Shree Maa the Guru and the Goddess

by Satyananda Saraswati (Tr.) and Vittalananda Saraswati (Tr.)

She is the Guru. She is the Goddess. She is the inspiration for thousands of spiritual aspirants in many parts of the world.

Now here in one book are collected some of the most important teachings of that being known by devotees in many countries as Shree Maa, the Respected Holy Mother. She comes from the lineage of Ramakrsna. Her meditation is so still, her love is so pure, her giving is so profound that her presence makes an impact upon all who visit her. Her Philosophy exudes the clarity of universality. She summarizes her thoughts with artistic sculpturing. But more important than the eloquence of her speech is the example of her conduct. Shree Maa is such an individual. Her every action reflects the abandonment of selfishness.

The Guru and the Goddess includes three important works for study and sadhana. The first is a translation and commentary of the Kasyapa Sutras, which appeals to both jnanis and bhaktas alike. Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda give a complete description of how these principles apply in our lives. Every now and then Shree Maa breaks into song, Swamiji translates and tells teaching stories from the sadhus of India, and the Satsangas combine the teaching of Samskrt grammar, with the music and joy of a personal relationship with the teacher.

The second section is a Samskrt text and translation of the Guru Gita. Through devotion to the Guru we gain inspiration to make changes in our values, and therefore, our goals change. As the goals evolve, we find new paths by which to reach them. When we look around, we are new people, pursuing new destinations, with new associations, reflecting new ideals. This is the process of the Guru Gita.

The third section is a Samskrt text and translation of the Lalita Trisati Stotram, a definition of Sri Vidya, an explanation of the Sri Cakra Yantra, and exposition of three hundred names of the Divine Mother, indicative of three hundred divine attributes which seekers can strive to emulate.

These three teachings combine to make intellectual understanding a foundation upon which to erect our devotional practices. The practices move the aspirant from the intellectual contemplation of the whys and hows of creating a discipline, to the practical applications of actually sitting for recitation of the Samskrt texts, how to sit, how to breathe, how to become one with the Guru, one with the Goddess.

About the Author:

Swami Satyananda spent fifteen years walking across the length and breadth of the Himalayas of India, studying Sanskrit, Hindi and Bengali, and learning the systems of worship wherever he went. He knows the mountain pathways as well as he understands Sanskrt roots, and he makes the verses of his translations come alive with experience and practial applications.