SomeSept 2019 Musings on the Holy Mother 1

SWAMI BALABHADRANANDA

ri says in the Kathamrita ways are inscrutable and that whatever we S(The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna): say about her can at best be a conjecture “Whenever anyone assumes a human form, and not a conclusion. he has to come to the domain of This was true of all Incarnations in Adyashakti.” He further says, “With the the past; also that their divine consorts help of Adyashakti, God sports as an provided them with the powers that were Incarnation. God through his Shakti required for the fulfillment of their incarnates himself as man. Then alone does respective missions. But unlike the Holy it become possible for the Incarnation to Mother, in this Age, they played their roles carry on his work. Everything is due to from the background, quietly. Perhaps they Shakti of the Divine Mother.” So when themselves wished so, which is why their places the Holy great silent roles defied the attention and Mother on a higher pedestal than Sri comprehension of people at large. Ramakrishna, it must not be taken as a The Chandi says, once as expressed mere emotional exuberance — it is correct by the sage Markandeya and again as what from this point of view. Pure Brahman may the gods themselves felt, that man can have be higher than Adyashakti, because moksha, liberation from bondage, only Adyashakti is but Brahman’s Shakti, but when the Divine Mother is pleased with an Avatara or Divine Incarnation is not. him. The Mother herself declares in the An Avatara is always subservient Chandi, as excerpted from one of the to Adyashakti, and remaining so only he ’ fundamental scriptures, Rigveda, fulfills his divine mission in the manner and that if she wishes she can make of a man magnitude it is needed for the world. This a rishi, a seer of the Supreme Truth or is the eternal law concerning an Avatara anything else . and his divine mission. That is why, perhaps, The same Adyashakti has appeared in most cases when God incarnated himself now as , in her first-ever role as Avatara, Adyashakti also preferred to in a human body as a tangible, universal make her advent as a human being. She Mother — as the mother of the wicked as perhaps felt that she could help the well as the mother of the virtuous. We had Avatara better in his divine mission if she not experienced any goddess to be so experienced the same prevailing conditions motherly and any mother to be so godly, of the earth along with the Avatara. That every day and at every moment. So far, is why, perhaps, the world has witnessed only a handful of realized souls might have divine couples such as Radha and , comprehended in the innermost recesses Sita and , Vishnupriya and Chaitanya, of their hearts the universal motherhood Yashodhara and Buddha. We may need to of the Divine Mother. But after studying use many a ‘perhaps’ in this essay, as we the unique life of Sri Sarada Devi on this are aware that we are discussing earth, everybody can comprehend that to Adyashakti or Mahamaya here whose a great extent. One can now believe more

Swami Balabhadrananda is the Assistant General Secretary of and Mission. 2 Samvit Sept 2019 easily that love and affection for humankind Holy Mother gave a single-word reply in actually exists in the unseen hearts of the the affirmative. Hearing her voice, Sri unseen goddesses—just as Sri Sarada Devi Ramakrishna immediately realized his had. Goddesses Durga, and others mistake and said apologetically: “Oh, it is owe this comprehension to Sri Sarada Devi. you! I took you for . Please do To enable the world to accept Sri not mind!” But still, he could not sleep the Sarada Devi with due shraddha, the entire night. At day-break, he immediately Avatara of this age himself came forward. went to her and said, “Look, I couldn’t Sometimes he would declare his consort’s sleep the whole night. I felt very bad for greatness straightaway, referring to her addressing you so disrespectfully.” divinity as: O ki je se? O amar Shakti (Don’t Why was Sri Ramakrishna so consider her as one of the common run of concerned that he inadvertently expressed women. She is my Power). At other times even the slightest disrespect to Sri Sarada he would only give hints to the effect, Devi? Why did he repeatedly try to draw saying: “Have I married someone who lives our attention to Sri Sarada Devi’s greatness? on leaves and stems of gourds?” By this he Because knowing her as the Divine Mother meant that he could never have married an or at least as divinely powerful was ordinary woman. The one whom God