Acceptance - Lord Rama Accepted Sabari’s Offerings and Her Ascend to Higher Realm

Meaning: To consent to taking something offered.

            There was a famed Caitraratha forest in the ancient times.  It belonged to Kubera, the God of wealth.  In this forest, the trees were large and their boughs branched out in every perceivable direction, spreading charms on all sides. 

            There was a pond called Pampa in this forest.  The place was beyond human reach.  No human had ever ventured to this place.  Its crystalline water was delightful, pleasantly cool, wholesome and limpid.  It was populated with lotuses and lilies, appearing radiant under the sun.  Lovely swans, ducks, cranes, osprey called in sweet tones; birds of all sort visited the sanctuary.  Having not known destruction before, these creatures were not frightened to see human beings.

West to the Pampa Lake, there was sage Matanga’s hermitage where he and his pupils used to live.  These Rishis were highly composed souls, even the drops of perspiration that fell down from their bodies to the ground when they were bringing produces of the forest to their teacher quickly turned into flowers by the force of their austerity.  Sprung as they were of those drops of perspiration, the flowers in this region never withered.   

Though the Rishis had long departed to the heavenly realm, their female attendant was still living there.  Her name was Sabari.  Sabari was long lived and attained perfection through Yoga.  She was waiting for the coming of Lord Rama, the seventh Avatar, as told by her preceptors.  This woman, who was ever devoted to virtue, would ascend to heaven only after seeing Lord Rama.  For this singular purpose, she had remained waiting.

Not knowing when the Lord might arrive, every morning, Sabari would start preparing the hermitage as if Lord Rama were visiting that day.  “He may come this very day!” she thought to herself.  Every day she would tenderly clear flowers and leaves off the path to the hermitage.  She went about the precinct in the forest to gather fruits and flowers of all sorts in preparation for her guests.  Large trees bent under the weight of honey sweet fruits, glazed in fresh morning dews, were reaching out into her hands.  It was as though they longed to be picked by her as an offering to Rama.  Each day, as she was doing all this devotedly, her heart was filled with delight and tranquility.  All the time she was immersed and drowned in the constant remembrance of her Beloved.  She was unaware of herself and the world around her.  No one knew how long she had waited, neither did she.  Thirteen springs passed like fleeting moments of love. 

One day, Sri Rama and his brother Lakshmana came upon this vast forest in their search for Sita, Rama’s lost wife.  Guided by Kabandha whom they met and liberated earlier, they reached the western edge of Lake Pampa, where the magnificent hermitage of Sabari stood.  Hemmed in by many trees, its perimeter was laden with flowers and fruits and dripping honey.  There, the two princes met Sabari.

            Rising respectfully with joined palms on seeing the two princes, Sabari presently clasped the feet of both Lord Rama and the prudent Lakshmana.  Upon seeing this pious lady who was filled with unbounded love and devotion for him, Rama was happy.  Sabari offered to her honored guests ceremony water with which to bath their feet and rinse their mouth.  And then she offered them the honey sweet fruits she had gathered earlier that day.  Lord Rama accepted all the hospitality Sabari had to offer with a glad heart.  The water, the fresh fragrance of the blooming flowers, and the honey-tasted fruits drenched in Sabari’s love rejuvenated him.  His heart which was torn by the pain and despair from the loss and separation from Sita all these days suddenly felt relieved.  He spoke lovingly to Sabari the following:

            “O pious lady of pleasing speech, have all impediments been thoroughly overcome by you?  Is the wealth of your penance steadily growing?  Has anger been fully controlled by you as well as your diet?  Are all your religious vows completely observed and has satisfaction come to your mind?  Has your service on your preceptor borne fruit?”

            Stationed before Lord Rama, Sabari, who had long been waiting and attained perfection, submitted the following: “Today through your blessed presence, I have attained the fruition of my austerities.  My birth has borne fruit and my elders have been duly adored. Now that your holy self has descended to my hermitage and accepted my worship, my asceticism has reached fruition and the highest realm will definitely fall to my lot.  Sanctified by your gracious look which is bestowing honor on me, I shall by your grace ascend to the realm knowing no decay.”

            Sabari continued: “When you reached Citrakuta mountain years ago, the sages whom I served – the pupils of Sage Matanga – ascended to heaven.  These eminent and highly blessed seers of Vedic Mantras said to me: ‘Sri Rama will visit this highly sacrosanct hermitage of yours.  Along with Lakshmana he should be hospitably received by you as a guest.  Having seen him, you will then ascend to realms that know no decay.’”

            Hearing these delightful words of Sabari, Lord Rama said: “If you deem fit, I wish to perceive with my own eyes the glory of your high-soul preceptors.” Hearing these sweet words of Sri Rama, Sabari happily showed both princes round that vast forest.  She pointed out to them and said:

“Behold this forest, dark as rainy clouds and rich with beasts and birds. It is known by the name of Matangavana.  Here the preceptors of mine, who had purified their souls by meditating on God, consecrated their bodies while uttering the holy Mantra and pouring oblations into the sacred fire.  This is the altar by the name of Pratyakshthali, where the Rishis, highly adored by me, offered worship with flowers with their hands shaking due to old age.  See how the altar retains its matchless effulgence even to this day, illumining all quarters with its splendor through the power of their asceticism.  Behold all the seven oceans encircling the earth that are drawn in a collective form to this spot by the very thought of these sages, whom had grown feeble physically due to exhaustions occasioned by fasting.  These garlands, which they interspersed with blue lilies and wore to undertake rites to propitiate the Gods, have not faded till now.”

Having shown and satisfied Lord Rama, Sabari paused in silence.  After a while, she humbly submitted to Lord Rama: “My lord, the whole of this forest has now been seen and what was worth hearing about it has been heard by you.  I therefore wish that, duly permitted by you, I may cast off this body.  I long to approach those Rishis of purified mind to whom this hermitage belongs and whom I served.”

Hearing the most pious submission of Sabari, Lord Rama for his part together with Lakshmana experienced incomparable exultation.  “Wonderful!” he said.  He accepted her request: “I have been honored by you, O blessed lady!  Now depart happily at will.”

Granted leave by Lord Rama, Sabari casted herself off into the fire and rose to the highest heaven alone, looking like a blazing fire.  Through by her own spiritual lustre, she illumined that region like a streak of lightening flashing from the cloud.  Through deep concentration of mind and single-pointed devotion, Sabari was accepted by the Lord and attained that holy realm where her eminent preceptors now lived in constant union with the Lord.