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Sri Sarada Devi - 1

by Purnima Blay Stroba

The Holy Mother, Sri Sarada Devi, was born into the pious Brahmin family of Shyamasundari Devi and Ramachandra Mukhapadhyaya in the rural Bengali village, Jayrambati, northwest of Calcutta. At first, she was named "Thakurmani" and later on "Saradamani" which became shortened to Sarada.

Despite the fact that Sarada grew up in a region known for its worship of Shakti, like most young rural girls of her time, she remained largely unschooled and unlettered. On occasion, however, she accompani~d her brothers to their school-at least enough for her to learn the alphabet. As the eldest daughter and living in a joint family, Sarada led an active though simple life, caring for her younger brothers and working in the paddy fields alongside her parents.
Although throughout her childhood and adolescence she remained living with her parents, at the tender age of five years, Sarada married Sri Ramakrishna who was then 23 years of age and serving as a priest in the Kali Temple at Dakshineswar. Upon news of his relatives' hasty search for a suitable marriage partner for him, Ramakrishna himself selected Sarada to be his wife. He instructed his parents to search for his bride at Jayrambati in a certain household, giving them a sign by which they might know her. At 18, with reports circulating of her husband's divine moods, Sarada made her first trip "-' to Dakshineswar in March of 1872, mo- l tivated to serve Sri Ramakrishna. Then, for the first time, Sri Sarada Devi and Sri Ramakrishna resided together near the Dakshineswar Kali temple for nine or ten months, living in purity and assisting one another in the realization of their spiritual ideals.

June 51",of that same year, marks an apex in their special relationship. That day was designated for the worship of the Divine Mother in the nearby Kali temple. Meanwhile, Sri Ramakrishna

made special arrangements in his own room to perform Shodashi Puja, a puja in which the Divine Mother is worshipped in the form of a 16 year-old virgin. He invited Sri Sarada Devi to sit on the deity's special seat, giving her the various offerings and flowers while reciting special mantras in worship of the Divine Mother. At the culmination of the Shodashi Puja, Sri Ramakrishna surrendered everything at the feet of Sri Sarada Devi, his mala, himself, and his life's mission.

Sri Sarada Devi spent the next fourteen years with the Master at Dakshineswar where she occupied her smallliving quarters in Nahabat-the music tower-some seventy feet north of the Master's room. She became the devoted Mother to all of Sri Ramakrishna's spiritual family. It is widely known that she could not resist offering her help to anyone who addressed her as Mother. During this period the famous episode of Sri Sarada Devi's encounter with the robber and his wife occurred while she passed on foot through the dangerous Telovelo district returning to Dakshineswar after a visit to her native village, Jayrambati. This episode is often used to demonstrate how her divinity and her compassionate vision ofhumanity dispelled even the intentions of those who would be wicked. During those 14 years at Dakshineswar, until Sri Ramakrishna's Mahasamadhi on August 16, 1886, Sri Sarada Devi faithfully, compassionately and unerringly served Sri Ramakrishna and his devotees, becoming Mother to one and to all.

During the following two years Sri Sarada Devi went on pilgrimage to Vrindaban, Varanasi, Hardwar, Allahabad, Gaya, Puskar and Puri. During this time she experienced repeated visions of the Master. These visions which comforted her in his absence also revealed to her the future mission she was to carry forward, continuing work of Sri Ramakrishna. She understood that in subsequent years she would be initiating disciples and become "Mother" to innumerable devotees. In one set of visions, Sri Ramakrishna appeared to her and gave her instructions on how to give formal initiation to Yogen, who was to become Swami Yogananda, her first disciple.

This divine mission she carried out for the next thirty years, dividing her time and residence between the Udbhodan House in Calcutta and Jayrambati where she had a much freer lifestyle, centered around her various relatives and the numerous devotees who came from far and wide to seek her spiritual solace. At Udbhodan House, in a more rigorously orthodox setting, she likewise cared for family and devotees. Initiating innumerable aspirants and giving spiritual direction to many more, Sri Sri Ma carried on her divine work of the salvation of all her children until her very last days. Late in 1918, struck with a particularly virulent malarial fever, Sri Sarada Devi was moved to Calcutta for the last time. On July 21, 1920 she gave up her mortal body in Mahasamadhi. These words we may think of as her benediction: "I am the mother of the virtuous; I am the Mother of the wicked. Whenever you are in distress, say to yourself, "I have a Mother."