GREAT SPIRITUAL WOMEN IN INDIA

Gargi Vachaknavi 

 Gargi Vachaknavi (born about 700 BC) was an ancient Indian philosopher.

 InVedic Literature, she is honored as a great natural philosopher, renowned expounder of the Vedas, and known as Brahmavadini, a person with knowledge of Brahma Vidya.

In the Sixth and the eighth Brahmana of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, her name is prominent as she participates in the brahmayajna, a philosophic debate organized by King Janaka of Videha and challenges the sage Yajnavalkya with perplexing questions on the issue of atman (soul).

She is also said to have written many hymns in the Rigveda.

She remained a celibate all her life and was held in veneration by the conventionalHindus.

Gargi, the daughter of sage Vachaknu in the lineage of sage Garga (800-500 BCE) was named after her father as Gargi Vachaknavi. From a young age she evinced keen interest in Vedic scriptures and became very proficient in fields of philosophy. She became highly knowledgeable inVedas and Upanishads in the Vedic times and held intellectual debates with the male-philosophers.

Panchakanya 

Panchakanya is a group of iconic women according to Hindu mythology.

This group includes Ahalya, Sita, Tara, Mandodari and Draupadi.

1. Ahalya - Wife of Sage Gautama

2. Sita - Wife of Lord Rama

3. Mandodari - Wife of Ravana

4. Tara - Wife of Vaali and Sugriva.

5. Draupadi- Wife of Panchapandavas

Ahalya

'Ahalya' in the Hindu mythology, is the wife of Sage Gautama. She is said to be the most stunning, gorgeous and attractive woman  created by Brahma during the period of 4th century BC. She was married to a much older husband, the sage Gautama.

Lord Indra, who was tempted by her beauty could not (wouldn't even dare to) approach her to ask her to be involved in a consummate relationship with him. So, he decides wickedly to go in disguise of sage Gautama (Husband of Ahalya) and sleep with Ahalya. This enrages sage Gautama and  he turns Ahalya  into a stone by cursing her for infidelity, little realizing that the fault lies entirely on Indra. We later read in the Sampoorna Ramayanam, that Lord Rama liberates her from the curse. 

Sita

Sita is the protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana. She is the adopted daughter of Raja Janak and Rani Sunaina. She is considered to be the daughter of soil.

she is described to be a beautiful woman, and well educated in arts, literature and politics. She has three sisters

Urmila, Mandavi and Shrutkirti.

she is also called Maithili or Vedihti

As she reaches a marraigeable age, her father hosts a grand Swayamvar to get her married. She gets married to Ram, the prince of Ayodhya or Kosala.

she goes into a 14 year long exile with her husband and brother-in-law where she is abducted by the asur king, ravan.

after a bloody war between ram and ravan’s armies, ravan is killed and sita is freed.

she goes through an agni pariksha to prove her morality, she goes in the fire and comes out unharmed and in the royal clothes.

she returns to ayodhya and becomes queen.

after some years, she is foresaken by her husband because he doubts her morality

she is pregnant and gives birth to twins, Luv and Kush

after many years, she she hands over the children to her husband and is taken in by mother Earth, her real mother.

Dedication to Husband
She started to love her husband the second he won the Swayamvara. She never regretted her husband's decision of Vanvas . and accompanied him without complaint.

Chaste just like her Husband
After Ram intensively fell in love with his Wife He declared that he will undergo Eka pathni vrath(Ek- one , Pathni - wife , Vrat - Vow).

She fluttered just like a butterfly learning this and started to adore him in every possible way.

Being a better half
While she accompanied her husband in jungle she helped in all types of work from advising on networking to decision making in difficult times

Smart
She understood her husband's mind and left clues during her abduction that could help him to pursue his search operation without loosing hope

Valour like a Knight!!!

She is a Woman with great valour in heart so she wanted Raavan to be defeated by her husband's hand. She also came to know that raavan is a rapist previously and he is afraid of bad omen that follows when he nears her. The bad omen is due to curse on Raavan by another woman. So she determines Raavan should be given an appointment with KaalaBhairava by Ram.

Justice at heart
She obligates that Lanka must be constructed again with justice and peace.
Ram .

Confidence and Fearlessness

After her chastity being questioned she invokes the pyre and Dares to jump in it.
She is confident about her love with Ram.

And then she does this to come out of Agnipariksha successfully....

Tolerance and Sacrifice
Despite her chastity being pure some people just like us started to curse ram and Sita. So Ram decides to accompany her in Jungle renouncing the kingdom again.
 

Good mother.
She chose to raise her sons by herself  in the Jungle. They became strong enough to rule and maintain a kingdom.

Many would say ramayana but there are enough prime factors which allows the epic to be renamed as Sitayana. As valmiki rightly calls it 'Sitayah Charitam Mahat'(The glorious tale of Sita).Even in the south of India Kamaba-ramayanam is called "Sitayanam". I would say Ram as a supporting character and sita as a main character .

