Maa (Mother)

Sree Maatre Namah-Pranaams to mother. With these words starts Latithaa Sahasranaam, or the 1,000 names of Devi. The privilege you can take with your mother, you cannot take even with your father. During the nine months a baby is inside the mother, the mother gives her own food, blood and nourishment tot eh unborn foetus so that it could develop into a fullgrown baby. During the nine months and during child-birth, the amount of fasts, hardships, worries, discomfort, sleeplessness, and pain a mother undergoes-even if you give her the whole world it is no compensation at all. Our epics, Puranas, Upanishads, etc. all extol the highest importance of a mother in society. Mother is equally revered in all cultures throughout the world. In Annapoornashtakam, Shankaracharya says annapoorne sadhaaporn… maataa cha Parvati devi, pita devo maheswara… That means, Shankaracharya sees Parvati as the universal mother and lord Shiva as the universal father. In a similar way, the Kogatas have seen Parvati and Shiva, and have beautified this book with pleasing illustrations of booth of them in different activities and moods, followed by charming and delightful verses.