Amma, the Preserver!

102. Om visnu granthi vibhedinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who breaks through the knot of Vishnu

I bow down to Amma who is the all pervading essence of all beings. The ultimate preserver. Who preserves in us everything that is required to be there; everything that totals up to making us decent beings in this world: goodness, kindness, compassion.

We waste so much energy in a day on negativities. In our twenty four hours, how much we waste on vices and bad thoughts about others. Even perhaps about ourselves. We waste so much time on thinking impure thoughts about the next person instead of working on ways to better ourselves. And we're each of us guilty of this. We'd rather spend five minutes berating the driver in front of us than allowing him five minutes to cross our lane! We'd rather honk at the slow traffic than see it as an opportunity to say our prayers! We'd rather cuss and gossip about someone who's irritating our senses at that point than think of the goodness that may exist in that person! We'd rather say "so what?" than say "sorry!"

Amma spends every bit of Her time cleansing our spiritual paths and tirelessly hugging us. Imagine if Amma stopped hugging and began gossiping about the people around Her! Unimaginable, isn't it? So if Amma can only see the goodness in everyone around Her, why can't we? Why does negativity become such an easy path for us to take? Why is "being good" so difficult? Why can't we just follow Amma's teachings? They're so simple, really. Be kind, be compassionate, be mindful of others. Don't hurt anyone. We can spend inordinate amounts of time and money at temples circumambulating around the deity but we wouldn't hesitate to walk out and fall right back into our time honored vices! I have to really check myself several times a day! Which is exactly why Amma tells us to keep chanting our mantras, so that the idle mind is kept away from cynical and nugatory thoughts.

In Amma, lies every answer. In Her, lies the key to life's many mazes. And in Her, lies the ultimate truth: believing in Her will help preserve everything sacred in us.

Om Amriteswariye namah!   

The fire within...!

101. Om manipurantar uditayai namah: I bow down to Amma who emerges in the Manipura chakra

The manipura chakra is located in the solar plexus, navel and digestive area. It's the chakra that deals with digestion, metabolism, the power of transformation and warmth. It's where the fire lies. When Amma emerges in the Manipura chakra, that is when all the wonderful transformations happen. She exudes warmth. Enough to blanket the earth with unending love. She creates the fire of transformation in everyone. This is where She puts us through the fire and allows us to emerge stronger, wiser and more resilient. This is where every experience adds to the purity of our spirituality.

I find spirituality such an endearing word. It's so much friendlier than Religion, which to me is a double headed monster. But spirituality is finding yourself; connecting with the Goddess who dwells within. Amma to me isn't a religious teacher; She's a spiritual Guide. She's there to hold our hands and gently guide us through life whilst performing our basic duties of understanding why we are here and fulfilling a role of serving out compassion and kindness. This, in essence, is our core objective. And it is the only way we can lead joyful lives. How banal if all we have done with our lives is live it on the outside. How unfortunate if we haven't even discovered this great strength that spirituality brings form within. But not all our lives are perfect. We flounder. We forget. We question. Which is possibly why our journey with Amma will always be a test of faith. We aren't evolved enough to pass this trial by fire. So we need to surrender totally to Amma so that every test of faith requires us to lie down by Amma's feet and tell Her: "Whatever it is, it will only be for my good."

Wouldn't our creator only want the best for us?  Can it be any other way with our Mother?

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A 100 days of bliss!

100. Om brahma granthi vibhedinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who breaks through the knot of Brahma

100 beautiful days of blogging the Sri Lalita Sahasranamavali mantras. 100 beautiful days of remembering Amma's many miracles. 100 beautiful days of realizing that on life's path, we are truly alone. It doesn't matter who's with you. Because the only reality is Amma.

Everything is a blur. You walked in and I was crying. Because someone had questioned my faith for you. I had left everything and sat right at the back of the hall. Where I shed copious tears because someone had told me that a good position on stage for volunteering would only be given to those more regular with coming to the ashram and doing seva. My love for You was being questioned. My reason for being unable to attend the ashram regularly - which only You know why - was being questioned. Everything seemed a blur as You walked in. I allowed the tears to flow freely. And as they gathered strength, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Suddenly I had this feeling that everything was going to be alright. You decided to call me to the stage. You decided I could volunteer for a good number of hours. You decided that I was to be near You when You left the hall. You decided I was worthy of being there. And this time when I cried, it was from a deep and intense sense of love for You. Because You had known of my pain and You had reached out to me.

Amma, for me You are the ultimate creator. You are Brahma. You and only You are my ultimate refuge. When life's many curved paths get difficult to traverse, I plod on wearily but the one knowledge I have is that You will never, ever let me down. For in that hug is a promise of several lifetimes. And may I always be born as Your devotee. For as many lifetimes as You choose. For me and for You.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Touched by an angel!

99. Om muladharaika nilayayai namah: I bow down to Amma whose principal abode is the Muladhara chakra

Amma resides in the tantric centre of creation. The four leafed lotus where the great spiritual potential, kundalini resides and is awakened. She is, as always, the energy behind everything.

Today I got my hands on a fabulous book. The Miracle. And the author spoke about how gratitude should form a big part of your life because in being grateful lies the seed to abundance. But how about being grateful not because we wish abundance but only because of simple manners that allow us to say "thank you". How about being grateful to a mother who I doubt has ever done one deed for Herself and instead has directed all Her divine energies towards healing us? How about being grateful for a Mother who loves us unconditionally no matter what our color, looks, financial status, weight etc. She looks beyond physical aspects. She gives us what our everyday life doesn't: acceptance. She accepts us as if we are the most precious beings on earth. And chances are, we are. Because if we weren't, would the Divine Herself love us so much?

Gratitude thus is very important. Every day if we can be grateful for everything that's worthy of a prayer, how beautiful and bountiful that day would be! Imagine waking up and thinking, "wait a minute, I have the Goddess Herself as my Guru. And what's more, I have been touched by this angel!"...now that's enough reason to plunge headlong into the joyful business of being alive!

Amma, I have my tough days. Some days I question more than on other days. My limited vision cannot see the bigger picture. But give me the wisdom to understand that everything you do is for my good. If your grace can merely brush past my fate, I'm sorted. Not a leaf moves unless you will it to. Fate then, is a different planet altogether. As I meditate to awaken my spirituality, may this wisdom grow. May I see then what I am blind to now: Your overwhelming divinity. A divine sphere where with a flick of Your hands, you can change destiny. Bless me with Your grace, Amma. So I can recognize the good in goodness and the true nature of the world. So that I can string together a necklace of gratitude and lay it down by Your feet. It is after all the resting place of everything wonderful with this world.

