Mother
….the hand that rocks the cradle Is the hand that rules the world~ W S Ross
A mother is a secret in the open. She is too obvious to be noticed and too subtle to be understood. Often, what is vital is not given its due. Yes, we do take the breath of life and mother for granted. From Indian scriptures to western poets, mother has been the inspiration for many hymns, poems and moving quotes. The Vedas declare that “Verily, the mother is god!” Thackeray, in Vanity Fair, says, “Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.” And, a Jewish proverb goes, “God could not be everywhere and that is why He created mothers.”
Mother is a lively embodiment of a primordial concept. One who bears, nurtures, sacrifices, slogs relentlessly and loves forever is mother. The earth holds the very person who excavates it. It supports all, irrespective of the response it gets. Its nature of forbearance never undergoes any change. Every mother is an everyday example of this. Hence, the globe is called mother earth and mother is always compared to earth. The Atharva Veda declares:
Truth, greatness, universal order, strength, consecration, creative fervour, spiritual exaltation and, the sacrifice, support the earth. May this earth, the consort of that which was and shall be, prepare for us a broad domain!
So, mother is not a mere person but a symbol of a concept or a direct representation of the primordial principle called Aditi in the Vedas. It is she who bears the seed of the father and gives birth. The feeling of growing a live being inside one’s person is an experience exclusive to the mother. This is why it is said that even great poets who can transform themselves into the mould of any character can never exactly feel what the mother feels. She is unique.
There is no child which is not beautiful in this world, among any species. Similarly, to a child, there is no one who is more beautiful than its mother anywhere. The child is beautiful because of the purity of its innocence. The mother is most beautiful because of her purifying love. Whether it is the civilized society or spirituality, the demand is the same, i.e., a human being must be unconditionally good. One can learn this only from one’s mother. For, her love is unconditional. She is the only one in this world, who can love us in spite of us! While everyone has a reason or a cause to be affectionate towards us, mother is the only one who can love us helplessly even though she knows our follies and faults thoroughly.
No wonder, Bharath accorded the highest status to mother. Her own son, if he becomes a Sanyasi, is eligible for obeisance from anyone including his father. However, even after this civil death which is what Sanyas really means, it is he who should pay respects to his mother. Why, don’t we see the children who become Doctors, Engineers or Scientists coming and touching the feet of their illiterate mothers even in modern society? The uneducated father may feel shy when this happens, but the mother feels proud and blesses them with loving authority! Even today, the tradition of seeking the permission and the blessings of the mother for any venture, is in vogue. Adi Shankara came back from wherever he was, to be with his mother during her final moments. Pattinathar, who had renounced the world, waited and cremated his mother. Ramana Maharishi, whose status is beyond Sanyas, allowed his mother to live with him till her last moment. They did not mind the criticism that their action provoked; nor did they bother to express a rebuttal. They knew the greatness of motherhood and their duty towards it. Every nation has a core character, according to Swami Vivekananda. India’s basic character is culture. That culture rests on the institution of family. And, mother is the fulcrum of every family.
No mother is poor. Any millionaire is poorer if he does not recognize this. It is she who introduces the father to the child. It is through her we approach him. We adopt the same approach, as the terrestrial and to the celestial parents! When we realize that every cell in our body is infused with her love, when we understand that every good quality in us originates from her and when we recognize that she is the original and ultimate refuge to our weary legs and aching soul, we will celebrate every day as mother’s day! Is that not absolutely true?!