necessary for both the spiritual and material accepts as His consort, cannot but be an well-being of the people of the world. Time incarnation of the Goddess Herself. He and again, Sri Ramakrishna pointed out that once warned Hriday, who dared to behave Maya, who casts her intriguing knowledge- rudely with the Holy Mother: “If the One covering shroud on everyone in the residing in this (pointing to himself) becomes universe, not sparing even Brahma, Vishnu, angry with you, you may still have chances and Maheshwara from her sway, makes to survive. But if the One residing in Her an exception only in one case: If anyone (meaning Sri Sarada Devi) is displeased with addresses her as ‘mother’, she does not you, even Brahma, Vishnu or Maheshwara bewitch him or her. It is as if she feels will not be able to protect you.” ashamed to do so. So the only way to win By his behaviour with Sri Sarada over Maya is to treat her as one’s mother. Devi also, Sri Ramakrishna sometimes It is, therefore, a great blessing for the clearly indicated her greatness. One day entire mankind that the ever-enchanting he mistook her for his niece, Lakshmi, who Maya, on Her own, has appeared in this he thought had brought him his meal for Age as a natural motherly personality, in the night and without looking at her, he the form of Sri Sarada Devi. Because of said, “Jabar samay darjata bandha kore her advent, people of the world can now diye jas (close the doors when you leave look upon the Maya-incarnate, Sri Sarada the room)” Now, the word ‘jas’ Devi, spontaneously as their own mother corresponds to the English word ‘go’ but and get enabled thus, even ignorantly, to the form in which Sri Ramakrishna used the go beyond Maya and reach the supreme. word was only proper for addressing That is why Sri Ramakrishna repeatedly juniors who need not be shown much draws our attention to Sri Sarada Devi’s respect. The appropriate word in this case greatness, because if we fail to recognize should have been ‘jeo’ instead of ‘jas’. The her as Mahamaya or the Divine Mother, it Sept 2019 Some Musings on tne Holy Mother 3 will be a great spiritual loss to us. We will then Taraknath Ghosal, complained to him not be able to pierce through the veil of that he could not concentrate his mind well Maya to see our resplendent Self, which while he attempted to meditate. Sri we are in a position now to do more easily Ramakrishna’s solution was as simple as by our prayers and submission to the Holy this: “Ore Ma-kebal, Ma-kebal (My boy, Mother. That is why we find Sri report it to the Mother)”. By this he Ramakrishna apologetic and repentant in perhaps meant that the Mother, who rules the incident narrated above, although his the universe, rules our minds also. mistake was totally unintentional. He Therefore, if she wills, she can send our wanted to drive home through the incident, mind into meditation in no time. Mother as a lesson for mankind, that the great can do everything and is doing everything. power that has descended in our midst in That is why Sri Ramakrishna’s the form of Sri Sarada Devi, cannot be sadhana began with Mother-worship and shown the slightest disrespect even proceeding through diverse spiritual paths unknowingly. within and outside , it ended again We know that Sri Ramakrishna in Mother-worship, with the difference that always considered himself as a child of the the Mother was worshipped in the last Divine Mother. One day at Dakshineshwar case not in any image but in the human form while he was going to the Kali Temple to of his own consort, and as Goddess pay his daily respects to the Mother, he Shodashi. After this, he had an effortless found the stairs slippery due to rain on vision of Christ, followed by innumerable previous few days. He went down on all visions of gods, goddesses, and fours, like a child, to climb the stairs, with incarnations throughout the rest of his life, these words on his lips, “Mother, see that for which he did not need to undertake I do not fall.” Again, when Totapuri offered any new sadhana. His sadhanas actually to teach him Advaita , he said, “I ended with the Shodashi Puja. do not know anything about it. My Mother Sri Ramakrishna had performed this only knows whether or not I should learn Shodashi Puja in his own room on the night this from you.” Totapuri said, “Then go and of Phalaharini and when the ask your mother.” Totapuri was under the worship was over, he surrendered himself, impression that Sri Ramakrishna was his rosary, and the fruit of his life-long referring to his biological mother. But Sri sadhana