Om Amriteswariye namah!    

An Amma state of mind!

98. Om samayacara tatparayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is attached to the Samaya form of worship

How beautiful to be able to think of Amma all the time. To have Her established in your mental framework so well that naturally each sense reacts via an Amma consciousness. Anger is a powerful demon. Amma has likened it to a double edged sword, hurting the one holding it and the one it is used against. How many times we have felt the sharp jab of this sword! It can wound very deeply and yet we resort to it so often. Like an old lover we can't forget! Instead, if we occupied our hearts with only Amma, how wonderful this would be. Everything about this little Goddess from Kerala is so fascinating. She entered the world without crying. No sound, no anger. Just a deep understanding of the  world around Her.

That's life's journey right there. Or rather, how it should be. With a deep understanding of the world around us. Strong vices like anger, jealousy, hatred has to have its seeds in something. Discontentment, perhaps? Discontentment means the mind is wandering. It's looking for a reason to stay unhappy. But if our minds are always filled with a sense of gratitude for this Goddess who sacrifices everything only to see a smile on our faces, where is the time to be discontent? When Divinity Herself is rooting for us, how dare we feel discontent and allow such negativities to rule us?

But these are easy words to write. A rational, thinking period allows such thoughts to flow, But vices stem from that part of the mind where irrational thoughts nest. Where they quietly give birth to even more vile thoughts. And to squash them, like cockroaches, we need to use a strong spray. The spray of spirituality and blinding love for Amma. I use the word blinding because it has to be just that. Strong, unrelenting. Blinding. We have to be blinded by this love. Blinded so we cannot see the possibility of any vice in our lives. Amma, Amma, Amma. Thus the chant should go. When Amma says 'crying out to God is a prayer', this may be what She means. Crying out with love so that anger, jealousy, hatred, meanness, cruelty...they find themselves homeless and leave quietly.

I am not that strong, Amma. I go into my vice state of mind quite often. It's so easy to dwell there. But please occupy every particle of my being. So that You and only You have the supreme place of power in my life. Everything else, would then be mere detail.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A lifeline in a thought!

97. Om samayantasthayai namah: I bow down to Amma who resides inside samaya (mental worship)

I love this mantra. For me it pertains to something I prefer when I worship Amma. Mental worship. A time I am able to quietly walk with myself and connect to Amma. I have never been able to reach out to divinity whilst in the middle of ceremonies. It's so easy to hear the prayers or recite them mechanically but mental worship is a state of mind. It's a tough task to actually get your mind to stop meandering as is its nature and concentrate on a one pointed meditation of Amma. I find this very challenging but I also feel it's the best form of prayer. To be able to put aside everything that seems of utmost importance and to actually concentrate solely on the giver of happiness....Amma, our Universal mother and the beloved of millions!

Sometimes I find that the meditation does not even have to be an "aum" variety. Even if I am able to occupy my mind with varied thoughts centered around Amma, that must be a mental worship in itself. I hope so! Because there are many a times I find my mind walking off to joyfully think about Amma. It casts aside all the many important issues at hand to sit somewhere or even talk to a friend about Amma. So much better than gossiping which inadvertently leads to badmouthing people. How much nicer if we're able to talk about Amma: Her miracles, Her amazing ways.

Amma, when I'm weary, tired or just upset, please help me take my mind away from these negative thoughts. Throw me a lifeline. Make me occupy my mind with thoughts about You. Allow me the opportunity to only think about You. Even this, incidentally, can only happen by Amma's grace. Once this becomes second nature, I will never allow negativity to stake a claim to my life.

Om Amriteswariye namah! 

To a new beginning...!

96. Om akulayai namah: I bow down to Amma who does not have a family

Amma cannot have 'a' family. She is the family that we all belong to. And tonight, one of Her children will leave SIngapore to find her family in another part of Amma-land. Bindu's been my spiritual ladder to getting closer to Amma. I love Amma and yet I do not follow a spiritual devotee's path like most do. I barely go to the ashram. I hardly ever take part in seva. I have never sung one bhajan in my life at the ashram. I go into overdrive when Amma visits...and yet even then I am unable to spend the entire day there. I have my own circle of restrictions and have to work within it. But Bindu's always helped me maximize the window of opportunity I get to be with Amma. She's made sure I have effectively used every minute of the little time I am able to devote. She has shown me the way to actually reach out to Amma by being such a stellar example in herself.

And tonight..or rather early tomorrow morning, your child, Amma, will board a flight to set foot in another country. Where she will seek a new family. Where she will possibly find another lost soul to give direction to. Where she will take the time out to lend her shoulders to yet another person caught up in the web of life. And the beautiful aspect of all this is that Amma, you have groomed her so wonderfully for this day. How well you unraveled all the plans you had in store for her. How splendidly everything has fallen into place for her. And You have made it all possible, Amma. There is no way you would have let your daughter leave without adequate support.

These are Amma's miracles. Amma's love towards us is just too strong. Even during days when I feel the whole world has conspired against me, I know in my heart of hearts that Amma will correct every wrong. Her joy stems from our happiness. How can we not put our entire faith in such a mother?? So here's a little something for Bindu.

Know that Amma is with you, for She is everywhere. With everyone. Know that every step you take is actually a path laid in front of you by Amma. For She cares where Her darling daughter treads. Know that all the sadness at your departing that you leave behind is because you have been an honest soul. Just the way Amma has always wanted you to be. So stay the same. Stay GOLD! Just as Amma wishes for each of us to be. For Amma's family is us. And She will always be there with Her shield of protection around you, her beautiful daughter.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

The designer of our dreams!

95. Om kula yoginyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the deity in the Kulas

The head of the family we are all proud to be a part of. Amma. Can there be a better Goddess to lead us  on the right path? Is there anyone else we can follow blindfolded even? I would follow Amma to the ends of the earth. I would blindly do her bidding. But it's taken a very long journey to reach this state. It's taken a lot of pain. Many swallowed tears. Nights dissolving into dawn and many a day living on the murky side of dusk. The hundreds of times I have sat with a bowed head and a teary face in front of Amma, asking for answers. And She's shown me the way every time. I just haven't always had the eyes  to see it.

