Sri Anandamayi Ma
Pranams at the lotus feet
of Sri Anandamayi Ma!
Paramahamsa Yogananda in
his famous book ‘Autobiography of Yogi’ describes his meeting with the Yogini Ma
Anandamayi. It was in the year 1959,
after spending fifteen years in America working on self-realization program,
Paramahamsa Yogananda returned to India for a visit to his preceptor Sri
Yuktheshwar Maharaj. During this visit,
his niece Amiya Bose informed him about the great Yogini of India Smt.
Nirmaladevi who was famously known as Sri Anandamayi Ma, who had achieved
greatest heights in spirituality, her fame was spread across India and people
flee from different cities to meet this great Yogini. Sri Yogananda was made up his mind to visit
this Yogini before leaving to America, he was read an article about her spiritual achievements published long ago, and it added his curiosity to
meet her. Amiya Bose said “ I have met
her during her visit to a small village in Jamshedpur, one of the devotees
requested Ma to visit his home, where his relative was seriously ill on his
death bed, Ma visited this devotee’s home, she touched his forehead with her tiny limb, soon the patient recovered from the intense pain, gradually got out from the deadly illness.
Once Ma was residing in the home of a devotee in Bhavanipur, Sri Yogananda
and his companion from America Mr.Wright, went to meet her from his home in
Kolkatta. As they reached near the home
in Bhavanipur, they saw a crowd of nearly a hundred people surrounded by Ma,
she was elegantly standing in a vehicle that has an open roof and waving her
hands at her devotees, she was preparing to leave the city. Soon Paramahamsa and his friend got out of
the vehicle and walked towards her, seeing them approaching, Ma Anandamayi got
out of her car and gracefully walked towards Paramahamsa, and asked: “Pithaji,/she
used to address all her male devotees in this way, you have arrived at last.” She
enthusiastically put her hands on his shoulder and rested her head on his shoulder
like a child, Mr.Wright was surprised to see the welcome of this Yogini, he was
known that it was Yogananda’s first meeting with Ma Anandamayi, they were
talking like known for several years.
She was moved to a state of transcendental, she always considered herself as the soul which is
inseparable from the supreme soul, she never treated herself as an ordinary woman, she
received Yogananda with great enthusiasm, she took him in her hand to his vehicle and seated on the
back seat, her eyes were half closed transfixed in the Bramham, her devotees were exclaimed “ Hail to Mother of the Universe”
.
Later, Yoganandaji stated that he had
seen many Yogis who had achieved the greatest status in spirituality, but he has
never seen a Yogini who had a supreme state like Ma Anandamayi. Her most beautiful face was soaked in extreme
bliss, her long and curly black hairs were kept untied. Her forehead was adorned in vermilion and
sandal paste which was covered on the third eye, she has tiny limbs, small face
and tiny feet, fragile limbs that were contradictory to her achievements in
spirituality. Anandamayi Ma was in a
transcendental state, Yoganandji asked a few questions about Ma to her attendants,
they said she had taken several trips throughout India, she has several
thousand disciples all over India and from abroad too, she has brought
many reforms for the welfare of the society and its people, though she was born
in the Bhramin family, she was never differentiated people by their
religion. She was always taken care of by a
group of attendants who attend her every simple need. These attendants perform the duty of a Mother
to her, she has never bothered about her health or meal, these attendants feed
her on time so that her physical body remains fit and avoid deterioration. She never bothered to have meals or comment
about it, she consumes meals if anyone feeds her, she never knows the taste of
meals, it was consumed for the sake of keeping her attendants cheerful. She undertakes deep spiritual practices and
remains in a transcendental state for several days, without a breath or a meal or blinking
of eyes. She has many disciples; Sri
Bholanath is one of the disciples and her husband as well. He has undertaken a vow of silence for
several years now, he had long and thin stature, strong shoulders, thick beard,
long hairs, and effulgent face. He was
standing among the disciples with folded hands and great devotion. Yoganandaji
said “ Ma, I am delaying your trip “ she got out of her trans and said, “Pithaji, I am meeting you after several
Yugas, therefore please do not leave
immediately, where are you staying in Kolkatta?” Yoganandji replied “ I am living
in Kolkatta and sometimes in Ranchi. I will be returning to America soon.” She was surprised to hear from Yoganandji, who
said: “ Ma, people of America would be very happy to meet you, they highly honor
you, will you join us to America”. Ma
said, “ If you wish, I would make it.” The female attendants were horrified at this
thought, they expressed their helplessness without Ma in their vicinity,
moreover, Ma cannot travel alone without her attendants, she will be accompanied by her attendants wherever she goes.
Yoganandji understood that his desire to take her to America will not
work, therefore he left the plan. Yoganandji said “ Ma, kindly visit our Ashram
in Ranchi with all your disciples. You
are a divine child; therefore you would love to be in the company of the
children in our Ashram in Ranchi. ” she revealed her willingness to visit Ranchi
anytime.
As promised, the Ranchi school
was beautifully decorated to welcome the great Yogini’s visit, children were extremely
happy on this occasion. Children in the
Ashram impatiently waits for the festivities; during this period they need not study, hours
and hours of music, and enjoy a sumptuous meal.
As soon as Ma entered the Ashram, children raised their voices “Hail
to Mother, Hail to Ma Anandamayi” it continued for some time, she was welcomed
with the divine music, percussions, sounds of Conch, flowers, etc.. She was blissfully moving in the school
ground which has rich sunlight, she was taken to the main building of the Ashram,
she has beautiful smile resembles child, she took a seat next to Yoganandji,
she treats everyone comfortable, but she will be in her own world, always immersed
in the bliss. Yoganandji asked about her
life, she said with a smile and humility “ Pithaji, knows everything about me,
why should I repeat it,” she spread her hands and gestured it as nothing. She continued “ I have never been aware of
this body, I was ‘that’ before entering into this world, when I was a
child I was ‘that’, I was grown up to a
young maiden I remained ‘that’, when I was taken birth in the family decided to
conduct marriage to this body, I have remained ‘that’, Pithaji, I shall remain
the same while I am before you. I will
remain the same whatever may come till the end of this birth.” After saying so,
she has entered in a transcendental state.
She remained motionless like a statue, she has already traveled to her
world of supreme bliss, and her black beautiful eyes remained lifeless. This type of transcendental state is achievable only to the supreme Yogis when they separate their emotions from the
physical body, at that moment the body resembles a lifeless idol. Ma and Yoganandji continued to be in a trans-state for an hour, after that she returned to her normal state, Yoganandji
requested “ Ma, kindly make a visit to the garden, my friend Mr.Wright will take
some pictures of us.” She sincerely
followed Yoganandji, several pictures were taken. It was the time of lunch Ma took a seat on
her woolen blanket with her attendant, she was feeding her, she was swallowing
like a child whatever placed on her mouth, it was obvious that she was not
aware of the differences of vegetable or sweets. In the evening she and her attendants prepared
to leave the Ashram, she walked through the path of rose petals, moved
elegantly waving her hands at the children.
The children were in supreme joy. Ma has abandoned all those worldly
affairs and surrendered completely to the supreme soul and attained union with
the bliss. Ordinary people like us
forgets to show the gratitude to the creator and engross in the worldly matters,
we remain unnoticed the greatness and mercy of Lord the moment we arrive on this Earth,
many engage in various spiritual activities, not with sincerity, merely to show
off their capabilities, though it is not superior, at least it may take away a few minutes of the concentration of the performer while engaging these type of
activities.