Mandodari

Mandodari is the daughter of Mayasura, the king of the Asuras, who are god-like demons. What is most interesting and even controversial is that she was the main wife of Ravana, the demon King of Lanka.  Mandodari is said to be very caring and righteous, totally unlike her husband. Her personality of selflessness and faithfulness can be traced back to her childhood. She was said to be a very kind child, and she was the only daughter of Mayasura and Hema. Mandodari was special- she would always try to keep the peace between her two brothers who fought a lot when they were younger. These two brothers were extremely troublesome- they would stir the pot and cause issues between many people. They were also extremely dangerous, their powers were strong and they used them whenever they wanted. There was one instance in particular when her two brothers, Mayavi and Dundubhi, had been arguing and at each other’s throats all day. The source of the argument was trivial, but nevertheless the argument became violent. The brothers started becoming physical- they were punching and biting each other. Young Mandodari absolutely hated seeing this, so she came up with a plan. She was able to calmly separate the brothers from each other, and she put them in different rooms.  She first physically stepped in between the two brothers, then held each by their hair and spoke very calmy. She told them to separate because they were a disgrace the family. Then she spoke with each of them separately. She explained to them that they were family and that no one else in the world would protect them like their own family would. She told them there were too many bad people and evil deeds going on to be fighting your own brother over something so trivial. Mandodari, even at a young age, had the capability to speak eloquently and gently yet still firmly enough to get her point across. Sometimes her speeches would work, sometimes they wouldn’t. In this case, however, her talks with her brothers did work, and that was the last time they ever allowed a disagreement to get out of hand.

                When Mandodari was older and married to Ravana, she had to exercise this skill very often. She wanted so badly to lead Ravana down the path of righteousness, but it was almost hopeless. Her greatest challenge was when her husband decided to kidnap Sita. Mandodari knew that Ravana’s lust was too great to overcome, but she still tried to plead with him to let Sita go after she had been kidnapped. Although Ravana did not listen, Mandodari did use her power to save Sita’s life. Ravana was furious when Sita would not agree to marry him, and he got his sword and was about to behead Sita. Mandodari, however, grabbed Ravana’s arm and gently lowered it, convincing him that he was making a foolish mistake. This saved Sita’s life so that she could eventually return safely to Rama.

                Mandodari was an extremely loyal and faithful wife to Ravana, despite his flaws and corrupt actions that she disagreed with. She tried her best to make a better person out of him, which was extremely admirable and brave. She was a beautiful woman and a fascinating lady whose story deserves to be told.

Tara

One of the five Panchakanyas mentioned in Hinduism known for their purity and chastity was Tara, the wife of the Monkey King Vali and the Queen of Kishkindha in the Ramayana. She was known for her conviction, courage and intelligence. In the Kishkindha Kanda of the Ramayana she is portrayed as a strong woman and it is said that when Lakshmana was sent to remind Sugriva of his vow to help Rama in their search for Sita it was Tara who faced him bravely and pacified him.

Birth and Early life

There are various legends about the birth of Tara. According to the Ramayana, Tara was the daughter of Vanara physician, Sushena. In other legends, she was the daughter of Brihaspathi, the Guru of the Gods while Vali and Sugreeva were the sons of Indra and Surya respectively. In some others, Tara is said to have risen along with other Apsaras during the churning of the ocean by the Gods and demons when they wished to acquire Amrit or the nectar of immortality. In the Japanese tradition, Tara is the Apsara daughter of Indra and his wife, Wiyati. Some versions of the Ramayana state that Tara was given to both Vali and Sugreeva for helping the Gods while others state that Tara was to have been initially married to Sugreeva, but Vali snatched her and married her. All versions confirm that Angada was the son of Tara and Vali.

Vali’s duel

When Rama, Lakshmana and Sita went to the forest in exile for fourteen years, Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, the King of Lanka. While Rama and Lakshmana were wandering in the forest in search of her, they met the Vanara Hanuman, who took them to meet Sugreeva who was in exile. Rama formed an alliance with Sugreeva promising to defeat Sugreeva’s brother Vali and helping him to regain his kingdom. Sugreeva in return promised to help him in his search for Sita. Following Rama’s plan, Sugreeva challenged his brother Vali in a duel but Rama was unable to distinguish between the two brothers and consequently Sugreeva lost the duel. Then Sugreeva on Rama’s advice wore a garland and then challenged Vali again to a duel in which Rama hiding behind a tree, killed Vali.

Tara’s advice

When Sugreeva returned to challenge Vali immediately after his defeat, Tara was suspicious about his immediate return wearing a garland and cautioned Vali. She had also heard about the friendship between Sugreeva and Rama and urged Vali to live peacefully with his brother Sugreeva by befriending him and making him Crown Prince. Vali recognised the wisdom of her words in facing Sugreeva once again but said that he was a warrior and hence could not refuse a challenge.