Amma always answers each of our questions. We're Her family, Her children! She will never let us walk away with an empty heart. She's seen the journey we've been on and She's there to rest our weary heads on Her shoulders. We're all worn out by life and really, in a world where uncertainties rule, Amma is the only one who I would seek. And follow. If She's put us on a path, She'll ensure the path is the right one for us. I've been on many paths and wondered why Amma would have put me on it. Most of 2013 was spent wondering exactly that. I still can't see the light at the end of the tunnel but I know Amma wants me to walk this journey for a reason. I don't know the reason; I can't see an explanation, but it's right because Amma's put me on it. There are many wonderful things She's given me from this voyage. Many beautiful things I may never have hoped to achieve. But She's seen the bigger picture for me which I don't have the vantage point to see.

So also for all of us....Amma sees the larger design. Like an architect, She has drawn the blueprint of our life. I like to think that every time Amma hugs us, She wraps us with a renewed blueprint. So if it's a new page we're turning with a new journey, it's only because Amma has the most beautiful landscape painted for us. When we're wrapped with so much love, life can only get better. Brighter. More hopeful.

Here's to the author of our dreams, the head of our family!

Om Amriteswariye namah!
    

My family, our Amma!

94. Om kaulinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who belongs to the kula

If I were to keep to the meaning of kula as family, then the mantra to me means we belong to Her. Years ago when Amma allowed us to get a peek into Her high level divinity, She began giving darshans. And with that one embrace started a chain reaction. For now, everyone was family! Today it's a large, pulsating family of millions across the world, whose only religion is compassion and love for one another.

So how did a small woman from a fishing village in Kerala go about uniting the world under the umbrella of Her selflessness? How is it that a 35 year old man from New York can feel the same deep and intense love towards Amma as a 60 year old woman from Madurai? Simply because this deep and intense love has become one of the essentials: much like we eat to satisfy our hunger, so also we seek Amma to satisfy our spiritual craving. And this has moved like an unseen bind across the globe. We're little Amma-lings! Each of us who stands patiently and expectantly in a line at the airport awaiting Amma's arrival; each of us who has craned our necks to get a glimpse of Amma as She walks into an overcrowded hall; each of us who has stood in the darshan line, heart beating loud and fast, excitement defining each step towards Her...we're all part of this same loving family. We may be different through skin and features, but within each of us it's the same Amma-heart that beats. Ma-Aum-Ma-Aum. Each throb a veneration towards Amma.

There's a different sort of excitement when one inadvertently meets another Amma devotee. The exchange of a smile, that knowing glint in the eye is enough to convey all the miracles we know about, all the love we have been fortunately privy to and all the many hugs we have gathered in life's path. We know, without exchanging so many words, that we're surrounded by an aura of bliss. That we're in the ring of the High priestess of compassion, grace and selflessness. And what a family Amma has formed all these years. She's planted in us seeds of goodness and other virtues. She's painstakingly given us spiritual gifts that few manage in a lifetime. Now it's upto us to make good these gifts from our Mother!

Om Amriteswariye namah! 

A spiritual state of mind!

93. Om Kulantasthayai namah: I bow down to Amma who resides in kulavidya

Amma has redefined religion for me. Growing up, God was a kind entity who was prone to bouts of anger and revenge. He was a God who could punish and take us to task for even small and minor transgressions. I spewed sanskrit shlokas and verses that to me were mere sounds. I had no idea what I was saying. I had no idea how powerful or powerless they were. All I knew was the words by rote and a fear of the unknown while reciting these. Whilst saying the prayers, the audio track in my head said: Please save me, from the ghosts, the bad people and from the darkness. Religion and spirituality were 2 sides of the same coin. My religion was defined by fear.

So when I met Amma for the first time, I approached Her with fear. Would She reprimand me? Would She look through me or into me and see what lurked within? Was She a judging God? A punishing God? A God that meted out to us our just rewards? For years I regarded Amma through a veil of fear. A much thinner veil than the one I had seen the painted Gods in pictures but through a veil nevertheless. And then one day, Bindu mentioned something about loving Amma. Like a mother. To me, at first, this was near blasphemy! How could we regard God as someone like you and me? How could we 'love' Amma? She loved us and that was fine. But we? Bindu would even sing Bollywood songs to Amma! In her worship, she saw nothing trivial when it came to Amma. Even a bollywood song was good enough for our Amma. But this truly was unconventional, irreverent!

And thus Amma began Her education of me, through Bindu. For the first time I realized what joy there was in dropping that veil and just loving Her. With abandon, with untethered freedom! To reach out and give Her all of ourselves. To tell Her our deepest, darkest secrets. To confide every thought, however base or stupid it seemed. To lay our emotions bare to Her. To allow Her into our hearts. To show Her our vices, our weaknesses. To let Her see us for what we truly are. And how invigorating this feels! That day Bindu helped me cross a major hurdle in my spiritual journey.

And ever since, religion is no longer a part of my life. But spirituality most definitely occupies my mind.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

One of Your own, Amma!

92. Om kulanganayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is well-born (who is from a good family)

For today's mantra, I have a story. A story of a girl from a good family. But all our families are good. Very rarely would you claim for anyone to be from a bad family. But this girl was not only from a good family but was also well born. She was blessed from an early age by the hand of the supreme Goddess, even though she came to know of Amma only much later in life. Amma was the answer to every question she had ever had. When she found Amma, she found herself. Which is so true of most of us! Amma gave her the identity she was looking for. Amma gave her the love she was seeking. Amma gave her everything. As she progressed in her faith, she purified everyone around her and herself. She immersed herself in true faith towards Amma. She prayed for everyone who asked for a prayer. She embraced the sorrow of everyone around her and rejoiced in the joys of all. She learnt to give people the benefit of doubt. Rarely would she be heard speaking ill of others. She sang praises of Amma through deeds and song. When she saw Amma, she dissolved in tears because the love was too much to bear.

And one day soon she needs to leave the country and move to another. Friends are upset. Someone sheds a silent tear because they know how lonely it will now be. She's renewed our faith in faith. But now she'll be far away from us. Amma truly works Her magic in mysterious ways. She's sending away one of Her wonderful children so some of us can learn to say our own prayers. So some of us can learn to deal with loneliness. So some of us can learn that distance will truly make the heart grow fonder.