at the feet of the living image, Sri Ramakrishna actually went to Mother Kali Sarada Devi. It may seem from it that in the temple to seek permission and without any self-effort, Sri Sarada Devi returning from the temple reported to thus became the overnight inheritor of the Totapuri that he had received her immeasurable spiritual treasures of Sri permission. So we find that from the Ramakrishna. As if, Sri Ramakrishna was simplest daily act to an issue of supreme the giver and Sri Sarada Devi, the receiver. spiritual importance — he would be ever But actually it was not so. It was not a dependent on the Divine Mother. He would case of transmission of Sri Ramakrishna’s try to instill this total dependence on the spiritual powers to Sri Sarada Devi. The Mother into the hearts of his young Shodashi Puja was but a process by which disciples also. Once Swami , the Divine Powers, which were ever Sri 4 Samvit Sept 2019

Sarada Devi’s, were invoked. Without this fulfillment in the spiritual practices enjoined invocation, the Divine Mission of the by the Kali-kula, one is not entitled to avatara of the Age could not be initiated, practice in the mode of the Shri-kula. We and also it was true that this invocation find that, as though by the will of the Divine could not be effected by anybody other Mother, Sri Ramakrishna first plunged into than the Avatara himself. spiritual practices following the Kali-kula Once the Holy Mother’s dormant tradition, and after attaining perfection in powers were awakened, Sri Ramakrishna’s that mode only, he had switched to the mission as an avatara also started because sadhana of Shri-kula mode. her powers were the powers with which Incidentally, the sannyasins of the Sri Ramakrishna was to accomplish his Divine belong to the Puri sect, Mission. He was now one of the ten sects found to be preaching introduced by among Keshab Sen and Shankaracharya, as Sri other Brahmo leaders of Ramakrishna was Calcutta, who, initiated into sannyasa by impressed by his spiritual Totapuri who belonged talks and his frequent to this sect. Now, the communion with God, presiding deity of this Puri began to publish about sect is Kamakshi who is him in the Brahmo also known as Shodashi, journals. This was S h r i v i d y a , instrumental in drawing Tripurasundari, Lalita and sincere young men to Rajarajeshwari. These Dakshineshwar at his are all different names of feet, the foremost among the one and the same whom was supreme Para-shakti or Narendranath, the future Primordial Mother. In Swami Vivekananda. Kanchipuram in South We will now look India, there is a temple of at the Shodashi worship Bhavatarini at Goddess Kamakshi, in by the Master from the which the idol of Tantric perspective. in India is said Shodashi as well as the Shri Yantra (the to have two systems or streams. The mystical diagram) were set up by none system prevalent in the eastern region, other than Sri Shankaracharya. We have especially in Bengal, is called Kàli-kula while seen that the Master first attained the one practised in the South is called Shri- perfection in the disciplines prescribed by kula. The presiding deity of the Kàli-kula the Kali-kula stream of Tantra, and only is obviously Goddess Kali, while the after that, Totapuri gave him sannyasa. In presiding deity of the other school is other words, before he became a Goddess Shodashi, also known as Puripanthi monk, he became eligible to Shrividya. It is said that without attaining undertake sadhana as per the Shri-kula Sept 2019 Some Musings on the Holy Mother 5 system. And having come to the Shri-kula but that time also I got the same reply— through his sannyasa, he now prepared “There is a difference.” himself to worship the presiding deity of Much later I came across the this tradition, Goddess Shodashi. How did interpretation of Sri Ramakrishna’s he perform this worship? He did this Shodashi puja, which I have explained worship neither in an image of the Goddess earlier, and in an article by Swami Shodashi, nor in the Shri Yantra, but in the Hiranmayananda in Shatarupe Sarada. Then living image of Sri Sarada Devi herself. only I realized that a knower of Brahman, Sri Ramakrishna described Sri Sarada such as, Swami Nirvanananda was not Devi as . Swami Vivekananda speculating —Holy Mother’s true nature called her the living Durga. Swamiji also had been revealed to him. What referred to her as Devi Bagala. And Sarada Ramakrishna said about her, that she was Devi herself confided to Shibu Dada Saraswati, is true. That she was Goddess (Shivaram, her nephew) that she was Kali. Durga