“My son, you know the Master (Sri Ramakrishna) had a maternal attitude (matru-bhava) towards everyone. He has left me behind to manifest that Divine Motherhood in the world.”

“I am the mother of the virtuous as well as the wicked.”

“My son, if a thorn pricks your foot, it hurts me like a spear entering my heart. Never fear, and whenever you are in distress just say to yourself, I have a mother”

- Sayings of Sri Sarada Devi

Holy mother, as Sri Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Sri Sri Ramakrishna deva is often called by millions of her children all over the world, was a wonder, to say the least. One has to read what superhuman spiritual practices were undertaken, all with great success, by Sri Ramakrishna for 12 long years and imagine the power such sadhana must have generated. At the end of those 12 years, Sri Ramakrishna offered all that power along with his japa mala (sacred chanting beads) and prostrated at the feet the Holy Mother, after ceremoniously worshipping her as Shodashi or Raja Rajeshwari, the Universal Divine Mother and she accepted it without any hesitation and also could digest all that. All through her life, she was a simple and holy mother. It was comparatively much easier to recognize Sri Ramakrishna’s glory than that of the Holy Mother. She was the first disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. She is the Sangha Janani, the mother-power of the whole Ramakrishna Order.

Her love Knew no bounds. Her whole life was the most ideal example of the synthesis of jnana (Knowledge), bhakti (Devotion), karma (Action) and Dhyana (Meditation) yogas. She outwardly remained a simple woman but her mind and heart were as modern and broad as anyone’s imagination could go. She outlived Sri Ramakrishna by 34 years and continued His mission by Her very presence, love and simple teachings.

If this world cherishes any hope to survive amidst such chaos, mutual alienation and false perception of development, it is possible only by studying, meditating and imbibing this natural, spontaneous and all-embracing universal love shown in the life and teachings of Sri Sri Sarada devi. To celebrate her birth anniversary is therefore very important and it is done in all the ashramas of the Ramakrishna order world over.

In Ramakrishna Math, Hyderabad, we celebrated Her birthday in the following way: (Please click on one of the following year-links)

2010 | 2009