Shree Lalita Mauli

Life & Teachings of Shree Lalita Mauli

Part I

Called by Grace — The Awakening of Lalitadevi

The Enigma

In the year 1926, Lalitadevi gave birth to a daughter who was lovingly named Pravati. Motherhood brought joy, yet destiny simultaneously drew her into a period of deep inward turning. The family was then living in a large bungalow situated nearly two miles away from the nearest village. The surroundings were quiet, almost secluded. There were no neighboring households where she could casually interact, share thoughts, or seek companionship.

Her husband left each day for work, while the children were still very young. The long hours of solitude gradually transformed into a silent tapasya. Deprived of social engagement, Lalitadevi turned increasingly toward the inner world. A few sacred scriptures and the lives of saints became her companions. What appeared outwardly as isolation was, in truth, the Divine preparing her for deeper awakening.

During this period, Lalitadevi was suddenly afflicted with a severe stomach ailment that caused intense and persistent pain. Physical suffering became the catalyst for profound contemplation. The illness did not merely trouble the body — it awakened a relentless inquiry into the nature of existence itself.

Her mind began to dwell upon fundamental truths:

  • The human body is inevitably subject to disease and decay.
  • The body, though cherished, is transient — a temporary dwelling.
  • Life appears like a ceaseless movement between joy and sorrow, raising and casting down the jiva like waves upon the ocean.

She observed that when a person is placed under anaesthesia, pain disappears from awareness. This stirred a deep question within her: Where does consciousness go in such a state? What then is the role of the soul?

The reflections intensified.

Is life merely a drama where pleasure and suffering alternate endlessly?
Who truly directs the movements of the jiva — is man independent, or is there an unseen guiding force?
What is destiny? What is Prarabdha Karma that binds one to experiences beyond personal control?

These questions did not arise from intellectual curiosity alone. They were born from lived experience — from loss, suffering, devotion, and an awakening spiritual sensitivity. The solitude of that distant bungalow became a sacred chamber of introspection where Lalitadevi confronted the eternal mystery of life.

Thus began a phase where inquiry deepened into contemplation, and contemplation quietly prepared her for revelation. What seemed like illness and loneliness was, in reality, the Divine Guru shaping her understanding — leading her from questioning the world to seeking the Truth behind it.

Life itself stood before her as an Enigma, awaiting illumination through Grace.

The Illusion

In the year 1928, Lalitadevi gave birth to her third child, a son who was named Ramanand. Motherhood expanded her responsibilities, yet her physical health continued to remain fragile. Persistent illness weakened the body, but inwardly she was being sustained by an unseen grace. Even amidst bodily suffering, her spiritual awareness deepened steadily.

One evening, when her husband had gone out, Lalitadevi was resting inside her room while her sister-in-law sat on the veranda caring for the infant. As the sister-in-law returned toward the room in the dim light of dusk, she suddenly screamed in terror, “There is a snake here!”

Panic spread instantly. In fear, everyone rushed out of the house, believing a large cobra had entered the room. In the confusion and alarm, Lalitadevi — weak and unable to move quickly — was left alone inside.

Lying quietly on her bed, she did not succumb to fear. Instead, she began chanting the sacred name of her Sadguru, Bhagavan Nityananda. The remembrance of the Guru filled her with calmness and protection. Fear dissolved into surrender. To her, the Guru’s presence was more real than the imagined danger.

After some time, neighbors gathered courage and entered the room with a torchlight to locate the snake. To everyone’s astonishment, the feared cobra turned out to be nothing more than a broken tennis racket lying on the floor. In darkness, its shape had created the illusion of a serpent.

The incident left a profound impression upon Lalitadevi’s contemplative mind.

In darkness — the darkness of ignorance — reality cannot be perceived as it truly is. The unseen rope appears as a snake, and fear is born. The moment light arises, illusion disappears without struggle. The snake never existed; only a misunderstanding existed.

She reflected deeply:

  • Darkness is ignorance (Avidya)

  • Light is awareness (Jnana)

  • Fear is born of misperception

Just as the false snake vanished with light, so too the world, when seen through ignorance, appears filled with anxiety, attachment, and suffering. When knowledge dawns, the true nature — Nijaswaroopa, the Self — alone remains.

