Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa
Guru Maa’s life and teachings
Radhe Guru Maa’s life and
teachings
by Jagmohan Gupta (Shiv Chachaji)
Do not gossip about monks or speak ill of spiritual
teachers. The least among them is better than you.
Mamtamai Shree Radhe Maa
Mamtamai
Shri Radhe Guru Maa was born in the village of Dorangla in the Gurudaspur
district of Punjab, India. Her father, who now leads a retired life, was an
officer in the Punjab government.
Shri
Radhe Guru Maa, who was loved by all, was called Gudia by her father. When she
was five, fate struck a cruel blow, and Shri Radhe Maa received the first shock
of her life.
She
lost her mother.
Shri
Radhe Guru Maa studied till she reached Std X. She was a receptive student and
a popular one too. She loved listening to Gurbani and would also spend hours in
a Kali temple close to her house. Even as a child, Shri Radhe Guru Maa was
considerate, sensitive, delicate and helpful. Her teachers and friends in those
early years remember that she also had the gift of prophesy. The same teachers
and classmates are now her devotees.
At
an age when children play with dolls and toy houses, Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru
Maa’s mind was keener on bhakti.
Guru
Maa was married when she turned 18. She was very young and unprepared for such
a big responsibility that called for big changes in her life.
Her
husband Shri Mohan Singh of Mukerian village in district Hoshiarpur was one of
five brothers in a well-to-do joint family. The family owned a popular
sweetmeat shop in the village. As the years rolled on, Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru
Maa gave birth to two sons. Shortly after, her husband decided to explore
business opportunities on foreign shores, leaving his young wife and two
children behind.
Mamtamai
Shri Radhe Guru Maa felt a strange emptiness after her husband who had been the
centre of her married existence left. It was not easy for her to cope.
However,
Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa was not daunted. She had time on her hands and a
god-given skill – sewing. Eventually, she took to tailoring and even taught the
skill to other girls in the neighbourhood. Thanks to her initiative, a number
of women in the village developed a skill that helped them supplement their
family incomes.
Whatever
time remained after giving sewing lessons, Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa devoted
to reciting the Gurbani. However, despite her busy ways, her family worried for
her and she was often seen lost in thought. Her father took heed of her state
and took her to Mahant Ramdin Das 1008, the caretaker of the Paramhans Bagh
Dera, who was 130 years of age at the time.
The
venerable Mahant was impressed with the devotion of Mamtamai Shri Radhe
Guru Maa and remarked to her father that she appeared to be a radiant
spiritually gifted soul. He further added that she was welcome to visit the
temple attached to the dera whenever she wished. From that day onwards,
Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa began to visit the dera every day and offer
worship to the deities there. Her devotion to Lord Shiva was so intense that
she experienced the first stirrings of vairagya. A day came when she lost all
interest in all worldly matters, including her family and marriage. Her husband
was abroad when this happened.
Around
the age of 23, Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa decided that she was no longer a
householder and dedicated herself completely to God. However, devotees who had
in those months attached themselves to her refused to let her wear the robes of
a sanyasin. They adorned her as an act of devotion and Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru
Maa did not turn down their offerings. So, while she had a prosperous family, a
husband, two children and all comforts of the world, she turned her back
towards it all and dedicated herself to her spiritual practices. Mamtamai Shri
Radhe Guru Maa’s sensitive, kind, generous and resplendent personality
attracted numerous devotees to her. Some began to invite her home when they
held pujas, satsangs and chowkis. To honour the wishes of her devotees and to
spread her message of bhakti Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa took to a life of
spiritual wandering.
Around
this time, a young girl from Mukerian whom the congregation knows today as
Choti Maa came for Mamtamai ShrI Radhe Guru Maa’s darshan. She became a regular
at the darshans and in a few months committed herself to a lifetime of service
to Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Radhe Maa. Choti Maa, who hails from an affluent
family, has been in Guru Maa’s service for the last 15 years. She has two
brothers who are settled in Australia.
