Sri Jayalakshmi Maata
Jayalakshmi Maata worshipped Ganapathy, the elephant-headed God, representing the primal sound AUM, the source of all creation. In her late teenage years, she lived with her family at Mekedatu village, a jungle hamlet in the sacred woods near Sangama in the southern state of Karnataka, India. This sacred region is located at the confluence of the rivers Kaveri, Arkavati, and Gupta Gamini, and features three holy hills forming the shape of the sacred pyramid Sri Chakra. Growing up amongst her other sisters what set her apart was her penchant for wandering alone in the forests, an unaccompanied a teenager, totally one with the nature around her, making friends with the gypsies and the holy men who visited the place, as she roamed fearlessly amongst the wild elephants. At home, though not inclined towards domestic duties, she would be found praying most of the time particularly to her WALL GANAPATHY. Her mother would be fascinated by her self-composed recital of Girija Kalyanam and songs on Lord Narasimha. Jayalakshmi Maata moved freely among the hills, rivers, and animals, merging with Mother Nature. Her companions were spiritual adepts and holy men. She had two Gurus: Fakir Taata, a Muslim saint, and Kara Paatra Swami.
She worshipped Lord Shiva (Sangameswara) daily and served the saints and sages. As a result of severe penance she attained God realization and divine powers. She used to enlighten people regarding righteous living and helped them progress in the service of God. With her spiritual powers, she cured the ailing. She relieved many people of their problems with her divine help. She engaged herself in singing highly poetic devotional songs. She composed many devotional verses using simple words and curious patterns of syllables, expressing profound wisdom.
One day, Jayalakshmi Maata experienced a communion with Lord Datta in a cave among the holy hills near Mekedatu. Lord Datta told her that He would be born as her son to propagate Truth in the world. He explained that He had to take on a body and follow a plan of action to establish Dharma permanently on Earth, and that this avatar would be easily approachable to all and would have a long-term presence. A few days later, her spiritual mentors, Kara Paatra Swami and Fakir Taata, confirmed this message, stating that her spiritual training was complete. Jayalakshmi pondered over the responsibility placed upon her and prepared to fully surrender to the divine will.
Lord Dattatreya appeared to Jayalakshmi one day at the temple of Lord Sangameswara and said, "Mother, the Brahmin who comes to your house before tomorrow morning will be your husband." In a strange and unexpected turn of events, her wilderness home hosted the scholarly priest Narasimha Sastry that very same night. The middle-aged widower, along with his widowed sister Venkamma, had been stranded in the jungle during a pilgrimage tour of South India and sought shelter at Linganna's home.
Jayalakshmi Maata got married to Gandluru Narasimha Sastry and moved to Bommeparti village near Anantapur in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where she embraced the duties of a wife and a mother. A couple of years later, she returned to her parents' home to have her first child.
Jayalakshmi Maata preached, “When I came to accept this auspicious and ancient institution (marriage), I found that each work I did in my house was a spiritual exercise. Cooking or cleaning the utensils and drains in and around the house was also upasana (spiritual practice) to me. Unfortunately, people have forgotten that righteous and virtuous duties were created by God, and that to do one’s own duty is a sacrifice, a scared yajna (ritual). Managing my family is my own duty and it is an act tantamount to religious sacrifice.”
On May 26, 1942, in the Indian year Chitrabhanu, Jayalakshmi Maata followed her daily custom and went to the holy river Kaveri in the pre-dawn auspicious hour. She sat in meditation upon a rock jutting out over the flowing waters in the region of Brahma Kundam, a deep rocky pit used by celestial sages for sacred fire rituals. Three things brought Jayalakshmi back to consciousness: the bright sunlight shining on her face, an inexplicable fragrance permeating the air, and the commotion of people around her. When she opened her eyes, a newborn baby boy lay in her lap, smeared from head to foot with Vibhooti, the fragrant sacred ash. He wore two necklaces, one of rudraksha sacred beads and the other of saligrama sacred stones, both strung in gold. The river had risen, and the waters gently flowed over the baby's feet. Jayalakshmi noticed her damp clothes, indicating earlier rain. Her mother, along with some tribal folk from the village, were preparing to take her home in a makeshift carriage. As soon as the baby reached home and was placed on his bed, his necklaces disappeared. The baby was named Satyanarayana, born in the spiritual lineage of the celestial sage Bharadwaja.
Jayalakshmi Maata's sweet songs, the lyrics of which were found scribbled on bits of paper, in her copy of the Bhagavatam, and various prayer books have formed a large body of songs on Krishna and have been set to beautiful music by no less a person than the very incarnation of Naada, Sri Swamiji. Mother's bhajans were done uniquely in the style of Tora and Vajra Bandha peculiar to Kannada poetry.
Dwadasha Sutras (12 Commandments) of Jayalakshmi Maata
2. BE COMPASSIONATE TO THE POOR AND SOCIO - ECONOMICALLY BACKWARD PEOPLE
3. IN ALL SITUATIONS THINK AND ACT ACCORDING TO THE SHASTRAS
4. PROTECT THE PIOUS AND THE VIRTOUS EVEN AT THE COST OF YOUR LIFE
5. CONSIDER ALL FORMS OF LIFE AS EQUAL. DO NOT DISCRIMINATE
6. DO NOT MISS YOUR DAILY DISCIPLINES AT ANY COST - IT SHOULD NOT INCONVENIENCE OTHERS. IT SHOULD ALWAYS BENEFIT OTHERS
7. SEE ME IN ALL FORMS OF LIFE
8. DO NOT EVER STRAY FROM THE TRUTH
9. DEVELOP THE SKILL OF SIMPLIFYING YOUR KNOWLEDGE, AND SPREAD IT AMONG THE MASSES
10. DO NOT REVEAL YOUR FUTURE INCARNATIONS
11. UNDERTAKE THE TASK OF SPREADING DHARMA IN A LUCID MANNER
12. LEAD YOUR LIFE WITHOUT HURTING OTHERS EVEN IF IT MEANS HURTING YOURSELF
Sri Swamiji's Life history - Sri Jayalakshmi Maata: https://vimeo.com/128976817