The Story of Sabari wonderfully told by Swami

[Guest guest]

The Story of Sabari wonderfully told by Swami

 

Shabari had a very tender compassionate heart. How she came to sage

Maathanga and stayed at his hermitage is a very interesting story.

Her marriage was arranged by her parents, and as was the custom among

the Aadhivaasis , a goat was to be offered to the tribal Goddess, on

the night previous to the ceremony, in order to win the grace for the

couple. When Shabari came to know about this slaughter, she wept, and

fell at the feet of her parents, praying them to save the goat. She

asked, " How can our married life be happy, when the dying bleat of

this goat is the prologue? " But, the father pushed her aside and

proceeded with the cruel rite. That night, Shabari stole out of that

den of torture, and hid herself in the depths of the jungle that was

not far off.

 

When day dawned, her parents as well as the groom's party were

plunged in grief and anxiety; they combed the area, even where she

was lying low amidst the thick bushes, and they went back, saying

among themselves, " She could not have gone to the hermitage, for no

women would be given asylum there " . She heard these words and so, she

concluded that the hermitage was the safest place for her. She felt

that some monk will take pity on her, and not send her back.

Maathanga espied her and gave her permission to be in his habitation.

He told her that God in the form of Sri Raama was coming to the

hermitage some day, since he has been exiled into the forest for 14

years and He is eager to save the monks and seekers doing Thapas

(penance) in the forest from the ravages of the demonic enemies of

peace! Raama, he said, was proceeding from one region to another,

with His consort, Seetha and His brother, Lakshmana.

 

From that day Shabari had no other thought than of Raama, no other

desire than the desire to have the Dharshan of Raama, the chance to

touch His feet and the opportunity to speak with Him. Her heart was

saturated with the Raamarasa (the sweet juice of the Raama

principle). She had no other Japam or Dhyaana (repetition of God's

name or meditation) or spiritual exercise. She spent her time

preparing for the visit of Raama to the hermitage; just as she

cleaned the paths, she cleaned her heart, too. Pebbles and thorns

disappeared from both, through her efforts. She walked through the

undergrowth and removed overhanging creepers and briars, for she

imagined Raama would not have combed His hair and it might get

caught. She broke the lumps of earth, for she feared the tender soles

of Seetha will be hurt when she walks over them. She gathered fruits

and tubers from the jungle trees and plants and kept them by every

day, for no one knew when Raama will arrive! And, she took no risks.

She tasted every fruit, whether it was bitter, sour or sweet, so that

Raama could eat the best. She smoothed the surface of all stones that

lay by the side of the tracks in the jungle for, she expected Raama,

Lakshmana or Seetha to sit upon any one of them when they got tired

of walking. She hoped that one of them would rest awhile on one of

the rocks she had polished with great care. Thus her heart became

Raama Hrudhaya (Raama's heart)!

 

Shabari was so immersed in Raama that the ascetics lost all lost all

awareness of her sex; they allowed her to remain in the hermitage,

after Maathanga related to them her high level of Sadhana (spiritual

practice). Maathanga also left his body and gave up his hermitage to

Shabari, saying, 'you alone deserve to be here when Raama arrives!'

 

The Saadhana that Shabari did to earn the bliss of serving Raama, you

do, when you serve Sai Raama in these children. By this service, you

realise the self.

 

 

- From Swami's Divine Discourse on January'3rd'1971, Dharmakshetra,

Mumbai