Shree Sundara Laxmi Rajmata

The Woman behind the Prizes

Shree Sundara Laxmi Rajmata was, during her life and beyond, known for Love of all beings and the inner beauty that is the essence of literature and poetry.

Shree Sundara Laxmi Rajmata was born in Uti on 6th Sept 1934 to the pious couple Gopikabai and Sitaram Gawande.

They were both Lord Rama's devotees and organised yearly readings of Ramayana in their house. Being ardent devotees, they named their children after Lord Rama and the holy scriptures. The daughters were named Saru, Geeta, Sundara and the sons Atmaram and Tukaram.

Dr Atmaram started a college on their mothers name; Gopikabai Sitaram Gawande College in Umerkhed (www.gsgcollege.edu.in).

He is the father of the well known surgeon and writer Dr Atul Gawande (www.atulgawande.com )

Sundara, their third daughter, was named Sundara after the Sundara-khanda in Ramayana. Sundara means beautiful.

सुन्दरे सुन्दरो रामः सुन्दरे सुन्दरी कथा

सुन्दरे सुन्दरी सीता सुन्दरे सुन्दरं वनम्।

सुन्दरे सुन्दरं काव्यं सुन्दरे सुन्दरः माता

सुन्दरे सुन्दरं मन्त्रं सुन्दरे किं न सुन्दरम्॥

Sundare Sundaro Ramah Sundare Sundari Katha

Sundare Sundari Sita Sundare Sundaram Vanam,

Sundare Sundaram Kavyam Sundare Sundarah Mata

Sundare Sundaram Mantram Sundare kim na Sundaram.

Beautiful is Rama, Beautiful is the story

Beautiful is the Sita, Beautiful is the forest,

Beautiful is the poem, Beautiful is the Mother

Beautiful is the Mantra, What is not beautiful in it?

As a child, Sundara recited Ramayana and learned the virtues of Lord Rama and Sita and drew power from it to face every situation courageously. That same power she bestowed upon all in her surroundings and in her children. She developed broad cultural and literary interests as reading was her passion. During her early youth, she developed this literary interest which lasted throughout her life. She knew all the Vedic scriptures, the epic poems Mahabaratha and Ramayana by heart as well as the 36 Puranas and thousands and thousands of verses.

Leaning her forehead lightly against the books, she recited the verses in the evenings in a voice resonant with devotion and love.

She also sang selfcomposed verses, radiating the enthusiasm and inner beauty of grace and she lived in the beauty of Ramayana.

Sundara Laxmi Rajmata understood the power of word, the Matrika shakti. She often quoted Saint Tukaram बोले तैसा चाले । त्याची वंदीन पाउले ॥" I bow down to the one who walks the talk. Shree Sundara Laxmi Rajmata walked the talk. She was a storehouse of joyful, funny and encouraging stories. She had a story for every situation. Her power of remembrance was sharp. She was filled with stories.

Sundara married Anandrao Sonbaji Thakare of Mukindpur. In Mukindpur, she met with severe emotional and physical adversities. She was mother to 12 children, two sons and 10 daughters. Her two sons and her youngest daughter died at a young age. She became the sea and embraced compassion, forgiveness and courage, fullheartedly, her noble character shining with even greater splendor. She forgave, understanding, and saying,

क्षमा ही ज्ञान. क्षमा ही दान्.

क्षमा ही तप्. क्षमा ही यज्ञ.

क्षमा ही कर्म. क्षमा ही धर्म. क्षमा ही मुक्ति.

Forgiveness is the Knowledge. Forgiveness is the Charity, Giving.

Forgiveness is the penance. Forgiveness is the offering, sacrifice.

Forgiveness is the Karma. Forgiveness is the religion. Forgiveness is the salvation.

हिम्मत सोडू नको Never Loose Courage became her संकल्प. She lived by and told the following story to her children and to all who came to seek her guidance.

“एकदा एक राजा सर्व धन-दौलत, राज्य, दान करतो.

घर सोडायच्या वेळी दारात लक्ष्मी उभी राहते व विचारते. ‘तू सर्व काही दान केलेस, पण हिम्मत दान नाही केलीस?’.

यावर राजा ऊत्तर देतो, ‘नाही, मी हिम्मत दान करणार नाही’.

राजा हिम्मत दान करत नाही, म्हणून त्याला त्याची सर्व धन-दौलत, राज्य, परत मीळते.”

Shree Sundara Laxmi Rajmata always shared the following story.

Once upon a time, there was a king. He gave away all his wealth, his kingdom, his palace, his jewels, his horses, his cows, his elephants, his peacocks, tigers and deer and all the things he had acquired in his life. When he was about to leave his palace and was at the gate, the Goddess Laxmi appeared before him and said: "You have renounced everything but your courage."

To this, the king replied: "No, I will not renounce my courage."

Because the king did not renounce his courage, he, in a short time gained back all that he had given away."

Therefore, Shree Sundara Laxmi Rajmata used to say: "Keep the courage. Never loose the courage."

She moved to Sewagram (Mahatma Gandhis Ashram) with the moral support of her brothers Dr Atmaram and Tukaram Gawande and raised her daughters there. She grew vegetables in the backyard of the Ashram house. First, she learned to sew and mend clothes as well as how to practice Ayurvedic medicine, then proceeded to teach others.

She was a most respected member of the community of Sewagram and was often asked for advice on many matters. In her wisdom and love, she embodied all the virtues of the ideal citizen, rooted in practical life and in tradition, but forward thinking, that the Mahatma Gandhi hoped would arise in the new, free India. She was always asked to light the fire on Holi, as she was perceived to be a true Brahman. She was beyond cast and class. She treated everyone as an equal, seeing only the humanity and the divine soul in each person.

She embraced Respect, Compassion, Forgiveness, Courage and Joy as her companions, never complaining. She lived a life of Tapasvini for the rest of her life. She meditated every day regularly, seeing the God in all and lived a disciplined life of yoga. ShivBaba, Gajanbaba were on her tounge, speaking softly with words of encouragement and contentment.

She became enlightened in the last four years of her life - achieving the ultimate freedom, salvation, walking on the path of Buddha and Shivbaba. Everyone she met experienced the purity of her heart and had the aesthetic experience of her inner beauty - Sundara - in her presence.

Shree Sundara Laxmi Rajmata is, and was, a cultural beacon who radiated bliss, joy and inner beauty. She took Mahasamdhi on 6th Oct 2017 on a night of full moon, on the night of Swami Muktanandas Mahasamdhi.

सुन्दरे सुन्दरः माता सुन्दरे किं न सुन्दरम्॥

Sundare Sundaram Mata, Sundare kim na Sundaram

Beautiful is the Mother, What is not beautiful in it?.

Her two lotus feet i do propitiate,

A spotless intellect is her grace.