Death of Vali

Ignoring Tara’s advice, Vali rushed to meet the challenge. During the combat, Rama shot an arrow from behind and wounded Vali fatally. Hearing the news, Tara rushed to see him and reproached Sugreeva and Rama while lamenting Vali’s death. It is said that Vali had also seized Sugreeva’s wife Ruma and Tara realised that Vali’s death was a punishment for exiling Sugreeva and seizing his wife. Some legends of Ramayana state that Tara inconsolable in her grief invoked the power of her purity and chastity and cursed Rama that after regaining Sita he would lose her and that in his next birth Rama would be killed by Vali. This fructified when in the next Avatar Krishna was killed by a hunter who was Vali reborn. Rama had divined the result of his next birth and hence was unperturbed by the curse. He also knew that through a boon Vali could never be defeated in combat as anyone who fought him would have half their strength transferred to Vali. Rama is said to have consoled Tara with words of solace and requested her to accept the preordained destiny. Before dying, Vali asked Rama to ensure that Tara was taken care of and acknowledged her wisdom by asking Sugreeva to heed her advice. Rama assured him of taking care of Angada and is said to have preached to her the truth of life and death, soul and other concepts. Rama is also said to have given Upadesha and granted moksha to Vali.

Tara’s enlightenment

In Tulsidas’s and Valmiki’s Ramayana as Tara was devoted to Rama in a previous birth, Tara is said to have gained enlightenment and wisdom from Rama. She then helped Angada and Sugreeva in performing the last rites of Vali.

Marriage to Sugreeva

In the Ramayana, it is mentioned that Sugreeva was crowned King and he married Tara. A number of reasons have been stated for this act. Tara served Sugreeva loyally who in turn took good care of Angada.

Tara’s diplomacy

After Sugreeva had become King, he became involved in material pleasures and forgot his promise to Rama. Rama then sent Lakshmana to remind him of his promise. Lakshmana entered Kishkinda with great anger and Sugreeva realising his mistake was apprehensive of facing him. However, the wise Tara extolled the glories of Rama and pacified Lakshmana by informing him that emissaries had been sent in all directions and the results were being awaited. It was only due to her tact and diplomacy with Lakshmana that a crisis was averted and Lakshmana’s anger abated.

Draupadi

Draupadi was a strong woman, who could be just as aggressive as passionate and caring, depending on the situation. Her life was full of hardships, but it was also full of wonderful rewards as well. One thing that is for sure about Draupadi is that she was beautiful. There was no denying that she was a true beauty- her skin, eyes, and hair were all gorgeous. However, there was a strong soul behind that beauty too. Thanks to her strength of soul, she was able to face many challenges not only in her adult life, but also in her childhood as well.

                Draupadi was the daughter of king Drupada. The king was a very loving and trusting father who wanted the best for Draupadi. Draupadi also had high expectations for herself as well. When she was young, Draupadi experienced something awful that would stay with her and help her persevere in her adult life. One day, when Draupadi was about nine years old, the King took her on a hunting trip. Draupadi was so excited! She packed her best gear and planned out the whole trip. After the long journey, Draupadi and the king finally arrived at their destination. The first day and night was wonderful- everything went smoothly and according to plan. However, at dusk on the second day of hunting, a group of four boys started bothering Draupadi. They made fun of her because she was a girl on a hunting trip- they could not take her seriously. But Draupadi stood her ground and did not allow the boys to talk bad about her. She snapped and said something insulting to the boys, who became extremely angry. The boys decided to kidnap Draupadi to teach her a lesson. Draupadi knew she was no match physically against the four boys, so she let them take her. However, the whole time she was planning her escape in her head. She waited until the boys were not paying attention and ran from their grasp. It was dark, and with a head start Draupadi was able to get away and hide from them.

               

Although this moment should have terrified her and traumatized her, Draupadi used this experience to make her stronger and that strength carried into her adult life. Draupadi was the wife of the five Pandavas, which was unique in and of itself. Although it was shocking when she first found out that she would have five husbands, Draupadi accepted her situation and came to terms with it. This was not the end of her challenges, however. Yudhishthira, one of the five brothers, played a game of dice, betting everything he owned. Slowly but surely, he lost this bet, too. Now Draupadi was a slave of Duryodhana, Yudhishthira's cousin who had won the gambling match. Of course, he lost this bet too. Then, in front of everyone, Duryodhana orders his brother Dushasana to take off Draupadi’s sari. Her sari amazingly became endless, never revealing her naked body! Although she never ends up being naked in front of everyone, this event would be extremely terrifying for anyone. Draupadi handles it in the best way she can, and she escapes in a decent condition. Her bravery and ability to handle scary situations started in her childhood and carried over into her adult life to help her in that awful situation.

                Draupadi has always been brave, ever since she was a little girl. She can be aggressive when need be, but she never loses her sense of compassion. She is an extremely admirable woman!

husbands, she must be a strong and smart woman. It takes a lot to be a wife, and if she can do that successfully she can do anything.

Sabari

In the Ramayana we have the classic example of Shabari , who is an embodiment of unqualified & unassuming devotion.

Sabari comes very close to the heart of Sri Rama; she is praised as an embodiment of unqualified devotion to Sri Rama.

Her only life ambition was to see Lord Rama once in her life time.