From this moment onward, Lalitadevi began to interpret every incident of life as spiritual instruction. Nothing was accidental; every experience became a scripture revealed through living.

Yet her physical suffering continued. The severe stomach ailment persisted despite treatment. Exhausted by pain and seeking relief, she decided to write to Shree Siddharudh Swami, praying for guidance and intervention. She composed a heartfelt letter and asked a domestic helper to bring a postal envelope. Placing the letter inside her book of Sant Tukaram’s Abhangas, she waited.

The helper forgot to bring the envelope, and in the flow of daily events, Lalitadevi herself forgot about the letter.

The following day, the devout lady Ambabai Manel came to visit. Lalitadevi narrated her suffering and her attempt to write to Siddharudh Swami. Listening quietly, Ambabai said, “Open the page where you kept your letter.”

Lalitadevi opened the book, and her eyes fell upon the very Abhanga printed on that page, composed by Sant Tukaram:

Pralabdha jode dhan, Pralabdha vade maan,
Sos karitosi vaya, bhaja mana Pandariraya.
Pralabdhachi pave sukh, Pralabdha pave dukh,
Sos karitosi vaya, bhaja mana Pandariraya.

(Wealth comes by destiny, honor comes by destiny;
Why suffer in vain? O mind, worship Panduranga.
Joy comes by destiny, sorrow too by destiny;
Why struggle fruitlessly? O mind, remember the Lord.)

Ambabai gently told her,
“My child, this itself is the reply from Siddharudh Swami. Your answer has already reached you. That is why the envelope never came.”

Lalitadevi understood.

The Guru’s grace does not always travel through letters or spoken words. Sometimes the answer is already present — waiting only for inner readiness to recognise it.

She accepted that Prarabdha must unfold, and resistance only increases suffering. Surrender transforms pain into understanding.

Thus, through illness, illusion, and revelation, Lalitadevi’s vision matured. Life was no longer merely a sequence of events; it had become a living dialogue between the soul and the Divine.

Lalitadevi is Hospitalized

The year 1930 brought yet another testing phase in Lalitadevi’s life. Her health, already fragile for several years, deteriorated sharply. Severe abdominal pain began to afflict her, leaving her physically exhausted. For one whose inner life had increasingly turned toward prayer and contemplation, the persistent illness felt especially burdensome, for it reduced the time she could devote to her spiritual practices. Yet, even amidst intense suffering, her inner connection with Shree Krishna remained unbroken. The body weakened, but devotion only deepened.

During this period, Lalitadevi received a strong inner intuition that she should seek treatment in Madras. Obeying this inward guidance, arrangements were made for her admission to a hospital at Egmore, Madras.

When she arrived, her condition was critical. She was extremely weak, and the doctors repeatedly postponed surgery, fearing that her body might not withstand the procedure. Days passed in uncertainty. Lalitadevi often slipped into states of semi-consciousness, and during these periods she experienced profound inner visions and divine impressions—experiences that strengthened her faith even as the body struggled.

Finally, on the sacred day of Gokulashtami, the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, the doctors decided to proceed with the operation. To those who knew her devotion, the timing appeared deeply symbolic—as though the Lord whose name she ceaselessly chanted had Himself chosen the moment.

The surgery was completed, yet Lalitadevi did not regain consciousness for nearly thirty hours. Doctors, relatives, and attendants waited anxiously, uncertain whether she would recover. Slowly, after prolonged suspense, she opened her eyes. Relief and joy spread among all present; her survival itself appeared nothing short of grace.

She was advised to remain in the hospital at Egmore for further recovery. However, three weeks after the operation, a shocking discovery was made. Due to surgical negligence, a needle had been inadvertently left inside her body during the procedure. A second operation became unavoidable.

A young European surgeon, Colonel Hingston, took charge of her case. After arranging an X-ray examination, he prepared for another surgery. The second operation left Lalitadevi even more frail and physically depleted. Yet her inner state remained untouched by suffering. Throughout her pain and weakness, she continued to chant softly, “Krishna… Krishna…”

The surgeon, unfamiliar with Indian devotional traditions, could not understand the sacred name she repeated. To his ears, the sound resembled “Kitten… Kitten.” Yet something in her presence deeply moved him. He observed her remarkable courage, serenity, and the gentle smile that never left her face despite intense suffering.

