Annapoorani by Maha Periyava

Annapoorani

Famine (& poverty) is spreading not only in our country but throughout the world. We can manufacture a lot of machines. We can also build a lot of factories.  But the cultivation of crops is not in our hands.  Without sufficiency in food crops, without a satisfied belly, all other forms of prosperity we achieve can still be called only as   famine.  All our worldly knowledge and intelligence are not sufficient for the cultivation of crops. An engineer can construct a dam across the river but he cannot bring about rain. There will be redemption only if all of us whole-heartedly pray to the Universal Mother, Annapoorani. Only She can pardon our sins and Bless us with agricultural prosperity. She Herself will give alms for eradicating poverty and famine.

Sri Shankara Bhagawadpada, our Acharya, had composed a hymn on Annapoorani, while he was staying at Kasi. In that hymn, at the end of each stanza he fervently prays ‘Oh Mother, Annapoorani, You who stands as the pillar of compassion, please give me alms’.

Bhikshaam Dehi Kripaavalambanakari

Maataa Annapoorneswari’

(‘भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरीमातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी’)

The word ‘Dehi’ in that stanza does not mean to give alms to the Acharya, for whom there is no such need at all as he gets Bhiksha. Further, our Acharya is beyond body-consciousness or hunger. Once Krakacha, a Kaapaalika came to Acharya and said that if he could give the head of a King or a saint as sacrifice, he would have the Darshan of Kapali (Shiva). Acharya immediately responded ‘If you ask for the head of a king, you will not have head over your shoulders. So take my head’. Saying this he showed him his own head. But subsequently due to Divine intervention this story got changed. I am not telling you that story. My intention is to highlight that our Acharya did not have even a trace of ego or selfishness or attachment to his body.  What is the meaning of such a selfless person asking ‘Divine Mother, Give me alms’?

The answer lies in the last stanza of the Shloka. He declares ‘Goddess Parvathi is my Mother. Lord Shiva is my Father. All devotees of Shiva are my relatives. The three worlds are my Home’.  So when he prays ‘Give me alms’ that means he is asking alms for the sake of all the three worlds.  Just to help the self-seeking people like us to recite this Shloka, he has prayed for alms.

Merely obtaining food through alms is not worthy. There is no use in going on eating for the sake of nurturing this body, without acquiring Knowledge as the end-result.  Goddess Annapoorani, who holds a vessel with rice and milk along with a spoon in her hand to distribute food with great love, blesses us with this Special Knowledge.  Adi Shankara, in the final stanza of the Shloka, prays for this Alms of Knowledge and Detachment.

Goddess Annapoorani is enshrined as Goddess Kamakshi at Kanchipuram. Kamakshi is said to have sustained the 32 Dharmas with two measures of Paddy. Of the 32 Dharmas, the offering of food is also one. Inside the temple of Kamakshi (Kamakottam) there is a separate shrine for Annapoorani. When Sundaramoorthy Swamigal went to the temple of Onakaanthan thali , he sang before Shiva as to ‘When Goddess Annapoorani is there in Kamakottam offering food to all, why are you roaming like a beggar’?

Vaarirum kuzhalvaal Nendungkan

Malaimagal Madhuvimmu Konrai

Thaarirun Thadamaarbu Neengaa

Thaiyalaal Ulaguyya Vaitha

Kaarirum Pozhilkachi Moodoor

Kaamakottam Undaaga Neerpoi

Ooridum Pichchai Kolvadenne

Onakaanthan Thaliyuleere !

We shall pray to Annapoorani, who nurtures both this body and soul, that all the living beings are freed from the pangs of hunger and famine.

Annapoorani, in the form of Kamakshi, graces all of us, who are suffering from poverty and famine which happens to be the punishment for our sins. Even sinners should not suffer on account of hunger. There is a place called Cherukunnam in Kerala. In the Annapoorna temple situated there, they not only provide food to all the devotees who come to worship and for people who do service there, but also keep a bundle of food every night tied on a tree near the temple. The arrangement is to ensure that even the robbers who pass that way should not suffer due to hunger.