Having seen Lord Rama, the devout and exceptionally affectionate Shabari merges as it were in the ocean of Bliss springing from the sparkling eyes of Sri Rama.

The story of Sabari starts with Kabandha telling about the Pampa Lake and the Mount Rishyamuka.

Kabandha extols Pampa Lake and details Sri Rama about the course to be adopted to proceed to Mount Rishyamuka to befriend Sugriva.

He details about Matanga hermitage and implores upon Sri Rama to visit an ascetic by name Shabari, who is waiting for ages to have a glimpse of Sri Rama.

Kabandha gives an advance description about Shabari to Sri Rama:

"A miracle is working in Matanga Ashram.

The Rishis who resided there are no more. So great was their devotion that the sweat drops which fell on the ground from their body, as they brought water for their daily pooja, have sprouted in to unfading flowers shining like garlands.Their servant woman belonging to a forest tribe is constantly engaged in TapoDharma (Spiritual Austerities).Shabari is eagerly waiting to greet You as a divine person and then ascend to higher worlds"

We are told that Shabari served for long Rishi Matanga in his ashram near Rishyamuka, and when he was ascending to heaven, he bade his disciple await the advent of Sri Rama who would come to her, bless her, and fulfill her tapas. Telling her the story of Sri Rama, the sage departed, leaving Shabari alone at the ashram.

Shabari continued her tasks at the ashram, keeping it ready for Sri Rama's arrival. She woke up everyday, wondering if this would be the day Sri Rama would arrive.

After completing her chores, she would make the place ready for Sri Rama's arrival, and collect fruits and berries for him to eat if he did come.

She spent hours removing the thorns from the bushes along the path and the stones on the path, so that her beloved lord wouldn't be hurt.

Thus, Shabari spent many years waiting for her lord who was on his way to her abode.

Having heard the story of Shabari the two brother move towards Mount Rishyamuka.

Both the brothers approach Shabari as told by Kabandha and she adores them on their seeking her presence.

One look at her made Sri Rama realise that Shabari had attained the highest stage of spiritual ripeness, 'Siddhahood'.

She honours them as guests and expresses her desire to depart to the spheres where her teachers are.

When Shabari sees Sri Rama, she says that she feels the purpose of her birth has been fulfilled only upon her seeing Sri Rama.

Shabari felt that her greatest desire had been fulfilled by meeting her lord, and, asking Sri Rama to give her salvation, she entered the fire.

As the old and emaciated lady wearing rags entered the fire, she was transformed into a beautiful young woman wearing silken cloth and many ornaments.

In this form, she gained deliverance at the hands of the lord, as Sage Matanga had foretold, and joined her lord and her guru in the heavens.

Shabari is extolled by the following adjectives:

Shramanim austere woman

Tapodhane ascetic woman

Siddha a lady who achieved Self Realisation

Charubhashini a lady of pleasant talk

Avvaiyar

Avvaiyyar was a female poet of the ninth century, who lived in the southern parts of India. She is known, not only for her extraordinary poetry, but also, as a noble and revered saint. The term 'Avvaiyyar' means ' respected old woman' or 'Grandmother'. Even though her real name is not known, it doesn't make her or her literary works any less popular. The children learning Tamil language make use of one of her poems, which has been written especially for the purpose. As we move further in this article, we will come across the various stages in life history of Avvaiyar. Early Life As per the legends surrounding Avaiyyar Biography, she was born to a Brahman called Bhagavan and his untouchable wife called Adi. Since Bhagavan was on a spiritual journey at the time of her birth, both of them decided to abandon the child. A poet passing from there noticed the abandoned child and took her under his care. Right from childhood, Avvaiyyar showed a deep interest in poetry. At the tender age of four, she was able to complete a complicated verse that even the most distinguished poets of the land could not. Devotion to Ganesha Avvaiyar was extremely devoted to Lord Ganesha since childhood. She always asked Him for three gifts, the gifts of poetry, music and drama. As she grew, her talents also grew to the highest levels. At the same time, she also started getting marriage proposals. Fed up with the proposal and being constantly pressurized to get marries, Avaiyyar asked Lord Ganesha to remove her beauty and turn her into an old woman. The Lord obliged and in acknowledgment of His generosity, she sang a great paean of Praise for Him, regarded as the equivalent of the Vedas. Her Spiritual Journey After this incident, she began her journey as a wanderer. The life gave her the much desires education and inspiration and this social conscience started to reflect in her poetry also. The love Avvaiyar had for the common man, her contempt towards pretensions of the rich, etc, all were beautifully brought forward in her poems. During her lifetime, Avvaiyar also came across Skanda, brother of Ganesha. Her last public service was the prevention of the war between King Adiyaman and King Thondiaman.

Kings valued her wisdom and wanted her to stay in their courts, but she refused to be bogged down. She was always on the move. Her moral uprightness gave her the courage to talk to kings on equal terms and correct them when they were wrong.

Athiaman Neduman Anji, the ruler of Thagadoor (Dharmapuri) was particularly fond of Avvaiyar. Once, he got a rare gooseberry that when consumed would give the eater a long life. Instead of eating it himself, he offered the fruit to Avvaiyar because he felt she would be of greater use to society. (Some attribute this to Avvaiyar’s presence across centuries.)

