divine perfection, the picture of unique charm, drawn by the supreme artist, God Himself in Himself.  No human life can even attain the beauty and the excellence of that picture.  We can realize our identity with Brahman, for that is our ultimate destiny; but to be like Mother in the perfection of a life which She has lived, is an impossibility.  This should not dishearten us, should not affect our ambition and aspiration adversely.  There may be mothers, saints, sages and avatars of Isvara; but Universal Mother is one, secondless.  She will ever shine in Her peerless glory.

In line with Masters of Wisdom, Mother too bases Her teaching on the intuition of the ultimate truth.  She has given us the true knowledge about the nature of our diversity.  But her greatness appears where She bridges the gulf between the world and God by the system of Her teaching and by the luminous example of Her own life.  Her perspective of life is one of adoration, not negation.  And to what celestial height has She not raised the sanctity of home!  I can say with all conviction and courage at my command that, if Grihasthashramis have regained today their spiritual status along with the race of ideal sanyasis, if they have ceased to look down on themselves as samsaris, it is because, Divine Mother is on this planet of ours, with Her gospel of Grihasthashrama and the power of Her redemptive grace.  The very remembrance of our spiritual relationship with Mother, the very thought that we are being guided by Mother, dispels gloom and weakness from us and brings the pure air of freedom to our mental atmosphere.  Imagine, brethren, what could be the dimension of such a personality, whose very thought can elevate us to peak of strength and self-mastery!  There are books and books written on the glory of Atmajnana; there are commentaries and commentaries on the Brahmasutra, the Upanishads and the Gita; there are numerous systems of yoga.  All these may fail to rescue the frail mortal in the hour of darkness and delusion and trials and temptations; but I can assure you that the very loving remembrance of Divine Mother Rama Devi invokes Her dynamic Omnipresence and Her protecting Hand appears to save us.  I do not mean that She has to make Herself manifest as a personality in order to save the suppliant.  She is power absolute.  And that power manifests itself as the inner light, as the discerning intelligence, as the capacity for self-restraint, as courage, as fortitude and patience, according to the nature of predicaments and situations.  This is the secret of inner poise in Mother’s devotees, both men and women, for whom life would have been otherwise a burden.  Time and space are no barrier to Mother’s self-manifestation.  With her cosmic eye She watches every step of Her children.  With Her mystic touches She guides, guards, consoles, converses, commands;  She is in constant communion, in an intensely personal way, with each and every ‘child’ of Hers.  That is, I should say, Her Yoga, the Yoga of mercy and maternal tenderness.  It is this Yoga of Hers that will lead us to the summit of yogic excellence.

The most blessed spot on earth is where Mother dwells in Her physical form.  In Her divine presence one enjoys the fruition of sadhana without any effort, namely the peace of the eternal.  The mind becomes calm, collected and indrawn.  A harmony is established between the inner divinity and external form.  We become familiar with a silence which we will not get even in the secluded Himalayan cave.  This silence is the silence of our Soul, not the silence of nature.  In that silence which one enjoys in Mother’s presence, crucial problems get themselves solved.  We get true, lasting, spiritual, education.  And to gaze upon that calm smile of eternal spirit on the placid countenance of Mother!  That is a vision which will never leave our heart.  That is the vision that purifies our minds and makes us captives in Her love.  I am sure that one gets that vision only after finishing in the previous births all kinds of disciplines and penances.  The places which Mother visits become suddenly charged with immense spiritual vibration, devotion and dedicated activity.  Mother remains in silence and bubbling enthusiasm possesses even the lazy ones.  I have come to feel that even birds, beasts and plants sense Mother’s arrival.

In Mother’s voice there is a celestial music.  It has the power to penetrate gross material layers of our personality and reach the recess of the soul.  It has captivating potency.  Simple in words, Mother’s utterances are fascinating in their power of appeal.  I have seen people immersed in prayers to just hear one word from Mother and to lock it safely for all times in the chamber of their hearts.  It is such heartfelt prayers that bring Mother down to this terrestrial plane from the imperious height of Her Samadhi and the depth of Her silence.  Listen to any discourse of Mother or to Her casual private and personal instructions, and you will find therein guidance for all times.  Listening to Her discourses at various places I have observed, another wonderful phenomenon, how Her stress is shifted from theme to theme according to the needs of the times and the type of the listeners.  To the bramhacharis, the stress will be on self-control and continence; to the Grihasthas, on disinterested performance of duty; to the woman on devotion to pathibhakti and svadharma; to the ailing and the aged, on the immortality of the soul and fearlessness at the time of death; to girls, on purity and chastity; to the boys, on obedience and ‘Matru Pitru Bhakti’; to the mean as a class, on spirit of independence, sympathy to and co-operation with their wives; to those of emotional temperament, on the glories of bhakti and surrender to God; to the intellectuals, on Brahmanishtha; to the book-learned, scholars and pundits, on the practice of sadhana and direct experience of Brahman; to the social servants, on self-abnegation; to the patriots, on desabhakti i.e., the vision of the country as God; to the soldiers, on courage and discipline.  People enquire sometimes as to what is Mother’s perspective and philosophy of perfection, transcending the schools of dvaita, vishishtaadvaita and advaita, yet including and accommodating all these paths.  For us, Mother is the path as well as the goal.

