The source of it all!

200. Om sarva-mangalayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the source of all that is auspicious

It's been 200 days since I have immersed myself in the Sri Lalita Sahasranamavali. 200 days of getting closer and closer to understanding Amma and yet what an ocean away from really ever knowing Her. Who can truly understand the universe? It's like knowing the boundaries of the sky. Amma is ethereal, unexplainable. We can't ever put Her doings under a microscope because these are miracles we are looking at. Something that begins from love and ends in love and sustains itself on a steady flow of grace. She is the epicenter of spirituality. She is the centre of our universe. She is the only truth I choose to know. While everything else is truly an illusion and cannot be relied upon, Amma is the one rock steady truth that will never change. For She is the beginning, the middle and the end. The source of everything that is beautiful and auspicious in this world.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Divinity that shines forth!

199. Om sarva-sakti-mayyai namah: I bow down to Amma who has all the divine powers

She is the Empress of the universe who holds our heart strings in Her hand. She has single handedly changed the lives of millions of people. The Amma wave that has swept the world has cleansed so many who have been touched by it. So many people have stopped detrimental behavioural patterns. So many have changed routines to include a prayer and a more spiritual bent of mind. So many have erased old burdens to give place to Amma in their hearts. So many of us have suddenly become aware of the power of unconditional love.

We mere mortals find it difficult to keep friends and please everyone. Amma doesn't hand out gifts to us. Apart from the prasad, there's nothing physical She gives us during darshan. There is no car, no house, no nothing. But there is the promise of a life changing embrace that asks no questions and wants no answers. All Amma wishes to do is to accept us the way we are. To take us into Her fold and keep us safely there. To always ensure that we stay on the straight spiritual path and don't meander off into the jungle of samsara. To do this for one or two people, is incredible. To do this for a hundred or so, is extraordinary. To do this for millions, is truly divine.

Om Amriteswariye namah! 

Our perfect Guru!

198. Om samanadhika-varjitayai namah: I bow down to Amma who has neither equal nor superior

Excerpts from Amma's message on New Years: “Just by turning the pages of our calendar, nothing is going to change. It is the impurities of anger, lust and jealousy within us that turn “good times” into “bad times.” We need to have a higher goal in life. Imagine a ship is sailing on the ocean with its sails angled to perfectly catch the wind. But if the captain does not know which harbor he is to dock his ship, he will just keep on sailing. Without a destination, no matter how fair the sailing, it will all be in vain. It is our goals that give us enthusiasm, strength and energy. They make us alive.

“We need a daily routine to help us towards our goal. If spirituality is our goal, we will try to nurture good thoughts. We will try to do good deeds. We will not brood over unnecessary thoughts. We won’t become jealous seeing another person’s success. We won’t be bothered about the various things going on around us; we will only try to do whatever we can. We will read spiritual books and attend satsangs.

“Death is constantly in front and behind us, like a shadow. Our body is like a rented house. At any moment, we could be asked to vacate. Instead of leaving kicking and screaming, we should be ever ready to leave with joy and laughter. Before death overpowers us, we have many important tasks to complete. Life is an opportunity to look back and evaluate our progress and, at the same time, to look forward and focus on action. Why have we embarked on this journey of life? What is our goal? Are we moving along the right path? Or have we lost our way? The dawn of a new year is a time for self-introspection and firm resolves.

“We bathe every day to stay clean. Enthusiasm is like a bath for the mind. It’s not enough to feel enthusiastic and cheerful only on New Year’s Day though. We need to maintain this feeling throughout the year. When we wake up in the morning, we wash our face and prepare ourselves for the day. No one wants to appear dirty or ugly. This is usually the first thought of our day. But we need to clean our mind as well. We need to wipe away the dust of our negativities. Then, not only our lives, but also the lives of everyone around us will become beautiful. If this is our attitude, the entire world will thrive as if a new spring is awakening."

This is the reason Amma has no equal or superior. She is beyond such ratings. Amma knows exactly what makes the world live from one day to the next. She knows what it takes to wake up to a new dawn. Amma knows everything. Because She is EVERYTHING!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A compassionate hug!

197. Om sandra-karunayai namah: I bow down to Amma who shows intense compassion.

Amma's compassion is truly what makes Her so close to our hearts. She is so intensely compassionate, She will never judge us or turn us away. We can go to Her with any prayer, any wish, any desire. If asked with the purest of intentions that is worthy of a divine being like Amma, She will always grant it to us. We need to ask with faith so that Amma can answer with faith. When we ask with faith, we are assuring Her that we know what faith is and that we can be trusted to have what we really desire.

