Why did not the mother of Shankara act as a devotee of God and allow Him to do God's work?

Smt. Sudharani asked:- When we take the case of Shankara’s mother, she opposed Shankara to become saint and requested Him to marry and become an ordinary house holder. Why did not she act as a devotee of God and allowed Shankara to do the God’s work?]

Swami Replied:- Aaryaambaa, the mother of Shankara has become devotee of God in this birth since there is direct proof of her as a devotee in this birth. In the previous births, we don’t have a direct proof that she was a devotee. Even we don’t have the direct proof for her human birth in her past several births. Even if she was not a human being in the previous births and even if she had births of animals and birds, she had definitely the experience of a mother. This means that we are not sure that she was a devotee in her previous births, but, she was definitely a mother either as human being or as animal or bird. This means that she was certainly a mother all along her previous births and that there is no guarantee that she was a devotee in any birth. Hence, the influence of the mother was certain on her soul and the influence of a devotee on her soul is not certain. We are certain of her devotion in this birth only. Therefore, the influence of a mother on her is very deep than the influence of a devotee on her. Hence, nobody need to advise her to act as mother. She will act as mother naturally and spontaneously due to continuous influence from her previous births. Anybody has to advise her to act as a devotee only. Shankara wants to leave pravrutti and rise to the pure nivrutti and He is not trying to fall to lower dushpravrutti. He is refusing the marriage to do God’s work in nivrutti and is not refusing the marriage to go to prostitutes in dushpravrutti. If one is falling down, any advisor must resist him. If one is rising to higher levels none should discourage him to get a sin finally.

If the advisor is a Sadguru, the Sadguru will certainly advise anybody through spiritual knowledge only whether such knowledge is harsh or sweet. If the advisor is a worldly person, such advisor will give sweet advice only, which alone is liked by anybody. Sadguru doesn’t need any favor from anybody and advises anybody only in correct path. Reaching God is the ultimate goal of the human life and obstructing this path is certainly the greatest sin. In this case only, any advisor (be parents) must advise in the true path of spiritual knowledge only. In order to convince His mother, Shankara played a trick and cheated His mother by creating a false crocodile while taking bath. But such cheating is not a sin because such cheating of worldly bonds is done for the sake of the ultimate goal of life called God.

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