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{{Orphan|date=March 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
| name = Sri Brahmajna Ma
| image =
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| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| birth_date = February 21, 1880
| birth_place = Bitara, Comilla, Bangladesh
| death_date = {{death date and age|1934|11|5|1880|2|21}}
| death_place = Deoghar, Jharkhand
| nationality = Indian
| honors =
| founder = 
| sect = 
| order =
| guru = 
| philosophy = [[Advaita Vedanta]]
| literary_works = 
| disciple = 
| influenced = 
| signature = 
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| footnotes =
}}

'''Sri Brahmajna Ma''' (21 February 1880 – 5 November 1934) was an Indian [[Advaita Vedanta|advaitin]] saint from East Bengal. What little is known about her reveals her as an illumined soul who was established in non-dual realization. Like [[Ramana Maharshi]], she had no guru, but attained enlightenment through her own efforts at self-inquiry.

==Life==
Brahmajna Ma was named Kadambini Devi by her father Abhaya Charan Chakravarti. She was born in the small village of Bitara, in the Tipperah district of [[East Bengal]] (now the [[Comilla]] district of [[Bangladesh]]), and married [[Child marriage|at the age of eight]], according to the prevalent custom, to a young Brahmin of the nearby village Putia. Her husband died before she was ten years old. She attained final realisation in 1912, after which she travelled to various places in India. She died in [[Deoghar]], [[Bihar]] (now [[Jharkhand]]) in 1934.

==Autobiography==
Brahmajna Ma did not want any biography written about her. She herself dictated the following as the complete biography of her life:

:She was naturally given to discrimination and was engaged in the search for Spiritual Truth. From her childhood, she used to think—(1) where does a human being go and in what state he remains after death, and whence does he come? (2) In nothing can peace be found in this world; what, then, is real peace? In such thoughts she would then become immersed. And lastly, such thoughts as (3) who am I, what is this body, mind or Atma—used to engage her. These are the three stages of her sadhana. Without the help of books or gurus, by dint of pure discrimination and search for Truth, she tore asunder the meshes of maya, overcame all doubts and attained Self-Realization.

==Teachings==

Some selected teachings:

* [[Brahman|Brahma]] is the only Reality—all else is unreal. Men are eager in their search for happiness in unreal worldly objects and do not want to know the truth of the Self, though in that alone lies real happiness and bliss, for man's mind is infatuated with desires.
* By the term ''dharma'' I understand the effort to cross the sea of this world of creation. That one has come into this world is a wrong notion; to give it up and return to the origin is ''dharma''.
* Enjoying sexual pleasures is like taking a sweetened ball of poison. Nothing covers the Self as much as this. The more this desire fades away, the thinner will be the cover.
* Men consider sexual instinct as bad in its gross manifestation. Decrying it in this way is not going deep enough, for they still enjoy the inclination inwardly. As long as this state of mind continues sexual impulse will not be checked. To understand that there is no real pleasure in it is the correct understanding.
* The thought of death brings about renunciation. For an aspirant the thought of death is a means of advancement.
* The more one gives up the more one gets. When all is given up, ALL is achieved.

==Poems==

Brahmajna Ma was a poet. A typical poem follows:
:Supreme lustre am I, I'm everlasting, good;
:Fully aware am I, devoid of death, decay;
:I have not any fear. I am eternal, whole,
:And free from throbs of thought. No intellect have I,
:No body nor a mind—my real nature's Bliss.
:No hunger, neither thirst, nor ego have I got;
:No wish have I—I am free from every sort of change;
:No father, mother, son or family have I;
:No duty, birth no death doth appertain to me.

== References ==

''The Life and Teaching of Sri Brahmajna Ma'', Swami Prabudhananda, Sadhu Arunachala (Major A W Chadwick), ed. (Deoghar: D N Sen, Santi Asram, Bela Bagan, 1961)
([https://books.google.com/books?id=DBwnAQAAIAAJ Google Books])

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=ACdgNlL-q3cC&dq=%22brahmajna+ma%22&pg=PA23 Reference in Linda Johnsen's ''Daughters of the Goddess'']
* [http://www.mountainrunnerdoc.com/page/page/5488517.htm reference to Swami Satyananda's meeting Brahmajna Ma (Note 10)]


[[Category:1880 births]]
[[Category:1934 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Hindu religious leaders]]
[[Category:Hindu female religious leaders]]
[[Category:Advaitin philosophers]]
[[Category:Indian Hindu spiritual teachers]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindu saints]]

Brahmajna Ma - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article