The dust of Shabri’s feet
Shabri was the daughter of a tribal Bhil. She appeared very ordinary, but her heart was very tender.
Her father had arranged her marriage, but there was a custom among the tribes that before any auspicious event, innocent animals were sacrificed.
To fulfill this custom, Shabri’s father brought a hundred sheep and goats the day before her wedding.
Shabri asked her father, “Father, why have you brought so many sheep and goats?”
Her father replied, “Shabri, this is a tradition. According to this tradition, before commencing the rituals of your wedding tomorrow morning, all these sheep and goats will be sacrificed.” Saying this, her father left.
Upon hearing about the tradition, Shabri felt very distressed. She spent the entire night sitting beside those sheep and goats, talking to them. She had only one thought in her mind – how to save these innocent animals.
Suddenly, an idea struck Shabri, and before dawn, she fled from her home and ventured into the forest to save those innocent animals.
Shabri knew very well that if she left home like this once, she would never get a chance to return. Yet, she prioritized the thoughts of those innocent animals above herself.
Shabri wandered into a dense forest. Alone and lost in the jungle, she knocked on the doors of many ashrams seeking knowledge. But being from a low caste, she was rejected by all.
Finally, Shabri reached the ashram of Sage Matanga and expressed her desire to acquire knowledge. Sage Matanga gladly welcomed Shabri into his gurukul.
While other sages scorned Sage Matanga for his decision, he accommodated Shabri in his ashram.
Shabri quickly adapted to the practices of the gurukul and devoted herself to serving her guru day and night.
In addition to diligently learning, Shabri engaged in cleaning the ashram, tending to the cow shed, milking cows, and cooking meals for all the residents of the gurukul.
Many years passed, and Sage Matanga was very pleased with Shabri’s devotion to her guru.
As Sage Matanga’s health deteriorated, he called Shabri one day and said, “My daughter, my body has become weak now. Therefore, I want to leave my body here, but before that, I want to bless you. Tell me, my child, what do you desire?”
Tears filled Shabri’s eyes as she said to Sage Matanga, “O revered guru, you are the reason I am alive. You should take me with you.”
To which Sage Matanga replied, “No, my child, you have to take care of this ashram after me. A disciple devoted to her guru like you will reap the rightful rewards of his actions.”
One day, when Bhagwan Ram came searching for Sita, the people there urged him to turn the blood-filled pond back into water with the touch of his feet.
Ram, upon hearing this, touched the pond with his feet, but nothing happened. Despite following all the instructions given by the sage, the blood didn’t turn into water.
Ram then asked the sage about the history of the pond. The sage narrated the entire story of Shabri and the pond and said, “O Lord, this water became impure because of the mere words of that low-caste Shabri.”
Hearing this, Ram, saddened, said, “O revered sage, this blood is not from Goddess Shabri but from my heart, which you have wounded with your words.”
Bhagwan Ram then requested to meet Devi Shabri. Shabri ran towards them as soon as she heard Ram’s name.
While saying “Ram is my Lord,” when she reached near the pond, the dust of her feet fell into the pond, and all the blood in the pond turned into water.
Bhagwan Ram said, “See, revered sage, at your behest, I did everything, but this blood turned into water with the dust of Shabri’s feet.”
As soon as Shabri saw Bhagwan Ram, she grabbed his feet and brought him to her ashram.
That day, too, like every other day, Shabri adorned her ashram with flowers in the morning and picked the sweetest berries from the garden for her beloved Lord Ram.
She greeted her Lord Ram with great enthusiasm and lovingly offered him the berries from her palm.
Lakshman, who was with them, stopped her and said, “Sister, these berries are sour.” To which Ram replied, “Lakshman, these berries are not sour but the sweetest because they are filled with love. They eat these berries with great love.”
The saying of Sage Matanga proved true, and Devi Shabri attained salvation. And thus, Bhagwan Ram was called the Ram of Shabri…!