SWAMI SARADANANDA ON THE HOLY MOTHER:
Swami Saradananda, a direct disciple of Sri
Ramakrishna, was the first General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Order. He also
served as an editor and publisher of Udbhodan, the Bengali Magazine of Ramakrishna
Math and Mission. On the call of Swami Vivekananda he went to America and
preached Vedanta before assuming the responsibility of General Secretary. He
served the Holy Mother whether she was at Jayarambati or Kolkata. He built a
house for the Mother in Baghbazar.
Swami Saradananda wrote the monumental biography of
Sri Ramakrishna known as Sri Ramakrishna Lila Prasanga in Bengali (translated
later into English under the title Sri Ramakrishna the Great Master). His great
work was the construction of the temple dedicated to Holy Mother in 1921 on the
spot where her sacred body was cremated in Belur Math, and another temple at
Mother’s birthplace in Jayrambati in 1923. He passed away on 19 August 1927.
Swami
Saradananda wrote a book on ‘Mother-worship in India’. It was dedicated to the
Holy Mother with these significant words: ‘By whose gracious look the author
has been able to realize the revelation of Divine Motherhood in every female
form-to the lotus feet of her, this work is dedicated in all humility and
devotion.’
A
friend: ‘I have lived so long in the company of the Mother and you all, but how
is it that I cannot understand the Mother in the least?
Swami
Saradananda: ‘What can we understand of the Mother! This, however, I can say
that I have never seen such a great mind, and I do not hope to see. It is not
within our capacity to comprehend the extent of Mother's glory and power. I
have never seen in anyone such attachment, nor have I seen such detachment. She
was so deeply attached to Radhu (Mother’s nice). But when her last day came she
said “Please send her away. But what will happen when you will like to see her
again?” Mother replied, “No, I have not the slightest attraction for her anymore.”
While
taking about the Holy Mother in such a strain Swami Saradananda become absorbed
in her thought and began to hum a song the purport of which is as follows:
Amazed
to witness your antics, I am musing as to whether I should laugh or weep. In
the strange fair of the world you make and unmake things all day long even as
children do. I have lived long by your side and followed you. Let me now
acknowledge my defect-I could not understand you.
A
devotee: ‘Maharaj, by seeing his divine state of being I can well have the faith that Sri Ramakrishna was God Himself.
But how is it that I cannot comprehend that Mother (Sri Sarada Devi) s the
Divine Mother Herself?’
Swami
Saradananda: If at all you have succeeded in believing that Sri Ramakrishna is
God Himself, whence the does this doubt arise at all?’
Devotee:
‘Somehow this doubt does not leave me?’
Swami Saradananda: ‘Then you have not been able to
correctly comprehend Sri
Ramakrishna as the incarnation of God.
Devotee (humbly): ‘Excuse me Maharaj, I have that
faith in Sri Ramakrishna.’
Swami Saradananda (firmly): Do you mean to say that
God married the daughter of a cow-dung-cake-gathering women?’
SOURCE: Sri Sarada Devi, the Great Wonder
No comments:
Post a Comment