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Miracles of Sudhamani
Narendra Nayak
Secretary,
D. K. Rationalist Association
FOR THE
UNFAMILIAR, Sudhamani is the name of the multi crore-empire proprietrix who
goes by the name Mata Amritanandamayi. Her story is a typical rugs to richer
one and a fairy tale of one who made good despite all the odds. It is also
an insight into how through a combination of rustic charm, “spirituality”
and a shrewd business sense can make one rich in this country beyond ones
imagination.
Today, her business draws donations from all over the world and to some of
the largest single foreign exchange earners of Kerala are her trusts. In her
name we have various professional colleges, schools, technical institutions
whose earnings must be astronomical. Though ostensibly these are charitable
education like all the other good things of life does not come free. Her
medical colleges charge a good 2.75 lakhs per student as annual fees; other
institutions too collect fees depending on the market forces of demand and
supply. The schools running in her name are also collecting hefty donations.
One should say definitely not bad for a villager who knows only one language
and is barely literate.
Born in a fisherman’s family about half a century back, Sudhamani is the
third child of Sugunanandan and Damayanthi. All together thirteen children
were born to this couple of whom four died at birth and one before 2 months
of age. Going by the hagiographical account of her life entitled Mata
Amritanandamayi- her birth itself was a miraculous event. The mother did not
feel any pain or discomfort and the newborn had a beaming smile on her face.
The baby had a dark blue complexion, lay in padmasan and her fingure were
held in chinmudra (all acclaiming her saintly deportation). Her genius
became manifest at a very tender age. She started speaking at the age of 6
months and by the age of two, purportedly without any instructions from any
human agency started singing prayers and short songs in praise of Sri
Krishna.
Her childhood was spent with siblings and at school. Again at school she was
ahead of her class getting the Ist rank and scoring full marks in all the
subjects despite that she was often absent from school because of her
household responsibilities. At a young age she used to go into trances and
manifest “possession”. She used to spend long hours in meditation. Naturally
she had to leave school and home too. After sometime she started staying
astride the house and a small hut was built which finally became her ashram.
Not that she had no enemies. Her enemies tried to kill her by various means
starting from black magic to attempting to stab her directly. Every time her
divine power got over the evil and nothing happened to her. The main
villains here were the rationalists.
In every possible way, the rationalists movement tried to get at her. She
was given deadly poison laced milk, which she consumed knowingly and then
vomited out. One rationalist tried to stab her, she gestured and he
collapsed. He was hospirtalised and could not be saved despite the best of
medical care! The opposition by the villainous rationalist movement
continues even now. Anyway more about it later.
Coming to the miracules of Sudhamani, there are three very notable ones. The
first is lighting lamps without oil. It was not the rationalist movement
that was her enemy then. Her chief detractor was at home. It was her
brother. He tried his best to spoil her worship. One day he broke the oil
lamp that used to be lit in the temple when she used go into Krishna Bhava (
for the ignorant, Krishna Bhava is when she used to act like Sri Krishna
after going into a state of trance. The devotees who came for darshan were
very disappointed as seeing the lamp broken. So they were told to bring sea
shells, place wicks in them and light them. Lo, the miracle happened. The
wicks lit and burnt throughout the night. Such was the power of the great
miraculous woman.
The second miracle was that of Dattan, a leper. At a very young age he
contracted the disease and was an outcast. People spat on him because of his
ugly looks and foul smelling wounds. He went to visit the ‘mother’ during
her Bhave Darshan day, she invited him in licked his wounds, sucked out the
pus, blood and applied sacred ash all over his body. Dattan was transformed.
All his wounds healed, his eyes opened, there is no more blood and pus
oozing. And a new medicine for leprosy had been discovered. Apply the
spittle of the “divine mother” and it shall heal.
Yet another miracle of note has to do with the multiplication of food. As
usual, her ashram was overcrowded with devotees. There wasn’t enough
prasadam. The “divine mother” applied her miraculous power and the food
multiplied. It was more than enough to go around.
With miracles like this, there should not be dearth of gullible devotees. In
September 2003 when her birthday was celebrated, the Deputy Prime Minister,
the President of India all rushed to greet her. Besides, thousands of
devotees have come to the celebrations from all over the world. The rational
(!), hardheaded Chief Minister of Kerala is her devotee. In Karnataka, she
is going to be a state guest.
Well it is the good fortune of the people of Mangalore that this great
divine personality is coming over here. A local committees has been set up
with very prominent people at the helm of affairs, many of them being
doctors.
Shall we have the opportunity of witnessing the miracles of this lady when
she visits Mangalore? Shall we have one or more of the following?
1. Light lamps around Mangala Stadium with seashells with wicks in them,
which will burn with her power?
2. Will she be kind enough to go to the leprosy wards of two important
hospitals in Mangalore to heal the patients?
3. Will she be kind enough to perform a miracle of multiplying food so
that we shall not have anymore-hungry people in our city?
From what I foresee, nothing of the sort shall happen. One more villain will
be added to the group of rationalists who tried to displease her.
Prof Nayak is the Assistant Professor
of Biochemistry at the Centre for Basic Sciences, Kasturba Medical College,
Mangalore. He is known for his contribution in the field of rationalism.
Since 1976 he has been the Secretary of the Dakshina Kannada Rationalist
Association. He is also the Joint Convenor of the Federation of Indian
Rationalist Organizations, which is an apex body committed to the
development of scientific temper and humanism in the country.
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