or Bagala, as Vivekananda said of From the above statements it could mean her, is also true, and also true is what Sri that all deities are the same. However, they Sarada Devi herself said of herself, that she are not exactly the same. was the Goddess Kali. All these statements I beg the opportunity here to narrate were true in the sense that Durga, an incident on a personal note. When we Saraswati, Jagaddhatri, Lakshmi, and all joined the Ramakrishna Math to become others are but partial manifestations of the monks, revered Swami Nirvanananda perennial Cosmic Power (Adyashakti) or Maharaj was the senior-most Vice- the Divine Mother, while Shodashi is that President. He was held in very high esteem Power in its entirety. Therefore, as the in the Order because he was a disciple as incarnation of Goddess Shodashi, Sri well as sevak (attendant) of Swami Sarada Devi is the concentrated and highest Brahmananda, who had blessed him saying manifestation of Adyashakti; Saraswati, that he would attain the knowledge of Durga, Kali and others are her constituent Brahman in this very life. Swami parts and aspects. Shivananda, another disciple of Sri There is a in the Tantra called Ramakrishna, predicted the same thing. the Trikuta Mantra which has three parts. When I was a brahmachari at the Training One part is called—vak-bhava-kuta Centre at Belur, I had the opportunity of comprising these five letters: ka e ii la serving him a little. At that time I asked hreem. This part of the mantra stands for him once: “Maharaj, Holy Mother herself knowledge or jnana and Saraswati is its is the Goddess Durga, isn’t she?” He presiding deity. Another part of the mantra listened but said, “There is some is kama-raj-kuta comprising the letters ha, difference.” His answer could not satisfy sa, ka, ha, la, hreem. This part of the me, because Swami Vivekananda himself Trikuta Mantra represents iccha, the desire said that Sri Sarada Devi was the “Living or will, and its presiding deity is Kali. The Durga”. I thought he was perhaps in a third and last part of the Mantra is called different mood now; that was why he said Shakti kuta having the four letters sa,ka, la so. So later, one day, I got another and hreem in it. It represents kriya, activity opportunity to ask him the same question, and energy. Durga is its presiding deity. 6 Samvit Sept 2019

What about Goddess Shodashi or Shri therefore, neither needed to hear the Vidya? She is the presiding deity of the ambrosial words of Sri Ramakrishna nor Trikuta Mantra as a whole, representing was it good for mankind that she heard the entire gamut of Divine Power them at that point of time. Was it not true expressed through jnana, iccha and kriya. that till then Radhu (Holy Mother’s niece) That is to say, she is the quintessence of was not as yet born and the future disciples this mantra in which there are Goddesses had not started coming? Till then, there was Saraswati, Durga, Kali and all others. Thus nothing around her to bind her pure mind it is clear that the power that descended with the world. Any reference to God or as Ma Sarada on the earth in this Age was spiritual matters could have reminded her the Adyashakti or Primordial Power herself. of her real Self and she would have gone Before the Shodashi puja, Holy back to her divine realm without even Mother’s power lay dormant. However, initiating the destined role she was to play borrowing from that power itself, Sri as Sri Ramakrishna’s divine consort. And Ramakrishna performed all his sadhanas. without her, Sri Ramakrishna’s Divine Sri Sarada Devi was not aware of her own Mission also would not have commenced. power at that point and the time was also In the famous article in Bengali not ripe for that. One may recall in this entitled Hindu dharma O Sri Ramakrishna, context one incident concerning them both. Vivekananda describes Sri Ramakrishna as When the Holy Mother was about fourteen the most perfect among all the Incarnations years old, Sri Ramakrishna went to who has come in the previous Ages. He is and spent a few days. In the endowed with all spiritual ideals possible. evening, local women would come to the By his advent as the incarnation of this Age, Master to listen to his holy words. Mother he has nourished all the branches of also came there from and would learning. He is, in fact, the renewed join the other women to hear his words. manifestation of the earlier founders of But she would fall asleep in no time, as she religions. Elsewhere Swamiji describes Sri would be very tired after doing the day’s Ramakrishna as