Thread by @VIBHU_Tweet

“कौन कहते है भगवान खाते नहीं, तुम बेर शबरी के जैसे खिलाते नहीं!!”

“Who says God doesn't eat, you don't feed berries like Shabari!!”

We all have heard about a bheel woman who served her 'Joothe Ber' to Bhagwan Ram but do you know what was her story? Let's find out...
#Thread

There was a young woman named Shabari who was the daughter of a hunter.She wasn’t a good looking woman, but her heart was pure as gold.Before her wedding day she saw 1000s of goats&sheep that her father had brought to sacrifice,as it was a custom among the hunters of that time.

She couldn’t bear to see those animals being killed, so she ran away into the forest in the early morning to avoid the killing of those animals.

She went to many teachers and asked them to take her as their disciple and teach her ‘true wisdom’ (Brahma Jnana).

All the teachers rejected her because she was a low caste and wasn’t worthy to learn Brahma Jnana.

Sage Matanga welcomed her and took her as his disciple, other rishis and yogis condemned him for taking an outcaste as a disciple, they criticized him, called him fallen, impure.

Sage Matanga told Shabari “Oh my daughter, stay in my Ashram, clean the place, take care of the chores, serve, it will do good to you.”

“But other rishis in the forest are not happy with you about taking me as your disciple” says Shabari.

“You have come to me seeking the greatest,I’ll give you shelter”Sage was firm in his decision.

She was living peacefully in the Ashram,doing her daily duties,taking cows to pastures and so on.Those rishis who were still ignorant rejected Shabari’s Guru,calling him an impure one.

One day when old Sage Matang was very ill so he called his disciple Shabari and said “My Daughter, I’m leaving this body, is there anything you want me to do for you?”

Shabari prayed “Prabhu take me with you to the highest abode you are going. I cannot live without you”

Sage Matanga said “Dear, One day Prabhu Ram will come to see you, until then stay alive, after that you can come to me”

Shabari stayed alive in anticipation of Prabhu Ram, She would get up early morning every day and go to the forest to collect the berries to serve Sri Ram,...

..she didn’t know when Ram would come,she would go to the forest and collect berries every day. In that manner she spent many years.

There was a beautiful & grand lake called Pampasar near her Guru’s Ashram. Shabari who is now very old went to the lake with her pot made up of..

...mud to collect water, there was a rishi sitting there with long beard and matted hairs chanting mantras, he was old and was reciting mantras wrongly, he heard this outcaste woman filling the divine water of the lake.

He thought “This low caste woman is making the water impure for our use” he threw a stone at her in anger, it hit her leg and the blood came out, a drop of blood fell into the lake, with seconds all the water in the lake became blood.

Rishi started shouting loudly “Look, a drop of this outcaste’s blood has turned the whole lake into blood, what should we do now?”

Shabari went to her Ashram with her filled pot, still crying with pain. Rishis had no water to drink or to use for the sacred rites.

They started chanting purification mantras, doing Yagnas and Havanas, throwing holy powders into the lake but nothing helped. Water still remained blood. They brought water from Ganga, it was of no use, they brought Yamuna water, it was of no use.

Someone in the group said, “Prabhu Ram has come, he is wandering in the forest, he can help us, let’s go to him and pray him to turn this blood into water again”.

Prabhu Ram came upon their request to Pama sarovar, it was red everywhere, rishis were all standing around him.

Ram asked “What can I do for you now?”

“Prabhu, touch of your feet will change this into water back” said the rishis.

Ram walked into the lake but the blood still stayed blood.

“Take a dip in it Prabhu”said the rishis gathered there.

Ram took a dip in it, but nothing changed.

Ram asked “What can I do for you now?”

“Prabhu, touch of your feet will change this into water back” said the rishis.

Ram walked into the lake but the blood still stayed blood.

“Take a dip in it Prabhu”said the rishis gathered there.

Ram took a dip in it, but nothing changed.

Ram asked them “Tell me How did it become blood?”

One of the rishis said “There was a sage living here, he had an outcaste disciple Shabari, he has died but she still lives, she came to fetch water from this lake, a rishi threw a stone at her, it injured her and a drop of her..

..blood fell into the river, it turned all the water into blood”.

Prabhu Ram on hearing the name of Shabari placed both of his hands on his heart and said “Oh rishis that was not Shabari’s blood, that was the blood from my heart, I cannot clean this.”

“Prabhu our life has become difficult, we cannot live without this water”.

“I have come to see her, bring her to me, send someone to bring her”.

One of them went to Shabari and said “Prabhu Rama has come and he is requesting you”.

Shabari on hearing Prabhu Ram’s name came running to see him,rishis thought her impure shadow should not touch him and tried to stop her.The soil from her feet fell into the water as she was running hastily,blood turned back into water.Everyone was surprised with astonishment.

Prabhu Ram said “Did you see, dust from Shabari’s feet has purified the lake. I bathed in it, cleaned my mouth but nothing changed. Dust from the feet of pure devotee purified the lake”.

Shabari prayed to Prabhu Ram “now, please come to my hut Prabhu, I have decorated it with flowers for you, I have brought sweet berries for you. Please come my Maryada Purushattam”.

Ram and Lakshman followed her to her hermitage, she brought them sweet berries in a bowl she..

...had made with the leaves of a tree. Ram was pleased with the hard work she had gone through to bring him berries.

“Prabhu I have selected only the sweet berries for you, I tasted every berry to make sure I have only brought the sweetest berries, please take them”.

When Ram was about to take a berry Lakshman said “Brother these are half eaten, no good to eat”. Ram took a fruit and ate it, he said to Lakshman “Brother, these berries are so sweet, I have never tasted berries as sweet as Shabari’s berries.

Whomsoever offers a fruit, a leaf, a flower or water with love, I take it with great joy”.

Ram was touched by her love, he saw the leaves she had used to make the bowl, he blessed the tree that the leaves naturally grow to become like bowls.

Ram asked her“Ask me anything you wish,I’m pleased by your devotion”.

Shabari prayed only for pure devotion to Prabhu Ram. Before leaving Shabri’s hermitage Sri Ram delivers his discourse on nav-vidha bhakti( 9 fold devotion)to Shabari&blessed her with the boon of pure devotion.

After this darshan Shabari’s body life ended and she ascended to the spiritual world and eternal abode of Sri Ram.

II Jai Shree Ram II

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