Holi - The Festival of Colours of Joy, Fun, Festivities, Hope, Love, Harmony ....

 

Holi is the Indian Spring Festival of Colours, full of Joy, Fun, Festivities, Devotion, Hope, Love, Harmony and Music celebrated by Indians and lovers of Indian culture all across the world .... A glimpse of the background, essence and ways of celebrating Holi ....

Introduction to Holi ....

Holi is the ancient Hindu festival / Indian festival celebrated on the Poornima (full-mon day) of the month of Faagun in the Indian / Hindu Lunar calendar that falls during Spring season. It is often called the Festival of Love, the Festival of Colours or the Festival of Spring. The time, the background and the ways of celebrating the festival makes it clear that every name given to the festival is true in its own ride, while also being inclusive of the domains of festivities that the other names highlight.

Holi is celebrated all over India and Nepal, as also in several other countries world-wide among people of Indian origin and lovers of Hindu / Indian traditions, including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the West Indies, Mauritius, Fiji, Pakistan, Guyana, Indonesia, Surinam and so on.

At most places, Holi is celebrated for two days. However, it is celebrated for five to seven days or even for a fortnight in some places. While several different traditions of celebrating Holi have evolved, lighting the Holi pyre and offering pooja / prayers to it, playing with colours, preparing special Holi delicacies, merriment to the tunes of Holi songs and dances are common everywhere.

The Background - Why is Holi Celebrated ?

To Commemorate Victory of Prahlad's Faith and Unwavering Devotion : Victory of Good over evil ....

According to Shreemad Bhaagavatam or the Bhaagavata Puraana, Prahlad, the son of the demon king Hiranyakashyapa (also called Hiranyakashyapu) and Kayaadhu was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu (the Hindu Deity of Protection, Preservation and Sustainability of Creation), much to the dislike and disapproval of his father.

Hiranyakashyapa tries hard to dissuade Prahlad from worshiping Lord Vishnu, but in vain. So, he imprisons Prahlad. His attempts to poison Prahlad could not succeed, as Vishnu protects his little devotee. He tries to get Prahlad run over by mad elephants, but again Prahlad escapes.

Then, Hiranyakashyapa plans to burn Prahlad alive. Hiranyakashyapa's sister, Holika had received a boon as a result of a penance that fire would not burn her. Hiranyakashyapa asks Holika to sit on a pyre with Prahlad in her lap, so that the fire set to the pyre could burn Prahlad off to death. On the night of Poornimaa (full moon night) in the month of Faagun, Holika sits on a pyre with little Prahlad sitting in her lap and the pyre is set ablaze. Much against the plan, it so happens that Holika burns down to ashes and Prahlad remains unaffected by the fire.

Thus, the pure, innocent devotion of the little devotee stands victorious before the crooked conspiracies of his evil-minded father.

Then onwards, every year, on the Poornimaa (full moon night) of the month of Faagun , Holi is celebrated to commemorate this victory of devotion, love, faith and hope over evil.

A pyre is lighted and worshipped to commemorate the victory of little Prahlad's devotion. On the next day, people play with colours, eat various sweet delicacies and dance and sing to celebrate further.

Holika Dahan - In Memory of the Great Victory of Devotion - Prahlad survives, while his aunt, Holika burns down to ashes in spite of the boon that fire would not burn her ....

A Typical Holi Bonfire with people offering prayers and pooja ....

Another Reason for Holi Celebration : The God of Love comes back to life ....

On the fifth day of the Shukla Paksha (brighter fortnight, meaning from new moon to full moon day) of the month of Maagha as per the Indian / Hindu Lunar calendar, that falls around the end of January to middle of February as per Gregorian calendar, the festival of Vasanta Panchami is celebrated to mark the beginning of Spring - the season of Love and Joy. It is also the day of Saraswati Pooja, as the Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom, Maa Saraswati is worshipped on this day to begin the season of Love - Spring - with prayers to be guided by Knowledge and Wisdom on the path of Love ....

According to some ancient Indian scriptures, called the Puraanas dedicated to Lord Shiva, such as the Shiva Puraana, Lord Shiva had burnt the Lord of Love, Kaamadeva on the day of Vasanta Panchami. The story goes like this -

Sati, the daughter of Daksha Prajaapati, was the consort of Lord Shiva.

Once, Daksha Prajaapati arranges a big Yagya (Pooja / festivity) in which he does not invite Shiva and Sati, as he was not pleased with their marriage.

