Story of Shabari

Shabari ke Ber

This story is for those who do not know or 

have forgotten the pure love between God 

and devotee:

Story of Shabari

On their way southwards Rama and Laxmana 

passed through many difficult terrain. The 

forests were sparsely populated. 

Occasionally one encountered an ashrama 

of a sage with a small village around it. One such ashrama 

belonged to rishi Matang whose heart grieved for the lowly and 

downtrodden.

In his ashrama, one tribal devotee of Rama, named SHABARI, used 

to stay. She used to keep the place clean and tidy, and along with 

that she also performed her japa -repeating the holy name of GOD, 

did her ritualistic worship by offering flowers etc., and sang many 

songs in the glory of the Lord. Her chosen ideal was Rama for 

whose meeting she was waiting for long time.

Years passed by; Rishi Matang became old. When he was on his 

death-bed, he called Shabari near him and said, “Look, O devotee 

of Rama, your tapasya -austerities - and spiritual longing for Rama 

would not go in vain. Sri Rama is sure to visit this ashrama, this I 

can say on the basis of my spiritual power. Therefore, after my 

departure, I plead you to wait for Rama’s arrival. Hence take 

charge of this ashrama and live in peace and as a devotee of Rama. 

Your efforts would be rewarded in due course of time.” So saying 

the rishi passed away.

Simple hearted, poor, and belonging to lower caste, Shabari did 

not know much about running the ashrama. Soon everyone left her. 

The birds, the flowers, the shrubs and occasional domesticated 

animal became her friends. But she had full faith in the words of 

her Guru Matang. When he had said Sri Rama would come to that 

ashrama, she could not disbelieve those words.

Hence Shabari used to clean the place early in the morning, collect 

fruits, and would wait looking at the distant road for her Rama to 

come. Every day this was her routine. Every day she thought 

“Rama would definitely come today!” In these days of eager wait 

and expectation of seeing her Rama, she forgot all about her 

rituals, worship, japa or songs! She forgot about day and night, 

month and year as well as the seasons. Rains were replaced by the 

winter, winter turned into summer of scorching heat, but Shabari 

had lost her interest in everything. For her the sun rose with the 

definite hope that her Rama would come that day and she would be 

able to serve him.

These long years of wait turned Shabari into an old woman. Her 

eye sight became dim and the hearing was affected. She had no 

remorse. She continued to keep her tiring body busy in her routine 

of cleaning the ashrama and collecting fruits for Rama.

One day, at last, Sri Rama arrived in the ashrama. Pleasure of 

Shabari knew no bounds. The long awaited desire was fulfilled. 

Falling at the feet of Rama she said, “O Rama, I cannot describe 

your kindness in words. When so many great sadhakas (rishis and 

munis and yogis), cannot seek your Grace even in many births, you 

have come to me so soon.”

So saying she washed the holy feet of her chosen ideal and offered 

him berries which she had collected from the forest that morning. 

And the beauty of the relation between the true Bhakta and the 

Lord was such that Rama was happy in eating the same fruit that 

had been tasted by Shabari herself, lest the fruit should be bitter!

Laxmana, with tears rolling down his cheeks, was silently observing 

the pure love between God and the devotee. Until now he used to 

think that there was nobody on the earth or heaven who loved 

Rama as dearly as he did. But today Shabari proved him wrong. 

When tears dried down in the eyes of Shabari, when her voice was 

not choking, when she lifted her eyes from the holy feet of Rama 

then Laxmana bowed down at the feet of Shabari and said, “O 

mother, your love for Rama will be remembered for ever in this 

world. I bow down in reverence to the great devotee of Sri Rama.”

Then Shabari inquires about the purpose of their such hard 

journey. Rama recounts the sad tell of kidnapping of Sita, etc. 

Reflecting upon the facts, Shabari directs them to go further 

southwards to Pampa lake and to Kishkindha where the monkey 

king Sugreeva and the great Rama-devotee monkey Hanuman 

would be of great help in their search of Sita.

The Nine Forms of Devotion

It was then that Rama enumerated the nine forms of devotion as 

follows:

1. The first form of devotion is the company of saint
2. The second form is listening to the Epics and Puranas;
3. The third form is humbly serving ones guru;
4. The fourth form is singing devotional songs;
5. The fifth form is chanting God's name with unwavering faith;
6. The sixth form is the practice of good conduct avoiding all undesirable activities;
7. The seventh form is to see God in everyone and to revere saints above all else;
8. The eighth form lies in contentment and not wishing ill for others even in ones dreams, and;
9. The ninth form is having faith in God through good and bad times.

Rama added that no one form of devotion was better than another. 

Anyone who follows any one of these forms could attain salvation.

Courtesy: INTERNET