the divine mother - grantor of material and spiritual wealth!!!!!

[Guest guest]

GREETINGS devi_bhakta!

 

what a lovely quote from swami vivekananda in the introductory

message!

 

there is an interesting incident in the life of swami vivekananda

which i would like to share with readers here!

 

swami vivekananda lost his father when he was barely 21 years of age,

the father left the family in deep debt and the relatives had cheated

young narendra's falily of whatever little property they had.

narendra had no means of supporting himself or his family who

depended on him. the family had no food to eat and were in a state of

impoverishment... all these events made young narendra totally

despondent and in this desperate mood narendera approached his master

shri ramakrishna.

 

"O Sir, please pray to the Mother so that my family is supplied with

coarse grain and clothes. I know the Mother listens to you and

definitely grants your prayers." -said young narendera to shri

ramakrishna .

 

sri Ramakrishna said, "Look my boy, I have given everything to the

Mother; how can I ask back anything from her now? But one thing I can

tell you, why don't you go and pray to the Mother to fulfill your

wish? My Mother is very kind and gracious, and I am sure she will not

disappoint you."

 

Thus, Swami Vivekananda was forced to pray to the Mother to fulfill

his wants. That night Narendra and the Master were alone in the kali

Temple, when Swami Vivekananda went to the Mother's shrine to pray

and ask for material things of urgent necessity. However, as he

entered the shrine all that he could say was, "O Mother, please give

me Jnana and Bhakti."

 

Thus praying Narendra returned back to where Sri Ramakrishna was

standing. The Master inquired, "Naren, have you asked for food and

money required for your family?" Swami Vivekananda, surprised he was

as well, replied, "Why, no sir! I asked for Jnana and Bhakti."

 

"You fool," said the Master, "Go and ask for wealth and the things

you actually need now." Thrice Swami Vivekananda went to Ma Kali, but

could not utter the word about money, clothes, food, and instead all

the three times he prayed to the Mother to grant him Jnana and

Bhakti!

 

As soon as Swami Vivekananda used to enter the temple, he was

elevated to such a wonderful state of mind and consciousness that the

whole world including money, material comfort, and food lost all

their value, and in its place there shone forth the face of divine

and blissful Mother gracious enough to grant highest Jnana and

Bhakti! Which fool would ask for transient and useless things when

in fact the Mother was granting Jnana! Who would ask for pebbles when

someone was distributing the gems! Who would ask for vegetables to

the king, when he was willing to grant his whole kingdom!

 

Now Swami Vivekananda understood the deep meaning and significance of

his Master's word that formless god and God with form as the Mother

were but one. Swami Vivekananda accepted the Mother on that day as

the highest embodiment of spiritual virtues, power, and knowledge.

Exhausted, but satiated with inner knowledge of divinity in all its

aspects, he bowed down at the holy feet of the Master and prayed, "O

Lord, today I came to know who you are. You are all, everything in

this universe. I do not want anything anymore from the Mother. It is

all your wish."

 

Embracing his disciple, the master assured, "Go my son, be at peace.

>From today onwards you and your family would ever be provided with

simple clothes and food, and shelter. This much I guarantee for you

and your family."

 

such is the glory of our divine mother! she is rightly called 'bhukti

mukti pradayani' ---giver of material and spiritual wealth!!!!

 

courtesy of international forum of neo-vedantins- c.s. shah

 

OM sree matrayaii namaha!!!!