avatara varishtha, the household chores. Other women would try greatest among the incarnations. Taking our to awaken her. But Sri Ramakrishna would cue from what Swamiji has said in the tell them, “Don’t rouse her now. If she aforementioned article on Sri Ramakrishna listens to all these talks on God, would she and Hinduism, we can say that by referring remain here (on this earth) anymore? She to him as the ‘greatest’ he meant that God would run back hastily.” revealed his divine qualities and powers to Surely no one there could understand the greatest extent possible hitherto, in the the significance of these words of Sri personality of Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna’s. Unlike others, Sri Sarada The need of this age was great for Devi did not require any further spiritual such a manifestation. And the main criterion elevation for which Sri Ramakrishna’s of the greatness of the Incarnation of the words are ever sought after. Rather, she present Age lies not in the supersession but was the giver of and mukti and in the acceptance of the greatness of all everything spiritual, being the Divine the previous incarnations and their Mother incarnate. Sri Sarada Devi, teachings. But he is the greatest, in the Sept 2019 Some Musings on the Holy Mother 7 sense just described, only because the Ramakrishna’s divine mission and enabled Adyashakti or Primordial Energy appeared him to be avatara varishtha. One, this time with her greatest power. She as therefore, cannot but marvel at the depth Shodashi Sarada, our Holy Mother, and expanse of the Ramakrishna-Sarada provided all power and support to Sri Incarnation.

On a Stormy Night Came She

– DEVANJALEE SEN

O n a stormy night came She, A nd asked for a corner of my house to rest; “I only need a corner to rest” - pleaded She. Seeing H er plight, joyfully I offered A corner in my tiny altar. B efore I could know, Q uietly She stretched H er legs A nd intruded my territory. A nd stealthily, She broke into my shrine and coloured it with H er love, M aking me H er bond servant forever thus! Master8 Teaches Mother:Samvit Secular strictures withSept 2019 Spiritual Significance SUMITA ROY

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owever much is spoken or written appellation is ‘chand mama’), so also is God Habout the unique relationship of the the nearest and dearest of every individual Great Master, Sri Ramakrishna whoever is genuinely seeking this Paramahamsa and his divine consort the realization. He was strict where necessary: Holy Mother, Sri Sarada Devi, still when he found young Sarada and her something remains unsaid, un-thought companion, his niece Lakshmi in bed at the about. time of meditation during the auspicious When his family was at its wit’s end hour of dawn, he did not hesitate to pour to find a bride for Gadai, in order to curtail water on their bed to teach them a lesson. his divine “madness”, it was this God- He tested Sarada at various times: after intoxicated young man who pointed out she arrived in Dakshineswar for the first the child bride from Jayrambati specially time, Sri Ramakrishna asked her whether ordained for him. And when after marriage she wanted a worldly union implying that he met this pure little girl bride intermittently this would drag his mind to a lower plane; during his visits to his native village, the Sarada passed the test with flying colours thought came to his mind that she was when she replied that she had come only completely dependent on him for her to assist him in his chosen path and not to growth and development. He took this be an impediment. Awakening her divinity responsibility very seriously, and joyously, by the worship he offered to her during thus beginning to mould his first disciple the Shodashi Puja, the Great Master and one of the greatest supports for his established the primacy of the motherhood future spiritual mission. of God and gave an exceptional Long before it became evident that interpretation to our ancient traditions. a silent revolution of positive and inclusive In addition to this obvious spiritual spirituality was being incubated in the dimension, the Mother’s training included womb of time, began the fashioning of the many so-called mundane, householders’ lady who would steer its course in the most tasks or secular tenets. We are told that unobtrusive yet illuminating way, and grow cooking was one of them—the amount of into the sangha janani of the Order which salt to be put in a preparation reveals much would come into existence decades later. about the person’s inner qualities; she learnt Many hints and pointers to the kind how to prepare betel rolls with the right of training the Master gave to young amount of chun/chunna (calcium Sarada are scattered in the literature carbonate) and how to roll it so that it available to us today. He made spirituality would not come undone even when tossed simple with live examples: pointing to the around; she was told how to trim the wick moon, he told her that just like the moon is of a lamp; another lesson was on proper everyone’s uncle (in Bengal the popular etiquette for interpersonal contexts, that

