The making of a mother

Uand unsurpassed by any otber human emotioD, the maternal instinct is a manifestation of Jove in i t purest form. A mother's capacity co give, defies quantification. Despite her apparent physical shortcomings, she is the source of life, the nu cleus of any family, tbe central pillar of support, the binding force holding communities together. As a l ogical derivative, the cou n rry of our origin is called the 'motherland', the d ialect we communicate in, is known as the ' mother tongue'. Term s such as 'mother ' earth, 'mother' nature, alma 'mater' have all become common parlance, and remain so to this day.

The Mocher figure is deified in man y societies around the world. For fodians, she is the embodiment of selfless sacri fice, compassion and charity (Devi, S tree, 1\1!ata, !Vfaa, A111,11a, A rdhangni, Dharmapatm) she is also Shaktithe source of benign power.

As fo r mer President Dr S Radhakcishnan said, " The position of women in any society is a true index of its culrnral and spirirual Level"

The ancient Vedic saying: Alf.aim deuo bhavaa, Pitm deuo bhauaa, Athithi deuo hhauaa (Mocher, father and guest, in that order, are equal to God) therefore, sums up nor o n ly the ro le of women iu our society, but our entire philosophy in a nmshelJ. Respect for women is one of the founcling principles of our culture Nor only is one's own mother to be regarded as equal co God, every girl/woman is regarded as the incarnation o f motherhood. The child sets his eyes first on the niother, only later is he/s he introduced to the rest of the world. In fact, the motherchild re lationship is established much earlie r She is the first guru, nurturing him not only with li fes ustaini ng food bm ocher qualities like good character, basic learning and moral values. She guides him through those crucial formative years. Therefore, the mother possesses the power to change the course of histor)' by properly moulding the mind and character of her children.

1n Hindu philosophy, die terms 'wo man' and 'mother' are nearly synonymous. Wlitb motherhood , the woman undergoes a spicirnal transformation. The wife may and E '5' often does demand and take; bm "' the mother feel s it her privilege to give and give, never once expecting any return. If woman as wife is social ly significant, woman as mother is spi rirnally g lorious.

Kam1anyevadhikaaf"tl asthe 111aa phalec/m kadhaachana

(Om· dury is lo give witho11t expecting returns)

The child, it is believed, is indebted to die mother even while in the womb. But 1\lfaatm 11111a (emotional debt to mother) can neve r be paid back. Likewise, Pitm nma and Gum m11a too can never be compensated. In Nlatm

Pa11chaka, Ad i Sankara describes the trouble we cause the mo d1er while in her womb and through the intensi ty of labour. Even Sankara, die very incarnate of Lord Shiva, rushed to Kerala to perform the final cites for his departed mother Sinillarly, Rama and Krishna too held thei r mothers in reverence. Sita Devi is also worshipped for her numerous sacrifices

The concept of motli er worship dates back to Vedic period and stems from the inherent fact diat women in ancient lndia were bestowed with enormou s power and looked upon widi awe. Th.rough die years, ic bas evolved, changing direction as o ur present day society emerged. But the fundamental attitude has remained more or less the same. The earliest instance is of Aditi, the Deva 1fata or mother of gods Others include Prithvi and Prak.citi, both of whom have been close ly linked w ith fertility rin1als and are eternal symbo ls of prosperity. lo this context it is easy to understand why the sanctum sanctorurn of Hindu temple is known as garba griha.

The trinity of Mahalakshn:u, Saraswaci and Parvati, in turn represent weal th, knowledge and power Lakshmi is often synonymous Bhoodevi (Bhoomidevi) and Sridevi On the mortal plane are Kunti, Gandhari, Ahalya. Vasislha's ho ly cowKamadhenu is an extens ion of tbis very principle of giving.

The Ma111m711ifi (code of ethics) lays down chat a woman needs to be treasmed, first by her falher, then by her husband and finally by her son. Accordi ng to a modern interpretation, ' 'J ust as the crown jewels should nor be left unguarded, neither should a woman be left U11protected. No

Vanitha Sujith wit h he r s on Suren e.xtra burden of earning a living should be placed on women who already bear huge responsibilities in society: childbirth , childcare, domestic well-being and spiritual growth. She i s clrns the transmitter of culmre ro her children."

In a fitting tribute to motherhood in. the Mahabharata, Bh.ishma describes her dms: " The mo t her is the panacea for all kinds of calamities. There is no shelter, defense o r refuge lil,e the mother. There is n o o ne so clear as the mother For havin.g borne him in her womb, the mother is tbe son's dharli. For having been tbe chi ef cause o f his bircli , she i s h is ja11a11i. Fo r having nursed his young limbs, she is called a1J1va (Amma). For nursing and looking after the son she is called sum. The m o tber is one's own bod y".