This article written by Bhanumathi Narasimhan, Sister of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

For nine months in the womb, she does not know the nature of the child, who it may be — her love precedes both name and form. When unconditional love springs forth, motherhood is born in us. The mother keeps a family in harmony by gluing together people of diverse mindsets. When including and involving everyone becomes more important than doing what you think is right, then motherhood is born in us.

A child experiences love for the first time when it looks into the mother’s eyes. The child explores freely knowing that his mother is there to take care. A child is so carefree because it has complete faith in the mother. When we can inspire such freedom and a sense of security in another, motherhood is born in us. The great saint Adi Shankara says, “Kuputro jaayet quachidapi kumata na bhavati”. There may be a bad son but there can never be a bad mother. When it is impossible to harbour any harmful intent or ill feeling for another, motherhood is born in us.

My grandmother would say, “The sweet box is full, we have to buy from the shop….” She would not say, “We have no sweets at home.” When this innate sense of abundance is cultured in our being, then motherhood is born in us.

Once it happened that a simple milkmaid in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s kingdom scaled the walls of a fort and climbed down dangerous cliffs just to be by the side of her baby. When the innocence in others inspires great valour, confidence and the joy of protecting in us, then motherhood is surely born. In the ‘Valmiki Ramayan’, Ram says, “Janani janmabhumischa swargadapi gariasi” — the one who gives us life, gave birth to us and the land from where we come forth are more valuable than heaven itself.

When unconditional love springs forth, motherhood is born in us. Click To Tweet

Celebrating and honouring life and the giver of life, motherhood is born in us. Our scriptures say: “Matr devo Bhava”. Our mother is our first teacher. She is the first and most personal experience of divinity for each one of us. Through our mother, we get a glimpse of the love that the Divine Mother has for every being in creation. She helps us take our first step in our journey from the personal to the universal love.

Motherhood is not just a biological phenomenon. Motherhood is also the ability to shape society with care and concern, infuse it with human values and lead the way to a cultured and refined nation, seeing its every subject as his own child. Motherhood is an inherent sign of a responsible, sensitive, and caring leader. The Skanda Purana, in very definite terms, declares: Nasti matrsama chaya nasti matrsama gatih/ nasti matrsama/ tranam nasti matrsama prapa — there is no shade like a mother, no resort, no one to depend on like a mother, no security and saviour like a mother, no other ever-giving fountain of life.

There is a story where the Divine Mother appears before her devotee and bestows a boon on him. She says, “Ask for anything, and it will be yours!” But the devotee says, “I want nothing. You give me everything even before the need arises. When you are there for me, everything is already taken care of.” The rishis say, ‘Anyata sharanam nasti tvameva sharanam mama’ — the Divine Mother makes us so content that we don’t need any other refuge. She will take us to the height of contentment — from the first step to the ultimate, she is with us and make us so total.

Motherhood brings forth an ocean of good qualities. We see that she is powerful and playful, nourishing and guiding, caring and protecting, loving unconditionally. The ancient verse, ‘Ya devi sarva bhuteshu matr rupena samstita’ says that in every being in this creation the Divine resides in the form of the mother, and wherever we see the expression of motherhood, it is only the divine. The Vedas glorify the life-giving force in this entire creation as the Divine Mother. She is the prime mover.

According to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, “A child does not try to know the mother. It simply has faith in her. In the same way, having faith in the Divine Mother is our greatest strength.”

Happy Mother’s Day !