Written by Atma Kaur Narinder

(Inspired by the story of Shabari in the Ramayana)

Deep in the forest, far from the bustle of villages, lived an old woman named Shabari. Her life was simple: serving travellers, tending the fire, and waiting for Lord Rama (a deity in Hinduism, believed to be the divine in human form). Long ago, her teacher had told her that one day Lord Rama would visit her. From that moment, every sunrise felt like a promise. Each day she waited, preparing with care the best she could offer her Lord.

Shabari would walk through the forest and choose the ripest Ber (wild fruits), wanting her offering to be worthy of her Lord. She would take a small bite from each one, tasting the bitterness for herself and protecting him from it. “Lord Rama must never taste anything bitter,” she would whisper, placing only the sweetest into her basket. Though she had little to give, she wanted her gift to reflect her love and compassion, expressed through care, putting another’s happiness before her own.

The years passed. Her hair turned silver, and her hands grew slower, yet her gentle routine never changed. She kept preparing, not out of obligation but from love that asked for nothing in return.

Then, one evening, the moment she had waited for all her life arrived. Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana appeared at her door. Overcome with joy, Shabari welcomed them and offered her basket of fruit. Lakshmana noticed that each Ber had a small bite taken from it and hesitated, but Lord Rama smiled and accepted them gladly, seeing only the purity of her heart. Irrespective of caste or creed, he received her offering with grace. To him, the fruits were the sweetest he had ever tasted, not for their flavour but for the care and sincerity they carried.

Shabari’s offering became more than a story of devotion; it became a lesson in compassion and humanity. In her patience and selflessness, she showed that love finds its truest form in giving without expectation. Lord Rama, in accepting her gift with grace, reminded the world that compassion transcends all boundaries.

Together, they revealed that when care is sincere, it lights a path that continues to guide hearts through generations.