Hindu conception of Mother

HINDU CONCEPTION OF MOTHER

Hindus have well developed and fully appreciated the motherly aspect. Hindu devotees have not seldom propitiated their Gods by the last remedy of addressing them as Mother. Bhakta Tukaram addressed his worshiped, Vithobā, as Māuli (Mother) when He could not be moved to pity otherwise In the life of Lord Gauranga (CHAITANYA PRABHU) we find that his devotees who were unworthy o approaching him as Lord Krishna were once full of remorse on being refused to have his darshan during his manifestation as Lord Krishna. However, when they were prepared to commit suicide, He BECAME MOTHER. Hindus have left no tribute unpaid in the matter of adoration and appreciation of Mother. While praying to God, they have first addressed Him as Mother. “Thou art Mother, Thou art Father, Thou art Brother and Thou art Friend”.

Nothing is more popular than Shree Shankar āchārya's prayer in these words “ Wicked sons are many to be found in this universe, but there has never existed one wicked Mother”. Further, he apologizes to Mother by referring to the human selfish nature of people, who, resort to Mother only in difficulties and then entirely forget neglect and disown Her, in these words “The child only when hungry remembers Mother". Hindus have also from time to time appreciated Mother's might (SHAKTI) in destroying evils, which none else can eradicate. Further, Hindus have accepted Mother's right to be worshiped along with other Gods. There are also Purāns and Bhāgawats in adoration of Mother. Mother's Ideal has also been recognized in the home worship of the five Gods,

For Mother's conception, the Mother's Lodge is fully indebted to Hinduism. But the conceptions of the Mother's Lodge are not the same as those of Hinduism, at least as understood to-day by the masses.

With the advent of times, the Mother's Ideal has been so degenerated, that as understood to-day it is not even the shadow of its real self. As soon as the word Mātā which means “ Mother ” is repeated, the picture which an average Hindu has before him is that of an invincible power, which if pleased enthrones one in heaven, and if displeased buries him in the Netherworld. The ideal of the Mother's Love to Her child has been followed by few of Her worshipers. All along Mother has been depicted as the highest power and in the outer circle of devotees at least, it is not entirely wrong if one says, that the adoration for Mother is an outcome of fear of Her displeasure and the very easy pro-curability of whatever is demanded through Her. Most of the people approach Her for one of the two reasons. It is either to demand Her help if they are under some difficulty or to avert Her wrathful-ness, but there is little beyond this on the higher plane of love or spiritual evolution. There have been very few instances of devotees who have loved Mother as mother, and still worse, most of the devotees who have done so have treated their devotion to Mother as one of the greatest secrets.

During the last Navratri holidays of 1938, I happened to read the Amrit Bazar Patrika issue, in which there were vivid and detailed descriptions of Mother worship in all parts of India, as also a description of  Arbindo Ghosh's Mother Conception. I request readers to be impartial and decide for themselves, as to what the universal conception throughout the length and breadth of India has been. Is it a Personification of Power or Mother's Love to Her child ?
Very recently in a leading paper dated 2nd October 1938, the popular conception about Mother was ably and aptly analyzed and that described Mother as Goddess though benign, of sternness, terror and destructivity.

In a word, as time passed, Love-aspect was almost lost and the Power-aspect got wildest publicity. The Mother has revived to be Mother in Her Love-aspect, recently only when Blessed Shree Ramakrishna gave by his life of Love to Mother, the living realization of the Ideal.

They have not understood Blessed Shree Ramakrishna who have not churned out this essence of his living, viz., that he had a specific message give, viz., that of loving God as Mother and Mother as mother. The first need was however first served and the tremendous power of his spirituality was utilized to revive the lost luster and glory of Hinduism. Mother gave up Her son to Hinduism and remained satisfied with the uplift of Hinduism, although the promulgation of Her fully universal legitimate doctrine and devotion was shelved and postponed for a second Ramakrishna to come in more favourable age. Mother's true lovers do feel sorry when celebrations of that Mother's pet child are made, and Glorification of Mother in such celebrations is entirely banished.

There are certain facts which time alone can prove. My heart-burns were often belittled and even ridiculed by many. They said “There is nothing new. Hindus have been worshiping God as Mother". “Why should you further speak about the thing, which even recently Blessed Shree Ramakrishna has preached and whose preaching are continued by so many missions ?"

One day one great devotee of Mother and Shree Ramakrishna and one of my beloved friends, who is the writer of the Life of Paramahamsa in Gujrati broke out to me Brother, excuse me, I mistook you and belittled your zeal, but I have found that Paramahamsa has been entirely cut off from Mother and Mother has been alienated from Paramahamsa”.

Mother gave up Her dearest son to serve Hinduism when it had gone pale, and worn-out and was insulted by not only other religionists but the very home-children. Mother demands now after a century, the revival of the ideal of the Universal Mother and Motherhood. My Hindu Brethren have now to respond.