HOLY MOTHER'S GLORY AND POWER

SWAMI SARADANANDA ON THE HOLY MOTHER:

About Swami Saradananda:

Swami Saradananda

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