Sharada: A Mystical Union Of Two Evolved Souls  

By Seema Burman  

Sharada: A Mystical Union Of Two Evolved Souls  

Sharada's mother, Shyamsundari Devi, had a divine vision of a little girl in a red sari descending from a tree, embracing her by the neck and telling her that she was coming into her family. Shyamsundari fainted. Her husband, Ramachandra, had a dream in which Goddess Lakshmi informed him that she was coming to him soon. To this couple Sharada was born on December 22, 1853.

As a child, Sharada is said to have pointed to Gadadhar at a Ramlila, and said he was the person she would like to marry. He, too, is said to have indicated in the direction of her house as the place where a suitable wife could be found for him. The two eventually got married. Meanwhile, Gadadhar grew up to be Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

Ramakrishna looked upon all women as mothers - including his own wife, Sharada. Theirs was a spiritual marriage from the beginning. She came to Dakshineshwar temple where he was priest at the age of eighteen. He had not met her for 12 years except briefly. A nervous Sharada Mani was surprised to be received warmly. He told her, "If you wish to drag me into the world, as I have been married to you, I am at your service." Rising to the challenge she explained that she wished to help him in his chosen path. Sri Ramakrishna told his disciples, "Had she not been so pure who knows whether I might not have lost my self-control from her inducements? After marriage I prayed to the Divine Mother, 'O Mother, remove even the least taint of carnality from the mind of my wife. When I lived with her, I understood that the Mother had granted me my prayer'."

Sharada was Ramakrishna's first disciple, whom he called his Shakti . He would also refer to her as Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom. When one of his gurus, Guru Totapuri, came to know that he was married, he told Ramakrishna, "He alone has attained the supreme illumination that can look upon man and woman alike as Atman and deal with them accordingly." In 1872, Ramakrishna worshipped her as Ma Kali with all the ceremonies - the Shodashi Puja . At the end of the worship both entered samadhi and achieved spiritual union. On regaining consciousnesss he hailed her as the Divine Mother.

Each saw in the other the Divine Mother. When Sri Ramakrishna entered Mahasamadhi at night the heart-rending news was not communicated till morning at which Mother cried out, "Mother Kali, dear, for what fault of mine have you left me?" She was only 33 when he passed away in 1886.

After the passing away of the Master, Sharada Ma became the guiding force behind the Ramakrishna movement and provided guidance to thousands of spiritual seekers. She refused to live a monastic life. She lived in the midst of her bickering relatives, resolving their quarrels of property, marriages and ego. She looked after the devotees, travelling with them to pilgrimages despite the disapproval of a conservative community. Many frowned when a Muslim robber, Amzad, frequented her home. She welcomed him, served him and cleaned his vessels. She stubbornly replied that to her, Amzad was as her child.

For her, japa was extremely important. She explained that continuous japa cuts the bondages of past actions (karmas) and the senses get subdued. Those who complained that they did not benefit from japa and other austerities were advised to surrender completely to God like the cowherds and gopis surrendered to Krishna. She often said: "If you want peace of mind, do not look for faults in others. Rather, look to discover your own weakness. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one here is an alien or a stranger. The whole world is your own."

( December 22, is Sharada Ma's birth anniversary)

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More from same author see: Seema Burman  

See also: Sharada, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)