Amma, our bestest friend in the world, sends Her own emissaries. And this one emissary is leaving soon. Amma, please give her the nicest journey. Please give her the promises of hope that every journey holds. Please give to her everything that she has given us all, all these years. For she has truly imbibed in herself everything You have taught us. She has taken to heart all Your lessons on virtues. She has mellowed her words to help and heal. She truly is one of Your deserving children!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A prayer for a better me!

91. Om kula sanketa palinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who protects the code of rituals of the path of yoga known as kula

To the Mightiest Goddess of the Universe, a prayer from me to you:

May we have the eyes to recognize good when we see it. What good are they if all they can do is see the superficial without seeing the pain?
May we have the ears to hear only the good that is wafting around us. What good are they if all they can hear is the unwanted negativity when goodness also lives on.
May we have the mouth to utter words that string themselves into pleasant sentences. What good is it if all it can do is utter words that sting and hurt others? If all it can manage are words reserved for self praise?
May we have the wisdom to discern the difference our actions make in the world and in others lives. Wisdom is useless unless we use it to make someone happy, each day.
May we have the foresight to see the path we are treading: where are we leading ourselves? How well are we writing our destiny? What good is foresight unless it is used to illumine the path ahead, thus preventing us from making moral mistakes
May we have the hands to constantly do good for others. What good are these hands if all they are capable of is serving the self?
May we have the feet to walk to those who need help. What good are they if all they can do is walk away from those looking for aid.
May we have the stomach to eat only what is needed and leave the rest for those who crave for a meal a day. What good is this stomach if all it does is fill itself unnecessarily without the ability to stomach the truth about the world around us?
May we have the ability to do good. What use is it of being human when all we can do is wrap ourselves in jealousy and selfishness without opening ourselves to do good always?
May we have the ability to pray. What good is faith when it can't lead to a truthful prayer said from the heart? Any words uttered with the utmost love for Amma is prayer!
May we have the ability to sing Her praises. Not all of us have the ability. It has to be granted by Amma. In fact, each of these abilities listed above have to be granted by Amma. It's when we see someone who's blind, deaf or dealing with a mental or physical handicap that we realize just how easy we have it. And yet in our normality lies our biggest weakness: The inability to see Amma for what She is: the Goddess who deserves our undivided faith.

May we have the prudence to realize that Amma is everything. She is the beginning. She is the middle. She is the end. In Her lies every aspect of ourselves and the universe.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

The faith shelter!

90. Om kulamritaika rasikayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is especially fond of the nectar known as kula

Nectar. Sweet. A gift of nature. Like Amma.

We all have troubles in our life. Troubles are almost synonymous with life. But living is what we make of a trouble filled life. Do we hang on to the bitterness or do we only concentrate on the nectar of life? Many months ago, I learnt a valuable lesson from a friend. She was diagnosed with kidney failure. But instead of crying and losing hope, she held on very strongly to her belief in herself! She refused dialysis and when Amma visited Singapore, went and received darshan three consecutive times from Her. Ever since, she has been on medication. A transplant is impending. Life's thrown every variety of curved balls at her but this girl continues to amaze me. With her resilience. And more importantly, with her faith. She is convinced Amma will see her through. And she met Amma for the first time this year!! She isn't dealing with a cold or a cough. She's dealing with a body part that's decided to stop functioning despite all the care she's taken. She's dealing with a problem that has claimed many lives. But not once have I seen her shaken. Her unrelenting faith has been tested over and over again. Virtually every day for the past 8 months. It's affected her children's education; her husband's job. And yet she prays to Amma every single day. She's convinced Amma will see her through.

And the beauty is, Amma most definitely will. Amma will ensure that this child of Hers will cross the tumultuous sea of problems with not the slightest of scratches. Amma will ensure that each prayer this lady has uttered will find it's rightful answer.

Amma, your child is going through a lot. I have seen her walk the path with unmatched fortitude. I have heard her say: "I have faith in myself and in my body". Positive thoughts are in themselves the highest form of prayer. May her climb be rewarded. May her faith find justice. For every word you teach, this lady has imbibed it so wonderfully. She is truly well sheltered by her faith.

In honor of how well you teach us Amma, we salute you. In honor of how much you protect us, we offer you our humble pranams!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

My Mother!

89. Om mula kuta traya kalebarayai namah: I bow down to Amma whose (subtle) body is made of the three parts of the panchadasakshari mantra

She who is the eternal path of the faithful
She who lives only so we may have a better future
She for whom the universe speaks its own secrets
She with whom nature dances to its own beat
She who gives depth to the word "love"
She whose hugs not only embrace but also console
She whose beauty is not just for the sight but all the senses
She who walks the earth only so you and I may find peace
She who did miracles even as the day turned to night
She whose empire of love has grown into limitless boundaries
She who rules the earth with Her weapon of compassion
She who holds us so dear to Her
She who starves so we may eat
She who keeps awake so we may sleep
She who sings so we may dance
She who dances so we may sing
She who teaches so we may learn
She who follows so we may lead
She who reaches out so we may find solace

Who is She? Who else can She be? A person thus defined whose every cell pulsates with love, can only be a Mother. Whose every living moment is dedicated to Her children. Whose every thought is for Her many children the world over. A Mother in the true sense. A Mother whose only goal is to protect Her children and ensure that every step they take is cushioned by the armor of Her immense love. She wraps us in layers of Her warmth.

And to such a Mother, we offer our salutations. For to go beyond the self is not only selfless, it is also divine.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A life rewritten!

88. Om mula mantratmikayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the embodiment of the mulamantra (the panchadasakshari mantra)

You are the embodiment of everything. In a world that is defined by it's variability, Amma is the rock of divinity. She is the core of nature and of all beings. She is the way the world was meant to thrive. But we got waylaid, tempted by the many vagaries of fate. But Amma hasn't left Her post of Conscience keeper. Nor of Giver of Good Fortune. And definitely not of God of the faithful. Or the Patient God of the faithless. She's there, waiting at every turn and twist of life.

