Our Divine Mother, Shree Maharajji’s wife, whom we devotees lovingly called Amma, closed her manifest leelas in the material realm, and went back to the Divine Abode of Radha Krishna.
Amma had descended to assist Shree Maharajji in his mission of distributing Divine love of Radha Krishna to evolved souls on this planet. She was born on Diwali day in the year 1925, in a small village called Leelapur, about 100 kilometers from Mangarh. Her father was a great Sanskrit scholar and devotee. She was married to Maharajji in her childhood itself, in accordance with the tradition of child marriage prevalent in Uttar Pradesh at that time. In her youth, she stayed mostly in Mangarh, while Maharajji would go on preaching tours for eleven months in a year.
As the satsang grew and thousands of satsangis became a part of the mission, she showered her love on them, and helped them in their devotion to Shree Maharajji. While Maharajji, as the perfect Spiritual Master, was often as hard as a thunderbolt, Amma was the soft, forgiving, patient and caring mother, whose love could always be counted upon. While Maharajji maintained an externally strict profile, Amma provided the gentle human touch that gave so much strength to the devotees in their arduous journey to God-realization.
Amma’s life was always one of sacrifice for her Divine Beloved. She never complained about having no opportunity for personal time with Maharajji. His happiness was her only consideration throughout her life, and she sacrificed her all for it. She was thus the epitome of purity, and of selfless devotion to her Divine husband. Amma’s causeless and oceanic love could not be described in words. While Maharajji’s fame spread throughout the world, and devotees came in hordes from many countries, she expanded her heart to give a place to everyone. No wonder, in her arati, she is described as “Jagadamba” or Mother of the Universe.
In Amma’s soft heart, the material welfare of the devotees was as important as their spiritual upliftment. I have sweet memories of how I once fell sick with cold and fever in the ashram. Amma was so concerned about my illness, as if I were her own child. On the third day of the fever, I came out of the room to join the parikrama around the ashram. On seeing that I was not resting, Amma got so annoyed that I had to immediately return to my room. Such was the love that she bestowed on each and everyone who came close to her.
Amma’s visible pastimes are no longer manifest on the earthly plane. However, in the hearts of the devotees, she will continue to live, in loving memories of her Names, Form, Virtues, Pastimes, and Abode. When we pray to her to bestow on us true love for our Guru and God, we know that she will always be there to respond to our entreaties, as generously as she did during her lifetime.
Her little child,
Swami Mukundananda.
