Sarada Devi: Holiness, Charisma and Iconic Motherhood (P.B)

This is a short and accessible biography of Sarada Devi (1853–1920), the widow of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and a cultic leader in her own right. It is the work of a historian of modern Bengal and meant to serve as a corrective to the hagiographic slant that has hitherto permeated writings on the subject. This book is about understanding the religious charisma associated with an unschooled but dynamic woman who possessed ample courage, common sense, and conviction, deftly combining in her person the roles of a social counsellor, a spiritual preceptor, and a popular cultic leader. Although an orthodox Brahmin widow, Sarada Devi reveals an extraordinary openness and liberality in her everyday relationships, not hesitating to share food with her Western disciples or socialise with men and women from marginalised castes and classes. Although never a mother herself, she played a tender, motherly role towards many, which eventually contributed to ascriptions of Divine Motherhood in her person. She was also a feminist who encouraged women to be free and self-reliant. Sarada Devi has been the inspiration behind the Sarada Math and Mission, which, quite uniquely, combines the world of feminine spirituality with active social work for Indian women. This work is a study of the social and historical processes that made this possible.