Twinn Swan

How do you look upon me? Saradamani once asked Sri Ramakrishna as she was serving him massaging his feet. “The same Divine Mother who is staying at the temple is now massaging me,” came the prompt reply from Sri Ramakrishna. To him, there was no difference between Saradamani and the Deity in the Kali Temple.

A Short Life of The Holy Mother by Swami Pavitrananda

The Divine Mother’s love is stronger and more potent than any other love. It is the love of a mother who loves us all as her one child.

When Swami Vivekananda was emboldened to cross the ocean to go to the America to spread the message of Vedanta, it was the Holy Mother he asked for her blessings. This devotion that the great disciples of Sri Ramakrishna showed to Sri Sarada Devi was not only a reverence for the wife of their Guru. Like Sri Ramakrishna, they looked upon her as the earthly manifestation of the Divine Mother.

When Swami Vivekananda was travelling in India, he heard about the Parliament of Religions that was to be held in Chicago on 11 September 1893. A group of people had come together to request that he attend in order to represent Hinduism, the religion of Vedanta. Initially, Swami Vivekananda refused.

But sometime later, in December 1892, as Swami Vivekananda sat on the last bit rock at Kanyakumari, he received his call to go. It was in Madras that Swamiji had a symbolic dream. He saw Sri Ramakrishna walking into the water of the ocean and beckoning him to follow. He also heard the command, “Go!”

Although Swamiji was now certain that he would make the journey, he still felt it necessary to receive the Holy Mother’s blessings. He wrote to Swami Saradananda, “I have had a vision, in which the Master told me to go to the West. My mind is quite disturbed. Please tell Holy Mother everything and let me know her opinion”.

Holy Mother, however, did not give her blessing immediately. After a couple of days, Holy Mother, too, had a dream. She saw Ramakrishna walking over the ocean waves and asking Narendra to follow him. It was only then that Holy Mother told Saradananda: “Please write to Naren, that he should go to the West”. Swami Vivekananda was overjoyed when he received Holy Mother’s approval and blessing.

Within her natural simplicity and modesty, Sri Sarada Devi set a unique and extraordinary example of an ideal disciple, wife, teacher and mother to her countless spiritual children. Those who associated with her were touched by her unconditional love and selfless service. All were her children irrespective of nationality, religious affiliation or social position. No one was ever turned away. She accepted, loved and nurtured all. Her love transcended language, caste, creed and geographical boundaries.

It is a love that is unlike any other for it embodies the boundless and universal love of the Mother who loves us all as her one child.