H.H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
Early Life:
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi was born on 21 March 1923 in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, India. Her parents were Prasad and Cornelia Salve, direct descendants of the royal Shalivahana dynasty. Her lineage in fact traces back over 3000 years, rooted in the royal Indian Shalivahana dynasty. Seeing the beauty of this child who was born with a spotless brilliance, she was named Nirmala. Nirmala means “immaculate”, meaning pure, and her honorific spiritual title translates to “Revered Mother”.
Shri Mataji have been born fully realized and her upbringing was influenced by her parents’ diverse backgrounds. Her father, Prasad Salve, was a lawyer and scholar of fourteen languages, who translated the Quran into Hindi. Her mother, Cornelia Salve, was the first woman in India to receive an honors degree in mathematics. Shri Mataji’s parents were both involved in the Indian independence movement.
Participation in India’s Independence:
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi’s father was friendly with Mahatma Gandhi, and as a family they would regularly frequent his ashram whilst she was around 7 years old. Her parents were often imprisoned during the struggle of India’s Independence Movement, and so she would often look after her siblings, and live at Gandhi’s ashram.
Gandhi recognized that she was wiser beyond her years, and even as a small child he would consult her for advice on spirituality, as if she were as knowledgeable as a grandmother. Gandhi saw the wisdom of this child and used to appreciate her immensely, affectionately calling her Nepali due to the Nepali features of her face.
Like her parents, she was involved in the struggle for Indian independence and, as a youth leader, was jailed for participating in the Quit India Movement in 1942.
Education and Marriage:
Shri Mataji studied medicine and psychology at the Christian Medical College in Ludhiana and the Balakram Medical College in Lahore.
Just before India achieved independence in 1947, she married Chandrika Prasad Srivastava, a high-ranking civil servant in the Indian government. He held the post of the Joint Secretary to the Prime Minister’s office of the late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri in the years 1964-66. Afterwards he was elected for 16 consecutive years to be the Secretary General of the United Nations International Maritime Organization.
Her husband was also a special individual, He was awarded the prestigious Honorary KCMG by Queen Elizabeth II and honoured with “Padma Vibhushan” by Government of India for his dedicated service to the nation. Together, they had two daughters, Kalpana Srivastava and Sadhana Varma.
Birth of Sahaja Yoga
As she was pondering on the many faceted problems confronting human beings, on the 5th May, 1970, on a lonely beach of Nargol (about 150 km from Mumbai) a divine spiritual experience filled her whole being and suddenly she found an answer to her question. She discovered a historical process of en-masse Self Realisation. She established “Sahajayoga” for the mass self-realization of common man, who are truth seeker.
Shri Mataji’s discovery was and is unique. The opening of the Sahasrara is a moment of pure transformation, and it provides a method for human beings to reach beyond their limitations and to connect with something greater. By getting Self-realization people could get connection to their Spirit and thereby their inner transformation. She travelled more than 120 countries, gave self-realization to millions of people globally.
Shri Mataji single-handedly created a living global movement that transformed people and empowered them to transform others. She said that what people were doing was because of their devotion, and devotion must flow from the heart, which cannot be organised. It is a living process of ascent and eventual salvation of human beings.
The love that emanated from her created that wave of devotion that continues to inspire. Her disciples still freely give realisation all around the world forever expanding Sahaja Yoga by simply using her photograph.
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi was an extraordinary personality, enveloped in the glorious guise of a loving mother. She demonstrated forbearance and a nurturing love that encompassed the whole world. Her discourses revealed spiritual truth and integrated the essence of all faiths into one universal religion. But even beyond this, she was the divine catalyst of the subtle power within that unites, transforms and empowers.
She gave en-mass realisation allowing the evolution of man’s awareness to collective consciousness and will be forever remembered as the great pure Divine Mother, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.
