The most sacred river in India is the Ganges. Sadhus pray by the river. Ashes of the dead are placed in the river. Submerging in the river washes away karma. The Mother Ganga is both Goddess and River. The Ganges is also an archetypal nurturing force. Ma Jaya painted her Ganga River in order to intimately share with the viewer, to remind you of your heart.
Everything in a river painting means something. The girl is young Bhagavati in her purity and simplicity. She baths by the river, dances by the river, and plays by the river, worshipping this time of spiritual awakening. Across the river from her is the temple where she studies with Swami Nityananda. A trident is on the temple, a symbol of Lord Shiva. In the lower right quadrant is a tree of life. As you begin to learn not to make the same mistakes, and each time you learn from a mistake that you make or others make, you accumulate more and more wisdom on your tree of life. The wisdom fruit is the final development in the tree of life. It is the product of bone deep teaching. The fruit does not come from intellectual knowledge. It comes from your roots and brings transformation to your inner life. After consuming this fruit, root wisdom flows through your being. Look toward the Tree of Life when there are decisions to be made in your life. It will bring you positive energy and a lot of love. –
- Mother Ganga is the divine font from which the Ganges River flows.
- Mother Ganga is said to reside in all rivers.
- The Ganga was very dear to Ma Jaya and was the subject of a book of poetry, “The River,” as well as a series of paintings.