The Mother Goddesses that visit India regularly every year without fail start with Mother Saraswati, giver of wisdom and education. She comes in spring. Then comes Mother Durga, the Goddess of procreation, with her nine aspects after monsoon. Mother Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and boons, comes ahead of winter, having reserved October’s full moon night for her worship. And the moonless night of October is booked for Mother Kali, though looking cruel and merciless, she is kind and forgiving. After all God has not created this universe to annihilate it at one go. Of course, we must expect Spring cleaning now and then. This calendar depicts current year. But it changes from year to year, according to Hindu calendar.
With all these Goddesses coming and going every year, one often wonders why does not any of them incarnate in India ? But looking around carefully and patiently, one finds that many of them do incarnate without publicity. Only after they have left this world of mortals that one recognizes them as Mother Goddesses. But in the process of recreation, they do not possess all their miraculous powers in this world, as they do in their celestial bodies.
One such Mother Goddess that we recognized was Mrs Vidyawati Mahajan.
Born in a rich landlord and business family, she was married in an equally rich landlord family. Though a passionate pursuer of education, she was not allowed by her conservative parents to continue her school education. That was very common in India at that time, as it was thought that girls were meant to raise a family only.
But her love for education, after raising her family, despite her age, persisted and she would read a Hindi and an Urdu daily every day from front page to the last. In those days there was no education by correspondence. Later, when her husband, Mr Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan, who was once Chief Justice of India, joined judiciary, she tried her hand at learning English. She made tremendous progress in that as well, but her shyness would not allow her to display her knowledge publicly.
Mrs Mahajan was a perfect hostess as well as a devout person. Her religious activities, started in the morning, would see the noon sun before she had her breakfast. But any visitor to her household, even when she was busy in her rituals, would be well attended by the domestic help. She would not talk during her prayers, but with her gestures she would let it be known what the guest should be served. In case the help was playing hooky or away, she would herself serve the guest, keeping her prayers on hold. This despite her age-related problems that prevented her from being active.
Although a multi-millionaire, she never patronized luxury. She loved to sit cross-legged and lie on the jute-string cots. Strictly vegetarian and a frugal eater, she never objected to non-vegetarians' preferences in her family.. She dressed in conservative cream coloured sarees when attending State receptions or other functions. And had white sarees for funerals.
Her philanthropy was famous among the needy relatives and even strangers. Once a woman cheated her of few thousands of rupees (a considerable wealth in those days) on the pretext of marrying off a poor orphan girl. She never spoke to the woman again – even when as an uninvited guest she enjoyed the hospitality. The severest abuse Mrs Mahajan ever used was : “May God fortify your household.”
To the needy relatives, she would quietly send money orders. And her family would discover the charity when the postal receipts came back.
She would quietly put some currency of high denomination in the purse of visiting needy ladies and pockets of gents but would not encourage pretenders.
We see other religions like Roman Catholics also honouring their Saints – or Mother Goddesses – like Mother Teresa or Sister Alphonsa from Kerala. But Hindus have no such system, as they are used to take every thing for granted. Even God.
o0o.
