Thus Spake the Divine - Amma (Mother)

Thus Spake the Divine

Amma (Mother)

The calf’s mooing “MMA” at the mother-cow signifies the flowing love of the calf over its mother. Similarly, the term ‘ Amma” is the most powerful word of the mankind. In this chapter, Poojyasri Maha Periyava explains the mother-child relationship and draws parallel with that of Ambal, the Unviersal Mother towards Her children.

Mother’s love is the most unadulterated one on earth. Mother unmindfully expresses and shows her absolute love towards her child irrespective of the nature of the child. Only a mother can show such an unselfish love to her children. There is an age-old adage, which says the mother’s heart is mad over the child about its welfare; whereas the child is stonehearted where her needs are concerned (Petha manam pithu; pillai manam kallu). We recite Devi Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram at the end of any Pooja. In this, we ask Ambal for forgiveness with regard to various mistakes committed by us during our Pooja, like mispronunciation of Mantras, showing wrong mudras etc. In that, there is also a verse that says, “There could be a bad child; but there can never be a bad mother”. Only a mother can express absolute and selfless love.

From the time of birth, we are attached very closely with our mother. She is the only recourse for the child to meet all its needs. Only during early childhood, there is immense mutual love between mother and child. This love is felt mostly in cattle, rather than humans. The calf’s moo “Amma” is filled with yearning for mother’s love, which cannot be seen in any other mother-child relationship. It appears as if even the human race has learnt from a calf to use the word “amma” for addressing mother. In Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Kannada, mother is addressed as “Amma”. In Malayalam, it is “Ammai”, in Sanskrit it is “Ma” or “Amba”. In Hindi, it is “Ma” and “Mayi”, and in English, it is “Mummy” or “Mamma”. The origin for all these salutations to a mother, I presume, is only from the calf’s calling of “Amma”.

Let’s keep aside mother’s love for a while; she is the mother only to this body. Once she leaves her body or we, the children, then there is no connection between the two whatsoever. Then, we get into some other womb; some other mother. However, there is one Mother, who is not only mother to our body but also to our breath. Breath does not die as does the body. Once a body dies, breath gets into some other body. The Mother of this breath is one, who is our permanent and eternal Mother. The whole purpose of this life is to only shower our love over this Mother and also surrender at the Lotus Feet of this Mother. That is the only way to escape further janmas. This means that once our breath leaves the body without entering into another body, it remains immersed in absolute bliss. For that, we should surrender only to this Mother.

She is the origin of all energies possessed by us. Only a Super Power can generate fragmented power in bits and pieces among all living beings. There is absolutely nothing that we have done using ‘our’ energy and strength. There is no justice for any kind of ego at all.

Whatever we have done, it is all only because of Her. If we realise this and surrender at Her Feet without any ego, as the only Mother, She will bestow Her grace on us not only in this world but also in the other world. As how a mother takes care of her child without the child asking for anything, the same way Ambal confers knowledge, wealth and health on Her true devotees, and, thereafter, imparts wisdom and, finally, grants Moksha. We getting Advaita Wisdom and transforming into absolute bliss is that state when She liberates us from our Karmas at some point in time. Let this occur as per Her will. Let us not feel sad that we have not attained that now.

Right now, we have the Mother who is filled with absolute love and compassion. It is possible only to realise Her love for us and to return our love to Her. We don’t need any happiness beyond this. There is nothing great on this earth other than meditating on Her, who is Mother of this Universe. Let us blissfully keep Her in our minds and pray to Her, the embodiment of absolute love and compassion, for the welfare and prosperity of all beings in this Universe.

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.