Prof. Sumita Roy is the Former Head of Department of English, Osmania University, Hyderabad. Sept 2019 Master Teaches Mother 9 is, how to make people one’s own by being to it does not make the flame smoke. non-judgemental and adaptable. She later All this teaches attention to detail. described how Sri Ramakrishna had taught The soot can be metaphoric of the worldly her the art of massaging by doing this blackness that collects on the surface of practically on her own body. She learnt the the mind which unless scrapped every day rules of travel—how to get into a boat first makes the mind sluggish and unfit for higher and get off last, how to care for the realization. A well-trimmed wick is easy luggage, how not to put her arm out of a to light while an untrimmed wick requires train window when she had a precious much wasted effort to kindle. amulet on her arms. Also the Thus we read Master compared a about an entire flickering flame to a course in education disturbed mind and a which seems to far steady flame to a exceed in excellence mind capable of the modern day hi- realization. Unless tech education. To the wick is placed go into the deeper correctly, smeared significance of some with oil and kept of these would be away from direct the thrust of the breeze, a steady present discussion. flame cannot be obtained. Every II aspect of caring for the lamp including its To begin with, daily polishing for trimming the wick of shine are metaphors a lamp may seem which the Master such a marginal task has used to guide an today when light is aspirant on the got from sources Sri Sarada Devi spiritual path. other than the lamp. Therefore, the But it has such subtle and far-ranging mention of the Master teaching the Mother nuances that we can learn much about how to trim the wick of a lamp is not just inwardness from this brief description of a casual observation—it is an entire course what the Master communicated to the in spirituality. Mother. In a village of the 19th century, the lamp was an important part of everyday III existence as electricity was something unheard of. To get the maximum light from Cooking/preparing betel rolls was a lamp, the wick has to be of proper length, another of the lessons for the Mother right thickness, etc.; it needs to be cleaned which leaves a lasting message for everyday so that the black soot sticking posterity. A person who is able to judge 10 Samvit Sept 2019 the right amount of ingredients in a recipe mental felicity but has a huge role to play has to exercise various skills of mind and in the path of spiritual evolution. In which body. The Master often said that it was case food and cooking and serving move due to the cooking of the Holy Mother that out of the mundane ambit and acquire his body was preserved in good health for transformative meaning. such a long time. The Mother on her part Similarly, rolling betel leaves with could undergo any number of hardships proper ingredients and folding them neatly only to ensure that the Master got the are not indicative of efficiency in action nourishment he needed—going so far as alone. It has various other implications. to boil the milk to thicken it so that he One of them is evident in the Mother’s reply would not object to being overfed, in spite to a devotee who asked her whether she of the discomfort to herself of working was preparing special paan for the Master tirelessly over a hot flame. and ordinary ones for the others. To this The Mother’s behaviour and attitude the Mother said that the Master was here teach us how to do such an apparently already her own, so she need not make an insignificant job as cooking. The person effort to make special ones for him. But who is cooking has to do the job with those guests who came to visit for the first wholehearted concentration. We often time had to be endeared so the special find in these days of “take-aways” that effort of making paan with various special people are reluctant to cook and if anyone ingredients. does