To such an omnipresent and compassionate mother, my thousand pranams! You detail my life for me. Hopefully, every page I turn is with your blessing. Every thought I think is because You decided I should think it. There's so much uncertainty in our lives. Those who profess to be friends may well be arch enemies tomorrow. A food that we enjoy today may well be totally taboo for us tomorrow. What's our next step? Who's to know. Least of all, us! But the architect of our life is watching. And what's more? She's rewriting it for us every time. It isn't like it's a hard path we have to walk on. She changes it as per what She feels is right for us for that moment.

Amma, You are the embodiment of everything beautiful I wish to think of and see in this world. A smile from you is enough! We ache for Your presence; we ache to be in Your presence. Why does this dull ache eat into us slowly? Today is possibly a day when I feel the need to be in your arms, in your warm embrace. I feel like that once a year hug is what keeps me going for an entire year. Like it's a powerful dose that fuels my body for the entire year with bursts of love when I feel low. But we all need a recharge every now and again. Could you come in my dreams Amma and recharge it for me? Maybe I need it more than most, today. I feel an infinite sadness and wish you would correct it for me, today.

When I lay my head down tonight, I wish you will appear like manna from heaven. In the misty depths of my dreams. You and me. Mother and child.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

If only for a smile!

87. Om sakti kutaikatapanna katyadhobhaga dharinyai namah: I bow down to Amma whose form below the waist is the shaktikuta (the last four syllables of the panchadasakshari mantra)

For me, Amma's entire body is worthy of worship. All Her chakras are active and powerful. Each thought, each word, each action is a representation of Her power and Her ability to reach every soul in the world. You are our lifeline, Amma. Everything, I realize, is ephemeral. Like the transient mist, kissing the cheeks of the wanderer. We are like that wanderer, forever in the wrap of this mist. So how great is our joy when we find the ultimate anchor? Someone whom we trust implicitly, perhaps more than the trust we have in ourselves. Someone who we love more than love itself. Someone who is always there, showing us the way ahead, nudging us gently in the right direction. Amma's children across the world make decisions based on Amma's teachings. An entire generation is being moulded on the pure thoughts of Amma's. How beautiful a world this will be, if the children of today imbibe Amma's tenets and live life on the purest and highest level? How wonderful if "vice" becomes an obsolete word! A word that generations from now, a child will ask a definition off, from his old grandfather, who in turn will possibly say it in the most succinct of ways: "Well there were bad ways in the world. And then Amma's love and beauty swept across the world. A light shone on earth like never before and everyone connected with their true spirit."

Will we ever get to live in that era? Are we even creating an era like that? Maybe in our small ways, we are. But the effort has to be consistent. I wish we could all take a pledge to do one amma-zing deed a day. A deed in either thought or action. In word or gesture. A deed that will make Amma smile in happiness, wherever in the world She is.

Truly, how wonderful this thought is, of making Amma smile! Just for that, it's worth a try!

"Don’t be discouraged by your incapacity to dispel darkness from the world. Light your little candle and step forward!" — Amma

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A heartbeat Ode to Amma!

86. Om kanthadhah kati paryanta madhya kuta svarupinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who from Her neck to Her waist is of the form of the madhyakuta (the middle six syllables of the panchadasakshari mantra)

The neck to the waist. Where the heart resides. In Tantric descriptions, Devi resides in the heart. I bow down to Amma who resides in my heart. Our body is a temple because Amma lives in our hearts. Each beat is our obeisance to Her. Our heart beats are really a symphony of the heart: An Ode to Amma. Thus the gargantuan task of keeping our souls and hearts immensely clean. Just as we clean the area Amma is going to visit, or the peetham Amma will sit on; or take immense care with the cushion Amma will rest on, so also we must take immense care with the heart She resides in.

But we're only mortal beings and we forget this simple lesson. We take a dash of envy, a generous helping of anger and a cupful of hatred and mix it with sufficient vitriol, into our hearts. It's the equivalent of throwing muddy slush onto Amma's chair or putting dirt into the the room She will occupy. We would never, ever think of doing that now, would we? So why do we sully the very heart She actually lives in??

Because we can't actually see Her living there! But maybe if we bring in all the goodness we can gather in the cup of our hands, into our hearts, then Amma would enjoy Her stay there! Give me the strength, Amma, to keep myself as spiritually clean as possible. To have the fortitude and ability to look a tempting vice in the eye and say: No! I will not succumb.

As I stood in the pandal during Durga Puja, all I saw was You! Your power, Your magnificence, Your overriding divinity. May I have the eyes to see it everywhere I look and the sense to feel it in everything and every person.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma's the reality!

85. Om srimad vagbhava kutaika svarupa mukha pankajayai namah: I bow down to Amma whose lotus face is the auspicious vagbhavakuta (a group of syllables of the panchdasakshari mantra)

Amma's beautiful face is what stays in our inner eye. It's Her entire beauty that strikes us when we see Her. Amma, a benevolent being walking the earth, cleansing everyone, one hug at a time.

Life is so ephemeral. There is no constant; there is no reality. Everything truly is an illusion. Shifting truths. My reality need not be yours. And thus reality cannot be a constant. But whatever metaphysics might teach us, the one truth we know is of Amma. When it comes to Amma, my truth is your truth too.  There can be no truth apart from Amma. The world keeps changing as do we all. And in this ever changing quotient, Amma stays steady like the grand oak tree. She will not yield to the negativities of life. She will not change. What Amma was 24 years ago is what She is even today. Can any of us say "The compassion has grown?" The warmth with which Amma welcomed me into Her arms all those years ago is exactly how She receives me even today! Even the whiteness of Her saree has stayed the same. Would She receive a newer devotee child with less enthusiasm than She would a child who's been going to Her for over two decades? No! For Amma, we are all equal. It has always been so and will always be so. Amma's nature is 'nature'. The only constant. The truth that isn't fleeting. It's the one thing that is as real as the turning of the earth; as day and night.

Maybe this is what Godliness really means! This is possibly what the real concept of God is! And to us, Amma is our God. The beacon that shows us the light towards the future, propelled by the veracity of the present moment.

Towards this God, let us prostrate and surrender every bit of ourselves.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma's chain of compassion!

