Notes on Life and Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi

*****The Gospel of Holy Mother (Translated by Swami Nikhilananda and Swami Prabhananda) *****

• 'After Sister Sudhira recovered her health, she, I and Sister Christine went to the Holy Mother's house one evening. After Arati we made Pranam to her and seated ourselves before her. "Have you got well, my dear'?" enquired the Holy Mother. Sister Sudhira replied that she was much better but that she had still to be careful. "I was greatly worried about you," said the Holy Mother. "You have, however, recovered by the Master's grace. Just now Nivedita passed away and you fell ill right after that - hearing it I wondered, if Sudhira too goes, who will run the school? (Referring to Sister Christine) Ah, they were together all the time. Now how much more difficult it will be for her to be alone! Even our hearts are afflicted by her demise, what then to speak of your grief! What a personality she was! How many people weep for her today!" Speaking thus, the Holy Mother began to weep. Later she asked Sister Christine many questions about the school.'
  ( - Reminiscences of Pravrajika Bharatiprana)


• 'It was four o'clock in the afternoon. After the worship in the shrine, Rashbehari Maharaj said, "A European lady has come to pay her respects to you. She has been waiting for a long time." The Mother asked him to bring the lady to her. As she bowed down before the Mother, the latter clasped her hand as one does in shaking hands. The words of the Mother, that one should behave according to time and circumstance, were verified in this instance. Then she caressed the lady by touching the chin. The latter knew Bengali and said, "I hope I have not inconvenienced you by this visit. I have been waiting for a long time downstairs to see you. I am in great difficulty. My only daughter, a very good girl, is dangerously ill; so I have come here to crave your favour and blessings. Please be gracious to her, so that she may be cured. She is such a nice girl. I praise her because one seldom finds nowadays a good woman among us. I can vouch that many of them are wicked and evil-minded; but my daughter is of quite a different nature. Please be kind to her."
  
  Mother: I shall pray for your daughter. She will be cured.
  
  The European lady was much encouraged by this assurance from the Holy Mother and said, "When you say that she will be cured, she shall be cured. There is no doubt about it." She spoke these words thrice with great faith and emphasis. The Mother, with a kindly look, said to Golap-Ma, "Please give her a flower from the altar. Bring a lotus." Golap-Ma brought a lotus with a sacred Bel leaf. The Mother took the lotus in her hand and closed her eyes for a few moments. Then she looked wistfully at the image of Sri Ramakrishna and gave the flower to the lady, saying, "Please touch your daughter's head with it." She accepted the flower with folded hands and bowed down before the Mother. "What shall I do with the flower after that?" she asked.
  
  Golap-Ma: When it is dried, throw it into the Ganges.
  
  Lady: No, no! This belongs to God. I cannot throw it away. I shall make a bag out of a new piece of cloth and preserve the flower in it. I shall touch my daughter's head and body every day with it.
  
  Mother: Very well, do that.
  
  Lady: God is the supreme Reality. He exists. I want to tell you something. A few days ago, my baby was bed-ridden with fever in the house. With great fervour I prayed to God, "O Lord! I believe in Your existence, but I want an actual demonstration." I wept and laid my handkerchief on the table. After a long time I was surprised to find three sticks in its folds. I gently touched the body of the baby thrice with the three sticks. Soon it was cured of the fever.
  As she narrated the incident, tears trickled down her checks. She said, "I have taken much of your valuable time. Please forgive me." "No," said the Mother, "I am greatly pleased to talk to you. Come here again on Tuesday." The lady bowed down and took leave of her.
  
  When I went to the Mother a few days after, I learnt that the European lady went to see her on Tuesday. The Mother had shown her special favour and initiated her. Her daughter too was cured of her illness.'
  ( - Reminiscences of Sarayubala Devi, 30 September 1918)

* Chapter 5: Awakening of Divinity

• The Shodashi puja of Holy Mother performed by Sri Ramakrishna was significant for:
  (1) Though both were divine incarnations, in human form they had to awakening spiritual consciousness;
  Sri Ramakrishna had done this through his sadhana, now he decided to awakened her spiritual consciousness.
  (2) Both transcended body-consciousness and became united in Brahman; She was His Power and inseparable from Him.
  (3) Holy Mother was empowered to manifest the Motherhood of God before the world.
  (4) By offering the results of his sadhana to her, Sri Ramakrishna empowered her to carry forward his spiritual ministry
  without herself again going through same sadhana.

* Panchatapa

• Mother went to Puri with Raja Mj, Sharat Mj and many others, On the way Sharat Mj himself had driven the bullock-cart whole night in order to reach Puri quickly!


• After Her Ghusuri stay Mother stayed in the rented house of Sourindra Thakur at Baranagore. Here Girish Ghosh and his two-year-old son visited her; the small boy was anxious to see Mother and fell at Her feet! He also compelled Girish to go upstairs and have Mother's darshan.


• 'We have heard from Swami Turiyananda that once at Baranagore monastery he had cooked a meal for the Mother and fed her. Even though the meal consisted of only rice, soup and greens, she praised it very much.'


• 'On the shrine wall of the Mother's house in Kolkata, there hung the pictures of Swami Vivekananda, Girish Ghosh, and Nag Mahashay. In later days, Sachibala Sarkar had once seen the Mother wiping these pictures one by one with a piece of wet cloth. Then she put a mark of sandal paste on each of them and touched the pictures with her fingers and kissed those fingers. Finally, she took Nag Mahashay's picture in her hands and, with her gaze fixed on it, said, "Quite a number of devotees came; but not another like this one."'

* Chapter 3: Marriage

• Child marriage tradition in India had many reasons; one being, girls loosing the right to Upanayana (investiture with sacred thread) after Vedic period. Perhaps the law-givers thought that early marriage would replace Upanayana in case of girls. Just as boys in young impressionable age go through Upanayana ceremony and education thereafter, under the guidance Guru, in case of girls, early marriage would ensure their education under the guidance of their adult husbands. Also being in company of husband since childhood, a girl can become his true life-companion.


• Though the above purpose envisaged by sages worked practically only in few cases; other majority cases turning out bad for girls, due to their chances of education being shut and becoming mothers at early age. In case of Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother, the early marriage worked exactly as the sages had envisioned. Sri Ramakrishna taught Sarada everything from mundane secular things to highest spiritual experiences, and she was his first and best disciple.

* Prelude Section

• 'Swami Saradananda, writes, 'Having discovered the eternal association of Power with Consciousness, the Rishis of India worshipped in all exceptionally energetic things and everywhere the Deity Who dances on the prostrate body of Siva. This incomparable Deity Who promises both blessing and protection with Her hands at the same time that She wears a necklace of heads, was discovered by them as a reality and as such worshipped reverentially in the guru who is the spiritual guide, in women who fascinate the world and in such elevating and degrading qualities as knowledge, forbearance, peace, delusion, torpor, error, etc. Having thus themselves attained all that men can aspire after, they taught others how to be blessed by treading the same path' (Bharate-Shakti-puja, p.20).'


• The divine descends on earth to guide bewildered humanity towards moral and spiritual path. The manifestation establishes new human ideals or heightens the sublimity of existing ideals or attracts human hearts towards cherished traditional human norms. This is human analysis of Incarnation and thus is limited; the power of Incarnation works for ages and it's analysis by human intellect can never be perfect.

--- @Holy Trio