But Amma is so compassionate, She would grant us our wishes anyways. She will reach out to us in times of need and ensure that we are well cared for and cushioned against the blow of destiny. She will change destiny if required. Once under Amma's umbrella, we stand protected by Her love. We stand buffered by Her overwhelming and intense compassion. Amma has hundreds of charities that reach out to the poor, the lonely, the suffering. She will always find a place for each of us in Her heart. Sit quietly and star gaze as Amma gives darshan. See Amma with those working through physical or mental disadvantages. The intense compassion etched on Her face is a lesson for us. If we could show even a hundredth of that compassion, we would be hugely instrumental in making this world a better place. For now, all of us are just happy to be recipients of this beautiful compassion that Amma shows towards us. May we all continue feeling the grace.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

In Amma we trust!

196. Om sarvajnayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is omniscient

omniscient: one who knows everything.

Amma is the omniscient narrator of our story. She is the omniscient God who is unfolding every road bit by bit in this journey called life. And because Amma is omniscient, we should realise that therefore Amma will only do what is good for us. Events as they unfold only happen for our own good. A missed opportunity, a late bus, a difficult period at work. It's all there to build up some missing piece of the puzzle in our lives. Amma sees the bigger picture and can see what's around the corner for us. So She knows what's needed. And because She knows for sure, we need to trust Her doings for us always.

"vishwasam tannene rakshikyu". These words leap out at me now ever so often. How many times I have sung these words emptily! "It is purely faith that will save us". Faith in our Guru, our God, who loves us, cares for us and will only do what is right for us. In Her, we trust. We should. For there is never another being who will love us as much as She does. And towards Amma we will have blind faith. Because She knows exactly where She's taking us.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Towards a cleaner heart!

195. Om dosa-varjitayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is free from all faults

Amma who has always walked the path of selflessness, has dedicated Her life to creating a better world for us. I read this beautiful story of Amma cleaning the streets of Kolkata.

"20 Jan 2013, Kolkata, Bharata Yatra 2013

After sitting for almost 12 hours of continuous darshan during the last day of programs in Calcutta {news}, Amma still wanted to do more for her children.

During the darshan, at about 6:00pm, she announced that the road had to be cleaned and in this way the ABC would be launched in Calcutta. She sent brahmacharis to inspect the area that was to be cleaned and procure the necessary equipment for the cleaning operation." The article went on to describe how Amma led the entire cleaning up procedure throughout the night and that when Amma left the next morning for Odisha, the road was spotlessly clean. The picture above is from that night. Isn't this exactly what Amma does with our hearts too? She may be occupied with a million other things but She will always find the time to cleanse our hearts and keep us free from all faults. She will not care about sullying Her hands so long as it means that She has left a spotlessly clean heart behind. And going by the picture, Amma will do whatever it takes to create a heart that is never capable of dirt. A heart that will always remember the time it was made clean in the hands of the most wonderful Mother ever! If every hug of Amma's is really a massive clean up exercise to remove each speck of vice from our lives, we owe Her a deep debt of gratitude. I hop each of us can one day see ourselves as spiritually clean individuals who Amma can look upon and smile with genuine pride. We owe Her this at the very least! 

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Awaiting Your arrival, Amma!

194. Om duracara-samanyai namah: I bow down to Amma who stops evil customs

My powerful Mother who ensures that evil customs are stopped through the world. With a mere glance, Amma can stop even one thought out of line. She is the power behind the surge of spirituality amongst Her devotees. Many of us who followed religion blindly now have a well lit path. Our eyes have opened to customs that create good in society. Religion for us is no longer a photo at an altar. It is about going out and donating blood. It is about cooking food and feeding the hungry. It is about giving up a part of our salary so that a have-not somewhere can have. The day we are able to understand that the world is all about giving and sharing, we would truly have realized what Amma is all about. Hands outstretched whether to give a hug or to give a helping hand, Amma is a giver. Her vastly generous heart only knows how to make us, Her children, happy. This is what makes Her ever so beautiful. Her selflessness.

While saying my prayer today, I realized just how badly I was missing Her. And just how badly I wanted to see Her. I wonder if She knows how many tears I have shed just missing Her deeply. This creates a pain which is sometimes almost unbearable. To paraphrase the bhajan originally dedicated to Krishna: when will You come, Amma when will You come? Tired eyes await Your visit. Just so that I can sit by Your feet and pour my burdened heart out to You. Once I get that embrace before which I will certainly cry my despair out, a sense of relief will finally wash over me. But till then, the tears just don't seem to stop, Amma. Please come here super fast. Your daughter is waiting. Impatient and Alone.

Om Amriteswariye namah!