Lesson 53

Beginning Prayers:

• शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुम् - shuklaambaradharaM viShNum
• सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यम् - saraswati namastubhyam 
• गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः - gururbrahmaa gururviShNuH 

Topic Summary:

• Verses regarding the glory of Mother

Home Work:

• Learn lots and lots of shlokas, of all kinds!  Will be having a fun antaakSharI time next class :)

Topic Details:

Mother and motherhood are glorified in cultures across the world and celebrated!  Let's see some verses in her praise.

1.
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु मातृरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥

yaa devI sarvabhUteShu maatRurUpeNa saMsthitaa |
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaH ||

Meaning:
To that Goddess, who is residing in all beings, in the form of the mother, I bow, salute, pray and prostrate to her!

Exposition:
Once when a little girl was asked where her home was, she gave a matter-of-fact-ly answer, 'where my mom is!'  What a simple, yet profound answer!  'A home is where the heart is' and 'the heart is where mother is', isn't it!  'Mother' is the name of God in the hearts and lips of little children! My mother always said that, since God Himself could not be present physically at all places, He created mothers!  It is the mother who, not only gives birth to her offspring, but nestles and nourishes when young, then on, nurses and nurtures forever.  A new born knows not, the whims and fancies of the world.  It is the mother (or a motherly figure), who takes the child by the hand and accustoms it to its surroundings!  It is she who teaches the first words, it is she who inculcates values, it is she who teaches the child right from wrong.  A mother's heart is a beacon of love, not just for her own children, but for children in general.  This phenomenon of a mother is prevalent not just in human beings, but in all forms of beings in general!  Yes, even in those that lay eggs and leave, even in those that leave young cubs behind to fend for themselves!  How?  Well, even the mother of those species makes sure she lays her eggs in the safest place that she can find, she leaves the cubs only when she has made sure she has taught them the tricks of trade for survival!  Hence, that divine element of nurturing, is present in all mothers, invariably.  For that matter, whatever be the gender of the being giving that tending affection, it is considered 'motherly love'!  Doesn't that make her synonymous with nurturing?!!  The author of the verse is hence prostrating and saluting, again and again, to that divinity present in all mothers universally.

Reverence to thee O mother!  Reverence to thee!

2.
Click here to revisit a verse which we had learnt a while ago.  This is a nice verse to go with the above one.

Happy practicing and memorizing shlokas!

Ending prayer:

•  ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् - aum pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam

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