Shakti alone the root of the Universe. That primal energy has two aspects; vidya and avidya. Avidya deludes. Avidya conjures up, ‘woman and gold’, which casts the spell. Vidya begets devotion, kindness, wisdom and love, which leads one to God. This avidya must be propitiated, and that is the purpose of the rites of Sakti workship.

The devotee assumes various attitude toward Sakti in order to propitiate Her; the attitude of the handmaid, a ‘hero’, or a child. A hero’s attitude is to please Her even as a man pleases a woman through intercourse.

The worship of the Sakti is extremely difficult. It is no joke. I passed two year as a handmaid and companion of the Divine Mother. But my natural attitude has always been that of a child toward his mother. I regard the breast of any woman as those of my own mother.

Women are, all of them, the veritable images of Sakti. In the Northwest India the bride holds a knife in her hand at the time of marriage; in Bengal, a nut-cutter. The meaning is the bridegroom with the help of bride, who is the embodiment of the Divine power, will sever the bondage of illusion. This is the ‘heroic’ attitude. I never worship the Divine Mother that way. My attitude toward Her is that of a child toward its Mother.

The bride is the very embodiment of Sakti. Haven’t you noticed at the marriage ceremony, how groom sits behind like an idiot ? But the bride- she is so Bold!.

After attaining God one forgets His external splendors, the glories of his creation. One does not think of God’s glories after he has seen him. The devotee, once immersed in God’s bliss, doesn’t calculate anymore about outer things. When I see Narendra, I don’t need to ask him: ‘Whats your name? Where do you live ? Where is the time for such questions ? Once a mas asked Hanuman which day of the fortnight it was. “Brother,” said Hanuman, “I don’t know anything of the day of the week, or the fortnight, or the position of the stars. I think of Rama alone.”