GOD AS MOTHER

S. KRISHNA RAO
Magazine : Matrusri English
Language : English
Volume Number : 2
Month : August
Issue Number : 5
Year : 1967

“The idea of the motherhood of God has about it all that mysterious fascination that clings to the name of India for those who knew it as students of history of philosophy” says one writer. The Semite, dreaming of God in the moment of highest rapture called him “Our Father. But bere in India God’s tenderest name is that of Mother only.

There is a saying in Tamil which attributes to father a great role as preceptor and his words are said to be precepts of the highest order. Thanthai Sol Mikka Manthiram Illai”. That is why it seems the Brahmin boys first get initiated by the father to the sacred Gayatri Mantra. There he the ‘pitha’ becomes his Guru. There is no higher sacred word than the father’s word. But according to version here the mother is placed on higher pedestal as a worshipful being. We cannot even say equally with father, because the words used there in the original conveys more than that. “Thayir Siranda Koilum IIIai” There is no temple greater than mother to go and offer worship. Such indeed is the cenception of the mother as a worshipful being, Goddess. She is regarded as Shakthi or Power who will bestow anything for the seckers. Sri Syama Sastriar one of the great saint composers of the musical trinity sings thus “Kori Vachina Varikellanu Korikalosage Birndu Katha.” She has taken upon Herself the onus of fulfilling the desires of those seekers who are Her devotees. She is the giver of boons. Hence she is named rightly as “Varada”.

The sustainer of this great universe and all knowledge when conceived as sitting on white lotus with rosary and Vina in hand. wearing white apparel, She is worshipped as Devi Saraswathi, otherwise called “Brahmi”. So the source of all knowledge is traced and derived only from Mother. She shines as “Nirmala”. pure intelligence and all wisdom naturally must spring from a place where there is everything crystal clear. Like the sunlight that feeds the flower man absorbs the light divine from the mother “Jaraa dhvantaraviprabha”. Sri Devi sheds her sunligh of wisdom to dispel darkness of ignorance, avidya. Man must have soul food. If he is not fed by this he gets decayed and there is no salvation for him. Hence at moments of introspection he thinks of that Supreme One, that which is higher than himself. When his mind dwells on this higher power he holds communion with the Infinite Light. Just like a harp which cannot of its own produce any sweet music, unles strung by a worthy hand, we stand mute in the divine presence invoking blessings for that divine touch. In my case it has become possible for me to speak and scribble some thing about Her only because of the unspoken behest of “Sri Amma”. Says the Author of the book “Philosophy of Art”, the soul unfolds itself as does the flower, by the outpouring of its fragrance”. Likewise milk of human kindness flows from the depths of the heart of One who is “Karunarasa Sagara” and shapes you into a human being. To call oneself human the great qualities like kindness, compassion, patience are all a “must” one should possess. Devoid of these quali tis man is nothing but a brutish. Self denial is a great virtue and the more a man denies himself the more he shall obtain from God.

To the query what is sin?, a saint replied “Selfishness”. One is guilty of all his actions done through selfishness. I remember to have read in the book, “Glow worms” poetical collection of Sri Suryanarayana Sadhu:

“Women hide their love as misers gold”

While still they love, they seem to be so cold.” In my opinion the similie here is not correct and far from any truth. A miser never yields to give an iota of his possession of the precious metal to others, but on the contrary women who if at all seem to be miserly and cold of love, are not really so mean and narrow-minded. They hide and hoard love simply to spend it lavishly and shower it in profusion. Like the clouds that amass water only to return it thousand-fold, in huge proportions, women act as though they are misers only to rain love in the end in enormous quanitty and that too in a spirit of selflessness. Rather I my say forgetting their self, because do they not in motherhood sacrifice everything in the cause of the child? To quote Victor Hugo the great novelist “A mother is often the fondest of that child which has cost her the most suffering.” Such is Her inmate nature. Like the clouds unburthening their load and in the process efface themselves gladly, die raining She finds life’s fulfilment, in like manner. Hence Sri Devi is called “Aparna” one who is stripped of all possessions like a barren leafless tree.

***

Reality is my state.

– Mother

I am the begining and I am the End.

– Mother

I have no Sishyas (disciples); all are my Sisus (Children)

– Mother

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