In Sanatana Dharma, the dharma does not begin with the name of God, it begins with gratitude. It shows us in advance where to look for God. Even before crossing the threshold of a temple, it asks us to recognize the gods present in our own home. The Vedas state very clearly... Mātṛudevobhava, Pitṛudevobhava, the mother is God, the father is God. The Upanishads ask us to put this very statement into practice. The epics, the Puranas, and the Shastras together keep repeating the same truth again and again. Parents are not ordinary human beings. They are living embodiments of divinity. That is why Sanatana Dharma long ago declared that the mother is heavier than the earth, and the father is higher than the sky.
A mother is not merely a body that gives birth to a child. In the vision of the Vedas, the mother is like the earth. Just as the earth bears everyone without questioning, the mother too bears her children in the same way. The Upanishads see the mother as the very form of compassion. The only relationship that does not ask for a reason to love is that of a mother. In the Puranas, it was the advice given by Sunīti that led Dhruva to the vision of God. In the epics, even though Kaikeyi was the reason Rama was sent to the forest, he never uttered a single word of disrespect toward her. The Shastras state this very firmly.. if one brings tears to one’s own mother, no amount of charity or no number of sacrifices can erase that sin. Because a mother’s heart is like a place where the gods themselves reside.
Sri Shankaracharya demonstrated profound filial duty toward his mother. Shankaracharya accepted sanyaasa at a very young age. At that time, society strongly believed that sanyaasa meant renouncing all worldly relationships and abandoning ritual duties. There were strict rules that a sanyaasi should not attend his mother’s last rites or perform her cremation. Therefore, when it became known that Shankaracharya had come to his mother, villagers and fellow sanyaasis strongly opposed it.
But in Sri Shankaracharya’s life, his mother Aryamba was not just one individual. She brought him into this world, and she also gave permission for his sanyaasa. At the time of taking sanyaasa, Shankaracharya made one promise to his mother: “If you need me at your final moment, I will surely come.” That single word was greater to him than the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Dharma Shastras combined. When his mother was taking her last breath, remembering that promise, Shankaracharya came.
When the time came to perform the last rites after her death, society stood in his way. They said, “You are a sanyaasi; you have no right to perform cremation.” But Sri Shankaracharya asked just one question, “Which is greater, the dharma of sanyaasa or the dharma toward one’s mother?” He reminded them that the Vedas say Mātṛdevo bhava. He clarified that the Upanishads describe the mother as a living deity. Sanyaasa leads one toward Brahma-gnana, but the debt owed to one’s mother exists even before Brahma-gnana, this was the dharmic teaching he gave.
When society refused to give fire, Shankaracharya fixed his gaze upon his mother’s body and entered into deep meditation. By the power of that meditation, fire manifested in her body itself. Then everyone understood, this was not an ordinary ritual.. this was a dharma higher than all dharmas. Sri Shankaracharya showed through his life that even after taking sanyasa, one’s responsibility toward one’s mother does not disappear, and that fulfilling a mother’s wish is the true meaning of sanyasa.
This incident teaches us a great lesson. Dharma is greater than the rules written in books. The true essence taught collectively by the Vedas, Upanishads, and Shastras is this alone.. there is no deity greater than the mother. Even if one becomes a sanyasi, a great guru, or a Jagadguru, no one can escape the debt owed to one’s mother. This incident in the life of Sri Shankaracharya stands as the pinnacle of Dharma.
The role of the father is often silent. Though he may appear strict outwardly, within him exists immense responsibility. The Vedas compare the father to the sky, invisible, yet holding everything together. According to the Upanishads, the father is the embodiment of Dharma. In the epics, Rama gave up his kingdom for the sake of his father’s word. In the Mahabharata, Bhishma sacrificed his happiness and his entire life for his father’s satisfaction. The Shastras say that the life of one who respects his father’s word never goes astray. If a father’s blessing is present, heaven is not somewhere else, it exists right here on this earth.
In Sanatana Dharma, there is one duty that comes even before worship, chanting, and sacrifices, service to parents. The Vedas and Shastras clearly say that cow-donation, Ashvamedha sacrifice, and pilgrimages to Kashi are all insignificant compared to serving one’s parents. In the epics, Shravan Kumar carried his blind parents on his shoulders and took them on pilgrimages. He had no vows, no chants, but his service itself was his penance. According to the Upanishads, this service melts one’s ego, and true knowledge begins right there.
Dharma is never harsh, but it is extremely subtle. It also teaches how to behave when parents are at fault. According to the Shastras, if a father is unrighteous, one should not follow his path, but one should not insult him. Even if a mother has bad conduct, disrespecting her is a great sin. In the epics, Prahlada rejected his father Hiranyakashipu’s command, yet he did not develop hatred toward his father. This means Dharma can separate sin from the person, but it never breaks the relationship.
The Puranas illustrate this truth even through the lives of gods. The marriage of Shiva and Parvati also took place with parental consent. When Ganesha was told to go around the earth, he circled his parents and declared, “You both are my universe.” Though this story may appear like a children’s tale, it contains a profound dharmic truth, parents themselves are our earth, our sky, and our temple.
This concept does not exist only in Sanatana Dharma. Christianity clearly states in the Bible, “Honor your father and your mother.” Even while on the cross, Jesus ensured his mother’s care. In Islam, it is said, “Paradise lies beneath the feet of the mother”; the Prophet gave priority to the mother three times. In Buddhism, though the Buddha took sannyasa, he repaid his debt to his mother. In Jainism, Mahavira sought his parents’ permission before renunciation. Religions may differ, but the fundamental truth is one.
In the end, the Vedas gave thought, the Upanishads gave knowledge, the epics taught life, the Purana's instructed through stories, and the Shastra's showed practice. Along with other religions, all of them together say the same thing: there is no deity greater than the mother, no guide greater than the father, and no protection greater than the blessings of parents. Before bowing your head at a temple, if you bow your head at those two feet within your home, only then does true Dharma and a complete life truly begin.
...From Teachings of... Master Raghu Raama, Santhi Dhaam, Kuchinapudi, Andhra Pradesh (ST) INDIA.
