Shabari: A Lifetime of Waiting

Who she is

Shabari belonged to a forest tribe. As a young woman she left home and found her way to the ashram of Sage Matanga near Lake Pampa, where she served the sages for years, sweeping the paths and gathering wood and fruit. When Matanga was about to leave his body, he told her to stay: Ram would come to this very ashram, and she should wait for him.

Her waiting and her offering

She waited. Every morning she swept the path and gathered fruit in case this was the day. The years turned her hair white. When Ram and Lakshmana finally arrived, searching for Sita, she fell at their feet, seated them, and brought the berries she had collected. A tradition loved across India adds that she had bitten each berry to make sure only the sweet ones reached him. Ram ate them with delight.

When she spoke of her low birth and lack of learning, Ram answered, in the Ramcharitmanas, that he recognises no relationship of caste, family, wealth or cleverness, only that of devotion; a person without devotion is like a cloud without water. He then taught her navadha bhakti, the nine forms of devotion:

• keeping the company of the good,
• loving to hear the Lord's story,
• humbly serving the teacher,
• singing the Lord's praise without guile,
• repeating his name with firm faith,
• self-control and good conduct,
• seeing the Lord in the whole world and honouring the saintly,
• contentment with what one has, and seeing no fault in others,
• simplicity, honesty with all, and trust in the Lord in joy and sorrow.

He told her she had all nine. Shabari then directed him to Sugriva and, her life's purpose complete, gave up her body. The story is in the Aranya Kanda.

What she stands for

Shabari had no rank, no wealth, no scripture and no certainty of the date. She had patience and love, and the Ramayana says that was enough for God to come to her door. She speaks to everyone who feels unqualified, and to everyone who is tired of waiting: keep the path swept.

Read Equality and compassion. Next: Ravana.