One day he remarked with astonishment:

“The bed on which she lies is considered inauspicious. Three ladies who occupied it earlier had passed away. Lalitadevi is the only one who has survived. She has brought auspiciousness to this bed.”

What the surgeon witnessed medically, devotees understood spiritually. Lalitadevi’s life had begun to radiate a quiet spiritual force. Even in illness, her presence transformed the atmosphere around her. Pain did not diminish her; rather, it revealed an emerging state of surrender where devotion transcended bodily limitation.

Thus, the hospital became not merely a place of treatment, but another stage in her inner transformation—where suffering refined faith and divine remembrance became her constant refuge.

Recovery and Divine Resolve

Lalitadevi remained hospitalised in Madras from September to December 1930. What had begun as a period of intense physical suffering gradually transformed into an unexpected phase of spiritual service.

Despite her weakened condition, an extraordinary change became evident. Patients, attendants, and even visitors began to feel drawn toward her. Her calm presence, radiant composure, and unwavering remembrance of the Divine created an atmosphere of peace around her bed. Conversations that began casually soon turned into discussions on life, suffering, faith, and God.

People from different backgrounds—Hindus, Christians, and Muslims alike—approached her with their doubts and personal struggles. Lalitadevi responded to each according to their own faith and temperament. Without any sense of superiority or preaching, she spoke with natural authority born from inner experience rather than scholarship. Her words brought courage to the fearful, acceptance to the suffering, and hope to those who had lost direction.

Thus, even within the walls of a hospital, Lalitadevi unknowingly began her role as a spiritual guide.

During this period, she experienced profound inner revelations. In deep states of inward absorption, she received what she later understood as direct guidance from Shree Mahavishnu regarding the spiritual discipline she was to follow. The message was clear: the remainder of her life was to be dedicated entirely to the service of God and humanity. Illness had not come merely as suffering—it had prepared her for a higher calling.

After her discharge, Lalitadevi travelled to Mangalore. Though the surgery had been successful, lingering pain and weakness continued for some time. The body required recovery, but her spirit had already awakened to a new determination.

One day, inspired by unwavering faith, she made a decisive resolve. Setting aside all fear regarding her fragile health, she chose to live with complete discipline and surrender.

She began rising before dawn, taking cold-water baths, and engaging rigorously in yoga, prayer, and meditation. Sitting for long hours in contemplation, she practiced concentration at the Ājñā Chakra, bringing her awareness between the eyebrows as instructed inwardly. Her days became structured around sadhana—silence, japa, meditation, and remembrance of the Divine.

What medicine alone could not accomplish, spiritual discipline achieved. Gradually, strength returned to her body. The pain diminished, vitality re-emerged, and Lalitadevi experienced a remarkable recovery.

Soon thereafter, she returned to her home in Udupi, not merely as a recovering patient, but as one inwardly transformed. The trials of illness had refined her faith, strengthened her resolve, and prepared her for the next unfolding chapter of her spiritual destiny.

Days of Joy and Grace

The last time Shree Lalitadevi had the physical darshan of Bhagavan Nityananda was in 1924. Thereafter, for many years, there was no outward sign of Him. Yet His unseen presence never left her life.

An intense longing to meet her Sadguru again remained alive in her heart. However, circumstances did not permit her to freely visit saints and ascetics. Her husband, though a devout and righteous man belonging to the Chitrapur Guru tradition, did not encourage association with wandering monks or spiritual mendicants. Out of respect for his sentiments, Lalitadevi silently accepted this limitation and turned inward.

What external life denied her, inner life abundantly granted.

Remaining at home, she immersed herself in the worship of Shree Krishna. In her heart there existed no difference between Shree Krishna and Bhagavan Nityananda. To her, they were one indivisible Reality—Guru and God expressing through different forms.

Hours passed each day before the small image of Balkrishna installed in her shrine. Prayer, japa, meditation, and devotional singing became the natural rhythm of her life.

During this period, she came under the devotional influence of the great Krishna-bhakta Shree Ramvallabhdas, whose deeply moving bhajans glorifying Shree Krishna were widely sung. Every year, he celebrated Shree Krishna Jayanti with great devotion over ten sacred days. Lalitadevi learned and sang his compositions with intense feeling. As she sang, tears streamed endlessly from her eyes. The boundary between singer and the Lord dissolved; devotion transformed into living experience.