Once, weary with hunger and thirst, Avvaiyar stood under a jamun tree. Lord Muruga, as a shepherd, sat on its branches. Avvaiyar asked him to shake the tree and give her some fruits. He asked her whether she wanted ‘sutta pazham’ or ‘sudaatha pazham’. The wise old lady did not understand. She asked him to give her ‘sutta pazham’. There was a shower of ripe jamuns. As Avvaiyar picked them, she blew on the fruits to remove the mud. The shepherd laughed and said, “Grandma! Are the fruits so hot that you are blowing on them?” Avvaiyar was stunned. She realised she had become complacent. Here was a boy who taught her the difference between ‘sutta pazham’ and ‘sudaatha pazham’. As she looked up, she saw a smiling Muruga in all his glory.

The ease with which Avvaiyar approaches Lord Ganesha with a tempting offer, is endearing. She says, “I will give you four things (Paalum, theli thenum, paagum, paruppum), “you give me only three things” (Sangaththamizh moondrum). The same Avvaiyar pours out her gratitude in Vinaayagar Agaval using the choicest phrases in Tamil. The 72-line long poem has just two sentences. In the first 15 lines, she calls him ‘Arputham Niraintha Karpagakkalirey’ (the wondrous elephant that sanctions all prayers) after painting a verbal picture of his beautiful form. In the rest, she expresses her gratitude for guiding her with motherly love.

Many of Avvaiyar’s poems are quoted widely in everyday conversation, either fully or in parts. ‘Katrathu Kaimmannalavu, Kallaathathu Ulagalavu’, ‘Nallaar Oruvar Ularel Avar Poruttu Ellaarkkum Peyyum Mazhai’, ‘Kettaalum Menmakkal Menmakkale’… Avvaiyar’s tone is pleasant in Aathi Soodi ( 109 lines) and Kondrai Vendhan ( 91 lines), as she is addressing children. But she turns stern while warning young adults about the dangers of being extravagant — ‘Aaana muthalil athigam selavaanaal….’ . She can’t stand stupidity. Addressing the miserly as ‘Kedu ketta maanidare’ (wretched people) and ‘Paavigaal’ ( sinners), she asks them if they bury all their earnings, who will enjoy them after they are gone.

According to Avvaiyar, there are only two castes — the high and the low. Those who are generous belong to the high caste; those who do not give anything to anyone belong to the low caste. (Ittaar Periyaar, Idaathaar Izhikulathaar).

The Spiritual Journey Ends It is believed that Avvaiyyar did not die a normal death. Instead, she was transported bodily to Kailasha

Mirabai

Mirabai was a well known Hindu mystical poetess, whose writings are praised all over. It is said that, she was a disciple of Shri Guru Ravidas. She is famous for her bhajan compositions. She wrote nearly 1300 prayer songs. Most of her compositions were written in the praise of Lord Krishna. She wrote most of the poems in the Rajasthani dialect of Hindi. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Mirabai. 

Mirabai was born in the year 1498 at Merta in Nagaur District of Rajasthan. When she was just six years old, her mother gave her an image of Krishna, with whom she would talk every day and night. Krishna became an integral part of Meera's life. When Mira turned sixteen, her paternal uncle Viram Deo fixed her marriage with the eldest son of Rana Sanga of Chittor.

As the wife of the ruler of Chittor, she earned status and recognition. Now, she became a part of a royal family blessed with riches. Despite the fact that, she was a married woman, she could not stop thinking about Krishna. Her immense love for Krishna did not let her perform her duties towards her marital relationship. She even refused to offer prayers to the family deity, Durga. 

Mirabai used to intermingle with people of all social classes and castes. Then, she would go around singing and dancing in the public temples. It is due to this reason that, she had to face serious consequences. Her husband died couple of years after their wedding knots were tied. Following her husband's death, she was asked to perform Sati, a custom of self-immolation that is practiced by all Hindu widows. 

Mirabai lost her father in a battle. Even, her father-in-law was severely injured in the battle and expired the next year. In her writings, Meerabai made a mention that her in-laws attempted to kill her twice. However, by God's grace, she was saved. It was getting very tough for Mira to tolerate all these sufferings. At the age of thirty, she decided to leave the palace. She went on a pilgrimage trip to Mathura, Vrindavan and Dwarka.

Mira got so engrossed in worshipping Krishna that she virtually forgot herself. She left behind the treasure of her writings, which were a reflection of her heart. Her poems and other compositions reveal different aspects of her life. The prayer songs that she left are popular amongst the worshippers even today. Mirabai is considered to be a saint as per the tradition of the Bhakti Movement. The Bhakti Movement of the 16th century emphasized on devotion as the means to attain salvation. 

There is an interesting legend associated with the story of Brahmacharini Meerabai. People are of the belief that, it was the unconditional immense love of Mira for Krishna that she vanished in the temple of Krishna in Dwarka. It is said that, the sanctum doors got closed on their own. Later on, when the doors were opened, Mira's sari was found wrapped around the image of Lord Krishna, thus speaking of the union of Mirabai and Krishna.

