Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi - Divinity in Humanity

Sahaja Yoga was founded by H. H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, a renowned spiritual guru born on March 21, 1923 at exactly twelve o’clock on the day of the spring equinox in a town in Chindwara the geographical center of India. Her parents Shri P. K. Salve and Smt. Cornelia Salve were direct descendants of the royal Shalivahana dynasty and played a key role in India's Independence movement. Her father, a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, was the member of the Constituent Assembly of India and helped write Independent India's first constitution. He was a renowned scholar, master of 14 languages, and translated the Quran in Marathi. Her mother was the first woman in India to receive an Honors Degree in Mathematics.

At the age of only eight years, when Her parents were jailed for participating in the freedom struggle of India, she took up the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings. “The feeling that whatever our parents are doing is for our country’s freedom was so elevating… that we never even thought of little comforts that children ask for,” Shri Mataji recalled. At the age of seven, Shri Mataji spent some time with Mahatma Gandhi at his ashram. “He was a tremendous hard task master, but an extremely loving and compassionate person,” said Shri Mataji. “He always used to talk to me in a way as if I was a grandmother and he used to discuss things with me, most surprising to all others, in a way, (as if) I was wiser to everyone. Shri Mataji's childhood was dedicated to freedom struggle and to Her study of Medicine at the Christian Medical College in Ludhiana and at the Balakram Medical College in Lahore (Pre Independence India). In 1947, India finally became a free nation. It had been many years since Shri Mataji’s childhood discussions with Mahatma Gandhi, but not long before his last days, he asked to see Her. “I met him… immediately he recognized,” Shri Mataji recalled. “He said, ‘Meet me after prayer.’ When I met him, he said, ‘Now take to constructive work. Take to constructive work...”

Shortly before India achieved independence Shri Mataji married Sir C.P. Srivastava, one of India's most dedicated civil servant officer, who was knighted by the Queen of England. He served as Secretary-General Emeritus of International Maritime Organisation. He was the Joint Secretary to the Prime Minister's office of the late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri in the years 1964-66. Prime Minister Shastri Ji himself was an ideal model of honesty in India's political history. He was also awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2009 by the President of India. Shri Mataji, after fulfilling her family duty of bringing up her two daughters, embarked on her spiritual mission. She never discriminated against anyone, whatever his or her religion or background, and encouraged integration at all times. As Shri Mataji’s younger brother Shri H.P. Salve, fondly known as Babamama, recounted: “During the communal riots (at the time of the 1947 partition) there was an occasion when someone knocked at the door. When Shri Mataji opened it, she found one lady and two gentlemen standing at the entrance looking extremely frightened and scared. They told Shri Mataji that they were refugees from Pakistan and since one of them was a Muslim, the Hindus were after them, chasing them with drawn swords. Shri Mataji took them in without a moment’s hesitation and hide them in a room. "After some time some people came with drawn swords, and said that a Muslim was hiding in the house. Shri Mataji categorically denied and saved their lives. The three persons later became renowned personalities of Bollywood.

“I saw the Union Jack coming down, and I saw the Tricolour going up. That was the moment – it’s beyond me,” recalled Shri Mataji. “I cannot tell you what was the feeling at that moment—such a feeling that the truth has somehow or other overcome the untruth. The justice has been shown over the injustice.” In 1948 Sir C. P. Srivastava, was selected for the Indian Foreign Service and Indian Administration Service (I.A.S). Following Shri Mataji’s counsel, Sir C.P. decided to remain in the I.A.S. to serve his country from within its borders. Shri Mataji was a very silent social worker. She collected money for a sanatorium near Chandrapur in Maharashtra. She became president of a society called ‘Friends of the Blind. In Meerut, She started a refugee home, a home for invalids, and assisted with a large leper home. Shri Mataji launched the 'Youth Society for Films' to encourage national, social and moral values in young people. She was also a member of the Film Censor Board in Mumbai. During her talk, Shri Mataji spoke of truth and the need to actualize the collective doctrine of the United Nations. She spoke of the Kundalini’s role in bringing about that actualization. “We talk of ecological problems,” She said, “this problem, that problem, but we don’t think how we can get out of it. If the United Nations is to express itself in reality, then I would say that the people of the United Nations must get their self-realisation first and then they can understand what they are….There are so many ways and so many powers they have, which they can use. And this is the power of love.”

In 1972 H. H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi sailed to the US and warned against false gurus. Later She publicly fearlessly criticised the false gurus in Her various lectures saving mankind from the trap of kugurus who were taking advantage of the innocent seekers of truth. In 1974, She moved to London with her husband and worked with seven London hippies who became the first Western Sahaja Yogis. In 1979 H. H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi declared Herself to be the complete incarnation of the AdiShakti (Primordial Power), The Holy Spirit, Maitreya or Mahdi to her devotees as prophesied by earlier incarnations of various religion. She continued to shower Her motherly love through Her compassionate personality and blessed the seekers with their Self-Realisation by awakening their Kundalini. In 1980 H. H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi first toured Europe spreading Sahaja Yoga and in 1981 she toured Malaysia, Australia and North America – many other countries were to follow. In 1989, after the lifting of the Iron Curtain, H. H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi visited Russia, countries in erstwhile USSR and Eastern Europe where Sahaja Yoga spread quickly. In 1993 at St. Peterburg, Russia the Petrovskaya Academy of Art and Science appointed Her as Honorary Member for discovering Self-Realisation and offering this free of cost to millions of people in Russia thus helping the citizens in maintaining good health and spiritual wellbeing. In 1995, H. H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi was invited for speech at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. In 1997 Claes Nobel, the founder of United Earth, spoke in strong support of Shri Mataji and Sahaja Yoga which he described as a reference point for determining right from wrong. He said he was very comfortable with Shri Mataji and Her teachings quoting "you shall know the tree by its fruit" and described Sahaja Yogis as ambassadors for the earth.