Sati could not hold herself from going to her father's place. When Shiva tries to stop her, she argues that a daughter has the right and responsibility to be at her father's place and does not require a formal invitation to remain present in festivities at her parents' place .... Shiva sends her with some of his Ganas (attendants).

During the celebrations, Sati finds herself and her husband's honour being avoided / ignored and insulted. Furious, she immolates herself from the fire that sparks out of her Yogic powers, in protest ....

The celebrations turn into destruction .... Shiva, maddened by the grief of the loss of Sati, moves around with Sati's burnt dead body in hands .... It was as if the whole Creation was immersed in grief and darkness ....

To bring Shiva back to Himself, Lord Vishnu sends his Chakra (Discus), which disintegrates Sati's dead body into 51 pieces that fall at different places all across the land below. These 51 places are the 51 Shakti Peethas (the significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the Goddess-focused Hindu tradition).

Distressed Shiva slips into deep meditation after this incident. Sati reincarnates as the daughter of Himaalaya and Mainaa named Paarvati. Inspired by Sage Naarada, she performs penance to win Shiva over as her husband.

On the other side, a demon named Taarakaasur who had performed very severe penance to receive a boon that he could be killed only the son of Shiva, started wrecking havoc on innocent lives on the Earth.

The Devas (Divine Beings or Gods) get worried and see that it is imperative to awaken Shiva from his deep meditation, so that His much needed marriage with Paarvati materializes. They request the Lord of Love, Kaamadeva to awaken Shiva. Kaamadev, with his wife Devi Rati and his team of Spring and its beautiful creations cast spells on Shiva. Finally, Kaamadeva shoots his arrow of Love into Shiva's heart and a startled, angry Shiva opens His eyes. The flames from his Third eye (at the center of his forehead, between his eyebrows) burn Kaamadeva to ashes.

The other Devas come to the spot and explain Shiva about the urgencies of the situation. Shiva agrees to marry Paarvati. An aggrieved Rati pleads for bringing her husband Kaamadeva back to life and prays for forty days. It is said that on the full moon night of the succeeding month of Faagun, forty days after Vasanta Panchami, when Kaamadeva was burnt to ashes, Shiva, moved to compassion by Rati's prayers, brings Kaamadeva back to life (or promises his reincarnation and their reunion, as per some texts / scriptures). That was the day of Holi. So, Holi is the festival of Love.

This belief is popular especially in the Southern parts of India (in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh), among devotees of Shiva and Shakti. Here, the lighting of the Holi bonfire is called "Kaamadahanam", meaning incineration of Kaamadeva .... The sacrifice of Kaamadeva is thus prayerfully commemorated.

Aroused from His Deep Meditation, the flames from Lord Shiva's opened up Third Eye burn Kaamadeva ....

The Symbolism behind incinerating Kaamadeva - Kaamadahanam:

Love is the fundamental and one of the most misunderstood aspects of Life. There are several loopholes all around - mistaking lust for love, infatuation, considering "love" as a means of fulfilling ambitions beyond one's capacity or worthiness or out of a crazy sense of possessiveness or egotism or honour .... Much of this is due to ignorance borne of desires that branch out as lust, greed, hatred, anger, jealousy and so on ....

Kaamadeva is the God of Love, as also of human love and desire ....

Incinerating Kaama symbolizes getting rid of such ignorance, such worldliness as most of us call it, in the name of love.

Fire is considered as the ultimate purifier in almost every religion. Burning to ashes - incineration - symbolizes complete purification. Such an incineration - complete purification - happens due to the opening of the Third Eye of Shiva. The Third Eye is symbolic of Inner Vision, Insight, Wisdom and Knowledge. When this Eye opens, ignorance vanishes, as if flashed away into nothing by a purifying fire ....

A life, a relationship based on pure Love, free of undue worldliness makes for a well-lived, true Life.

On the other side is the genuineness of Love that gets mistaken as lust. That is also a fact of life. Fiery ordeals, gratifying realizations, loving revivals and added strength carve the path of Love and Truth.

Holi Celebrations ....

Lighting the Holi Pyre ....

Wood and cow-dung cakes are used for preparing the Holi pyre.

Offerings into the Holi fire - Abeer, Gulaal, Kumkum, Akshat (rice grains), Haldi (turmeric powder), kapoor (camphor), Ghee (clarified butter used in Indian cuisine), Shree Fala (coconut), pop jowar (sorghum), pop corn, khajoor (date fruit), roasted gram, groundnuts and so on. Up to coconut, the list would be common at most places. The rest of the items may be vary regionally.