Mother’s silence too is might and majestic in its power to touch hearts and to transforms lives and minds.  For us, Her devotees, both are charming, Her speech as well as Her silence.  Having got Divine Mother as our guide, guardian and God, there is in us a wonderful sense of fulfillment, a sense of having arrived at the destination.  This is no illusory contentment, for our ardour and aspiration have assumed the form of silent adoration and sincere dedication.  What is there to attain after having got Divine Mother who is the supreme reality?  To be eternally related to Her as Her child, with our wills resigned to Her, with Her radiant image installed in our heart’s sanctuary, is in itself a spiritual experience.  I will go a step further.  It is liberation in the realm of love; it is worship with wisdom; it is life in pure ecstasy’ it is the glorious triumph of devotion over life’s monotony and drudgery.

G. Anandraya Kamath

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Unto the Feet of Mother

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

It is essential that an aspirant after God should have a Guru to guide him on the path.  A true Guru is one who has known Brahman and is one with Brahman.  The glories of the Sadguru cannot be exhausted in words, because he reflects divine excellence and is infinite in nature.  At critical junctures in human history, God Himself appears on earth in embodiment, assuming the role of the Guru and the savior.

One comes across a divine personage only by the grace of God.  It is said that when the Jiva aspires for God-vision, the Guru will come to him or Providence will mysteriously take the seeker to the feet of the Guru.  Men belong to two categories:  the seekers of material pleasure and the seekers of spiritual salvation.  Men of the former category always pursue pleasure in the objects of the world.  They are deluded to think that material comforts would bring peace and security.  The men of the latter category, namely, the seekers of liberation, know the hollowness of earthly vanities.  They long for the infinite bliss of God-experience.  With this spiritual yearning in their hearts, they adore the ascetics and sannyasis as symbols of renunciation.  They establish contacts with them with the hope that they will get solace, satisfaction and spiritual uplift.

Having set God-realization as the prime goal of life, I have been carrying an unspeakable burden and restlessness in my mind, in quest of God and search after the ideal Guru.  I yearned to see one who personified divinity, who could authoritatively teach me the sacred wisdom, who could lead me to the goal.  A few years ago, I took to spiritual disciplines and have been following a particular yoga path.  But real satisfaction did not come to me.  Anguish tormented my heart; craving for eternal bliss possessed my inner being; many times, musing over my predicament, I thought within myself that there would be no silver lining in the dark clouds hovering over my path of quest.  I used to estimate and re-estimate my ways of worship and meditation, adopting added methods besides my principal way of sadhana.  It was at this moment of inner turmoil that destiny gave me the privilege of acquaintance of an elevated soul, a staunch disciple of Divine Mother Sree Rama Devi, Mrs. Shanta Kudva by name.  With astonishing patience and affection of a mother, she consoled me.  She narrated to me every day numerous aspects and leelas of the wonderful divine personality of her Guru.  These narrations of Divine Mother’s glory and her own life of devotion, convinced me that here was a Divine Personage who could lead all, along the right and real path towards God-experience.  I saw the photographs of Divine Mother depicting diverse bhavas, Mahabhavas and Bhavaveshas, that revealed Her exalted divine state.  An awareness dawned on me that a Guru who can so easily assume the bhavas of various divinities and Avatars of God, must be transcendental in nature.

My contacts with Divine Mother’s disciples increased.  At this time, Mother’s program at Bangalore during May 1970 was announced.  I attended the program, I was made to sit very near Mother, which gave me the blissful opportunity of observing Mother’s radiant personality to my heart’s content.  Bhajan was in full swing.  Mother slipped into Samadhi.  My gaze got involuntarily fixed on her form and figure.  Her motionless statuesque form, the divine calm on Her face and the vibrations of elevating spirituality which She radiated:  these produced an arresting silence within me.  I felt a strange current rising up through my spinal column.  As it was ascending, my thoughts gradually lost hold on me.  At a certain stage, the mind was almost thought-free.  A blissful awareness alone remained.  After some time, I felt the downward pull and the mind again descended to the plane of thoughts.  The memory of that experience of thought-free silence thrilled me, increasing my yearning for lasting spiritual experience.  This was the first time, I had such an experience.  This was remarkable for a person who had no access to spiritual realm.  Here was a power, I thought, whose very presence could impart a spiritual calm and bestow a sublime experience.

