SHABARI was
a hunter’s daughter and belong to the Nishadh (Bheel) tribal community.
The night before her marriage, she saw that thousands of goats and sheep were
brought by her father, which were going to be sacrificed for the marriage
dinner. Moved by compassion, during the early hours of the morning, she
renounced the world and ran away to meet a Master (Guru). After days of
traveling, she met Sage Matang at the foothills of Rishyamuk Parvat and
accepted him as guru, serving him with devotion. When her guru Matang Muni was
about to die, Shabari—now an old woman—says that after serving him throughout
her life, she wanted to reach the same “abode of peace” which Matang Muni reached.
Thereupon, the Muni said that by the virtue of her seva (service), Bhagwan Shri
Ram shall give her darshan and asks her to wait for his arrival. Saying thus,
the sage sitting in lotus posture attains Mahasamadhi. As per her guru’s words,
Shabari waits for the arrival of Shri Ram.
Everyday Shabari would go out of her ashram, with the help
of a walking stick and pluck berry fruits for Lord Ram. She would pluck a berry
fruit, first taste it, and if it was sweet she would put it in her
basket and discard the bitter ones. She wanted to give the good and sweet
fruits to Ram. The thought never came to her that she should not taste it
before it was offered to a deity. Traditional writers use this narrative to
indicate that in bhakti, faults are not seen by God. Thus collecting a few
fruits, Shabari went back to her ashram and eagerly anticipate Ram’s arrival.
Shabari is commonly used as a metaphor for an endless wait for God.
According to the Ramayan story, even though hundreds of
other yogis were waiting to receive Bhagwan Shri Ram in their ashrams, Shri Ram
went only to Shabari’s ashram because of her sincere devotion. On seeing
Bhagwan Ram, Shabari became ecstatic and said, “There were so many exalted
yogis waiting for your darshan, but you came to this unworthy devotee. This
clearly shows that you will neither see whether a devotee lives in a palace
or humble hut, whether he is erudite or ignorant – neither sees caste
nor color. You will only see the true bhakti – I do not have anything to offer
other than my heart, but here are some berry fruits. May it please you, my
Lord.” Saying so, Shabari offered the berry fruits she had meticulously
collected to Ram. When Ram was tastings them, Lakshman raised the concern that
Shabari had already tasted them and therefore unworthy of eating. To this Shri
Ram said that of the many types of food he had tasted, “nothing could equal
these berry fruits, offered with such devotion. You taste them, then alone will
you know. Whomsoever offers a fruit, leaf, flower or some water with love, I
partake it with great joy.” Lakshman Jati didn't taste the berry fruits. He
brought them to his mouth but threw them aside considering them as impure.
Pleased with Shabari's devotion, Lord Ram blesses her with
his vision. Shri Ram notices the donas or bowls of handmade leaves in which she
had offered the fruits and is impressed by the hard work, Shabari has gone
through to make them and hence blesses the tree, so that the leaves naturally
grow in the shape of a bowl. Shabari also tells Ram to take help
from Sugreev and where to find him. She redirects Ram & Lakshman
towards Hanuman and Sugreev.
Bhagwan Shri Ram delivers his discourse on
nava-vidha/Navadha bhakti (Ninefold Devotion) to Shabari.
After this divine incident, Shabari attained Moksha (Liberation).
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