Shabari's Sweet Berries

Shabari was a simple tribal woman who lived in the Dandaka forest. Her guru, Sage Matanga, had told her on his deathbed that Lord Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, would one day visit her humble ashram. 'Wait for Him,' he said.

Shabari took his words to heart. Every single morning for decades, she woke up, swept the path leading to her hut, cleared away the thorns, and gathered the sweetest wild berries she could find, just in case Rama arrived that day. Years turned into decades. Her youth faded, her hair turned white, and her body grew frail, but her daily preparation never stopped. Her faith never wavered.

One day, Rama and Lakshmana, searching for the abducted Sita, finally arrived at her ashram. Shabari's joy knew no bounds. She washed Rama's feet with her tears of devotion.

She brought out the berries she had collected. To ensure they were perfectly sweet and not bitter, the innocent Shabari took a small bite out of each berry before offering it to Rama.

Lakshmana was horrified at this breach of etiquette—offering tasted, 'impure' food to a prince and a deity. He tried to stop Rama. But Rama smiled, silencing his brother. He ate the half-eaten berries with immense relish, declaring that no food in the palaces of Ayodhya had ever tasted sweeter. To the Divine, the purity of the heart completely supersedes the purity of the ritual.