A Typical Holi Pyre ...

A Typical Holi Pyre ....

A Typical Holi Pyre ....

Playing with Colours ....

Traditionally, the colours are made from natural ingredients from plants - flowers, leaves and so on. Powdered colours, coloured water or even plain water are used for playing Holi.

Water - coloured or plain - filled in beautiful spray guns of various shapes and sizes called Pichakaaree that are available especially during Holi is sprinkled / sprayed over each other.

Pink and white coloured powders are considered necessary and auspicious for Holi celebrations. Pink coloured powder is called Gulaal and white coloured powder is called Abeer. They are also used as offerings, in general, in Pooja.

People happily apply colours as Tilak (a distinctive spot of colored powder or paste worn on the forehead by Hindu men and women as an ornament or religious symbol) to one another or apply colours on cheeks or sprinkle them on each other.

Abeer-Gulaal and other colours are respectfully offered to the feet of elders / Gurujanas (Guru, parents, teachers, experts and such other revered people) to seek their blessings on Holi.

Overflowing enthusiasm and zeal get expressed as throwing of colours on each other. Scenes of throwing / pouring bucket full of water are also seen at many places. Playing Holi in groups in big shallow tanks full of coloured water have been common at many places.

Holi - the Festival of Colours ....

Holi Celebrations in Vrajbhoomi - Krishna's Birthplace ....

Any talk about Holi celebrations remains incomplete without the mention of Shree Krishna's Holi celebrations in Vrajbhoomi during his childhood and adolescence. Vrajboomi (also called Vraj or Braj or Brij or Brajbhoomi or Brijbhoomi) is a region in India on both sides of the Yamuna river with its centre at Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh state.

The Holi celebrations in many parts of this region continue for around a fortnight.

Most of the Holi songs called Hori Geet describe celebrations of Holi in Vrajbhoomi by Raadhaa-Krishna and the Gopa-Gopis. There are many types of Holi Songs popular all over India, in various languages and in Indian Classical, Semi-classical and Folk Music styles. Most of them have as there central theme, the Holi celebrations by Raadhaa-Krishna and the Gopa-Gopis in Vrajbhoomi.

Picture of Holi Celebrations by Raadhaa-Krishna and Gopa-Gopis in Vrajbhoomi ....

Holi Songs ....

Holi celebrations invariably include Music - singing and dancing to the tunes of Holi Songs, typically called Hori Geet.

There are folk songs in various regions of North India in local dialects, like Vraj Bhaashaa, Bhojpuri, Maithili, etc. that are specially for Holi celebrations, most of them devoted to Krishna. In the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, very musical celebrations of Holi take place in the form of the Baithki Holi (singing of Raaga Based classical songs in temples, essentially spiritual in tone and feel), the Khari Holi (folk form, popular in rural areas) and the Mahila Holi (ladies special celebrations). In Punjab, theatrical performances called Swang or Nautanki are popular during Holi. Some areas also celebrate Holi with Wrestling matches. Wrestling is a very popular sport in the states of Punjab and Haryana.

In the Northeast of India, in Assam, Holi and Bihu Songs for the occasion, which is called Fakuwa / Doul here, are performed in groups. Most of them are in praise of / about Krishna. In another Northeastern state Manipur, during Holi celebrations that last for around six days, the youth perform a fold dance called Thabal chongba at night.

In Bengal, melodious songs for Dola Jatraa (Swing Festival) are sung along with dancing and playing with colours, as the procession carrying idols of Raadhaa and Krishna in a decorated palanquin move around the village / town / city areas. In Odisha also, Holi is celebrated with Dola Jatraa (Swing Festival) of Lord Jagannatha.

In the Southern state of Karnataka, at a place called Sirsi, Holi is celebrated with a special folk dance called Bedara Vesha. In Telangana, children sing folk songs called Jajiri during the ten days long Holi celebrations. In Tamil Nadu, Holi is celebrated as Panguni Uthiram, the celebration of blossoming of Love and Marriage.

In Gujarat, folk music and comedy festivals called Dayaro are organized to celebrate Holi, especially at locations where shrines of Shree Krishna are located, such as the famous pilgrim place Dwarka.

Dancing is spontaneous during Holi Celebrations ....

Holi Songs from Hindi movies ....

