Dharma Kshetra

Sabari, the great devotee of Lord Rama

When Lord Rama embarked on His search for Si¯ta, he encountered several demons whom he defeated and many devotees whom he blessed. One such devotee was Shabari, a tribal woman and the daughter of a hunter.

On the night before her wedding, Shabari witnessed her father bringing in thousands of goats and sheep to be sacrificed for the wedding feast. Touched by great compassion, she fled her home early the next morning in search of a spiritual master.

Despite being rejected by many yogis and gurus who considered her unqualified, Shabari continued her quest. After traveling for several days, she finally met the great sage Matanga Rsi at the foot of the mountain Rishyamukha. She accepted him as her guru and served him with devotion.

During the last days of sage Matanga's life, Shabari took care of him with great attention and care. Pleased with her service, Matanga Rsi blessed her, foretelling that Lord Rama and His brother Laksmana would come to meet her one day.

Many years had passed (as per the lifespan of the Treta Yuga) and Shabari had grown old. She continued to live in the same ashram while awaiting Lord Rama. Always meditating on her guru's words, Shabari waited patiently for His arrival. Every day, despite the difficulty of walking due to old age and infirmity, Shabari would go out of her ashram early in the morning to pick Ber fruits (Indian Jujube) for Lord Rama. She would pluck a fruit, taste it first, and if it was sweet, she would put it in her basket and discard the bitter ones. Shabari wanted to offer only the good and sweet fruits to Lord Rama.

After Si¯ta Devi was kidnapped by Ravana, Lord Rama, and Laksmana traveled hundreds of miles in search of her. They came upon a giant demon named Kabandha, whom Lord Rama killed. After Kabandha was slain, he came to his Swarupa and that he was a Gandharva who had been cursed by a sage to become a demon. The sage had also said that Lord Rama would come to liberate him. Kabandha then told them that Shabari was waiting to serve them near Pampa Sarovar.

Rama and Laksmana arrived at Pampa Sarovara and noticed some caves by the lake and a small straw hut nearby. A frail old lady was seated on the ground on a small Kusha grass mat. This lady was none other than Shabari. Even though several yogis were waiting to receive Lord Rama in their ashrams, he chose to visit Shabari's ashram because of her genuine devotion. Shabari was constantly chanting the holy names of Lord Rama, with tears in her eyes. When she saw Rama and Laksmana, she immediately recognized them. She had been meditating on Rama's arrival for many years with great anticipation and eagerness. Shabari offered dandvat pranam to Lord Rama, and her tears cleansed the Lord's feet.

Shabari offered Lord Rama a place to sit and prayed to Him. She had meticulously collected some forest fruits to serve Him. When she offered the fruits to Rama, he tasted them. However, Laksmana expressed concern as he noticed that Shabari had already tasted them and thus deemed them unworthy of the Lord to eat.

To this Lord Rama said, "I have tasted many types of food, but nothing equals these Ber 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."

Then Lord Rama narrated to her the incident of Si¯ta's kidnapping. Shabari said, "Across this Pampa Sarovar is Rishyamukha Mountain where Sugriva lives. Sugriva is one of the chiefs of the monkeys. He has been exiled from his kingdom and his wife Ruma has been abducted and is being held captive by his brother Bali. No one in the world can understand what Sugriva is going through better than you, and no one in the world can understand what you are going through better than Sugriva. If you help him to get his wife and his kingdom back, then he will search the entire earth over and over again, relentlessly, until he finds Si¯ta and brings her back. And his minister Hanuman is the most empowered transcendental person who can do anything."

Rama expressed His desire to see the ashram of Matanga Rsi. Shabari kindly offered to give Him a tour. As they walked through the ashram, Laksmana and Rama were shown the place where yajn~a was performed, as it was the Yuga Dharma in Tretayuga. Despite over a decade having passed since they left, the fire from the yajn~a was still burning. They were also shown the flowers that were made into garlands to decorate their beloved Lord, which were still fresh and fragrant. Shabari went on to explain that all the sages wore tree bark, and showed them the place where they would wash and dry their clothes. The tree bark hanging there was still wet from being washed. Due to the love and devotion of the sages to Rama, everything was kept simple and yet remained fresh as it was years before, just so that Rama could see it. Lord Rama and Laksmana were filled with happiness by the simplicity of Shabari.

Lord Rama taught Shabari about Navdha Bhakti at her request. Shabari understood that her life was perfect by His grace. With Rama and Laksmana's permission, she left her body and returned to the abode to join her Guru Matang in the loving service of the Lord, which was her only desire.

In Upadesamrta 3, it is said, "utsahan niscayad dhairyat," which means enthusiasm, confidence, and patience. Shabari embodied these qualities in her service to Lord Rama. Her enthusiasm increased day by day, and she was confident in the words of her guru that He would come to her. She patiently waited her entire life for His arrival, and the Lord reciprocated her devotion. According to the standard of deity worship, one should not offer tasted food. However, the Lord relished the tasted berries offered to Him by Shabari with great love and devotion. This story illustrates that pure devotion does not depend on external factors such as scholarly knowledge, social status, or expensive offerings. What is required is simplicity and pure devotion to the Lord.

Credit: https://stories.shabda.co/2024/01/27/sabari-the-great-devotee-of-lord-rama/