84. Om hará netragni sandagdha kama sanjivanausadhyai namah: I bow down to Amma who became the life giving medicine for kamadeva (the god of love) who had been burned to ashes by the fire from Shiva's eyes

What an important life lesson this mantra holds. Amma is able to overlook the celestial order in the face of Her over riding compassion. Which is exactly how Amma wants us to be: compassionate beings showing tenderness and empathy towards everyone else who's also walking their own tight rope in the circus called life! We have no idea what the next person is undergoing or which chapter of life they are on. We walk out into the sun expecting everyone to have experienced the same amount of light. And then we're taken aback when someone walks as if under the greyest cloud. We feel upset, hurt, angered. But not for a minute do we pause to reach out and think. Who out there might be well in need of this life giving medicine? Haven't we been on that page many, many times? The tears that we shed when in Amma's presence are precious because they hold a lifetime of pain, anger, worry, jealousy, resentment, disappointment. A powerful drop resonating with our hidden pain. When Amma holds us in Her embrace, She's essentially administering to us this very life giving medicine! We've been burned to ashes by life and Amma's rejuvenating us; allowing us to rise from this very ash.

To me this is significant because She's also teaching us to go forth and do the same. Look at everyone else's struggles and help them along. The life giving medicine may well come in the form of a word, a deed or even a positive thought. But who knows what power it holds? It could well hold the power to throw a lifeline to a suffering soul! We need to always tread with compassion. Life's no easy path to walk. Let's be there for each other. Like a human chain of compassion. Just the way our divine Mother, Amma would love it!

Om Amriteswariye namah!  

Unto you, Amma!

83. Om brahmopendra mahendradi deva samstuta vaibhavayai namah: I bow down to Amma whose many powers are extolled by Brahma, Visnu, Siva and other gods.

When the supreme trinity recognizes Amma's powerful divinity, we are but humble servants to follow suit. You have many powers, Amma. As we see it today, you ensure the occurrence of many miracles in our lives. As we see them unfolding, we rejoice in joy, rush to the altar and praise your doings. We also revel in the miracle. What we are unable to see are ironically, the bigger things. How you work at a universal flow of things; how you ensure that each of your children takes his or her next breath and how you allow each of your children to take a drop of your divinity when you embrace them. How big a miracle is it that you are totally non judgmental of the thousands that come to you; that you are able to give love so selflessly to everyone who walks to your doorstep. Amma, how beautiful is it that you allow us to chant your name? Some beings take several lifetimes to achieve this. We have been lucky to experience it right here, right now. But who's to know of the lifetimes past? Who knows how we knew of you in a past lifetime? Was I a lucky bird who perched myself on your arms? Or was I as incredibly lucky as Thumban, able to sit close to you and get your attention with a wag of my tail or a lick? Was I a flower petal that lay surrendered at your holy feet? Whatever I was, hopefully I was of service to you.

Which is how perhaps, we should see our lives now. As being of service to Amma. At all times. Whether it means only speaking kind words or doing selfless actions, we should only do what Amma will be proud of. What we can then look into a mirror and relate. For if it isn't worthy of us, it most certainly isn't worthy of Amma!

Give us the strength to do justice to you, Amma. May every action of ours be defined by our very deep love for you.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A brilliance that shines forth across the world!

82. Om kamesvarastra nirdagdha sabhandasura sunyakayai namah: I bow down to Amma who burned and destroyed Bhandasura and his capital Shunyaka with the mighty Kameshvara missile

While the literal meaning is that Bhandasura was destroyed and in the fire, his capital Shunyaka truly became "sunya" or empty, the hidden or inferred meanings appeal to me more. It allows me the latitude to once again look at Amma's divinity and Her powerful radiance and connect it to the destruction of everything evil at Her hands.

The most evil thing in the world, is a bad thought. From this stems every evil deed and action. It is from this thought that lives get corrupted and worlds are destroyed. Where a father doesn't hesitate to snatch away his child's happiness. Or a man, his wife's security. For us, Amma's children, Amma is the stability in all our lives. She's the one who keeps us grounded, whether in the face of success or failure; whether in the path of choices or dogged determination on one road. Amma is that beacon of light I look to in hope and with every ounce of emotion I can muster and place at Her feet. She's the only one I know who will take that evil thought that ever so often raises it's ugly head, and grant it a premature death. For we human beings are powerless in the face of demons. Our demons, worse yet. For who will fight themselves? These demons exist within and Amma and only Amma can gently erase them from our lives without hurting us.

You are the ever benevolent mother, Amma. I see your smile and it's enough to get me smiling. It's enough to cast away every ounce of negativity and see the world in shades lighter. Even a photograph does the trick. How powerful is your brilliance?! May it shine in our lives always and forever!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A lesson in time!

81. Om maha pasupatastragni nirdagdhasura sainikayai namah: I bow down to Amma who buried the armies of the demons in the fire of the Mahapashupata missile

You are ever victorious. You are the voice of millions of women who see you as Shakti, the woman power pulsating in this universe. Every demon you vanquish is a demon less for us to bear. That's your innate greatness, Amma. Everything you do, is a dedication to us, your children. You teach us to live in the moment. It's an important lesson which we lose out on ever so often. A lesson that is so vital and yet we forget to enjoy time as it ticks by. We're lost in the hands of the clock that ticked for a moment past, or in the promise of a time that will arrive. For us, it's everything but the here and now.

Amma lives for now. As She hugs and consoles us, Her undivided attention is on us. It's as if everything else has faded and all that's remaining is this moment: this precious moment with Her precious child. How I wish we could all be like that, Amma! Then there would be no demons because demons are the children of vices and vices are the progeny of a wandering mind. For those living in the present, there is no concept of a wandering mind because the mind lives for the "now". Amma vanquishes every demon effortlessly and lives in the glory of the sun's rays. Everything associated with Her is beautiful. Light. Sunshine. Energy.

My Amma, My Durga! May we always realize that what you are showing us, is only one millionth of your true power! But if we can imbibe even small lessons form this, we would conquer our own innate demons and follow in Amma's steps in making the world a better place.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Ten times the goodness!

80. Om karanguli nakhotpanna narayana dasakrtyai namah: I bow down to Amma who created from Her fingernails all ten incarnations of Narayana (Vishnu)

Today I bow to you in the deepest of love, Amma. Something I have worked on for so long, saw the light. The play opened and all these weeks of hard work paid off. But I've done hard work before and it  hasn't always shown stellar results. But today I felt your presence, Amma. A strong presence. You were there to bless it and every time I invoked, You were there. You are the powerful Durga, Shakti. The one who can do anything, seek goodness in us and kill evil!

