Accounts of Anandamayi Ma’s life generally portray her as a figure with remarkably few personal scandals, especially when compared with many modern gurus. The main points of critique tend to revolve not around accusations of moral misconduct, but around the nature and implications of the devotional world that formed around her. Observers have noted that the intense adoration of her as a direct embodiment of the Divine could foster emotional dependence and discourage critical inquiry. In this sense, the concern is less about her individual behavior and more about the dynamics of a powerful bhakti-centered relationship between guru and devotee.

Another area of criticism concerns her relative lack of engagement with explicit social reform. Some modern Hindu thinkers and social critics have felt that, given her influence, she might have done more to challenge entrenched structures such as caste hierarchy, poverty, or gender inequality. Her acceptance of traditional social frameworks is seen by such critics as a limitation, particularly in light of her stature as a revered female mystic. This does not negate the respect many held for her personal example, but it raises questions about the social reach of a spirituality focused primarily on inner realization and ritual observance.

Her embrace of traditional ritual life has also drawn philosophical and theological criticism. Rationalist and reform-minded voices have regarded her participation in, and encouragement of, conventional pūjās and observances as reinforcing superstition and ritualism. Related to this is the skepticism surrounding the miracles and extraordinary powers attributed to her by devotees. From a critical standpoint, such claims are treated as hagiographical and devotional in nature, meaningful to faith but not open to empirical verification.

It is noteworthy that widely documented accusations of financial exploitation, sexual misconduct, or deliberate manipulation do not feature prominently in serious accounts of her life. The debates that surround her legacy instead focus on the devotional intensity she inspired, her traditional religiosity, and the unverifiable supernatural claims woven into her hagiography. For many seekers, these very features are integral to her spiritual magnetism; for critics, they mark the boundary where reverence must be tempered by discernment.