Holi is a very popular festival in the Hindi (and in general Indian) film and entertainment community. The message of harmony and love, forgetting all differences of cast, status and other discriminations prevailing in the society, complaints / vengeance among equals and reuniting is very prominently expressed in most Holi songs.

There are several very beautiful, melodious songs on Holi in Hindi films. Some of them are listed below (links given) :

• A very famous Holi song from the superhit Hindi film "Sholay" : Holi Ke Din Dil Khil Jaate Hein .... Singers - Lata Mangeshkar, Kishor Kumar and chorus.
• Holi song from the film "Mashaal" : Holi Aayee, Holi Aayee Re .... : Singers - Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Mahendra Kapoor and chorus.
• A very popular Holi song from the film "Silsila" starring superstar Amitabh Bachchan and his wife Jaya Bachchan, Rekha and Sanjeev Kumar .... : Rang Barase Bheege Chunarwaalee .... : Singer - Amitabh Bachchan and chorus
• A beautiful Holi song with good combinations of folk forms - touches of North Indian, Gujarati and Marathi folk styles, beautiful dance by actress Sandhya (two in one presentation - one side of the costume for lady and the other for a man, worth seeing), with elephant in it .... from the classic film "Navarang" : Are Ja Re Hat Natkhat .... Singers: Chitalkar Ramachandran (also the Music Director), Asha Bhosale, Mahendra Kapoor and chorus
• Holi song from the classic superhit "Mother India" : Holi Aayee Re Kanhaaee .... Singers - Shamshad Begum, Lata Mangeshkar and chorus
• A Holi song with Rajasthani background - lyrics, costumes, place and music showing a beautiful glimpse of the colourful brightness of that state from the film ": Aayo Phaganio .... Singers - Vinod Rathod, Udit Narayan, Sadhana Sargam and chorus
• Holi song showing celebrations in the mountain regions of the North India from the 1971 film "Paraayaa Dhan": Holi Re Holi ....
• An old Hindi Film song describing Holi celebrations in Vraj by Nandalaalaa (the son of Nand) Krishna .... the message of harmony also conveyed in the song : Nandalaalaa Holi Khele .... Singers - Mukesh, Mohd. Rafi and Asha Bhosle and chorus
• Holi celebrations in rural North India shown in this song from the film "Nadiyaa Ke Paar" : Jogiji Haan .... Singers - Chandrani Mukherjee, Hemlata, Jaspal Singh and chorus
• Modern Holi celebrations in urban India shown in this song (a couple of lines in the second paragraph in Punjabi) from the film "Aakhir Kyon" : Saat Rang Mein Khel Rahi Hai Dilwalon Kee Tolee .... Singers: Anuradha Paudwal, Amit Kumar and chorus
• A Holi song that has Gujarati Garba rhythm in it from the film "Kaamchor" : Mal De Gulaal Mohe .... Singer : Lata Mangeshkar, Kishor Kurmar and chorus
• A very beautiful Holi song - touches of Marathi (from Maharashtra state) folk music are there in this song, costume and dance performance by the actress are also of Marathi style - from the film "Phagun" : Piya Sang Khelo Holi Phagun Aayo Re .... Singer - Lata Mangeshkar and chorus.
• Holi song mentioning the Holi celebrations by Shree Raama in Avadh from the movie "Baghban" : Hori Khele Raghuveera Avadh Mein .... Singers - Amitabh Bachchan, Alka Yagnik, Sukhwinder Singh, Udit Narayan

Picture of Holi song from the movie "Sholay" ....

Holi Delicacies ....

Different Holi delicacies are prepared in different regions. I am touching upon some popular ones here ....

In North India, Gujia - a crescent shaped deep fried Indian sweet stuffed with Mawa (a coagulated milk solid) and nuts - is the most famous Holi Delicacy : Gujia Recipe

Thandai is a Holi drink prepared in a variety of ways. It is a chilled almond-flavoured beverage and is most sought after when the temperatures soar. Here is a typical popular recipe - Thandai Recipe

In Maharashtra, Puran Poli - the most famous Maharashtrian treat – that has Chana dal (split chickpeas) stuffing in wheat flour rotis is prepared to celebrate Holi : Puran Poli

Dahi Wada - Popular Urad dal (split black lentils) Wadas served with chilled yogurt, sprinkled with Cumin powder, Chilli powder and sweet Chutney : Dahi Wada Recipe

Malpua - A traditional Indian sweet – pancake like dessert, cooked in Ghee and often served soaked in sugar syrup : Malpua Recipe

Kachori - is a deep-fried dumpling which is a very popular street food. It can be filled with a variety of stuffing : Chana Dal Kachori Recipe

Holi Delicacies ....