From your fingernails You have created all ten incarnations of Visnu. In fact to me, you are like Kalki, the tenth incarnation. The Eternal, the Destroyer of Filth. Your sword, drawn and blazing like a comet, will destroy every shred of evil that leads to unrighteousness. You will remove all the darkness from this world. You do that anyway, with each embrace of yours. You tirelessly work at eradicating the veil of ignorance most of us wear in front of our eyes. You ensure that we are empowered as your children to do good in the world. For evil comes a lot more naturally than good. But for you, a life is all about how much we can create a difference in another life, for the better. Through your ten avatars, You teach. You envelop us in virtues purely through your love and by example. May we do justice to the lessons you teach us, every day!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

That rock of faith!

79. Om bhandasurendra nirmukta sastra pratyastra varsinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who showers counter weapons to each weapon fired at Her by Bhandasura

I can't even begin to think how glorious Amma truly is! Look at the extent of Her power and glory. The demons fear Her, the devas praise Her and Her children adore and love Her. Amma protects Her children fiercely. This Goddess wears many a garb. As the pulsating energy and shakti of the world, She is powerful. As the destroyer of everything bad, She is menacing. And as the universal mother, She is loving, tender and protective.

How wonderful is this birth that we get to play in Amma's lap? In a blink of an eye (though it feels decidedly longer!), we are able to get yet another of Amma's loving embrace. When else can we feel a strong vibration of goodness and virtue? Of innocence and love?

My sister in law is going through a severe health issue. When she met Amma, she felt at peace. Even today, six months on, she feels Amma's strong presence in her life. Despite facing a major challenge, she's able to take the turbulent ride only because she's convinced Amma is looking out for her. She isn't a mother after all, for nothing! If Amma can take on and defeat the demons in our minds, She can truly help us overcome the many that lurk within. Fear, Jealousy, Unhappiness, Hatred. What are these but deadly demons? Demons that can fatally injure. And we're quite ill equipped to handle these experienced players. They know when to creep in and build a home in our hearts. But they're tough opponents. It really is Amma's grace that gives us the strength to be able to look within, see these monsters for what they are, uproot and vanquish them.

And the only way to achieve this, is through faith. That immovable mountain that can look a disease in the eye and permit it to disappear. That solid rock, that ensures that everything will work out just as planned. Amma, faith in You, is easy to repose. Please just give me the grace to never question. Nor surrender!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma, the only constant!

78. Om maha ganesa nirbhinna vighna yantra praharsitayai namah: I bow down to Amma who rejoices when Ganesha shatters all obstacles

It would be the perfect occasion for Amma to rejoice. Because the Lord of beginnings has removed all obstacles in the path of Her children. When all hurdles are removed, we can move ahead unhindered and chase our many dreams. Many a times, our goals seem unachievable. Suddenly it seems like someone moved it a few notches higher, further, farther. And a shroud of impossibility cloaks it. I try to look at it but the sun's intense rays are shining right into my eyes. And unfortunately I can't even say I'm looking straight into my bright future! But I'm Amma's child. She will never let me walk away disheartened or defeated. She will pick me up from any depths and haul me onto the horizon. She will ensure that Ganesha shatters all the obstacles on my path. I don't have the spiritual verve to work through these obstacles which, unfortunately, are part of my karma. But Amma will remove them for me. For us. And that's how we move from strength to strength.

Nothing Amma does should ever be taken for granted. In a world where our next breath isn't a guarantee, how can we possibly think a step ahead is? The past is a blur. The present is an illusion of sorts. The future was never in our hands anyway. Amma is the only certainty. She's the ultimate and only truth that pervades every sense. She's the only lifeline we have, going forward. In an ever changing world, where even the breeze can change course in a fickle moment, Amma is the only constant. She lives so that we may have better lives. She works tirelessly so that we may live in peace, with others and ourselves.

Thank you Amma for just being. For having an aura so tremendous that it can even outshine the sun. For breaking all barriers that stand in the way of Your children. We love you.

Om Amriteswariye namah!    

Amma, the tidal wave of love!

77. Om kamesvara mukhaloka kalpita sri ganeshvarayai namah: I bow down to Amma who gives rise to Ganesha by a glance at the face of Kameshvara

Ganesha. Vighnaharta. The vanquisher of obstacles. To whom we pray to, at the start of every event. Only with Ganesha's blessings can a thought finds its way to fruition. To realization. To a successful completion. And Amma gives rise to Ganesha by a mere glance at the face of Kameshvara!

Amma, how wonderful are the leelas you perform! Not a day goes by, when I don't thank you profusely for everything you have done for me. When I bow in humility for all the many times you have blessed the start of something big. You bless the start of every new day, so that it may only unravel happiness. Let not our egos ever think we are the ones responsible for our destiny. When even the next step isn't a certainty, how possibly can we not realize that each breath is a gift from Amma. Each step I take is a bonus granted by Her. Life in itself is the biggest of endowments by our creator Amma.

In her yin and yang representation as Shakti to Shiva, Amma creates Ganesha. I am looking with wonderment at this trinity itself. Shiva. Shakti. Ganesha! How utterly beautiful and powerful. The creator: Shakti, the all powerful. The preserver: Ganesha, the one who blesses everything new. Shiva, the destroyer of our egos and of every vice that results from this ego. Amma, you are the very pinnacle of spiritual realization. You, as the universal mother, creates Ganesha from a glance. Ganesha, who will then ensure the destruction of all obstacles. Is it a chain of comfort Amma is forming around Her children? Even as She creates, She is ensuring that every obstacle is destroyed, so that Her children may find the peace and happiness She would like them to be bestowed with.

Amma, your Shakti never ceases to amaze me. You work silently and powerfully, changing the world one hug at a time. It's a tidal wave we're seeing here that's rippling through the world. The epicenter lies in Vallickavu. On the spiritual scale, the magnitude of love is a perfect 10. Bestow upon us the grace to be touched by this tidal wave, Amma. And may we never, ever disappoint you as your children.

Om Amriteswariye namah!   

In the hands of Amma!

76. Om visukra prana harana varahi virya nanditayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is pleased with the prowess of Varahi who took the title of Vishukra

The female energy. Shakti. The feminine power. The prowess of the Goddess. Amma is power, Amma is Shakti, Amma is creative and feminine power and energy. To break it down even further, feminine in itself hides a power of creation and preservation. Which is why a woman has the ability to nurture a foetus within her and give birth. If that isn't power, what is?!