When such a kind Mother is there to take care of us, why should so much famine and poverty exist in this world?  That only shows how much sins we have committed. In the book called ‘Charaka-Samhitha’ Rishi Athreya declares ‘In a country, town or a village, if the rulers fail in their duties (Dharma) then people owing allegiance to them also follow the same path’. When Adharma increases, the Devas (demi gods who are appointed by the Supreme to manage the Natural Forces) refrain from supporting the people. Then seasons change adversely and monsoons also fail. Even if it rains, it will be unseasonal rain transgressing place, time, and quantity. Diseases and famine spread everywhere. Even among the scarce food grains available there will be contamination resulting again in diseases. All these adversely affect the nation.

If we learn our lessons from such famines and try to reform ourselves, Goddess Annapoorani will bless us with the Alms of Food and Knowledge. Her very form is Knowledge-personified. Acharya describes her as the essence of all the alphabets from ‘a’ to ‘ksha’. ‘Aadi Kshaantha Samastha Varnanakaree’ (आदिक्षान्तसमस्तवर्णनकरी) which is the form of ‘Mantra Maatrukaa Roopini’. Since her form is such, she will not only give us alms to sustain our body but also bless us with the alms of Knowledge and give us wisdom.

In the final stanza of the Shloka, Acharyal explains what type of knowledge it is. At that stage of realization, the Lord Himself will appear as Father and the Goddess as our Mother. Then all the living beings will become our brothers and sisters and entire universe will become our own home. Such a reality is far superior to the National Integration, about which it is much spoken of now. In fact it is even greater than International integration. This is Universal Integration. If we have devotion, if we have faith and awe that Goddess Annapoorani is there for us, then the realization that all people of the Universe are Her children and that they all are our brothers and sisters, will automatically be achieved. To achieve this we don’t need lectures addressing all as “brothers and sisters” or planning commissions or propaganda.

Such unity has existed since time immemorial. For the sake of God, people from South went to Kasi (in North) and the people from North came to Rameswaram (in South). So without any lecture or propaganda on integration we were united by religion and lived as children of one mother. Along with this, Sanskrit, having been accepted as the common language of the Sastras by the intellectuals, had united the four corners of the country.

Now in our Secular culture we have discarded religion. All efforts are also going on to wipe out the Sanskrit language. I am not telling this about our people (Tamizh Nadu) alone. Even the Hindi-speaking people are doing this job very efficiently. They are also trying to drive out English which has come as the link language in recent times.

Even this language-issue is only secondary. It is enough if we develop devotion. Then the disputes of state, caste and language will vanish forever. Only now, when we are talking more about unity, one state refuses to give water to another state, one refuses to give food grains to another and thus stand divided. Border disputes between states are on the rise. Though it was rumored that there was suppression in the name of language and caste in earlier days, we actually see it happening only now. This is because of the lack of religious faith and devotion. Once we discarded religion and devotion which were the binding force, the entire society has dissipated. So now the only all-purpose remedy for this is devotion. True devotion to God will blossom into universal love which will result in mutual co-operation.

Saint Tirumoolar said ‘Anbe Sivam’ (Love is God). That is knowledge. Saint Thaayumaanavar says ‘Oh God! Personification of Knowledge!’ Let us pray to Goddess Annapoorani to bless us with alms of ‘Love and Knowledge’ or ‘Knowledge filled with love’. This is the prayer of Acharyal also.

Annapoorne Sadaapoorne, Sankara Praana Vallabhey |

Gnaana Vairaagya Siddhyartham Bhikshaam Dehi cha Parvathi ||

(अन्नपूर्णे सदापूर्णे शङ्करप्राणवल्लभे ।

ज्ञानवैराग्यसिद्ध्यर्थं भिक्षां देहि च पार्वति ।।)