Summing it up ....

Thus, Holi is a joyous festival celebrated during Spring in India that spreads ....

H - Happiness and Hope

O - Oneness and Optimism

L - Love and Laughter

I - Inspiration and Inclusivity

I wrote this article in response to the suggestions received from my friends authors and poets on HubPages - Brother Manatita and Brenda Arledge - to write about the festival of Holi. I thank both of them for inspiring me to write this. I hope you all enjoy reading this article.

- Vanita Thakkar (09th April, 2021)

Happy Holi !!

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From HubPages .... Published on 04th April, 2021

English Translation of Shree Maa Sharada Baavanee - A Gujarati Hymn on Shree Maa Sharada Devi and Her Divine Life

 

Shree Maa Sharada Devi was the wife and spiritual consort of Thakur Shree Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the great Swami Vivekananda’s Guru. Here is the English translation of a Gujarati Hymn, called that describes Shree Maa Sharada Devi’s life and works ….

Shree Maa Sharada Devi ....

Shree Maa Sharada Devi (also written as Sarada Devi, pronounced as Shaaradaa Devi; 22nd December, 1853 to 21th July, 1920), was the wife and spiritual consort of Thakur Shree Ramakrishna Paramhansa (18th February, 1936 to 16th August, 1886), the Guru of the great Swami Vivekananda .

Shree Shree Maa, as Shree Maa Sharada Devi is fondly called, is the Sangha-Maataa (the Mother of the Sangha or Community / Organization) of the Ramakrishna Mission, established by the disciples of her husband Shree Ramakrishna Paramhansa, under the leadership of Swami Vivekananda, on the 1st of May, 1897.

The Ramakrishna Mission ....

Ramakrishna Mission has over 200 branches across the world, which spreads the message of the Indian Vedantic Philosophy of Life of spreading Love, Peace, Harmony and Oneness, as realized, lived and put forth by Thakur Shree Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Maa Sharada Devi and Swami Vivekananda, by practicing the Vedic ideal of Aatmano mokshaartham jagat hitaaya cha which means "For the salvation of our individual self and for the well-being of all on Earth" by "Service to the Almighty through service to man".

Inspiration for writing this Hymn ....

In the later half of 2015, Swami Atmadipanandaji a monk of the Ramakrishna Mission order and presently the Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission, Porbandar, Gujarat, once inspired me to write a Baavanee of Shree Shree Maa Sharada Devi, " .... Sister, why don't you write a Baavanee of Sharada Maa ? .... " I had not thought about that and I responded saying, I would be happy if I could do it, with his blessings and the Grace of Shree Sharada Maa.

After a couple of month, I wrote this Hymn, which got published in the December, 2016 edition of Shree Ramakrishna Jyot published by Shree Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Rajkot, Gujarat.

About Baavanee ....

A Baavanee is a 52-lines hymn in the praise of a Deity (Baavan means 52 in Gujarati, Hindi and some other similar Indian languages).

The Baavanee of all popular Deities like Shree Gurudev Datt, Shree Ranchhodray of Dakor (Gujarat), Shree Jalaram Bapa of Virpur (Gujarat) and so on are a part of regular prayers of crores of devotees across the world. There is a simple traditional tune to which a Baavanee is sung, familiar to almost every Gujarati. These days, new compositions, set to different classical Raagas have also come up and are available online.

The lyrics of a Baavanee are set to a specific meter / strophe and they generally cover the entire life of the Deity, from birth to the incidents of their life that inspire devotees.

This Baavanee describes the life of Shree Shree Maa Sharada, including her birth, childhood, marriage, married life, spiritual awakening, Thakur's life and work, her role as the Guru / Patron / Mother of Ramakrishna Mission, experiences of disciples and devotees and so on .....

Shree Maa Sharada Baavanee .... Translation into English from Gujarati with elaborations ....