The next occasion of my darshan of Divine Mother was during November 1970 when there was a program for Divine Mother for about four days.  With a prayerful mind, I took Mother’s darshan several times at close quarters.  Though, I had no occasion of speaking to Mother, I knew that my mind was an open book for her all-seeing vision.  As I was garlanding Mother’s Lotus Feet, the thought uppermost in my mind found spontaneous expression through Her lips.  During the crowded program, I was amazed to observe the “sahaja” poise of Divine Mother amidst surrounding outburst of bhakti and ceremonial demonstrations of worship.  A smile played and constantly stayed on Her lips, as Her natural attribute.  Whether the atmosphere as charged with commotion or quietude, there was not even the slightest change in Her attitude and responses.  Her immortal peace revealed the spontaneity of Her Brahmic Consciousness.  She appeared to be the very embodiment of absolute perfection.

During the diamond jubilee celebrations of Divine Mother held at Ahmednagar, more and more facets of Mother’s personality were revealed to me.  I saw Her absorbed in samadhi;  I saw Her in different divine moods and bhavas;  I saw Her as Supreme Shakti, wielding mystic mudras and blessing the world of jivas;  I saw Her responding to devotion, receiving worship in supreme detachment;  I saw Her in animated conversation with the bhaktas and the purohits;  I saw Her distributing prasad to the poor showering mercy on each and every one;  I saw Her delivering discourses on profound themes of spirituality.  In the midst of all these activities, She was still in Her supreme spiritual isolation, maintaining Her serenity and unbroken divine calmness.  During the ceremonial procession, Her form used to glow and appeared to be changing in size.

With these contacts and experience, I got thoroughly convinced of Mother’s divinity.  Still, a tiny veil stood between me and my peace.  I had heard from many people that it was a great mistake and perhaps unpardonable to leave one’s guru and take to another spiritual personage for guidance.  Doubt and fear were lurking deep within me on account of this.  Emotionally, I belonged to Mother and Her path;  but the doubt within me did not allow me to throw myself completely at Mother’s Feet.  It was at this stage that I happened to attend a class talk of Divine Mother.  During that talk, Mother referred to the Avataric personality as the Guru of the world.  Being the Guru of the gurus, He was the ultimate refuge and savior.  At His Feet, there arose no question of whether it was proper to leave one’s Guru or not, for He is the Satchidananda Guru guiding the jivas through personality of various gurus.  Mother’s assertive assurance that She would accept all those who take refuge in Her dispelled the clouds of doubt, fear and uncertainity from my mind.  I accepted Her as my Guide, Guru and Goal.

Divinity is not a truth to be proved by logical reasoning.  It is to be perceived through the eye of faith.  Faith dawns only by God’s grace.  Marvelous faith in Divine Mother’s gift to Her children.  With this faith in their possession, even death poses no challenge to them.  They leave the body in the profound peace of Truth-vision.  Death thus becomes a passage to peace and blessedness for them.  A few months ago, I myself have seen with my own eyes how faith can make men immortal, how Divine Mother’s grace can liberate the jiva from the samsaric bondage.  It was Friday the 20th August, 1971.  After finishing his office duties, Shri P. N. Kudva, an elderly disciple of Divine Mother, returned home at about 6 p.m.  He was looking hale and healthy as everybody knew him.  There used to be bhajan programs at his house every Tuesdays and Fridays.  That afternoon, he went out to bring some household articles from the nearby town.  At the time of ‘mangalarathi’ he entered the bhajan hall in his house and took prasadam.  He chatted with all the devotees.  At about 8.30 p.m. or so, he complained about a slight chest pain.  His wife gave him a cup of mild adding a little pooja prasadam to it and started rubbing his chest with a pain balm, all the while repeating Mother’s Name.  After some time, he became absolutely alright.  Then suddenly, he turned his head towards the nearby photograph of Divine Mother and remained in that posture with his eyes fixed on Mother.  Without any violent breathing or shaking of the body, that blessed soul left the body in absolute peace.  A smile and a profound peace were observed on his countenance until his body was cremated at Mercara.  When an ordinary man dies, he makes such a commotion that personas standing nearby will have a frightening sight, but Kudvamam’s face reflected absolute serenity indicating thereby that death had no victory over him, but he conquered death by his ecstatic merger at Divine Mother’s Lotus Feet.

Out of innumerable incidents, the above is just one that suggest the supreme divinity and saving power of our Divine Mother.  The Divine alone can liberate the jivas.  Whenever I think of Divine Mother’s redeeming grace, I am reminded of the promise given by Bhagawan Sree Krishna:

“Fix your mind on Me;  be devoted to Me;  sacrifice to Me;  prostrate before Me;  so shall you come to Me.  This is My pledge to you, for you are dear to Me.”

–          A. M. Devaiah.

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