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Hinduism
Holy Mother Ma Saradadevi
 Mother. The single word encompasses
tremendous emotional volume, of
love, selflessness, sacrifice, security, and calm repose. Mother. The sweet music brings
holiness and purity of thought to the mind. It brings
forth the serene power of creation and sustenance through the ages. Like
Mother Earth, the human motherhood also creates, sustains, and fulfills the physical and
emotional needs of its children without any grudge or
irritation.
Such simplicity, frugality, purity and grandeur, was embodied in the form of the Holy Mother Ma Sarada Devi, the
spiritual consort of Sri
Ramakrishna.
Born in a quiet, tiny village of Jayarambati in West Bengal, in the year
1853, she was married to Sri Ramakrishna in her early childhood. As the Divine play had it, they lived a pure life without physical sense
enjoyment. Her marriage with Sri Ramakrishna was an example of 'union of
two souls', and not of two bodies in usual sense as we understand. We get
reference of such "Union of Souls" or Divine Love Relationship, in
the life of Sri Krishna and Radha (and other Milk-maids of Vrindavan).
After staying with her parents, Ma Sarada Devi joined her husband at
Dakshineswar in the year 1871. Sri Ramakrishna received her with respect and warmth. He asked her about the purpose of their marriage, to
which
Ma Sarada replied, "I have come to help you in your efforts to seek God.
By forcing physical relationship, I do not want to drag you down to the sensate worldly plane."
Sri Ramakrishna accepted her as his first disciple and worshiped her as Mother of Universe, Divine Universal Power, and surrendered all his
spiritual realizations at her Holy Feet. He used to say, "Sarada is Shakti,
the Power; like the Sun and its light, fire and its warmth, milk
and its whiteness, and diamond and its luster. She is knowledge personified, and
the world will learn a lot from her."
In the year 1886, when Sri Ramakrishna developed serious illness of throat, and knew that his life on this earth was short, he told Ma
Sarada to look after and help spiritual upliftment of thousands of the people
entangled in the mesh of worldliness.
The Holy Mother shouldered this great responsibility of spiritual awakening of masses with calm repose and maturity. Her silence,
holiness, purity, and impromptu replies to complicated spiritual dilemmas
will always remain etched in the golden letters. For twenty
four years after the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna, she effectively carried out the aims
and objectives of Ramakrishna Math & Mission. This
she accomplished by immense faith in the Divinity of Sri Ramakrishna, constant prayers, and
Japa-sadhana.
Once she prayed to God, "O Lord, there is a semblance of black spot on the Moon; let my life and character be more spotless, pure, clean, and
calm than the Moon."
It may be difficult for us to understand the purpose of her Mission of simplicity and purity in this fast materialistic culture. However, in
the words of Swami Gambhirananda: in this era of information explosion and
scientific discoveries, the enemy is not outside demon or
Daitya, but is inside our mind in the form of desires and wants, lust and
power - vasanas.
"So in the present incarnation (as the Holy Mother) there is no clanging
of weapons or the din of war; but there is abundance of modesty, humility,
purity, goodness, practical love, and spiritual experience.
Moreover, the Deity has not only to remove the obstacles, She has also to establish new
goals and create fresh aspirations; and this is a
tremendous task. …. As the whole of humanity has to be raised to a higher pitch of realization,
Divine Power Herself takes the field."
During her last illness, Holy Mother's advice to one of her devotees is the
supreme statement of universality of spirit, human understanding,
and oneness of soul; said she: "If you want peace, don't find faults with others,
but find fault rather with yourself. Learn to make the
world your own. Nobody is a stranger, my dear; the world is yours."
All this may appear very strange and full of superstitions to many, but the
truth must be told. Its significance and explanation can wait for
future.
Books on the life of the Holy Mother:
1) Holy Mother: Sri Sarada Devi , by Swami Gambhirananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, Madras 600 004, India
2) Sri Sarada Devi the Great Wonder, A compilation, Advaita Ashrama, 5, Dehi Entally Road, Calcutta 700 014, India
– Dr.
C.S. Shah
January 2000
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