Sri Sarada Devi:The great mother heart

Sri Ma straddled two worlds – she was both the ordinary housewife and the brahmcharini.   She had both aspects of the divine – “paratva,” (supreme divinity) and “saulabhya,” ( human normalcy, accessibility).Hers was a life of renunciation lived in the midst of the world. There was no end to the troubles she had to face because of her troublesome   relatives.  Her mad sister-in-law died leaving an imbecile niece, Radhu, in Sri Ma’s care.  Radhu proved to be Sri Ma’s greatest challenge. She would not stand up even six months after delivering her baby. She took to opium as a cure for her weakness. One day Sri Ma chided her gently. Radhu flew into a rage. She picked up a big brinjal from the vegetables Sri Ma was cutting and hit her on the back. The mother immediately took some dust from her feet and sprinkled it on Radhu’s head to save her from the evil effects of her act. Such was her compassion. She never thought of herself.