From a satsang with Pt. Umadutt Maharaj, Spiritual Leader, SWAHA Bhakti Jyoti Mandali
In the vast ocean of spiritual wisdom, Sanaatan Dharma teaches that God exists as the Known, the Unknown and that which is Beyond the Unknown. Of these, who is God the Known? It is none other than the mother. While we may know of the great forms of the Divine Goddess, Durga Maa, Lakshmi Maa and Saraswati Maa, it is the earthly mother who is the living embodiment of their virtues. She is the visible, tangible goddess, whose love, sacrifice and care shape our very existence.
The sages have declared: Maatṛi Devo Bhava—the mother is divine. She is our pratham guru, the first teacher, who begins the education of a child not only with books, but with care, song and example. Every day should be Mother’s Day. Though the world may pause to celebrate her once a year, the reverence for her must be ongoing, whatever our status, qualifications or worldly success.
What is a mother? The very word MOTHER has sacred meaning:
M – Mangal, the bringer of all that is auspicious;
O – Ojah, the source of strength, vitality and splendour;
T – Tapasyaa, the embodiment of sacrifice and penance;
H – Hatayla, the firm resolve, unyielding in her love and duty;
E – Eshti, the household goddesses, the sustainer, provider and friend;
R – Raksha, the defender and preserver of the family.
She is Lakshmi Devi, feeding and sustaining her children. She is Saraswati Devi, guiding the minds with knowledge. She is Durga Devi, fierce in safeguarding and righteous strength. The mother is the axis around which the wheel of life turns—nurturing, correcting, forgiving and forever standing as a shield.
Even the Divine bows before the mother. When Shree Raam prepared to enter exile, he sought the blessing of his mother, Kaushalyaa. Though he was Bhagavaan incarnate, he exemplified that every venture—divine or mortal—should begin with a mother’s permission. Similarly, in the Bhaagavat Mahaapuraaṇa, we see the tender bond between Shree Krishna and Yashodaa Maiyaa. Though He held the universe within His form, He chose to spend His childhood at her feet, playing, laughing and receiving her loving scoldings.
The spiritual lineage also recognises the mother’s role in shaping devotees. Prahlaad, initiated in the womb by Naarad Muni, was blessed through the heart and mind of his mother so that he could later stand against his father’s tyranny and bring about the fourth manifestation of the avatar, Narsingh Bhagavaan. Dhruv, after being denied his father’s affection by his stepmother, was uplifted by his own mother’s wisdom and love. She inspired him to chant the sacred twelve-syllable mantra Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya, which drew Bhagavaan Vishnu into his presence and earned him his place as the guiding Dhruv Taaraa, the North Star.
Sanaatan Dharma is unique in dedicating an entire scripture, the Devi Bhagavatam, to the glorification of the Divine Mother. And yet, it is the earthly mother who brings that divinity within our grasp. Her words have the power to bless, to uplift and to guide. The Mahaavaakyas, the universal statements of truth, proclaim that she is Aanand-Purṇaa, filled with both worldly and divine bliss. She is Tattva-gyaani, knower of truth and Aatma-tyaagi, the very form of self-sacrifice.
Indeed, in seven lifetimes, we cannot repay our mother for the single gift of one human birth. The love she gives is not transactional—it is sacred, spontaneous and selfless. On this Mother’s Day, let us not only offer flowers and gifts, but renew our pledge to honour her and to carry forward her values in our lives. For in honouring the mother, we honour God.
