On This Beautiful Mother's Day .....

[Guest guest]

On this beautiful day dedicated to all the earth mothers like me and

other women, may i please share verse 4 of Adi Shankara

Bhagvadapada's Devi Apradha Kshamapana stotra?

 

Jaganmatarmatastava charanseva na rachita Na va duttam Devi

dravinamapi bhooyastava maya I Tathapi tvam sneham mayi nirupam

yatprakurushe Kuputro jayet kwachidapi kumata na bhavati II 4 II

 

O Mother of the World ! I never rendered any service unto you, Devi !

Never did I offer any money to you. But still you shower affection on

me because in this world there could be a bad son but never a bad

mother !

 

Our divine mother of the universe is totally self-less - She

Gives and gives - Her infinite love and compassion. She is kind ; she

is forgiving and above all she is our life line - She is always there

for us every step of the way - She lifts us up when we fall and she

lets us rest our weary heads on her lap and above all She is watching

over us day and night ! She is the very embodiment of 'vatsalya'

bhava - the most exalted of all emotions in Bhakti literature!

 

While we all are familiar with Adi shankara Bhagvadapada's infinite

love and devotion for the Universal mother Adi Para shakti , what is

Acharya's own attitude towards his owm womb mother , smt. Aryambaal?

The Sanyasi Monk was also a 'dutiful' son who fulfilled the

promise to his Mother that he would perform her last rites as a

Karma putra ! ( you all remember the crocodile story, right? ) Yes!

That is the least young Shankara could do for a great Mother whose

womb he came out of - his discharge of parental 'debt' ! Was it not

magnanimous of Smt Aryaambaal to generously let her one and only son

Son go to the womb of the Universe to spread the message of Advaita-

vedanta?

 

Poet-philosopher Khalil Gibran sings :

 

" Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. "

 

It is easy to say this but hard to do, right? Mothers, out there!

Ladies! it is hard to cut the umbilical cord, is not it? But,

honestly, give your children strong roots of which they can be proud

of but by the same token give them strong 'wings' so they can leave

the mother's nest and branch out on their own!

 

on this Mother's day, i would like to express my heartfelt 'thanks'

to my mother for letting me to be who i am without clipping my wings

or cramping my style . Mom, thanks for showing me how to a 'mother'

without the 'smothering' aspects of a 24 hour mother! To be a mother

is every woman's birthright but it is also a big responsibilty. And

guess what , you can be a great Mother even without actually going

through the birthing procees! Yes- Mata Amritanandamayee, Sarada devi etc are

all great mothers whose 'nurturing 'spirit has uplifted many souls all over the

globe!

 

sO , FOLKS ON THIS BEAUTIFUL SPRING LIKE SUMMER DAY . JOIN ME IN

SALUTING THREE MOTHERS :

 

1) first, your own womb mother who gave birth to you and took care of

you until you branched out on your own

 

2) second , your Motherland ( country of origin) for you should

always be proud of your heritage.

 

3) and finally , The Divine Mother who nurtured your spirit and soul

and She is the one who gave you spiritual birth!

 

Pray with your two hands to Mother Durga and she will 'hug' you with

all HER eighteen hands !

 

As Sri Rama Saya to Sri Lakshmana , 'Jananani Janamabhoomicha

Swargathapi Gariyasi' ( MOTHER AND MOTHERLAND ARE DEARER THAN

HEAVEN)! and let me add one more , Jaganmata ( the mother of the

universe) is the Mother of all Mothers!

 

OM Sri Matre Namaha!