Revered Usha Bahenji was born on 30th of July, 1925. The political scene was not particularly comforting at that time. The British were ruling India since long. Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and other national leaders were doing intense propaganda and satyagraha against British Rule. In Punjab, initially Lala Hardyal and later Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev were working towards independence. The common people of Punjab had not yet forgotten the carnage at Jallianwala Bagh.
The Gandhian Era
The era was considered to be overly Gandhian. The ideals of non-cooperation and non-violence which he upheld were admired by everyone. They were confronted at some places but due to the absence of any other alternative, Mahatma Gandhi became the leader of both moderates and extremists in the political arena.
Shri Manmohanji (Ushaji's father) was a staunch nationalist. Burning foreign goods, opposing and non-cooperating with the British Sarkar was deeply-rooted in him. With the passage of time this mindset had a certain impact on Bahenji's life.
There was a sense of antagonism against some conventional norms on the social front but an increased aversion could be seen now due to the influence of western civilization. Several dignitaries had joined hands with the British for their self-interest. Those well-versed in the English language began to weigh Hindu social customs, religion, customs and tradition on the scale of reasoning. This sparked off social and religious movements.
The Brahmo Samaj
The Brahmo Samaj was involved in doing away with social malpractices and stopping Hindus from converting to Christianity. Its founders raised the slogan, 'Head towards the Vedas' and termed other religions to be baseless and hypocritical.
There was propaganda of Prarthana Samaj in Maharashtra, which payed attention to the backward classes. The Dayal Singh Trust spread this concept in Punjab.
Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa & Vivekananada
The Ramakrishna Movement had begun in Bengal. Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa considered all religions as genuine. He believed in idol worship as the means of leading to the all powerful Supreme Being. Practicing sadhana of tantric, vaishnava and advaita, he soon became renowned as Paramahamsa.
Shri Vivekananda adopted his teachings. He argued that how could a certain religion which can not wipe a widow's tears and is unable to provide food to an orphan, be worthy of acceptance? The state of nirvikalpa samadhi of Paramahamsaji was imbibed by Swami Brahmananda (Rakhal) and Nag ji.This religion also aimed at reforming society.
The theosophical society was formed by western scholars particularly impressed by Indian culture. A German lady had laid its foundation. Its followers professed to achieve knowledge of God by spiritual ecstasy, direct intuition or special individual relations. They believed in the concept of previous birth and karma and were inspired by sankhya philosophy and the Upanishads.
Mrs Annie Besant
Mrs.Annie Besant abandoned Christianity and became well-versed with Indian culture. The founder of this society Madame Blavatski's strength was occult and not spirituality. However, Annie Besant became a Hindu and under her this movement led to a awakening in India. She lay the foundation of Central Hindu College affiliated to the Banaras Hindu University.
Indian culture and religion had such a great influence in all spheres that religious sentiments intensified even on opposition.The bhakti wave was at its crest in the 15th century.
Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Nimbarkacharya Maharaj had contributed in his own way to make religious devotion easily accessible for us. Shri Ramanujacharya had brought about invaluable change by propagating religion in the south.Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya spread Krishna worship in entire India and most of his followers were from Gujarat and Rajasthan. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, chief exponent of the Gaudiya Vaishnava Movement in eastern India, surfaced with Krishna worship in Bengal. Several saints like Tulsidas and Kabir were born to propagate religion. To worship in the Vrindavana Rasa were Haridasji, Harivanshji and Goswami Vithalnthji. Surdasji as well as the asthachhap poets, Roopji, Sanatanji and Jeev Goswamiji composed several works on Krishna.
Saint Tukaram
The Alvars or Tamil Bhakti saints, had already begun the mass bhakti movement in the south. Devotees are certainly aware of Andal, a 10th century Tamil poet, revered as the only woman Alvar (saint) of Vaishnavism. Lord Vitthalnath enraptured great saints like Tukaram and Eknath in Maharashstra. Mira, a bhakti poet-saint and Rajput princess, whose disdain for her royal husband was more than matched by her love for Krishna, impacted the entire world. In the north Shri Guru Nanakji and other gurus called upon devotees to engage in worship through the word of God (Naam-japna).
Hindu Saint Poet Sant Surdas
A series of bhaktas-saints came to Vraja and began propagating religious devotion. Several religious texts were composed. Jayadeva's, 'Gita Govinda,' written in perfect and flawless classical Sanskrit, was the climax of romantic love poetry. At this end, the poetry of Chandidas, Shri Billavmangalji's 'Shri Krishna-Karnamrit' and Vidyapati's poems were truly inspiring. On the other front ashtachhaap and bhakti poets Surdas and Nand Das worked on the widespread development of Krishna worship.
Swami Shri Haridas
Shri Vyasdevacharya ji's, Swami Haridasji and Harvanshji's compilation of padas became available. Shri Druvdas ji and his uncle Vrindavandas ji and several devotees wrote their experiences and published them. Shri Roop ji, Jeev ji, Prabodha Nand Saraswati and Vishwanath Chakravarti created many religious texts. In the meantime compositions like Shri Krishna-Karnamrit, Sur Sagar, Shri Radha-Sudhanidi, Vrindavan Shatak as well as Lalit-Madhav were penned and published.
Hanuman Prasad Poddar & Shri Radha Baba
Vrindavan remained the centre of all these sampradayas and consequently its importance escalated. Society was impressed by the gushing bhakti wave and voluminous repertoire of poetry.The next generation of bhaktas had Swami Ramteerth, Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Vivekanandji, Udiya Baba, Gwariya Baba, Anandamayi Ma, Hari Baba, Gangeshwar Anand ji, Sharnanand ji, Hanuman Prasadji Poddar and Chakradhar Baba. The essence of that bhakti era invaded our hearts and is steeping us in the bhakti bhava even today.
Bhaktimati Usha Bahenji
Several great saints remained hidden from the public eye because of their unaffected simple lifestyle. Those with a pure heart were influenced by their persona. Ushaji was one such saint, also affected by the current scene but her disposition was independent. The sacredness apparent in her devotional practices, experiences and conduct inflamed the desire of the individuated soul for union with God. Her religious devotion did not violate the shastras but was free from the restraints and reasoning of the scriptures.
.Those whom God accepts because of His loving tenderness come into contact with such saintly personages. They lead us to our ultimate destination which is union with Krishna. Bhava was sacrosanct for Ushaji. Bhava is understood as love flowing towards the Lord.
Dark-hued Krishna is Waiting for Us
Spreading out both His arms Krishna is standing, waiting for us. Shyam Sunder is inviting us.The same dark-hued radiant Krishna, standing beneath a kadamba tree on the banks of the Yamuna, is gazing at us in astonishment from the thicket in front, waiting for us.