Karaikkal Ammaiyar

Karaikkal Ammaiyar is one of the three women saints among the 63 Nayanmars, and is considered one of the greatest figures of Tamil literature. She was born in Karaikkal, which was, during the Chola period, a maritime centre. Ammaiyar was a great devotee of Lord Siva, and she is believed to have lived during the sixth Century. Named Punithavathi, , right from childhood she had great faith in Lord Siva and worshipped Him daily. As a young girl, she built a Siva Lingam in sand, stunning people. Her father Dhanadhaththan was a merchant.

As a young girl, she chanted ‘Namashivaya’, the mantra of Lord Shiva (V.A. Chellappa) several times daily and took care of the devotees of Siva coming to her village. Later, she (B. Saraswathi) was married to Paramadaththan (Sarangapani), son of a wealthy merchant from Nagapattinam. Devotees of Lord Siva continued to visit her, whom she fed and gave clothes to.

Once, her husband sent her two mangoes to be kept for him. That day, a hungry Siva devotee came to her residence. As lunch was not yet ready, Punithavathi gave the guest curd rice and one of the mangoes. Later, when the husband came home she served a mango, and he asked for the second. She was at a loss and prayed to Lord Siva. Suddenly, a mango appeared in her hands. She served the mango to her husband who found it extremely delicious, compared to the previous one and asked her how she got the second fruit. Since he was not religious, she was scared of revealing the truth. He began suspecting her and asked her to get another fruit. She gave him a mango that she got by prayer; the fruit disappeared when he touched it. He realised that his wife was no ordinary woman, but a divine person and began to call her ‘Ammaiyar’ (mother). As he could no longer treat her as his wife, he left her and moved to Madurai where he married another woman (Chellam) through whom he had a child.

Punithavathi prayed to Lord Siva to give her a different form, and her wish was granted — she became a fiery form of Kali. She was now fierce looking and people began to pray to her. In answer to a prayer, Siva asked her to visit him on Mount Kailash, walking all the way not on her feet but on her hands. She did it with great devotion, and walking on hands became extremely popular; it is associated with Karaikkal Ammaiyar to this day.

Lord Siva asked her to visit Him in Thiruvalangadu, which she again did travelling on her hands, and sang ‘Thiruvalangaatu Mootha Thirupathigam’.

Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple is a Hindu Tamil temple dedicated to the goddess Punithavathi. It is located on Bharathiar Street, in the center of Karaikal, India. Ammaiyar or Goddess Punithavathi is one of the renowned goddess in Karaikal.

The Mangani Tirunal festival (the festival of the mango fruit) is observed in the Tamil month of Aani on the full moon day.

Andal

Andal is one of the most extraordinary personalities in religious history. She is known in her native tongue of Tamil as an Alvar, one who is "immersed" in the depths of enjoyment of God, the  omnipresent mysterious One. Tradition reckons 12 Alvars, of which Andal is the only female. Between the fifth and ninth centuries, in the Tamil-speaking region of South India, these saints revitalized the Indian religious milieu, sparking a renewal of devotional worship throughout the subcontinent. Traveling from place to place, from temple to temple, from holy site to holy site, they composed exceedingly beautiful poetry to their Divine Beloved, Vishnu, as an expression of their love for Him. Anyone can see why their poetry was so attractive; at once both impassioned and philosophical, their words cut across all barriers of caste and class, attracting all to their faith. In doing so, they sculpted a new religious heritage of intensely emotional bhakti, or love of the Divine, whose impact is still felt today in the Indian religious life. Andal, whose life and poetry are contribution to Hinduism.

Life of Andal
The life of Andal is remarkable in its romantic simplicity. A devout brahmin named Vishnucitta lived in Villiputtur, a town near Madurai. His daily duties included procuring 

Vishnucitta discovering Andal in the tulasi garden in Srivilliputtur.

He collected flowers for the worship of the Lord at the local temple. One morning, as he went about his business, he discovered a baby girl lying under a tulasi plant in his flower garden. Having no family of his own, Vishnucitta felt it was God's grace that gave him this child and named her Godai, or "gift of Mother Earth." Filled with joy, he took her home and raised her as his own.

Godai grew up in an atmosphere of love and devotion. Vishnucitta doted on her in every respect, singing songs to her about his Beloved Krishna, teaching her all the stories and philosophy he knew, and sharing with her his love of Tamil poetry. The love Vishnucitta had for his Beloved Lord intensified further in his daughter, and before long she was passionately in love with Lord Krishna. Even as a child, Godai made up her mind to marry none but the Lord of Brindavana, and refused to think of any human being in similar terms.

She imagined what it would be like to be His bride, playing the role of His beloved, enjoying His presence. Unknown to her father, she adorned herself daily with the flower garland he prepared for the Lord at the temple. After admiring her reflection and thinking of herself as His ideal bride, she would put the garland back for her father to take to the temple and offer to the Lord.

