In 1947 she married Chandrika Prasad Shrivastava, a high- ranking Indian civil servant whose career spanned serving as personal secretary to the late Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri to four successive terms as Secretary-General of the United Nations International Maritime Organization. They had two daughters. During this time whilst she raised her daughters and supported the career of her eminent husband, Shri Mataji continued to take a benevolent interest in the world around her. She came face to face with a wide range of people from different countries, cultures, income levels and backgrounds and related to them with genuine regard. Whether discussing matters of state with important leaders, or family issues with a taxi driver, she was always open to listening and understanding. She stood against prejudice, offered protection to those in need, engaged in charitable work, encouraged culture through music and film, farmed the land and ran a busy household. She was a loving wife, mother and sister, and would eventually become a grandmother.

All the time she deepened her perception of human nature focusing her attention on the best way to help human beings rise to their highest potential. She came to understand that such a transformation could only occur through the process of self- realization which is the activation of the inbuilt subtle energy (called Kundalini) which is present in us all. The awakening of this energy was something she would experience herself, before dedicating her life to sharing it with others.

On the 5th of May 1970 Shri Mataji began her spiritual life-work. At the age of 47 she found a way and developed a method of giving en-masse self-realization. She desired to offer a genuine experience that people could use to transform and heal themselves. Unlike many so-called gurus who took advantage of those people seeking spiritual knowledge, Shri Mataji wanted to empower the seeker themselves with this knowledge. She denounced all such false gurus and throughout her life warned against fraudulent and abusive spiritual practices.

When her husband became Secretary General of the UN Maritime Organization Shri Mataji moved with him to London and began her spiritual work with a small group of people. She toured the United Kingdom giving lectures as well as the experience of self-realization. She never charged money for these programs, insisting that the awakening of this spiritual energy lying dormant within all human beings was their birth right and thus, could not be paid for. As those around her came to recognize her exceptional spiritual and motherly qualities, she soon received the honorific title “Shri Mataji” meaning “Respected Mother”.

The method of meditation through self-realization developed by Shri Mataji was called Sahaja Yoga. Throughout the 1980`s Shri Mataji continuously and tirelessly toured Europe, Australia and North America, teaching this method free of charge to those interested. The 1990´s saw her travels spread to South America, Africa, Russia, Eastern Europe and Asia and the Pacific region.

Institutions around the world bestowed honorary awards and doctorates upon her. In 1995 she spoke at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Claes Nobel spoke of her Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 1997 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. A great admirer of Shri Mataji and Sahaja Yoga, he proclaimed it “a source of hope for humanity” and “a reference point for determining right from wrong”.