Holy Mother Sarada Devi’s Life and Ideals – Influence on today’s Women Part 4

In some of her teachings we see the grand fusion of ideals of Vedanta with everyday life and these are relevant for all people of all ages. She said – “There is no greater wealth than contentment (with what we possess) and no greater quality than forbearance.” “Forget your individuality and try to understand your real nature”. “One who regularly thinks about the divine, how can he/she be ever in trouble?” “When one never expects anything from anybody, then only one can have equal love towards all. Love mired with desire and expectation is no love.”[i] Her last statement was that to have a lasting peace one should never look into the faults of others, but rather find one’s own faults, in a bid to improve oneself and transcend one’s nature.

She stated the purpose of life as realization of the divinity and emphasized on taking refuge in God through renunciation of selfish desires. One should always take resort in truth and do good for the sake of doing good, by depending on God, as per one’s own ability.

Sarada Devi’s relationship with Sri Ramakrishna is unique and unparalleled. This relationship is pure and sublime, and full of ineffable bliss. Sri Ramakrishna worshipped her as the divine mother and their conjugal relationship at a divine plane was devoid of any sensuality. His respect and reverence towards her is probably an ideal to emulate even for the most liberal husbands of today. She was to him wife, companion, disciple and mother, all together. He taught her to do even the smallest domestic chore in the most perfect way, vested in her the spiritual power needed to become a world teacher and showed utmost care and concern for her in almost every affair. Sarada Devi’s sacrifice for her husband was probably even greater. She stayed in a dingy room without even the basic amenities, with much inconvenience, lack of toilet facilities and freedom to move around, for sixteen years, for taking care of her husband’s needs. She had to work throughout the day and got hardly any time to sleep at night. Yet, she was full of joy and bliss. She was the epitome of contentment even though she could probably barely meet her husband for months. Even in Shyampukur and Cossipore, she stayed like a yogini, devoid of the barest and simplest luxuries, just for the sake of her husband, to serve him wholeheartedly and devotedly. The relationship was on a transcendental plane was evident from the fact that she could understand her husband’s unspoken words and wishes. There was no competitiveness for attention, no possessiveness, jealousy and ego clashes, only mutual reverence, unearthly care and understanding, and divine love.

---

[i] Matrisannidhye, Sami Ishanananda, Udbodhan publishers