Traditional Painting of Andal

One day, Vishnucitta noticed a strand of Godai's hair on one of the garlands. Shocked and saddened by this desecration of what was meant only for the Lord, he scolded Godai for her misuse of the garland and discarded it. He carefully prepared a new one and offered it to the Lord, begging His pardon all the while.

That night, the Lord appeared to Vishnucitta in his dream and asked him why he discarded Godai's garland instead of offering it to Him. He told Vishnucitta that He missed the scent of Godai's body in the flowers, and that He preferred them that way. Would he please continue to give the garlands once worn by Godai? Overcome with emotion, Vishnucitta awoke and cried tears of both joy and remorse. It dawned on him that his daughter was someone whose love of God was so intense and pure that even he had not comprehended its extent. Her spiritual greatness was such that the Lord Himself wished to share her presence. From this day on, she became known as "Andal", the girl who "ruled" over the Lord.

Andal blossomed into a beautiful young woman as she came of marriageable age. When asked to marry, however, she stubbornly refused, saying that she would only agree to marry Sri Ranganatha, the Lord at the great temple town of Srirangam. Vishnucitta despaired, wondering what was to become of his daughter. One night, Lord Ranganatha appeared in his dream and asked that Andal be sent to Him in all her wedding finery. Simultaneously, the Lord appeared before the priests at Srirangam and asked them to prepare for the coming of Andal. Vishnucitta once again was filled with both joy and sadness; joy that his beloved daughter would attain her goal, but sadness.

The Divine Couple: 
Andal and Rangan in Srivilliputtur at losing her at the same time. He made all the wedding preparations and arranged for Andal's journey in a palanquin to Srirangam.

Andal waited with excited anticipation as the wedding party approached Lord Ranganatha's shrine. As they entered the temple, she jumped out of the palanquin, unable to restrain herself any longer. Running into the temple sanctum, she embraced Lord Ranganatha and disappeared in a blaze of glory, having joined her Lord. She was only fifteen at the time.

Andal is now one of the best loved poet-saints of the Tamils. Pious tradition reckons her to be the veritable descent of Bhumi Devi (Mother Earth) in bodily form to show humanity the way to His lotus feet. She is present in all Sri Vaishnava temples, in India and elsewhere, next to her Lord, as she always desired.

Historicity

The hagiography of Andal as presented above is undoubtedly historically true in most important respects. Today, the tulasi garden in which she was found is preserved in Srivilliputtur. Vishnucitta's house, adjacent to Lord Vishnu's temple, has been converted into a temple in honor of Andal and contains the well in which she admired her reflection while wearing the Lord's garlands.

Most of all, however, Andal is remembered for her poetry, in which she often strikes autobiographical notes about her love for her Lord. She describes herself as a young girl, still not fully mature, pining away for Him. She beseeches her friends, the god of love, and even animals for help in her quest to attain Him. Finally, she describes her good fortune of being the daughter of Vishnucitta, the best of the devout, who lives in Srivilliputtur and adores the Lord. 

Andal's Poetry

Srivilliputtur

Andal Andal composed two works in her short life. Both are in Tamil and are unique in their literary, philosophical, religious, and artistic content. Her contribution is even more remarkable considering that she was a teenage girl when she composed these poems, at a time when there is no other record of Tamil women composing poetry [2]. Far from being the prattlings of a youngster, Andal's verses display a literary and religious maturity far beyond her years.

Her first work is the Tiruppavai, a poem of thirty verses in which Andal imagines herself to be a cowherd girl during the incarnation of Lord Krishna. She yearns to serve Him and achieve happiness not just in this birth, but for all eternity, and describes the religious vow (pavai) that she and her fellow cowgirls will take for this purpose.

The second is the Nacciyar Tirumoli, a poem of 143 verses. Tirumoli, literally meaning "sacred sayings", is a Tamil poetic style in which the work is composed. "Nacciyar" means goddess, so the title means "sacred sayings of our Goddess." This poem fully reveals Andal's intense longing for Vishnu, the Divine Beloved. Utilizing classical Tamil poetic conventions and intermixing stories from the Sanskrit Vedas and Puranas, Andal creates imagery that is quite possibly unparalleled in the whole gamut of Indian religious literature.

The impact of these works on the daily religious life of the South Indian has been tremendous. Just like the Ramayana, people are never tired of listening to the Tiruppavai. The poem itself is recited with great religious fervor by women, men, and children of all ages, particularly in Tamil Nadu. The daily services in most Vaishnava temples and households include its recitation.

Both of these works, particularly the Tiruppavai, have been commented on extensively by innumerable scholars in a number of languages over the centuries. Today, we are fortunate to have many translations of the Tiruppavai in Western languages which make these poems available to an even wider audience.

During the month of Margali (December-January), discourses on the Tiruppavai in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English take place all over India.

Mother Saradhadevi

Endearingly known as ‘Holy Mother’, Sri Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna, was born on 22 December 1853 in a poor Brahmin family in Jayrambati, a village adjoining Kamarpukur in West Bengal. Her father, Ramachandra Mukhopadhyay, was a pious and kind-hearted person, and her mother, Shyama Sundari Devi, was a loving and hard-working woman.

