gurūṇāṁ caiva sarveṣāṁ mātā paramako guruḥ
gurūṇāṁ caiva sarveṣāṁ mātā paramako guruḥ |
(Mahābhārata: Ādi-parva, 211.16)
[Yudhiṣṭhira to Kuntī:] “And of all gurus, the mother is certainly the foremost guru.”
Sūkti Sudhākara
nāsti vedāt paraṁ śāstraṁ nāsti mātuḥ samo guruḥ
nāsti vedāt paraṁ śāstraṁ nāsti mātuḥ samo guruḥ ||
(Atri Smṛti: 5.148)
“There is no śāstra greater than the Veda, and no guru like one’s mother.”
nāsti mātṛ-samā chāyā nāsti mātṛ-samā gatiḥ
nāsti mātṛ-samā chāyā nāsti mātṛ-samā gatiḥ |
nāsti mātṛ-samaṁ trāṇaṁ nāsti mātṛ-samā priyā ||
(Unknown Source)
“There is no shade like one’s mother. There is no refuge like one’s mother. There is no protection like one’s mother, and there is no one as dear as one’s mother.”
nāsti mātṛ-samā chāyā nāsti mātṛ-samā gatiḥ
nāsti mātṛ-samā chāyā nāsti mātṛ-samā gatiḥ |
nāsti mātṛ-samaṁ trāṇaṁ nāsti mātṛ-samā prapā ||
(Skanda Purāṇa)
“There is no shade like one’s mother. There is no refuge like one’s mother. There is no protection like one’s mother. And there is no water station [for travelers on long journey] like one’s mother.”
tad etat kṣantavyaṁ janani sakaloddhāriṇe śive
tad etat kṣantavyaṁ janani sakaloddhāriṇe śive |
kuputro jāyate kvacid api kumātā na bhavati ||
(Unknown source)
“All of this is pardonable by you, O Mother, auspicious uplifter of all. There can be bad sons, but there can never be bad mothers.”
mātṛ-devīṁ namas tubhyaṁ mama janma-dātriṁ tvaṁ namo namaḥ
mātṛ-devīṁ namas tubhyaṁ mama janma-dātriṁ tvaṁ namo namaḥ |
bālya-kāle māṁ pālana kṛtvā mātṛkābhyo tvaṁ namābhyāham ||
(Unknown source)
“Obeisances unto you, my godly mother. Obeisance and obeisance unto you, the giver of my birth. Obeisances unto you, revered mother, who nourished me in childhood.”
mātā dharitrī jananī dayārdra-hṛdayā śivā
mātā dharitrī jananī dayārdra-hṛdayā śivā |
devī tribhuvana-śreṣṭhā nirdoṣā sarva-duḥkhahā ||
ārādhanīyā paramā dayā śāntiḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ |
(Bṛhad Dharma Purāṇa: 8–9)
[Names for a mother:] “Mother, she who gives support, she who gives birth, she whose heart is melted with grace, she who is auspicious, she who is a goddess, she who is the greatest in the three worlds, she who is faultless, she who removes all distress, she who is worshippable, she who is supreme, she who is gracious, she who is peaceful, she who is forgiving, she who is poised, …”
api svarṇamayī laṅkā na me lakṣmaṇa rocate
api svarṇamayī laṅkā na me lakṣmaṇa rocate |
jananī-janma-bhūmiś ca svargād api garīyasī ||
(Rāmāyaṇa)
[Rāma:] “Although golden, Laṅkā does not appeal to me, Lakṣmaṇa. One’s mother and motherland are more exalted than even Svarga.”
hasta-sparśo hi mātṝṇām ajalasya jalāñjaliḥ
hasta-sparśo hi mātṝṇām ajalasya jalāñjaliḥ |
(Pratimāna-nāṭaka: 3.12)
“The touch of mothers’ hands is [like] a palmful of water for one deprived of water [i.e., for the parched].”
anabhyāsena vidyānām asaṁsargeṇa dhīmatām
anabhyāsena vidyānām asaṁsargeṇa dhīmatām |
anigraheṇa cākṣāṇāṁ jāyate vyasanaṁ nṛṇām ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“The plight [alt., addictions, vices, depravity, misfortune, distress, etc.] of human beings arises from a lack of practice of knowledge [i.e., a lack of adherence to the education they receive], a lack of association with the wise, and a lack of restraint of the senses.”