it, there is most often no pleasure in And the point about preparing rolls the task. It seems like a reluctant drudgery. that could be tossed around without One can cite the example of the Mother spoiling the shape is a subtle hint that a cooking day and night for the numerous spiritual person has to be dextrous in all devotees who came to her life-long. The matters; spiritual elevation is no excuse for Master’s and Mother’s covert message here slipshod ways of performing any task is that food cooked with a negative mind however unimportant it may seem. In is like poison and one which is cooked with other words, real spirituality implies joy is like amrita. efficiency in all aspects of life—a message Serving food is the first step to that is oft repeated in the Gita. spirituality as it has been famously noted that no spiritual progress is possible on an IV empty stomach. We recall the Mother’s assurance that she would take the Travel and family are two important responsibility of the spiritual progress of pointers in this training which the Mother the Master’s “sons” when she was asked was acquiring from her beloved Master. not to give them too much food which Boat rides were a part of her repeated would hinder their spiritual austerities. journeys from her village to Dakshineswar. Another important point to In spiritual terms the journey of life is often remember is that our traditions lay great compared to a boat-ride and the world as emphasis on the kind of food one eats and an endless expanse of water which the the gunas that ensue as a result. Food not individual has to traverse in order to reach only converts to physical energy and the shore of liberation. Sept 2019 Master Teaches Mother 11

The Master told the Mother that she Mental peace is an essential prerequisite should get into the boat first, meaning that for inward progress and therefore a spiritual with each new passenger entering the boat aspirant’s first goal. Again and again in it would rock and she would be the numerous places both the Master and the steadying influence to keep the balance of Mother have spoken about the mind and “the boat”. One is reminded in this context its control. And the best way to ensure that before leaving his mortal frame, the inner discipline and exhibit a controlled mind Master entreated the Holy Mother to is to practice these lessons in the family. continue the spiritual work which he had Innumerable such instances lead us started and she had at first seemed to conclude that the Master was teaching hesitant. But later she became that shore the entire humanity through the Mother and where hundreds found spiritual succour and the Mother being a model learner was in the promise to leave the boat last, after passing on these invaluable lessons to the everyone has disembarked, the Holy world. Mother gives hope to posterity that as long as there is even a single person who needs V her help she is not going to abandon “the boat”. In what has come to be considered Next is the interpersonal relationships as typically the style of the Great Master, within the large families that were a norm in this training which he so carefully in those times. The Master taught Holy imparted to the Holy Mother we find an Mother how to adapt to circumstances and inclusive aspect which does not categorize how to be self-effacing in order to win the anything as good or bad, secular or sacred, regard of other members of the family. We important or unimportant. Every aspect of read how the little Sarada would eat spicy life is central if it is coloured with the food prepared by the Master’s guru thought that every path leads to the chosen Bhairavi Brahmani and praise it although ideal and every task is a service of tears came out of her eyes and no other dedication. women in the house could even touch that So we march ahead keeping in mind hot and spicy dish. Later in life her inclusion that life itself is a lesson; nothing happens of her nieces in the decision making without the will of the Divine; the Cosmic processes and telling everyone to make “the Controller has a blueprint for our progress world your own” shows that the Mother which we are actualizing, whether became adept at human interaction. She consciously or otherwise does not matter; refused to find fault with anyone or say because the final end of the teaching and hurtful truths because she knew that this testing is going to be a report card which would disturb the harmony of the is ensured by the loving Mother and the household and take away peace of mind. affectionate Master.