It was a deeply moving scene of Amma reaching out to all who need care, whoever they are and wherever they come from. It happened at the start of her programme in Bengaluru from November 6 to 7. Amma and Karnataka’s Chief Minister, Shri DK Shivakumar, handed out certificates to children for free heart surgeries at Amrita Hospital, Kochi.
Mothers, be they Hindu or Muslim, gently held their children by the hand as Amma bent to kiss them. Fathers looked on with gratitude as their little ones received this gift for a new life. Small eyes, still not quite sure of what was happening, turned to look at the gathering before them. Soon after, sweet smiles broke out across their faces.
The initiative is part of the hospital’s Paediatric Heart Program that combines free or subsidised surgery with outreach screening camps across India. It has extended free or subsidised care to about 24,300 children since the year 2000, with approximately 32,500 pediatric cardiac operations and catheter interventions.
A Mother of all
In his address, the Chief Minister said it was a moment of divine grace for him as well. There was no difference of culture, caste, or creed. Only the dharma of humanity as one.
“Remembering Amma is the root of love. Remembering the Guru is the root of knowledge. Remembering God is the root of devotion. Remembering these three is the root of humanity, and humanity is the root of liberation,” he said.
“In the form of the Goddess, Amma has come here today and blessed us all. She has given everyone the opportunity to do service, and she has given all of us the fortune of her darshan,” the Chief Minister continued.
“Swami Vivekananda meditated for three days at Kanyakumari to raise the glory of Bharat Mata again. Today, Amma has arrived from Kerala in the form of Bharat Mata, to serve humankind and to bless us all.”
Compassion is not a weakness
In her message, Amma spoke about how humankind must return to a language of the heart, revering Mother Nature with love, reverence, and gratitude.
“In today’s world, nature provides us with sustenance, but human greed, vikriti, takes more than its share. These distorted actions disrupt prakriti, the natural order of our world, and in turn erode sanskriti, the refined way of life that once kept us in harmony with all of creation,” she said.
“We have forgotten how to live simply, how to walk upon the Earth with humility, and how to preserve our shared home.”
The giving continues, the faith continues
As in Amma’s other destinations, women with local Amrita SREE self-help groups received clothes and financial aid, and members of AYUDH, the Ashram’s youth wing, led a pledge for all to refrain from substance abuse. Some of them also enacted a moving stage performance about a young woman’s struggle with addiction. Nearly losing her life, she came to realise how her decisions affected her loved ones.
And of course, Amma’s children, from the very young to the young at heart, celebrated her divine presence by dancing and singing in great joy, sharing their cultural expressions from ancient times to modern day.
Schedule for Amma’s Bharat Yatra: Oct 30‑Dec 6
