Her reverence was for Bhagavan Ramana alone

Two devotees of Bhagavan and Janaki Mata, have very kindly put together this account of Janaki Mata:

Janaki Mata – A Pen Sketch

By Shyamala Ramachandran,
Shanta Ramanchandran,
Chennai.

Birth and Early Years

Janaki was born in a village in Palghat on 27th July, 1906 to Sri Vaidyanatha Bhattar and Smt Chellammaal as the third child in a family of eight children. Her education up to 5th standard (around 10 years of age) was in Malayalam. Later she shifted to Chennai and studied Tamil. Even in her formative years, she was quite different from kids her age.

Marriage and Family

She was married at the young age of 13 to Dr C.S. Ganapti Iyer – a widower with two daughters, aged 6 years and 2 years. He was 19 years her senior. Being a Doctor working with the Government medical service, he was frequently transferred to various towns in the then composite state of Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Dr Ganapati Iyer and Janaki were blessed with two sons and three daughters.

She lived in Tanjavur from 1942 to 1969.

Visions and Spiritual Experiences

From a very early age, she was spiritually inclined and was initiated into a Mantra by an unknown mendicant. She then started having visions of various deities, like Ganesha, Kali etc. As she grew older – in spite of her family responsibilities – she allotted specific times for worship and meditation. Her life was replete with instances where unknown ascetics and strangers suddenly appeared and foretold important events, such as the birth of her children, or the wedding of her daughter, or her trip to Europe. Thus, amidst all her family commitments, she never relented in her aspiration for liberation or Mukti, and yearned to find a proper Sadguru to guide her. In one extraordinary event in 1934, a stranger came, said that he was ‘Subrahmanya’, and showed her a photo of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, who, he said, was her Guru. He also said that Subrahmanya would be born as her son.

Later in the same year, a Sanyasi visited her, and gave her a Salagrama of Vishnu, a Rudrakhsa to represent Siva, and a representation of Brahma, two coins with figures of Suryanarayana, and Rama-Sita, and asked her to offer worship to them.

In 1935, Janaki was bedridden for forty days, her body suffering from strong spiritual changes. She heard the ‘Om’ uttered by Vinayaka and then recovered.

Visit to Ramanashramam

Her first visit was on 20th April, 1935, when she went there along with her husband. Following that, she made several more visits, and related her experiences and aspirations to Bhagavan. It is believed that he gave her and her husband a copy of Malayalam ‘Upadesa Saram’ and asked them to read it. On another occasion, she fell at his feet when he was near the Goshala (cowshed) and poured out her anguish. He soothed her anguish and conveyed to her that he was her Guru.

Subsequently, she had the experience of Kundalini rising and was unable to bear its force. She came to Bhagavan and related her state, and by the grace of Bhagavan she was able to get relief.

Generous Disposition

She was spontaneously generous, and would gift gold chains to Goddesses in temples. She was moved by the plight of the poor, and had wells dug, and gifted food, oil etc.

She arranged for electrification at Ramanashramam, and also had a bathroom built for ladies. It was this room that was redone, and later became the Nirvana room of Bhagavan.

Janaki becomes Janaki Mata

Sometime in 1938, with the rise of Kundalini, she is believed to have got liberation.

Devotees started coming to her. They used to congregate for Puja, Parayana etc. She, however, remained in family life, but was calm and completely unattached.

Her reverence was for Bhagavan Ramana alone, and she took her devotees along with her to Ramanashramam.

She continued to have various visions, and felt that Lord Vinayaka wanted her to compose songs on all the deities, and thus she began to compose devotional songs.

In 1945, after the wedding of her daughter Sarada, she decided to leave family life and stay permanently at Ramanashramam. But her son, Swaminathan, then 10 years old, prayed to Bhagavan – “Please give me back my mother”, and thus it was that she had to return to Tanjavur.

In March 1949, Janaki Mata came to know that the tumor on Bhagavan’s arm was not responding to treatment. She made several visits to the Ashram during this period. On April 14th 1950 – the day of Bhagavan’s Mahanirvana, Janaki Mata started singing ‘Arunachala Siva’ and everybody joined in. While they sang, a bright meteor was seen blazing across the sky and merging in Arunachala. Bhagavan had shuffled the body.

Thereafter she visited several holy places, and also spread the glory of Bhagavan.

In 1955, her husband passed away.

Without waiting for the ritual 13 days of obsequies to be completed, she left for Kashi. On the 10th day, she removed her Mangalsutra and threw it in the Ganges. She wanted to stay on in Kashi itself. But once again, on the entreaty of her family, she returned to her home in Tanjavur.

In 1966, her 60th birthday was celebrated.

The southern part of her home had become an Ashram, and Janaki Mata stayed there. Regular reading of scriptures like Bhagavad Gita, Jnaneshwari, Bhakta Vijayam used to be held in the Ashram and Mata used to explain them to the devotees. Her teachings emphasized good conduct, devotion to God, meditation, worship, charity, and vegetarianism.

In the latter half of 1966, a cancer developed on her left breast, but none of her devotees was aware of this. She did not take any medical treatment. Her last visit to Ramanashramam was around Jan 1969. She attained Mahanirvana, in a sitting posture, on 27th April 1969.

As she was a householder, she was cremated, as was her desire. Her remains were interred in the Ashram and a Mathrubhutheshwara Linga was consecrated there in Dec 1969 by His Holiness Atmananda Bharati, affiliated to the Sringeri Mutt. A temple and meditation hall has been constructed there.

And so ends this pen sketch of an ordinary wife and mother, who attained great spiritual heights by the grace of her Sadguru Bhagavan Ramana.

(Adapted from the book ‘Biography of Guru Devi Janaky Mata’ by Dr G Swaminathan).

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