श्री राम जय राम जय जय राम
Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram
There once lived a young tribal woman named Shabri. She was the daughter of a hunter. Her father arranged her marriage. He bought 1000 goats and sheep for sacrifice on the wedding day. This was the custom among hunters in those days.
Shabri was a kind and loving woman and she could not bear the thought of so many innocent animals being killed at her wedding. So she decided to run away. If there was no marriage, there would be no sacrifice. Late that night when everyone was fast asleep Shabri quietly tip-toed out of the house. She ran and ran as far away as she could and went deep into the forest.
In the forest she met several teachers of the scriptures who had their Gurukuls (residential schools) in the midst of the woods. At these Gurukuls students studied the vedas and various books that taught important life lessons. Shabri wanted to learn too, but none of the teachers would teach her. They shooed her away telling her that she was not worthy of an education as she was only a low tribal woman. Shabri was broken hearted. She couldn’t understand why she was being rejected though she so sincerely wanted to study.
Then one day as she kept wandering through the thick forest she met the wise Sage Matanga. When she asked him to take her as his student Sage Matanga happily welcomed her into his ashram and promised to give her all the knowledge. Students in those days had to keep the ashram clean, they had to help with the house work and fetch water. They did all the duties that their Guru asked them to do because in doing this work they learnt to respect the work and their Guru, gained discipline, and learnt obedience. It was also a way students could offer gratitude to their teacher for teaching them. Shabri became Sage Matanga’s student and did all the duties required of a good and devoted shishya (pupil).
Sage Matanga had to bear the wrath of all the other Brahmins who were so angry that Shabri would be taught the scripture even though they had felt she was too inferior to do so. But Sage Matanga stuck with his decision. Shabri worried that the other Brahmins were angry with Sage Matanga and were even calling him “impure”and "unholy" for having taken a low tribal into his ashram. But the old sage put her at ease and told her that as she had come to him seeking the greatest knowledge, he would give her shelter and teach her.
Shabri was delighted. She did all the chores in the ashram and when the great sage spoke she would quietly sit in a corner listening to his powerful words of wisdom. Shabri lived happily in the ashram serving her Guru for many years. One day Sage Matanga called Shabri and said to her, “I am now very old and it is time for me to leave this body. Is there anything you want me to do for you before I leave you?” Shabri with tears in her eyes begged of her teacher, “Please, please take me with you. I cannot live without you. You are leaving for the highest abode. Do not leave me here alone.”
Sage Matanga replied, “I cannot take you with me because you must stay here and keep the ashram ready for when Lord Ram comes to see you. Until then you must stay at the ashram and keep everything ready for Lord Ram’s arrival, only after that will you join me.”
Shabri had always obeyed her Guru and this time too. She did exactly as she was told. Everyday she would wake up very early in the morning, even before the sun had risen. She would clean the ashram, collect fresh flowers and see that the ashram was perfectly prepared for Lord Ram’s visit. This she did every single day from one year to the next. As the years passed Shabri grew old, but she still kept doing exactly as her Guru had ordered. She was sure that as Sage Matanga had told her that Lord Ram would come to the ashram to see her, he would surely come.
There was a beautiful lake, Pampa Sarovar, near Sage Matanga’s ashram and Shabri used to go there to collect water. One day as usual she took her mud pot to the lake to collect the sweet water. There was an old rishi with a long beard, matted hair and wearing a simple cloth around his waist, sitting by the pond chanting his prayers. Though he was sitting holding his Rudraksha beads (seeds used as prayer beads) and chanting, his mind was really not on God because if it had been, he would not have noticed old Shabri coming to fetch water from the lake. Shabri was careful to stay far from the rishi and walk very quietly on tip-toes but the Rishi had seen her fill her pot and he was enraged. He thought to himself, “How dare this low caste, tribal woman come and collect water from this lake where I a high class Brahmin is sitting and praying.” Cruelly, he picked up a sharp stone and threw it at Shabri. Terrified, Shabri turned and ran as fast as her old, weak legs could take her. But the stone had hit her leg and a drop of blood fell into the lake. Within seconds, to the Rishi’s horror, all the water in the lake turned to blood.
The Rishi rushed off to tell the other Rishis in the forest. Now no one would be able to drink the water from the lake. He gathered all the other Brahmins and took them to the lake to show them the blood red water. He said to the others, “Look at what has happened. One drop of blood from this low outcaste woman’s leg has contaminated our water. What shall we do now?”
None of these great teachers spared a thought for the old, feeble and frail Shabri who had injured her leg. Tired from running and now in pain Shabri sat on the steps of the ashram crying. Shabri was a simple woman and she shook with fear from having been chased off by a powerful Brahmin. But as she had filled her pot with enough water for herself she was glad she did not not need to go back to the lake. In fact she was too frightened to even think of going back.
At the lake the Rishis had no water at all. They decided to chant mantras to purify the water. They chanted for a long time but the water in the lake remained blood red. They did a yagna, wherein they created a special fire and said prayers to the Gods to ask them to clear the lake water. But the yagna (fire sacrifice) was not successful. They performed havans (religious offerings) too, praying for their communities welfare. But none of their prayers seemed to work. They brought water from the Ganga and the Yamuna and added it to the lake water to purify it but it was of no use. The lake had only blood in it, no water.
