An Image of Love and Sacrifice- Yashoda Maiyya
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AN IMAGE OF LOVE AND SACRIFICE- YASHODA MAIYYA Yashoda Maiyya was Dada Lekhraj’s wife. Dadi Nirmala Shanta is her lokik daughter and Narayan Dada is her younger lokik son. Dadi Brij Indra was her elder daughter in-law. She had two sons and three daughters. Yashoda Maiyya served in the Patna centre, Bihar from 1957 to 1958. She left her body on 16th June, 1961 in Mumbai. The most fortunate Yashoda Maiyya was Dada Lekhraj’s life partner and the Lakshmi of Fortune in his home. She was an elevated yogi. She knew God had incarnated in her husband’s body. She was a gem among females who made great sacrifices; she not only sacrificed her wealth, gold, property and other things but also her entire family—husband, son, daughter, daughter in-law. She surrendered everything to God. Kunj Dadi from Patna recounted, ‘in 1957–58, I lived with Yashoda Maiyya. She was an image of love and sacrifice. She never kept anything of her own for herself. She never used to drink a cup of tea without my company. She wouldn’t eat unless I ate, she used to wait for me.’ She would say, ‘how can I eat before a kumari eats?’ She had lots of love for all kumaris and sustained us deeply’. ALL IN ONE MOMENT During her lokik life, she was a great devotee, believing that her husband was God. She always obeyed her husband. When she began listening to gyan, she was his companion in every aspect; she helped Baba in every way. She accepted everything Baba said. When Brahma Baba surrendered all his movable and immovable property to the Yagya, he told Yashoda Maiyya, ‘I’m surrendering everything I have—body, mind, wealth—what will you do?’ She said, even I will surrender everything I have into the Yagya.’ For most of her life, she had worn jewellery worth millions of rupees; she took off everything and surrendered each piece to Baba, but she kept one nose stud. Baba asked her, ‘why do you have your nose stud? Yashoda Maiyya said, ‘this is a symbol of a married woman.’ Baba challenged her, ‘you kept this for me?’ Since I belong to Shiva Baba, what will you do with that? Then Maiyya removed the nose stud too. In countless ways, she sacrificed all her lokik riches into the Yagya and lived the same renunciate life like other BK mothers and kumaris. 1 EGOLESS Despite her high family connections, she was only interested in service. She was free of ego and moved along with Kunj Dadi as her helper and companion. Kunj Dadi recalls, ‘I used to sweep the centre and she would mop the floors. I would gather all cooking utensils and she used to wash them. She helped me in every task.’ ALWAYS A COOPERATIVE COMPANION Throughout her life, Yashoda Maiyya had firm self-control and enjoyed following all regulations. Lokikly too, her deep sanskars of purity and devotional feelings inspired even Baba. One time Kunj Dadi requested, ‘Maiyya, no-one will come to the class today because of the heavy rain overnight. Please share your experiences of Baba’s lokik life.’ Then I continued, ‘Maiyya, was Baba like a deity even before Shiva Baba entered him?’ She replied, ‘though Baba was like other worldly people, in other ways he was very different.’ She exaplined that in lokik life, his devotional nature, sanskars of charity and donation, of renunciation and disinterest etc. stood him above the normal crowd. But it was Yashoda Maiyya who kept fasts, observed abstinences, and reminded him of many high-order practices. For example, if it was Monday, she would remind him, ‘today is the day of Shiva and so we have to remain pure’ or ‘Today is Thursday, the day for the Satguru and so we have to remain pure.’ For both small and big festivals, she would say, ‘today we have to be pure.’ Baba would joke with her saying, ‘all 365 days, the entire year, is a festival for you.’ LAKSHMI OF FORTUNE Baba had great respect for Yashoda Maiyya. He would accept what she said. His business improved to a great extent after Maiyya came to his house; lots of wealth came too. Therefore, he believed her to be no less than goddess Lakshmi. Whenever she told Baba about any fasting, principle or devotional rituals, Baba never said ‘no’ to her. He accepted her wishes happily. Kunj Dadi felt that Yashoda Maiyya influenced Baba deeply, making him more and more devout. 2 Because she was firm in following all the rituals, principles and fasting in bhakti, she had firm, immovable and unshakable faith in the intellect in gyan too. SHRI KRISHNA IN HER LAP Yashoda Maiyya was so intoxicated that Shiva Baba came in ‘Yashoda Bhawan’. She used to say, ‘since God came to me, Shri Krishna also will come to me.’ When we read any message about Shri Krishna going to such ‘n such a place, she would say, ‘Kunj, no matter what anyone tells you, Shri Krishna will definitely come to me alone.’ In Hyderabad and Karachi, during visions, she always experienced Shri Krishna to be in her lap. Just as in lokik life she had unbreakable faith that her husband was like God, similarly, in gyan she had firm faith and intoxication that God had come in her husband. In the early days of the Yagya, Baba would ask Yashoda Maiyya. ‘Whom are you taking to? Who have you come to?’ Maiyya always replied, ‘I have come to Shiva Baba, I’m sitting before Shiva Baba.’ Baba used to taunt her, ‘there cannot be your dying alive ceremony unless you go in Mama’s lap; your body consciousness will not be broken.’ So Yashoda Maiyya took Mama’s lap. Later on, Baba sent her to live with other kumaris in Kunj Bhawan. If ever she did not like certain things, she reminded herself that this was Shiva Baba’s order. This attitude helped her accept the drama immediately and follow accordingly. She was truly obedient to Baba, firm in gyan and yoga and a tireless server. HUMBLE SEVADHARI She sacrificed everything, but never had the ego or consciousness of renunciation. She was free of the ego of being the wife of a wealthy man or a daughter of respected clan. She was an egoless server, cooking and serving Brahma Bhojan with great love. She would feed all sisters before she ate her meal. She was as great and generous as Baba was; a beloved child of Shiva Baba and an all-round server in the Yagya. Patna centre was always busy with service. Often there was never time even to fetch a drink. But, in between tasks, Yashoda Maiyya would have a cup of tea ready for me and beckon me to drink it. 3 REVERENCE FOR THURSDAY BHOG Yashoda Maiyya gave great importance to Thursdays. Each Thursday, both Kunj Dadi and Yashoda Maiyya went to Patna city centre to offer bhog. Dadi Prakashmani and Dadi Nirmala Shanta lived at that centre in those days. One Thursday, a heavy downpour of rain made the roads nearly impassable so Kunj Dadi felt that it was unwise to travel to the city centre. But Yashoda Maiyya would not have that. ‘Did you forget that today is Thursday? We’ll take an extra set of clothes, travel there, bathe again and change dress for class,’ she retorted. Kunj Dadi was determined not to go but Yashoda Maiyya took someone from the class and set off for the city. She loved to bhog for Baba. FREE FROM ATTACHMENT Her younger son Narayan left the Yagya and went to Mumbai to start business. He decided to get married and sent a telegram to Brahma Baba to let him know the date of the marriage. As soon as Baba got the letter, he sent a telegram to Yashoda Maiyya to come back to Madhuban immediately. She had been in Mumbai. The marriage was to take place in 2–3 days and Narayan implored Maiyya to stay in Mumbai and return to Mount Abu after the marriage. But she did not comply with her son’s request; she departed straight away because she never disobeyed Baba’s orders. Baba asked and she did it immediately. She was loyal to her husband in every aspect of lokik and alokik life, and also detached, She had no attachment to her lokik relations. DEEP FIDELITY Dadi Nirmala Shanta shared about Yashoda Maiyya’s lokik principles, ‘she was always known as Maiyya , the mother who cherishes her family. This name is taken from ancient folklore and refers to the Hindu woman who is deeply loyal to her husband. We witnessed Maiyya cleansing and applying a sandalwood tilak to Baba’s feet after his bath and then drinking the water as if it were nectar’; something unimaginable in these modern days. Being a peaceful and simple soul, Yashoda Maiyya never shouted or spoke loudly to her children. Dadi Nirmala Shanta recalls, ‘even if we made a mistake, she used to give us chocolates, biscuits and some sweets to make us happy. Then later she would tell us, “child never do that again.” 4 She would correct us with great love. She was always occupied with household chores, in looking after Baba’s needs and any visiting gurus or guests, educating the children, bhakti rituals, chanting, satsangs and pilgrimages etc. Maiyya had full-time duties to manage the busy home life.’ Q. What particular service did she offer the Yagya? Yashoda Maiyya was not given any particular role in either Hyderabad or Karachi.