Annapurna! The mother of the Three Worlds!
The symbol of spiritual harmony, Shiva and Parvati are like yin and yang, eternally connected in a sacred balance that constitutes the Divine whole.
However, once the celestial couple got into an argument when Shiva claimed everything in the world was nothing more than an illusion, insisting even the food people ate to survive was Maya or illusion.
Goddess Parvati felt belittled and angrily exclaimed “If everything I supply is just an illusion, then let’s see how everyone gets on without me!”
Angrily she vanished from the world.
Soon the natural functions of the cosmos came to a grinding halt. Time stood still, seasons were unable to change, causing droughts and infertile barren lands. The world was deprived of food and sustenance.
Afflicted by the pangs of hunger, humans and Gods alike started scouring for food. The sages stopped performing their spiritual duties, exclaiming “The pursuit of salvation is impossible without the sustenance to do so!”
Shiva's followers begged him for food; even the Gods were forced to beg for food, but could not find any food.
Finally, Shiva realized that there was only one kitchen on earth, in the city of Varanasi (Kashi), where food was still available. Shiva went to Kashi to beg for food for his devotees. To his surprise, the kitchen was owned by his consort Parvati, but in the form of Annapurna.
She wore celestial purple and brown garments, which were lightly adorned with ornaments. She was serving food to the starving Gods and hungry humans. Annapurna offered food as alms to Shiva and made him realize that as Brahman, Shiva might have outgrown hunger; but his followers had not.
Shiva realized that he was incomplete without Shakti. He humbly told her that he had realized his mistake that food could not be dismissed as an illusion as it was required to nourish the body as well as the inner soul.
Since then Goddess Parvati has been worshipped as the Goddess of food and nourishment, Annapurna.
The legend of Kasi Viswanath Temple in Varanasi is associated with the story that Shiva built the Annapurna temple in her honour.
Anna (अन्न) means "food" or "grains" and pūrṇa (पूर्ण) means "full, complete and perfect."
According to Hindu scriptures, annam/food is a form of Brahman 'annam parabrahma swaroopam'.Food is the essence of life/ the Lord of Creation.)
-The Upanishads
Annapurna or Annapurneswari/Annada mata is the Hindu Goddess of food and nourishment. Mount Annapurna in the Himalayas is named after her as the goddess is believed to be one of the daughters of Himavat, the king of the mountains.
The 'Kumara Sambhavam' by Kalidasa makes vivid mention of Varanasi and the deity Annapurna. The goddess is also described as the source of knowledge and the main deity in the Annapurna Upanishad, which is considered a minor Upanishad among the 108 Upanishads. In this text, praying to Annapurna is the means by which the sage Ribhu attains knowledge.
She is eulogized in the Annada Mangal as the divinity who "bestows the bounty of rice". It is a narrative poem in Bengali mangalkavya by Bharatchandra Ray. The Annapurna Sahasranam is dedicated to the Goddess and praises her one thousand names, while the Annapurna Shatanama Stotram is dedicated to her 108 names.
Annapurna is a combination of two words- ‘Anna’ meaning food and ‘purna’ meaning ‘filled completely’. The Goddess of Kashi never lets her devotees stay hungry without food. Varanasi is called the city of light as the Goddess not only provides nourishment to the body but also provides nourishment to the soul in the form of enlightenment. She gives us the energy to pursue knowledge.
Annapurna Jayanti is observed annually on the Purnima in the month of Margashirsha as per the Hindu lunar calendar. Adi Sankara in the 8th century wrote Annapurna Stotra, a book glorifying the goddess.
'Annapoorne Sada Poorne, Shankara Pranavallabhe
Gyana Vairagya Sidyartham, Bhikshaam Dehi Cha Parvati
Mata Cha Parvati Devi, Pita Devo Maheswarah
Baandava Shiva Bhaktyascha, Svadeso Bhuvanatrayam'.
Shiva is shown standing to her right with a begging bowl, begging her for alms in the Annapoorna Stotra. The deity always holds a scripture, akshamala and opener of doors of Moksha in her hands in place of vessel and ladle, indicating his prayer to Annapoorna being spiritual perfection rather than food.
It is believed that if food is cooked with a positive spirit it turns divine. Annadhanam is also considered pranadhanam (donation of life), thus it is known to be divine.
Brahmaarpanam Brahma Havir
Brahmaagnau Brahmanaa Hutam
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam
Brahma Karma Samaadhinaha
The whole creation is the gross projection of Bramham, the Cosmic Consciousness itself; the food too is Brahmam, the process of offering it is Bramhanit is being offered in the fire of Brahman. He who thus sees Brahman in action reaches Bramham alone.