Gujarati Text in English Script	English Translation	Elaboration of the meaning
Jay Shaaradaa Maateshwari, Sanaatanee Vishwambharee,	Glory to Goddess Mother Shaarada, Immortal Omnipresent,	Vishwambharee means the embodiment of the Omnipresent Divine Energy which Creates and Sustains the Creation.
Shree Ramakrishna Hridayeshwaree, Jagadambaa Jagadeeshwaree,	Shree Ramakrishna's Beloved, Mother Goddess of Universe	Hridayeshwaree means the Goddess of (dwelling in) one's Heart, here, Shree Ramakrishna's Heart
Jayrambati punyadharaa, jagahit kaaje avataryaa,	At Jayrambati, holy place, for welfare of the World You took birth,	Jayrambati is Sharada Maa's birthplace in Bankura district of West Bengal in India.
Ramachandra Shyamasundari, taat-maat dwij dharamachari,	Ramachandra Shyama Sundari, parents Religious Brahmin folks,	Sharada Maa's parents - Ramachandra and Shyamasundari Mukhopadhyay were pious and religious Brahmin.
Janma poorve Maa Jagadambaa, paame darshan Shyama Maa,	Before birth Maa Jagadambaa, gave Darshan to Shyama Maa	Sharada Maa's mother Shyamasundari (Shyama Maa) had obtained vision of Mother Goddess Jagadambaa some days before the birth of Maa Sharada
Utaree rumjhum baalakee, vruksh tale kaalaa karatee,	A little girl with anklets sounding sweet, climbed down a tree, caressing,	In the vision, Shyama Maa saw a little girl wearing sweet sounding anklets climbing down a Bel tree (stone apple tree), caressing her,
Kanthhe baahyu gheri ne, tandraa aave samaaee kukhe	Hugging lovingly from behind, absorbing in the womb in a reverie	The little girl loving put her hands around Shyama Maa's neck from behind, leading her to a state of reverie and then unconsciousness. Shyama Maa felt the girl (her consciousness) enter her womb.
Sihar graame jyaan mosaal, ghatanaakram aa thayo saakaar,	At Sihar village, maternal ancestral place, this incident took place.	This incident took place at the native place of Sharada Maa's maternal family, in a village called Sihar (or Sihore in Bengali) near Jayrambati, below a Bel tree that still stands there.
Nhaanakadee Shaaradaamani, kutumb ni moti deekaree	Little Sharadamani, eldest daughter of the family,	Maa Sharada was the eldest among her siblings.
Anujo ne nit saachavati, gruhkaaryo Maa sang karatee	Looked after younger brothers, did household chores with mother,	Maa Sharada used to look after her younger brothers and helped her mother with household chores.
Veenatee kapaasiyaa honshe, janoee banaavavaa te kaante	Plucked cotton-buds zealously, spinning them to sacred threads	Maa Sharada used to help her father gather cotton buds from fields and spinned them to make sacred threads, called Janeu in Hindi / Janoee in Gujarati.
Dushkaale bhookhyaa tanee, Pitaa sang sevaa karatee,	During tragic famine days, served hungry people with father,	During Maa's childhood, there was a severe famine in Bengal. She helped her father serve famine stricken hungry people with food, fanning the hot food with her saree ....
Paanch varsh ni kuamalee vay, Thakur sang paamya parinay	At the tender age of five, got married to Thakur	Maa Sharada married Thakur when she was five and Thakur was twenty three years old.
Shvashurgruhe pagalaa karee, Pitrugruhe aavyaa faree,	Setting feet at her in-law's, returned to her father's place,	As per the tradition, the young bride Maa Sharada returned to her father's place soon after the ceremonies of marriage were over.
Thakur Dakshineshware jaay, taposaadhanaa maa parovaay	Thakur then goes to Dakshineshwar and immerses into austerities	After marriage, Thakur went back to Dakshineshwar and immersed himself into deep devotion and austerities.
Thakur Shree Ramakrishna Dev, Maa Kali bhakti ni khev	Thakur Shree Ramakrishna Dev, immensely devoted to Maa Kali	Thakur's devotion to Maa Kali was pure, intense, immense and focused.
Raat-divas Maataa nu ratan, dhyaan-samaadhi bhaav-magan,	Day-night, chanting Maa Kali, immersed in meditation-bhaav-samadhi	Thakur had lost the sense of time, passing days and nights immersed in the devotion of Maa Kali, in deep states of meditation - samadhi and bhaava
Ter varsh aayu umbar, patigruhe aavaagaman	At thirteen years of age, came to husband's place again	At the age of thirteen, Maa Sharada came to stay at Kamarpukur with Thakur and his family for one year.
