Anandamayee Ma (1896 –1982) is among the most recognized and beloved Hindu saints of the 20th century and is considered to have been an incarnation of the Divine Mother. Through her wisdom, joy, and compassion, she has inspired millions of individuals of diverse faiths and circumstances, chanting Mantras and teaching sacred knowledge from the Heart. She was visited by thousands and shared Her inspiration with individuals from all walks of life including Prime Ministers, industrialists, artists, great Scholars, Saints, beggars and commoners. Without ever having engaged in any formal study or having a spiritual teacher, she was yet a source of great wisdom and teachings for all who contacted her, including scholars and pundits seeking clarification of doctrinal issues.
Anandamayee Ma was a Fountain of Joy and Bliss (Ananda) and of spiritual knowledge and touched the hearts of all who met Her and even now still touches the hearts of those who come in contact with Her Work and Her Mantras.
Paul Brunton visited Her and received her darshan four times, and he gave Her the highest praise possible, referring to Her in his Notebooks as a ‘jnani.’ In Her meeting with Yogananda in 1936, described in a chapter of his book “Autobiography of a Yogi” she said to him:
“Before I came to on this Earth, Father, I was the same. As a little girl, I was the same. I grew into womanhood, but still I was the same… Ever afterwards, though the dance of creation changes around me in the hall of eternity, I shall be the same.”
To listen to Anandamayee chanting kirtan, which was one of her primary methods of transmission, and her speaking, click below:
Hey Bhagavan
Krishna Chaleya
Ma’s voice
For more information about Anandamayee, her teaching, and additional recordings of Her kirtan, go to https://www.anandamayi.org.
We are blessed to have had the opportunity to visit the temple of Her Samadhi in Kankhal, near Haridwar in India, where one can still feel Her presence, and to have personal contact with a number of Her direct disciples.