It was then that one of the Rishis informed them that Lord Ram who had been exiled from his kingdom was now in the forest not far from the Pampa Sarovar lake. The others were so relieved to hear this because they were sure Lord Ram would be able to turn the blood back to water. So they all rushed to Lord Ram and falling at his feet they begged him to turn the blood in the Pampa Sarovar back into water.
“Lord,” they said, “our life has become very difficult as we can not live without water.”
Lord Ram agreed to walk back with them to the lake and asked them, “What do you want me to do?”
The Rishis replied “Lord just touch the blood with your feet and it will certainly turn back to water.”
Willingly Lord Ram walked into the lake. But the blood did not change to water.
The Rishis then begged of him to take a dip in the lake.
Lord Ram took a dip but nothing changed.
Now rather nervously the Rishis asked, “Lord would you please take some of the blood and wash your mouth with it and spit it back into the lake?”
Lord Ram’s brother, Laxman, stepped in and said “but how can Lord Ram do that, this is blood?”
But Lord Ram without any hesitation took a handful of the blood from the lake and rinsed his mouth.
The Rishis looked at each other in utter amazement because they could not believe that even Lord Ram had not been able to change the blood in the lake back to water.
Now Lord Ram turned to them and asked, “Tell me how did this happen? How did the water turn into blood?”
One of the Rishis spoke up, “Sage Matanga had an ashram nearby. The old sage gave shelter to an outcast tribal woman, Shabri. We did not approve of this but Sage Matanga allowed her to live in his ashram. The sage died several years ago but Shabri still lives at the ashram. She came to collect water from this lake and a Rishi praying was disturbed. So he threw a stone at her and a drop of her blood fell in the water. Since then the lake has no water only blood.”
Lord Ram on hearing Shabri’s name placed both his hands on his heart and said, “This lake is the blood of my heart. I cannot change it to water. I had come here to meet Shabri. Only Shabri can turn this blood back to water. Go quickly and tell her that Lord Ram is requesting you to come and is waiting for you.”
Though they did not quite believe that an old, outcaste woman could change the blood to water, they rushed off to get Shabri back to the lake, as this is what Lord Ram had ordered. And besides, they were all very keen that the blood in the lake turn back to water.
When they reached the ashram Shabri was busy cleaning the ashram. She saw the Rishis and cowered as she thought they had come to drive her away from the ashram. But instead they rushed upto her and told her that Lord Ram had sent for her!
This was the moment Shabri had waited for, for her whole life. This was the moment her beloved Guru had told her about. She left all that she was doing and ran towards the Pampa Sarovar where the Rishis said Lord Ram was waiting.
As she reached Lord Ram the Rishis barred her from going forward as they did not want even the shadow of this outcaste to fall on Lord Ram. But as she had come to a sudden stop, some soil from her feet flew into the lake and immediately, the blood in the lake turned to water.
There was a loud gasp from the large group of Rishis. No one could believe that whereas all their prayers yagna, havans had had no success. Where Lord Ram was unable to clean the water. The soil from Shabri’s bare feet had purified the water.
Lord Ram turned to them and said, “Did you see how the dust from Shabri’s feet has cleaned the water? I bathed in the lake and washed my mouth in it and yet could not change it. But the dust from the feet of my true devotee instantly purified the water.”
Lord Ram then asked Shabri to come forward. She fell at the Lord’s feet and prayed to him. With the innocence of a child and love in her heart she asked of Lord Ram, “Lord will you come to Guru Matanga’s ashram? I have decorated it with fresh flowers for your arrival. I have picked a plate full of sweet berries for you to eat. Please Lord come with me to the ashram.”
The Rishis could not believe their eyes when both Lord Ram and Lord Laxman happily and willingly followed Shabri to the ashram. When they reached there, Shabri brought before them a bowl made of fresh leaves and in the bowl were sweet berries.” As she served them she said to Lord Ram, “Lord I have tasted each berry to make sure that you get only the sweetest ones.”
Laxman looked into the bowl and said to Ram “you cannot eat these berries they have all been half eaten. ”But lord Ram was already enjoying the berries with great relish.
Then Lord Ram said, “Whoever offers me a fruit, a leaf, a flower or even water with love I happily accept. It is the love behind the offering that makes it precious. Shabri has taken the trouble of tasting each berry to choose only the sweetest ones for me. Her love for me is so great that she did not want, even accidentally, to offer me a sour fruit.”
Lord Ram was so touched by Shabri’s welcome and offering that he said to her, “Ask me for anything you wish for and I will grant it to you.”
Shabri had nothing more to ask for so she prayed only for even greater devotion to the Lord.
Life Lessons
1.Like Shabri be kind to humans and animals.
2.Like Shabri be determine to strive for your goal even if you have to face rejection. It was because Shabri never gave up looking for a Guru that she found a great teacher like Sage Matanga.
3.Be devoted to those you love and to God as Shabri was to the sage Matanga and to Lord Ram.
4. Do your duty whether anyone is watching or not. Shabri had been told by her teacher to keep the ashram ready, at all times, for Lord Ram. She did this every day for many, many years, even when she was old and tired she never shirked her duty.
5. Never like the Rishis think of anyone as lower than you. God made all of us equal.
6. Remember when you offer a gift it does not matter what you give it is the love with which you give it that matters. Shabri gave Lord Ram fruit she had bitten into but she did so because she loved Lord Ram so much that she did not want him to get even one sour fruit.
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