With
the passage of time, more and more devotees began to invite Guru Maa to their
homes to bless their families with her auspicious presence. Devotees found
their lives enriched with Guru Maa’s blessings and experienced calm in their
hearts. Over the years, she visited Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Guraya,
Phagwada, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Panipat and Delhi. Wherever she went, she would
glorify God, chant his names and pastimes and also ask people to do the same.
It
was during one of these visits, Mamtamai Shri Radhe Maa and Choti Maa visited
Phagwada that they met the 12-to13-year-old who is today known as Talli Baba.
Deeply impressed with Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa’s character, the boy’s
father had no qualms in allowing him to enter her service. Talli Baba is today
among Guru Maa’s foremost sevadars.
A
few months later, Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa along with her close attendants
undertook a pilgrimage to Haridwar where she threw herself into austerities.
Lord Shiva appeared to Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa in a dream and granted her
a boon. Any devotee who with a pure body and mind attended nine chowkis of Maa
Durga and followed it with a darshan of Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa would have
all his wishes granted by Lord Shiva.
After
the boon was granted, Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa came to Delhi and lived for
three years at home of a devotee Rambhaj Agarwal where she was served by his
family. She also blessed the homes of other devotees with her presence and guided
them as they offered pujas, kirtans and bhog to God.
Some
devotees from Mumbai requested Guru Maa to visit the city. Honouring their
sincere wishes, Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa graciously accepted their request.
A few months later, Guru Maa was in Mumbai holding bhajans, satsangs and
overseeing pujas.
It
was during this visit that the Gupta family from Mumbai entered Mamtamai Shri
Radhe Guru Maa’s service. Their devotion to her and their commitment to her
spiritual mission endeared them to Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa. When they
requested that Guru Maa make their home her permanent abode, she, to their
happy surprise, agreed. It has been 10 years since she graced the city, and the
Gupta residence, which is now called Radhe Maa Bhavan by her devotees, is where
she stays seven to eight months a year. The Gupta family holds a Mata ki Chowki
every 15 days which is open to all devotees free of cost. During the chowki,
Maa Jagdambe, Lord Shiva and other deities are honoured with prayers and
bhajans. Devotees also have a satsang and darshan of Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru
Maa on the night of the chowki. Devotees across the world continue to request
Guru Maa to bless their homes with her presence as they have always done, and
she as always continues to honour their request.
While
darshans are scheduled during chowkies which are held once a fortnight, Guru
Maa spends the remaining time in her sadhana which includes, pujas, havan and
meditation, and she speaks but sparingly. She does not leave the room where she
grants darshan for months at a stretch. This space is held sacred by devotees
of Guru Maa and is referred to as her gufa. Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa
also shares her spiritual knowledge with devotees when she deems it fit. Her
teachings emphasise the need for selfless bhakti and for complete surrender to
God who is the supreme provider.
Devotees
who wish to address their queries to Guru Maa or seek her guidance are asked to
speak to Choti Ma for guidance sessions that are called vachan.
Mamtamai
Shri Radhe Guru Maa’s life is a study in contrasts. Her response to all
challenges in her life has been to intensify her bhakti for Lord
Bholenath. She believes that there is nothing that cannot be achieved if
one prays to Lord Shiva and asks her devotees to do likewise. The result of her
steadfast devotion is clear for all to see. Over the years, she has walked
closer to the light of God shining within her and has guided her devotees along
the same path.
She
has neither a trust, nor a palace to her name. She has not initiated a new
religious order. Her devotees across the world and their unshakable faith in
her glory are her only wealth. Is it any wonder that her devotees have created
permanent gufas in their homes that are lovingly cleaned, decorated and offered
incense and prayers every day?
As spoken to Satish
Purohit
Log on to www.radhemaa.com for more information. For
darshan date and venue call 9820969020