Amma is giving birth to a new us, every day. Every time I cleanse my thoughts because I owe it to Her and myself, She gives birth to a new me. She creates everything wonderful in our lives. When our lives have been touched by Amma, nothing is an accident or just an occurrence. It happens only because Amma has willed it so. Not even a leaf can move without Her permission or Her will. So how possibly can I turn yet another page in my life, without Her will? Amma's all seeing eye has the vision of a future that is best for us. Amma's universal power has the ability to unfold our karma and rewrite it. Which is why faith, in Amma terms, means surrendering every thought and every feeling at Her feet. When the next moment isn't a certainty, what use does worrying or even planning hold? It's all finally upto and unto Amma. When She decides, that is the time. To rewrite our lives. To rebuild. To rejuvenate.

Amma, may I only walk the path you have made for me. May only your will unfold in my life. May we all constantly live under the umbrella of your grace.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Total surrender to you, Amma!

75. Om mantriniyamba viracita visanga vadha tositayai namah: I bow down to Amma who rejoices at the destruction, in battle, of the demon vishanga by the shakti Mantrini

Faith is a powerful healer. It helps heal the deepest of wounds, the darkest of gashes. It can delve into a troubled soul and find the ripples that cut the tranquility of the surface. To such a faith, I pay obeisance today. To such a faith, I bring my troubled mind. To such a faith, I surrender my pains, aches and sleeplessness. For Amma will cleanse everything. I just have to believe. Amma is as much the creator as She is the preserver and the destroyer. She will create, from my faith, my future. From this very faith, She will preserve everything precious to me. And from this faith itself, She will destroy all my demons and vices.

As you sow, so shall you reap. A stale statement that does no justice to the actions nor to the implications. But when the ugly harvest cuts the hands of the harvester, there's only one thing to do. Sacrifice every living and breathing thought and lay it down at Amma's feet. It's the only place this thought will lose it's troubled veneer and be smoothened out. Let your feet be my spiritual abode. May I not be upset or hassled by anyone's actions or words. Please don't even permit me to give anyone's actions or words any significance. I must only concentrate on your fete Amma, where I wish to reside. Let me dedicate every waking and sleeping moment to you. Let every breath I take, every word I speak, every action, every thought, be a dedication to You. Please help me mute any other track in my life. Everything material, every relationship, should be because you willed it.

Thy will be done, Amma. And please guide me in that path!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

The killing of our vices!

74. Om bhanda putra vadhodyukta bala vikrama nanditayai namah: I bow down to Amma who delights in seeing the valor of the goddess Bala who is intent on killing the sons of Bhanda

I wish we lived in a world where Amma's footprints covered the entire world. So that there wasn't even a blemish in the world. Amma's view of righteousness is so strong that should we all follow every word that Amma speaks, the world would truly be a better place to live in. Amma, in Her own way, silently kills every evil intent or thought. When Amma embraces us, it's more than a physical action. It's an entire change happening quietly. It's Amma's way of removing every vice in us. It's Amma's way of killing every bit of negativity in us. It's Amma's way of cleansing us so that our spiritual path becomes easier.

Ego is the worst thing we straddle ourselves with. Where there is ego, there can be no place for Amma. How can we expect Amma to reside in a place that pulsates with every other thought except Her? How can She live in a space where we don't allow Her to work Her magic but instead assume we have the power to do so? Help us Amma, to erase each negative trait in us. If we have done wrong, forgive us. But at the same time, pull us up from the dark depths to which we have fallen. Allow us to rise and work at becoming better human beings. Beings worthy of having taken this birth. Of living in Your presence.

Teach us to vanquish the worst in us, so that we may be worthy of You. I realize each path you lay is the one fit for the treader. And may we tread this path softly, gently and mindful of our shortcomings. Help me in this arduous journey, Amma. Today and always!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Delightfully mine, my Amma!

73. Om nitya parakramatopa niriksana samutsukayai namah: I bow down to Amma who delights in seeing the might and the pride of Her nitya deities

The core beauty of Amma is that She is able to revel in everything with a child like innocence. When Amma sees the might and pride of the fifteen deities, when Amma meets us for darshan, when Amma sings bhajans. Every moment, every event is such a celebration. She truly lives in the moment. Amma's singing, Her every gesture, Her unlimited love: everything is a celebration of the moment.

What an incredible lesson this is for us. How much happier life would be if we were able to celebrate a moment at a time. When the only desire is to honor the moment, how could we ever live in fear of doing wrong? When the only desire is to stay in awe of creation, how can we ever think of speaking a bad word or hurting anyone? Why would we want to step out of the moment and dwell in anything dark and oppressive? Amma's shadow is full of light and joy. It's filled with happiness and goodness. All we need is to dwell in it.

I recited the sahasranamam after a long time today, Amma. And how beautiful it felt. Time just flew as I recited it. Please give me the will power to recite this every day. The very will power your nitya deities have. So I can celebrate You, in all your glory, every day!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Sthree Shakti!

72. Om bhanda sainya vadhodyukta sakti vikrama harsitayai namah: I bow down to Amma who rejoices at the valor of the shaktis who are intent on destroying the forces of Bhandasura

Amma, you are woman power, Sthree Shakti. For us, you are the incarnation of everything womanly and powerful in existence. In this age of kalyug, when a woman has been dethroned from her rightful place in the sun, Amma walks the path of valor and courage. A look at Amma's life is adequate. She faught against innumerable odds to follow Her calling. At a young age, born in a rural town, She was looked upon as an anomaly. But She stuck to the spiritual path despite the resistance, the threats, the jibes. She could see what the naysayers couldn't. And She stayed on. We are basking in the glory of Her strength today.

As women, this is an important lesson we need to learn from Amma's life. It doesn't matter what the circumstance: if something is correct, stay on that path. Eventually, the universe will conspire to make it happen. For us, Amma is our universe and when She sees us walking the road of righteousness, She will reach out and protect us through the journey.

When sent in the right spirit to Amma, not one prayer goes unanswered; not one wish stays unfulfilled. Amma's nature is to spread love and happiness. Thank you Amma for being the Sthree Shakti of my life. You teach em every single day with your words and long lasting gestures. Just when I was about to allow the tiredness to take over, you sent a breath of fresh air. I love you!

Om Amriteswariye namah!