Sri Anandamayi Ma –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Ma !

Immediately after marriage, Sri Ramanimohan Chakravarthi had to return to his workplace, leaving Ma in the custodian of his elder brother and his wife in Sripur, Dhaka.  Soon after Bholanathji lost his job, he did not want to become a burden to his   elder brother, so he continued in search of a suitable placement, it took him four years to find an appropriate one, he had to go through a various struggle during this period, it made him grow detached to the worldly matters, he was preparing himself to join the state of Bholahood/state of renunciation, he completely burned down his ego and fleeting material happiness to become a suitable companion of Ma.  Every incident in our life take place with the specific reason, we often fail to understand the object, we may lament over the situation or blame others for the failures or miss happenings, we often forget to understand the greatest cause behind every incident in our lives.  In the meantime, Ma was playing the role of an ideal housewife, without leaving her real form of bliss.   This divine couple had spent blissful thirty years of togetherness; it was completely different from an ordinary married couple.  The first phase of  their union begins when Ma got married at the age of 12 years and ten months, Bholanathji was highly pleased her watching growing, he was attracted to her virtues like simplicity, truthfulness, obedience, childlike innocence and hard working.  The second phase of their marriage, Bholanathji was amazed to watch her immersed in devotional services, constantly engaged in Kriyas and plunge into a transcendental state, which resulted in various changes in her physical appearance and a divine aura surrounded by her.  Bholanathji hold Ma with deep concern when she loses her consciousness, eventually, he got transformed by the divine touch of her, when others were wrongly predicted her state of health, Bholanathji was the one who was well aware of her state of consciousness refused to seek any medical help.

Sri Anandamayi Ma –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Ma!

Ma was married to Sri Ramanimohan Chakravarthy/Bholanathji who was indeed a personification of Emperor of Lord of Tripura, he had a well-built physique, long stature, wide and serene eyes, long matted hair locks, sacred thread across the chest.  Baba Bholanath was married to Ma in the year 1909, on the wedding day a large procession was held, the groom was made to sit on the elephant and the entire village participated in the divine wedding.  It reminds me of the celestial wedding of Lord Mahadeva with Goddess Parvathi, everyone assumed that the groom would appear in  grand silk attire, adorned in the magnificent crown and various precious ornaments all over the body, but it was sheer contrast to their expectation, Lord Mahadeva arrived on a celestial bull,  with reddish brown matted hair locks, shiny serpents adorned as ornaments all over the body,  and his limbs were smeared in sacred ashes, it was truly a bizarre  scene to watch the groom in such a condition.   Ma was just 13 years when she was married to Baba Bholanathji.  The function was held elaborately according to prescribed rites, during the Shubhadhrishti/exchange of auspicious glance between the couple, Ma looked at the sky as if receiving honor from the celestial beings.  Those days’ bride and groom exchange their glances for the first time on the auspicious hour of the wedding, unlike the custom of nowadays, it was believed that it would provide immense spiritual strength to the couple to face any adversities in their marital life, this would protect their married life with all the happiness, peace, prosperity, selflessness and unconditional love.  At the end of the marriage ceremony the priest told Bholanathji “Son, you will come to know what sort of unusual gem you are taking home.”

Sri Anandamayi Ma –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Ma !

Ma’s father Sri Bipin Bihari Bhattacharya was the only son of a widow.  He was a handsome, innocent, thin and tall Bhramin boy who found immense pleasure in Yogic practices and meditation, he was modest and an ardent devotee of Lord Hari, he had great knowledge in the usage of musical instruments.  He was also from the lineage of great preceptors, he was serene and had complete control over senses, at a young age he had achieved the state of serenity and bliss of a Sage.  During his childhood days, he often disappears from home leaving his mother behind, he conducts journey in search of spirituality and meditation, many times his neighbors went on the search for him and brought him back to his worried mother.  He repeated this chase for spirituality even after marriage to Mokshadhasundhari, disappearing from home often led to a lack of concern for the family and it also put the couple into extreme financial difficulties.  Therefore, Mokshadhasundhari had to spend her youthful days of marriage in absolute poverty, but she was kind, amiable, and forbearing, she has attained all those virtues of an ascetic from a young age, she took all the responsibilities of the family and worked hard without uttering a word of complaint.

Sri Anandamayi Ma –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Ma!

Mokshadhasundhari /Swami Mukthanandhagiri who was the biological mother of Ma, was born as an eighth girl child to a pious couple Sri. Ramakanthabhattacharya and Harasundharidevi, one of the well-respected family in the society, they celebrated year-round religious festivities with great attention and devotion, numerous guests attend their house was taken care with respect and kindness.  During Durga Puja celebrations many scholars, religious leaders, priests, and intellectuals pay a visit to their home to take part in the grand festival.  Their presiding deity was Lakshmi Narayana attracted a large number of devotees to their house.  The entire family members were well versed with the religious texts.  Mokshadhasundhari was a very pleasing child with good manners; she was kind, compassionate, caring and loving.  Her parents died in her early years of childhood, leaving this little girl under the loving protection of eldest daughter-in-law.  Mokshadhasundhari was married at the age of 12 years to Sri Bipinbhattacharya, she was unaffected by the poor financial conditions of the family, and she practiced to offer the last piece of a meal without consuming.  Mokshadhasundari gave birth to eight children, but none of them survived long, she remained untouched by the extreme grief with her firm spiritual strength, she took all the tragedies with calm mindedness, she was grown too compassionate and kind, all her inborn qualities were flowing out naturally, she did not work hard to bring out those qualities, she had immense faith in God, later none would have thought that Mokshadhasundhari will give birth to a divine personality.  In the year 1938, Mokshadhasundhari was initiated to asceticism by great sage Mahamandaleshvaraswami, after that, she traveled at length with Ma to various religious places accompanied by all the classes of people, her steadfastness and compassion assured that none would stay away from the grace of the Supreme Being.  She lived for 94 long years, extending great service to humanity; she attained the heavenly abode on 8th August 1970.

Sri Anandamayi Ma –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Ma!

Ma led her disciple to locate the Siddheshvari Kali Temple in Dhaka; she took them to the lost temple for several years in the middle of the wilderness, which was impossible to access. She had great healing powers; she wiped out the tears of suffering and illnesses.  In May 1928, she visited shrines of Deoghar in Bihar, she met illustrious saint Balanandha Bhramachari, who was deeply impressed by her spiritual conduct and called her ‘she is Divine Mother of Universe personified on Earth’.  Ma made it clear about the non-existent concept of ‘I’, all the creatures on Earth is trapped inside the body/vehicle for a destined period of time, for the attainment of wisdom, knowledge of self and God-realization.  Ma was not restricted by time, passion, or space, she moved at her own will in a transcendental state.  In August 1982 Srimad Shankaracharya of Sringeri Math paid a visit to  Ma in Kankhal, Uttarakhand, he insisted her to take care of  health, her reply was inexpressible ‘This body has no illnesses, other than the feeling  of the strong pull of Bramham.’  On the evening of  27^th August 1982 her soul attained unison with the Bramham, she attained Samadhi in Kishenpur, Dehradun Ashram.  Thus, Ma who captured the hearts of millions of millions of people in the world, with her graceful speeches, everlasting smile, enthusiasm, innocent child like acts, simplicity, kindness and selfless unconditional love, took final rest in the beautiful marble chamber which is always surrounded by the subtle form of divine personalities.  Ma lives in the hearts of her devotees, with her constant guidance and inspiring smile, tirelessly steering her devotees to continue the search for absolute Bhramam which is supreme bliss, to keep away from miseries and afflictions of worldly existence once for all.