Marriage

As a child Sarada was devoted to God, and spent most of her time helping her mother in various household chores like caring for younger children, looking after cattle and carrying food to her father and others engaged in work in the field. She had no formal schooling, but managed to learn the Bengali alphabet. When she was about six years old, she was married to Sri Ramakrishna, according to the custom prevalent in India in those days. However, after the event, she continued to live with her parents, while Sri Ramakrishna lived a God-intoxicated life at Dakshineshwar.

Visit to Dakshineshwar

At the age of eighteen she walked all the way to Dakshineshwar to meet her husband. Sri Ramakrishna, who had immersed himself in the intense practice of several spiritual disciplines for more than twelve years, had reached the highest state of realization in which he saw God in all beings. He received Sarada Devi with great affection, and allowed her to stay with him. He taught her how to lead a spiritual life while discharging her household duties. They led absolutely pure lives, and Sarada Devi served Sri Ramakrishna as his devoted wife and disciple, while remaining a virgin nun and following the spiritual path.

Life at Dakshineshwar

Sri Ramakrishna looked upon Sarada Devi as a special manifestation of Divine Mother of the universe. In 1872, on the night of the Phala-harini-Kali-puja, he ritualistically worshipped Sarada Devi as the Divine Mother, thereby awakening universal Motherhood latent in her. When disciples began to gather around Sri Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi learned to look upon them as her own children. The room in which she stayed at Dakshineshwar was too small to live in and had hardly any amenities; and on many days she did not get the opportunity of meeting Sri Ramakrishna. But she bore all difficulties silently and lived in contentment and peace, serving the increasing number of devotees who came to see Sri Ramakrishna.

Leading the Sangha after the Master’s Passing

After Sri Ramakrishna’s passing away in 1886, Sarada Devi spent some months in pilgrimage, and then went to Kamarpukur where she lived in great privation. Coming to know of this, the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna brought her to Kolkata. This marked a turning point in her life. She now began to accept spiritual seekers as her disciples, and became the open portal to immortality for hundreds of people. Her great universal mother-heart, endowed with boundless love and compassion, embraced all people without any distinction, including many who had lived sinful lives.

When the Western women disciples of Swami Vivekananda came to Kolkata, the Holy Mother accepted them with open arms as her daughters, ignoring the restrictions of the orthodox society of those days. Although she had grown up in a conservative rural society without any access to modern education, she held progressive views, and whole-heartedly supported Swami Vivekananda in his plans for rejuvenation of India and the uplift of the masses and women. She was closely associated with the school for girls started by Sister Nivedita.

She spent her life partly in Kolkata and partly in her native village Jayrambati. During the early years of her stay in Kolkata, her needs were looked after by Swami Yogananda, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. In later years her needs were looked after by another disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Saradananda, who built a new house for her in Kolkata.

Simplicity and Forbearance

Although she was highly venerated for her spiritual status, and literally worshipped as the Divine Mother, she continued to live like a simple village mother, washing clothes, sweeping the floor, bringing water from the pond, dressing vegetables, cooking and serving food. At Jayrambati she lived with her brothers and their families. They gave her endless troubles but, established as she was in the awareness of God and in Divine Motherhood, she always remained calm and self-possessed, showering love and blessings on all who came into contact with her. As Sister Nivedita stated, “Her life was one long stillness of prayer.”

Mother of All

In the history of humanity there has never been another woman who looked upon herself as the Mother of all beings, including animals and birds, and spent her whole life in serving them as her children, undergoing unending sacrifice and self-denial. About her role in the mission of Sri Ramakrishna on earth, she stated: “My son, you know the Master had a maternal attitude (matri-bhava) towards every one. He has left me behind to manifest that Divine Motherhood in the world.”

Ideal Woman

On account of her immaculate purity, extraordinary forbearance, selfless service, unconditional love, wisdom and spiritual illumination, Swami Vivekananda regarded Sri Sarada Devi as the ideal for women in the modern age. He believed that with the advent of Holy Mother, the spiritual awakening of women in modern times had begun.

Last Days

Under the strain of constant physical work and self-denial and repeated attacks of malaria, her healer deteriorated in the closing years of her life, and she left the mortal world on 21 July 1920.

Some teachings of mother

Sarada Devi did not write any books; her utterances and reminiscences have been recorded by her disciples including Swami Nikhilananda, Swami Tapasyananda.Though uneducated Sarada Devi's spiritual insight and utterances are highly regarded by scholars like Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, who writes, "We have bits and pieces of her exquisite remarks as testimony."

Practise meditation, and by and by your mind will be so calm and fixed that you will find it hard to keep away from meditation.

The mind is everything. It is in the mind alone that one feels pure and impure. A man, first of all, must make his own mind guilty and then alone can he see another man's guilt.

"I tell you one thing. If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own.

One must have devotion towards one's own guru. Whatever may be the nature of the guru, the disciple gets salvation by dint of his unflinching devotion towards his guru.