The Universal Mother: Shree Shree Maa Anandamayee (A Short Life Sketch & Her Teachings)

Shree Shree Ma Anandamayee was the Divine Being with the full cosmic power of the universe and even beyond that.

Padma Bibhushan and Mahamahopadhyay Sri Gopinath Kaviraj, an eminent scholar and a realized ‘sadhaka’ expressed about Ma in his writing - “It is almost impossible to make an attempt to know the real identity of Ma. Who is Ma? What is Her real identity? It is not possible to assess or understand such difficult subjects for a child having a limited knowledge. When the child was not born, Ma was there. When the child will not be any more, even then Ma will remain. Ma is ‘Shuddha Sanatani’ (The pure eternal). Being the internal power as the life of all creatures and the deities - who can understand Her? It is not possible to lower Ma’s stature by calling Her an ordinary human being and height of Her spiritual state does not become manifest by praying to Her as an Avtar’ (an incarnation of God) or ‘Nitya Siddha’ (Self Realized all the time). High praise or bad criticism was all the same for Her. It will not be possible to understand Her identity, remaining separate from Ma.”

Mahamandaleshwar of Bholagiri Ashram, Devanaridaji Maharaj has written in his article on Ma “None who was acquainted with Ma since Her childhood, ever found her performing any hard ‘sadhana’, although, we saw Ma at the top of spiritual world since her teen years. That is why, She was an amazing exception in the divine kingdom. She was fully realized fight from Her birth and therefore, Ma’s whole life passed in a wonder which was beyond our perception.”

From the worldly point of view, although She had almost no education, her talks on the highest philosophical percepts and spiritual realizations surprised many highly learned persons, saints, and devotees, whoever came in contact with Her. Ma never used to deliver discourses. However, She used to guide the devotees as per their own ‘Samskar’ (Impressions of previous births) and according to their needs. She did not create a separate ‘Sampradaya’ (sect) and She herself did not initiate anyone except for a very rare cases. That is why, devotees from all sects came to Her without any hesitation. Devotees from different religions - Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh, and Parsi etc. came to Ma for Her spiritual guidance and to receive Her grace. Ma in her kindness, always cleared their doubts or questions and resolved the difficulties in a way suitable to their own spiritual paths.

Many books have been written in volumes on Ma and her sayings. However, it was. felt necessary to prepare a brief life-’ sketch of Ma in single volume for those persons who do not know Ma and want to know something about Her and her teachings. An attempt was made earlier to write a short biography of Ma, which was included in the souvenir published on the occasion of the installation of Ma’s vigraha (statue) at Uttarkashi Ashram in April 2009, in presence of the Honourable Governor of Uttarakhand, Sri B.L.Joshi, many Mahatmas, and the devotees. That biography was written in Hindi language and Bachchuda, the eldest son of Mamaji (Ma’s brother), corrected the Hindi language in its manuscript. The biography was widely appreciated .

Sri T.N.Chaturvedi, the former Governor of Karnataka and former Vice President of Shree Shree Anandamayee Sangha, thp then General Secretary of the Sangha and many others advised to publish a brochure on Ma’s Biography as given in that souvenir. The present English version is based on that Hindi biography and has been written in simplest possible language. A few important additions have also been incorporated in this presentation.

We acknowledge with thanks to Smt. Pushpa Khanna and Sri P. P. Madhava, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) for their valuable help in correcting the manuscript. Both of them are mostly residing in Kankhal Ashram. Sri Madhava himself is the auther of a book on Ma in English language. A list of few important English books written on Ma has been annexed with this book.

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