It was a shining and profound celebration of Amma as an embodiment of unconditional love, compassion, and service—mother of all. Today, she was honoured with the Vivekananda International Relations (VIR) Peace Awards. It is recognition of extraordinary individuals from India who have contributed to the welfare and progress of people across the globe.
“If Amma has been able to do anything beneficial for the world, it is only because she has been blessed with so many good children,” said Amma in her acceptance speech.
“These children come from every walk of life and every nation. The children listen to Amma and Amma listens to the children. Therefore Amma would like to dedicate this award to all of them.”
Seeing service to humankind as service to God, the VIR Awards are named in honour of Swami Vivekananda. In 1893, he was a beacon of the Hindu faith at the first Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago. His words ignited a movement affirming the universality of spiritual values and laid the foundation for interfaith dialogues that continue to inspire global harmony.
“The responsibility for any action—be it good or bad—lies with everyone who contributed to it, not just with one individual. This idea of collective responsibility is also extremely relevant when it comes to the matter of world peace,” said Amma, reflecting Swami Vivekananda’s message.
“Be it on the level of the family, the level of the nation or globally, each of us bears moral responsibility for all the good and bad taking place in the world. Becoming aware of this truth is the first step towards world peace.”
Amma emphasised that one of the things we must recognise is that the global illicit drug epidemic is even more dangerous than the wars our world is facing. Both are the result of the attitude of “I need more for me, even at the cost of another”.
May we walk along the path revealed to us by our ṛṣis, so that India may once again rise to the status of viśva-guru—the spiritual teacher of the world.
Amma
“Many parents tell Amma that when their child hasn’t come home at night, they go to their neighbours’ house and sleep because they are afraid to sleep in their own home. Their fear is that if their child comes home intoxicated, then he may not even recognise them, and may even attack and kill them,” she said.
Amma envisioned a community-based network of volunteers to monitor illicit drug use and spread awareness about moral values among the youth. If nations would spend even a small portion of the billions spent on producing weapons of mass destruction, this could actually bring peace and stability to society.
With a message of hope, she echoed the prayer of the ancient sages—May everyone be happy. May no one suffer from illness. May everyone see auspicious things. May no one experience sorrow.
“May we walk along the path revealed to us by our ṛṣis, so that India may once again rise to the status of viśva-guru—the spiritual teacher of the world. May India be a model and guiding light for humanity,” she said in conclusion.
“With loving gratitude to the organisers for bestowing this award in the name of Swami Vivekananda—who dedicated his life to raising the glory of Mother India.”
Sri Gagan Mahotra, a visionary entrepreneur and dedicated social reformer, was Convenor of the VIR Award. He shared that it is more than just recognition. In alignment with Amma’s vision, he said it is about inspiring the next generation of India to serve the world with heart and purpose.
“Swami Vivekananda taught us that all religions can live together with love, respect, and understanding. He reminded us that we are all one family—vasudhaiva kutumbakam. Today, we come together to carry forward that same vision of peace and harmony,” he said.
Amma should travel to every part of this world. Every part that touches Amma’s feet will be transformed into a peaceful place—a heaven.
Sri Ravi Kumar Iyer, Patron of the VIR Award
Sri Ravi Kumar Iyer, Patron of the VIR Award, has travelled the world sharing India’s eternal message of universal brotherhood and unity in diversity. In doing so, he has connected with government and academic leaders and published six books. He was also instrumental in arranging Amma’s first visit to Malaysia and Sri Lanka after the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
“Amma should travel to every part of this world. Every part that touches Amma’s feet will be transformed into a peaceful place—a heaven—and that will be a great service to peace on this Earth,” he said, likening her to ancient Indian sages who travelled throughout Southeast Asia calming disputes where people were immersed in violence.
The other distinguished guests included strong and courageous leaders who are dedicated to uplifting people living in the margins, building peace, and restoring Bharat’s spiritual legacy. Their words emanated the power of possibility when we come together as a collective.
Among them were Mrs Sarika Panhalkar, CEO of Tarpan Foundation which supports orphans when they must leave care at the age of 18 with no home, family or support; Mrs Shreya Bharatiya, Managing Trustee of Swanath Foundation which strives for “Har Bacche Ko Parivaar”—a family for every child through foster parenting; and Mr A Rajasekaran, Chairman of Chakra Vision India Foundation Trust which celebrates India’s rich heritage through creative public displays.
The gathering ended with a moment of reflection to honour countless lives dedicated to selfless service and reaffirm humanity’s shared journey towards a harmonious, compassionate world. Ashram children led the Sanskrit prayer lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu—may all beings everywhere be happy—with gratitude to Amma as a guiding light.
