ARANYAMAL RAINA
The Sweet Mother
Aranyamal Raina was the wife of Pandit Narayan Das Raina. Pandit Narayan Das was the first among the Kashmiri Pandits to speak and write English, wear Western clothes and ride a cycle. Both Aranyamal and Pandit Narayan Das were devotees of Swami Ram Ji, a saint and the greatest exponent of Shaivism. Pandit Narayan Das also adored Swami Vivekananda.
In the year 1898, on his second visit to Kashmir, Swami Vivekananda once visited their home at Namchibal, Fateh Kadal; he was showered with flowers and garlanded. The Pandits praised Swamiji’s preaching Vedanta in the West and wanted to hear it from him. Swami Vivekananda recited some verses from the Mundakopanishad and explained them to their joy. Aranyamal cooked all the dishes for lunch with great care. Swamiji praised her payasam (rice pudding). Before leaving Pandit Narayan Das requested Swamiji to bless his wife who had a severe headache that no treatment could cure. Swamiji was silent for a while and then placed his hand on her which cured her completely. Also, the birth of the famous Shiva Yogi Swami Lakshmanjoo was foretold by Swamiji. The truthfulness, steadfastness, and devotion moved Swamiji who commented suddenly, ‘Rainaji, the blessings of the Lord is showering on you. You have changed your home to a temple. This place is best suited for the birth of a divine child.” After nine years, Swami Lakshmanjoo was born after 17 years of their first child. From his childhood, Lakshmanjoo was immersed in meditation and Samadhi. He embraced sannyasa and become the guiding force of many in India and abroad. He was the most revered teacher, a Shiva Scholar, Guru, and an authority on Kashmir Shaivism. As predicted by Swami Vivekananda, their house later became an Ashram, famously known as Shri Rama Shaiva (Trika) Ashrama.
Aranyamal was simple, devoted, and was dedicated to the service of monks. She would request Pandit Narayan Das to invited monks and would feed them with respect. She also donated liberally to the poor and suffering. In 1900, when a severe storm destroyed life in Kashmir, Aranyamal supplied food for the suffering. [Chander M Bhat]
Reference
1. Swami Vivekananda: The Great Inspirer, Part 1
2. Encyclopedia of Kashmiri Pandit Culture and Heritage by
C.L.Kaul
