Mother

Mother

In a small town in India, Isha saw her grandmother waking up at 4 a.m. and cleaning the courtyard of their ancestral house. After taking a bath, Dadi’s first ritual was to arpit jal in tulsi plant and pray to the rising Sun by giving argah and chanting the sacred mantra of “Om Suryay Namah”. Isha observed her grandmother praying to the land and referring to it as Dharti Mata. 

That evening, all the kids gathered around Dadi to listen to her stories, which were full of wisdom. Dadi, sensing a curiosity in Isha’s eyes, called her near and asked,

 “Do you have anything to ask me?”

 with a sparkle in her eyes and cheer in her tone. How Dadi recognised her curiosity, she said, “Why do you pray to Dharti Mata every day? Please tell us the significance of your prayers.”

Dadi smiled and said : 

“When you wake up in the morning, who is the one who provides you with water and food? When you feel happy and have to share something really funny, who is the one you run to?

When you feel angry and sad, who is the one who wipes off your tears? Who is the one who takes care of the smallest and biggest need in your life? ”

The kids shouted unanimously, “Maa”,

Dadi smiled and said :

“Maa, your mother takes care of you like wise Dharti Maa takes care of 8.2 billion people alive today. Dharti Maa is a provider to every person. We can only see a part of Dharti Maa from the place we live in, but the interesting fact is that our Dharti Maa has a surface area of 510.1 million km, which consists of oceans, forests, deserts, and mountains.  

The land we stand up, the food we eat, and the water we drink are provided to us by Dharti Maa. The balance in the atmosphere is maintained for us to breathe and live. I pray to Dharti Maa with gratitude in my heart for giving life to every living creature.” 

Isha’s sister, a more curious mind, asked Dadi, “Are there any more kinds of Maa?”

Dadi asked : 

“Do you know who is the mother of Lord Shri Ram?”

Everyone shouted, “Kaushalya Maa.”

“Do you know who gave birth to Lord Shri Krishna ?”

Everyone shouted once again, “Devaki Maa.”

And “Whose avtaar are Lord Shri Ram and Lord Shri Krishna?”

The Kids cheered, “Shri Narayan Bhagwan.”

Dadi said : 

“All the Gods who incarnated in human form came in this world through the womb of their mothers. But Sita Mata, who is the avatar of Shakti, appeared from Dharti Mata. Lord Bhrama, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Mahesh are the prime deities: one created the universe, one takes care of the universe, and one maintains the balance of the universe. The supreme power remains of Shakti, in her the lords and the universe nurtures. ”

Dadi took a pause and said : 

“ Every Mother on earth has the power of Shakti. The love and care a mother provides for her child in her womb for 9 months is beyond any man ever lived on earth. A mother not only gives birth to a child, but she nurtures the child with every breath. If someone decides to list the duties performed by every mother, they might seem to buy all the papers of the world and still fall short of paper. 

A mother nurtures the child in her womb, starting to teach care, patience, and love in the womb itself, legends have it.”

Isha, with full curiosity, requested Dadi, “Can you tell us the story about this?”

Dadi said : 

“Of course, you all heard the story of Shri Narishma Avatar of Lord Vishnu who put an end to the immoral behaviour of King Hiranyakasyap, whose son was Prahlad, right?

But did you ever wonder how Prahlad became a bhakat of Lord Vishnu?

The legend says that when Prahlad was to be born in the absence of King Hiranyakasyap, other Lords thought of killing Prahlad in his mother’s womb to protect the world from more injustice. At that moment, Lord Narad Muni provided a safe shelter to Prahlad’s mother at his asharam. In the peaceful environment, Prahlad’s mother listened to the teachings of Lord Vishnu, and from her, Prahlad incorporated the lessons, which later came to be known as Bhakat Prahlad.”

Dadi said:

“The world is not stranger to a mother’s love and power. The legend of the birth of Lord Ganesha, the birth and upbringing of Lord Shri Krishna showcase the power of Shakti in the form of their mothers.

A mother takes care of her child in any and every circumstance. No matter what the situation, children will always find a solution after talking to their mothers. Your mother is God’s Precious gift to You. Respect her, Love Her, and cherish her in every moment of your life. You can clear any debt in your life, but it is impossible to clear the debt of your mother who gave you the life you are living. She is the ultimate form of God for you.”

With content in their hearts, the kids ran home and hugged their mothers.