Snehabharyaa vairaagi pati, Aadhyaatma panthe jaay dori	Renounced husband, lovingly, leads her to spirituality	Thakur was a very loving and kind husband. He affectionately and tenderly led Sharada to the path of spirituality.
Kamarpukur ae varsh rahee, Thakur paachhaa gayaa faree	Staying at Kamarpukur that year, back to his place Thakur returns	After a stay of one year at Kamarpukur with his family and Maa Sharada, Thakur returned to Dakshineshwar.
Chaar varsh sudhee tyaar pachhee, vikat saadhanaa aacharee	Four years hence-after, practices severe austerities,	At Dakshineshwar, Thakur performed severe austerities for four years.
Unmatt thayaa aavyaa vaaval, Shaaradaa to aakal-vikal	Lost sanity, so said rumours, making Shaaradaa anxious	Lost and intoxicated in devotional states, Thakur's condition prompted rumours that He had lost sanity, which aroused anxiety and concerns in Maa Shaaradaa.
Pati-sevaa par mann khainchaay, tyaan javaanee tak sarjaay,	Longing to serve her husband, chance to go there arises soon,	She silently longs to go to Thakur and look after him. Soon, that opportunity arrives.
Pita paamyaa maun vyathaa, sange chaalyaa Calcutta,	Father senses silent grief, took her along to Calcutta,	Ramachandra Mukhopadhyay sensed his daughter plight and went with her to Calcutta / Kolkata to Thakur
Pagpaalaa ae laambee vaat, jwar thee thaay haal behaal,	Long journey on foot, fever causes immense troubles,	Father-daughter walked their way to Dakshineshwar, Kolkata. Maa Sharada caught fever and had to halt on the way, unable to move, almost unconscious.
Jagadambaa nee thaay krupaa, sankat naa poor osaryaa,	The Grace of Jagadambaa comes by to ebb away the flooding troubles,	As Maa Sharada lay semi-conscious, a beautiful bright lady comes to look after her, introducing herself as her sister and nurses her back to health.
Dakshineshware thaay aagaman, peeda-chintaao nu shaman,	Arrival at Dakshineshwar, alleviates pains and concerns,	On arriving at Dakshineshwar and meeting Thakur, all pains and worries vanished.
Nau-das maas divya sahavaas, Shodashee Poojaa jemaa khaas,	Divine companionship of nine-ten months, highlighted by Sodashee Poojaa,	The 9-10 months of divine togetherness was the most memorable phase of Maa Sharada's life, during Thakur performed Shodashee Pooja of Maa Sharada.
Falahaarinee Kalee Poojaa, Thakure karee tyaare tyaan,	When Thakur performed there, Falahaarinee Kali Pooja,	It is also called Falahaarinee Kali Pooja, worshiping Maa Sharada as the Divine Mother of Universe.
Divyatva paamyu jeevan, jagamaatrubhaav prakateekaran,	Divinity descended into life, arousing Universal Motherhood,	This resulted in arousing and illuminating Universal Motherhood in Maa Sharada.
Jap-tap sevaa Thakur nee, Naahaabaat maa rahee karee,	Japa-penance, serving Thakur, carried on, staying at Naahaabaat,	At Dakshineshwar, Maa Sharada stayed in a small room in the Temple's Music Tower called Naahaabaat, serving Thakur and performing her spiritual practices.
Shaant-bhaav lajjaamayee, janaay pan naa haajaree,	Quiet natured, graceful, shy, her very presence noticed hardly,	Sharada Maa was shy, quiet, full of grace and hardly ever noticed around.
Dheere-dheere bhaktajan vrund, karavaa laagyaa aagaman,	Slowly and gradually, groups of devotees began assembling,	Slowly, Thakur's circles of devotees and followers started developing and expanding.
Sevaa karya-kshetra prasaraay, aanand no melo ubharaay,	Expanding work-service domains, overflowing fairs of ecstasy,	The gatherings around Thakur invariably focused on spiritual upliftment of seekers, overflowing with divine moods, talks, singing and dancing, as if fairs of ecstasy.
Satsang keertan bhajanaanand, raat-divas Eeshwar-chintan,	Satsang, Keertan, devotional singing, day and night, contemplating	Satsang - gatherings of like-minded, devotional people for community spiritual services / practices; Keertan - special Devotional songs / singing
Brahma-Shakti nee ananyanataa, sarva dharmo nee ekataa,	Oneness of Brahma-Shakti, all religions leading to the Same One	Essence of Thakur’s teachings …. Brahma means Impersonal God, inactive, not creating, preserving or destroying; Shakti means Personal God, active - creating, preserving or destroying.