The Gokulashtami of 1931

In 1931, Lalitadevi resolved to celebrate Gokulashtami—the divine birth of Lord Krishna—with special devotion.

Preparations were completed with great enthusiasm. But just as the festival approached, she suddenly fell seriously ill. Weakness overtook her to such an extent that she could barely rise from her bed. Neighbours gathered and sang bhajans, yet the celebration did not unfold as she had lovingly envisioned.

Deeply disappointed, she turned inward and spoke to Shree Krishna with childlike frankness:

“If You do not wish to accept my worship, then I shall stop celebrating this festival altogether.”

Such was her intimate relationship with the Lord—free of formality, filled with surrender and honesty.

But Divine Will had already taken another course.

The Lord Accepts His Worship

That same year, during the temple celebrations of Gokulashtami, each day’s worship traditionally required sponsorship from devotees. Unexpectedly, two important days—Saptami and Navami—remained without sponsors.

The organizer, Shri Ganpati Philar, expressed his concern to Lalitadevi’s husband, Shri Devrai. Without prior discussion, Devrai spontaneously declared:

“Do not worry. One day will be sponsored by my relative Shankarao, and the other by me.”

Thus, by an unseen hand, Lalitadevi—who had resolved to discontinue the festival—was now directly connected to one of its most significant days.

When informed that the Navami celebration involved substantial expense—musicians, lighting, distribution of sweets until Dashami—Ganpati suggested that Devrai confirm with his wife.

Despite her illness, Lalitadevi firmly said:

“Now that the commitment has been made, it must not be withdrawn. This is Shree Krishna’s will. Money does not matter. The pooja must be performed.”

Her personal disappointment dissolved into surrender. From that year onward, she resolved never again to abandon Shree Krishna Jayanti celebrations.

What she thought she was offering to God was, in truth, God drawing devotion out of her heart.

The Miracle of Flowers – 1932

The following year, 1932, brought a profound confirmation of divine grace.

It was decided that the celebration would include an “All-Flowers Pooja”, requiring enormous quantities of fresh flowers. But an unexpected shortage struck the entire region. Temples across Udupi and neighbouring villages competed for limited supply; prices soared, and flowers became nearly impossible to obtain.

Lalitadevi searched tirelessly throughout the day. Every attempt failed. By evening, around five-thirty, hope seemed lost.

Exhausted, she sat before her family altar and prayed silently to Shree Krishna.

Temple attendants soon arrived to escort the Navami sponsors to the celebration. Anxiety grew—how could the pooja proceed without flowers?

At that very moment, a young boy appeared at her doorstep carrying a large basket overflowing with flowers of many varieties.

Surprised, Lalitadevi asked,
“Why did you not sell these elsewhere? What is the price?”

The boy replied simply,
“I do not know. I felt like bringing them here. Give whatever you wish.”

The market value of the flowers exceeded fifteen rupees, yet when pressed, the boy asked for only Rs. 5.50.

She found five rupees with her husband but worried about the remaining fifty paise. Instinctively, her gaze turned toward the feet of Shree Krishna’s idol. Beneath the pedestal lay a small box containing fifty-two paise.

With gratitude she paid the boy and received the basket—enough flowers to fulfil her sacred commitment.

As she began arranging them, the boy returned once more.

“I am leaving the remaining jasmine flowers for you,” he said gently,
“so that you may decorate Krishna’s cradle.”

Before she could respond, he disappeared.

To Lalitadevi, it was unmistakable:
the Lord Himself had arranged His own worship.

Grace Revealed

Through these incidents, Lalitadevi understood a deeper truth:

When devotion becomes pure, the devotee no longer performs worship—God performs His worship through the devotee.

These were truly days of joy and grace. Outwardly she lived the simple life of a householder; inwardly she was being moulded by invisible hands. The longing for her Sadguru, the worship of Shree Krishna, the trials of illness, and the miraculous assurances of divine presence were all preparing her for the next unfolding of her spiritual destiny.

The seed planted by Bhagavan Nithyananda was steadily flowering.

 

Note:

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Credit unknown. Will acknowledge/remove if required.”