For the Love of Maa Sharada- 3

What does it feel like to be with an enlightened guru? What it is like to feel the Christ-like or Buddha-like love? What does one experience as a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, whose energies extended to Sri Sarada Devi, his spiritual consort? How does it feel like to directly speak to Mother Divine? Well, I got a taste of that love due to divine grace as I chanced upon the book The Gospel of The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. I will not be selfish to keep this grace entirely to myself, I will write about her love that I have felt (on reading this book) in this post and the posts coming further. Dear readers, brace yourself to know about the fountain of selfless love that Maa Sarada was!

Sarayubala Devi or Sarajubala Devi was an initiated disciple of Maa Sharada who had first met Maa in January 1911 but due to some errand, she had to leave Maa after a meeting of mere five minutes. Poor her was so excited and so happy to meet Maa but it only lasted for five minutes. This made her thirsty for even more darshans of Maa. A five-minute meeting with a stranger in a hustle-bustle of life is what a normal head would easily forget, maybe, the name would be forgotten too. Well, that is what normal people do but not the Mother. When Sarayubala visited the holy Mother for the second time on 12th of February the same year, she was not greeted with unfamiliarity of busy lifestyle but the Mother remembered her midst so many devotees who used to throng for her at Udbodhan office. What chance did simple Sarajubala stand but tears filled her eyes. Afterall, the enlightened Mother had remembered her, the enlightened mother had recognized her! Not only did Maa say words of endearment but went on invite her to sit by her on her own bed with such tenderness that Sarajubala felt nothing but love. Maa had already looked at the space beyond time and human understanding and affectionately said, “It seems, my child, as if I have met you many a time before, as if we know each other for a long time.” And then, Maa began to talk highly about Sarajubala’s and her sister’s sincere devotion, which Sarajubala could neither understand nor digest. I too understand Sarajubala’s position as how can she have any devotion when the spectacular Mother of the Universe was sitting beside her? How could Sarajubala claim to have devotion when she herself was entangled in the world? In the end of the day, Sarajubala was an actress of her times and she was fueled with worldly desires and despite that, Maa had made her sit beside her, near her! It itself was heaven that she had experienced as she sat with a Goddess, she spoke with the Goddess and she took prasad from the Goddess herself, in the room of the Mother Goddess itself! With an ocean of love surpassing her, she had only this to say, “What a wonderful love!”

Her next meeting with Maa was even more daring! This time, Maa fed her properly and made her lie down beside her for some rest! Poor Sarajubala, aware of her impure mind and actions could not do that. She just couldn’t help lying down, how could she, when the Divine Mother was Infront of her? She felt little, timid and shy, but what to do when Mother Divine commands? Hesitatingly, she was still there, in a pendulum midst unflinching desire to experience divine love and a conditioned hesitancy that her mind poured all over her! Maa knew all about her mind and her hesitancy of a new meeting but Nature hatched yet another plan to break down the shackles of reluctance that Sarajubala had, to make her feel closer to the Divine connection of previous lives, that is. Maa Sarada.

Sarajubala writes in the book, “One day, after leaving Gauri-Ma, I went to see the Holy Mother. It was then summer and I was quite tired. The Mother was seated in her room, surrounded by a group of women devotees. As soon as I prostrated myself before her, she looked at me and at once took a small fan from top of her mosquito curtain. She began to fan me so that I might be refreshed. Then she said anxiously, “Take off your blouse quickly so that the body may be cool.” What an unprecedented love! She began to caress me before many devotees. I felt ashamed. All eyes were fixed upon me. Seeing her eagerness, I had to take off my blouse. The more I requested her to hand over the fan to me, the more she insisted with great tenderness, “That is all right! Be a little refreshened!” She brought a tumbler of water and some sweets. Watching me partake of them, she became happy. The carriage from the school had been waiting for me. So, I had to take leave soon.”

The love of Maa knew no bounds! She was an ocean of bliss and tenderness and Sarajubala felt it rightly so! Due to this love, tenderness, sensitivity and divinity, Sarajubala had seek initiation. Her heart knew she was with her Guru’s energy, her heart knew that it was the time to surrender.

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No copyright violation or plagiarism intended.

Source:

Devi, Sarayubala. First Series Recorded by Sarayubala Devi. The Gospel of The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. Recorded by her devotee-children. Sri Ramakrishna Math Printing Press, Mylapore, Chennai. 2008.

For the Love of Maa Sharada- 1

For the Love of Maa Sharada- 2