Saints Interaction With Their Female Devotees

SAINTS INTERACTION WITH THEIR FEMALE DEVOTEES

INTRODUCTION

Holy Saints like Guru Raghavendra, Sri Ramakrishna, Shirdi Saibaba and Kanchi Paramacharya would interact with their female devotees by considering them as their own daughters. Kanchi Paramacharya would listen to the worries of his female devotees with great patience, and he would shower unlimited mercy on them similar to his beloved mother Ma Kanchi Kamakshi Amman. Saints used to see only the pure heart of their female devotees and they would never look at their physical beauty. The great Saint and the Panduranga Devotee, Bhakta Thukaram, had considered his beloved female disciple, Ma Bahinabai, as his own daughter, and she also considered her guru as her own father, and they used to frequently interact about the significance of Lord Panduranga for hours together, and sometimes even during the night time.

When Guru Raghavendra met the queen Mangamma at her palace, he has seen only the kind soul of Ma Mangamma, and according to Rani Mangamma, Guru Raghavendra has appeared to her eyes as Rishi Vedavyasa. The great Shirdi Saibaba, though he was visited by lot of charming girls, yet, he used to talk to them only by seeing their face, and he would never think about their physical appearance. When some of his female devotees used to press his stomach gently, he used to consider those females as his mother, and would make an affectionate smile on them.

Likewise Bhagavan Ramakrishna had considered even his wife Ma Saradadevi as Ma Shakti Devi, and sometimes he had worshipped her also, and both of them never had sexual relationship throughout their lifetime, since both of them were deeply involved in spirituality. The great Rishi Narada had kept Ma Kayadu, the consort of Hiranyakasipu in his Ashram for several years during the time of her pregnancy. The divine Guru considered Kayadu as his own daughter and told lot of Bhakti stories about Lord Vishnu.

When Ma Sita Devi was left in the forest by Lakshmana, it was the great Rishi Valmiki who took care of her like her own daughter, and he also properly brought up her sons Lava and Kusha till their young age. Likewise the great Rishi Kanva properly took care of Shakuntala, when she was abandoned by her mother, Menaka, who was the celestial dancer in the Indra Loka. Even the powerful demon Ravana considered his brother’s wives as his own sisters and he didn’t misbehaved with them.

From the above mentioned details, we must consider all the females as our mother and our sister, and we should pay our great respects to them. As per an ancient proverb, “A kingdom would become very prosperous, when women are highly respected”.

“OM”

WRITTEN BY

R.HARISHANKAR