Nar maa Naaraayan darshan, Shiv roope jeev sevaa pran,	Seeing Narayana in men, Oath to serve Jeeva as Shiva	Thakur’s way of serving …. Narayana means the Omnipresent God, a name of Vishnu - the all-pervasive Protector and Preserver of Universe; Jeeva means living being; Shiva - Lord Shiva, the Auspicious One present in the entire Creation.
Thakur karataa sancharan, bhakti-chaitanya uddipan,	Thakur transmitted Divineness, arousing devotion, consciousness,	Bhakti means Devotion; Chaitanya means Consciousness.
Avirat uddeshyamay jeevan, Thakur kanthhe vyaadhi daman,	Continuous purposeful life, Thakur's throat grew weak, diseased,	Thakur's throat grew sore and painful day by day. Later it was found that he had throat cancer that could not be cured.
Dharmakranti nu karee sthaapan, Thakur kare svalok gaman,	Igniting Religious Revolution, Thakur left for His Abode,	On 16th August, 1886, Thakur left, leaving behind a vast spiritual legacy and tasks.
Maa ne haiye dukh daaroon, shaataa kaaje teerth-gaman,	Grief-laden Maa's heart, seeks solace in pligrimage	Maa Sharada's grief knew no limits. She set out for a pilgrimage with a group of disciples and devotees.
Thakur darshan satat samran, shishyo-bhakto nu jatan,	Thakur's visions, continuous remembrance, caring devotees-disciples,	Thakur's visions and appearances gave some comfort to Maa, as also the love and care of devotees and disciples.
Ramkrishna Sangh nu sthaapan, Sangha-Maataa banee pathdarshan,	Ramakrishna Sangh when established, showed path as Sangha-Maataa,	Ramakrishna Sangha / Mission was established to spread Thakur's Universal message globally. Maa Sharada showed path as the Sangha-Maataa, the Mother of the Organization.
Karyu satat jeevanparyant, Jagmaataa swaroop jeevant,	All through the life, uninterrupted, personified Mother of the World,	All her life, she nurtured Ramakrishna Mission and its activities. Maa Sharada was embodied Divine Motherhood.
Tap-saadagee bharyu jeevan, aadarsh naaritva darshan,	Simple, devoted austere life, examplering ideal womanhood,	Maa Sharada was a living example of simple living, high thinking, devoted purposefulness full of determination and compassion.
Nivedita hoy ke Yogananda, Vivekananda ke Saradananda,	Be it Nivedita or Yogananda, Vivekananda or Saradananda,	Sister Nivedita, Swami Yogananda, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Saradananda ....
Sau shishyo-bhakto nee Maa, sacharaachar nee pan Maataa,	Mother of all disciples-devotees, Mother of all Living Beings,	Maa Sharada was the Mother of all disciples, devotees and All ....
Leelaamayee karunaamayee, kan-kan vyaapee chinmayee,	Mystically playful, compassionate, omnipresent consciousness,	Maa Sharada is worshipped as the embodiment of Omnipresent Consciousness
Gruhajeevan nee saathosaath, jankalyaan kaarya dinraat,	Along with domestic duties, immersed in welfare, day and night,	She looked after her family, more than any normal lady would do and at the same time remained busy all the time in the welfare of All.
Deen-dukhee paatak-ghaatak, ur palato paame Amajad,	Mother to humiliated-aggrieved, sinner-killer, Amjad's life transformed forever,	She was a solace to those who were humiliated, grief-stricken, those who lost ways in life, took to wrong-doings, such as Amjad who was a dacoit, whom she transformed into a respectable human being.
Tam aadarsho dhare jeevan, aevaa aashish dyo paavan,	Grace us with Blessings that we uphold your ideals in our lives,	Prayer to Maa Sharada.
Bhakto par karjo krupaa, Jay Jay Maataa Shaaradaa !!	Bestow your Grace upon devotees, Glory, Glory to Maa Sharada !!	Prayers for bestowing the life of devotees with Divine Grace.

Maa Sharada’s Birth Anniversary as per Hindu Calendar ….

Today is the Birth Anniversary of Maa Sharada this year, as per the Hindu Calendar - the Saptamee (seventh day) of the Krishna Paksha (darker half between Poornima - Full Moon day and Amavasyaa - New Moon day) of the month of Margashirsha, that falls during the months of December-January of the Gregorian calendar.

Prayers !!!

From HubPages .... Published on 26th December, 2021