JAI MAI JAI MARKAND MAI जय माई जय मार्कण्ड माई
The image or picture of Maai माई is the well-known one, known as Aadi Lakshmi आदिलक्ष्मी . This is the picture which was selected by Universal Divine Mother Maai माई and suggested to Mai Swarupa माईस्वरूप on the night of the Mother’s installation on 2 September 1932, as described in Mai-ism when Mai Markand agreed to install MOTHER MAAI माई , on certain most difficult conditions being fulfilled. This Aadi Lakshmi picture was the first and the top most and in a separate packet from other photos. Strangely enough the picture, as if had been designed for Maai-worship has no war-weapons, and main most qualification of no Mahishasur महिषासुर , no garland of skulls, no tiger, no lion, not even the elephant, nor a peacock etc. All these associations would be a great barrier to the permanent fixity of the Universal conception. This should be entirely dis-associated with an importance and assertion of the Mythology and Maai identification with Shakti शक्ती (Power) battlefield Daily-Demon-fight, and War Victory etc. The Universal Mother-hood conception for which Mai-ism stands should remain wholly unadulterated. It is the most suited picture for the Maai माई conception of God as Mother. Four holdings in hands are as under. Lower left hand has a lotus which represents Love, lower right hand is the boon hand, which so very spontaneously suggests Service. The upper right hand carries the elephant goad which represents perfectly controlled Devotion and the upper left hand holds the flag or banner, which represents unconditional cheerful Self -surrender. Thus the four holdings represent the four tenets of Maai-ism, viz., LOVE, SERVICE, DEVOTION and SURRENDER, Prema प्रेम, Seva सेवा , Bhakti भक्ती & Sharanagati शरणागती. There is another speciality, viz., that Maai has a halo which is representative of the highest Divinity and final-most-ness. The whole picture showing Mother standing on the basic lotus in midst of the infinite ocean is an indication of the Mother being the Final-most Supreme Almighty or the Mother. Thus the whole picture creates in the heart of the meditating devotee, the conception of the UNIVERSAL MOTHER, who is FINAL-MOST ORIGIN and who is propitiated on living a life based on the said four tenets, with two backgrounds of Faith viz., GOD as MOTHER and MOTHER OF ALL. The basic lotus has seven petals prominently seen in front including one full in the center, and three partly seen on each side of the central one. In the immediately rear we find two petals, one on the each side of the central petal. These two petals represent the two Lotus Feet of Maai. Meditation of Lotus Feet means, imagining that powerful Divine rays are oozing out from the nails of MOTHER’S Lotus Feet represented by the two lotus petals and entering the heart of the devotee and dispelling all TAMAS तमस, darkness, inertia and ignorance, there-in. A little above the two petals we find the horizontal garment, golden border and that represents the ankles. The invisibility of the ankles and Lotus Feet has to convey the idea and the highest estimation about the almost impossibility of the attainment of PARA BHAKTI परा भक्ती (ankles) and MUKTI मुक्ती the emancipation. The popular notion viz., that devotion is the easiest of all paths to reach Almighty, it should not be forgotten, is with reference to GUANA BHAKTI गौण भक्ती or primary devotion and not Para Bhakti प्रेम भक्ती or perfected devotion, which is attained after perfect attainment of Gyana ज्ञान the Divine Knowledge. It is so very difficult to have the attainment of the Lotus Feet, much more than the face, the eyes, the crown ( Grace, Divine Vision, Supernatural Powers ) etc. In Maai meditations, the higher order of spiritual attainment is from face to feet, and not from feet to face. The final resting place for the soul is in the LOTUS FEET and the BASIC LOTUS. Mai’s lower right hand, the boon hand is ever raised to grant boons most mercifully to the devotees. The BASIC LOTUS with innumerable petals is suggestive of the surroundingness of all the surrendered devotees around Mother’s Lotus Feet, with the perfected living of universal Love and Service , with Devotion and Self-surrender. The ocean represents Infinity of space and perpetuity of time , in the midst of which Mother Maai has been standing.
EXTRACT FROM THE BOOKLET : MOTHER’S MEDITATION with its basis MOTHER’S SELECT FIVE HUNDRED NAMES, Published by UNIVERSAL MAI-ISM TRUST, Mai Niwas, Saraswati Road End, Santa Cruz (West), MUMBAI 400054, INDIA.
Maiism 