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In Hinduism, Goddess Annapurna, an incarnation of Parvati, is revered as the Goddess of food, nourishing all beings. A profound story involving her and Lord Shiva emphasizes the essential role of food, even in the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
Characters in the story:
Lord Shiva: Lord Shiva holds significant prominence in Hinduism as a prominent deity, revered for his role as the vanquisher of malevolence and the catalyst of universal change. Depicted in various forms, he is often portrayed as a tranquil ascetic engaged in deep meditation or as the divine dancer, adorned with a third eye, an entwined serpent around his neck, and a trident grasped firmly in his hand.
Goddess Parvati: Goddess Parvati is a prominent deity in Hinduism, known as the divine mother and the consort of Lord Shiva. She represents feminine power, fertility, love, and devotion, and is worshiped for her nurturing and compassionate nature.
Lord Vishnu: Lord Vishnu is one of the three major deities in Hinduism, known as the preserver of the universe and the protector of dharma (righteousness). He is often depicted with four arms holding a conch shell, a discus, a mace, and a lotus flower.
Goddess Annapurna: Annapurna, also called Annapurneshwari, Annada or Annapoorna is a manifestation of Parvati and is known as goddess of food and nourishment.
In Hinduism, Goddess Annapurna, or Annapurna Devi, is revered as the Goddess of food. She is an incarnation of Goddess Parvati, representing one of the many forms of Shakti. In this role, she nourishes all living beings, making ‘Annam’ (food) sacred to Hindus. A notable incident involving Lord Shiva and Goddess Annapurna highlights that even Moksha (salvation) is unattainable on an empty stomach.
Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati often played a game of dice. On one occasion, the game became so captivating that they began to place bets. Parvati wagered her jewels, and Shiva staked his trident. Shiva lost, forfeiting his trident.
Determined to reclaim his trident, Shiva wagered a serpent, but again, he lost. In the end, Shiva lost everything, including his begging bowl.
Feeling humiliated, Shiva retreated to the Deodar forest. Lord Vishnu approached Shiva and advised him to play again to win back his losses.
Following Vishnu’s advice, Shiva played once more and regained everything he had previously lost.
Goddess Parvati, suspicious of Shiva’s sudden change of fortune, accused him of cheating. This led to a heated argument. Lord Vishnu intervened and revealed that the dice moved according to His will, and the couple had been under the illusion that they were in control.
Symbolically, life is like a game of dice—unpredictable and beyond control.
The argument soon turned philosophical. Shiva declared that possessions are temporary and that everything is Maya (illusion), including food.
Goddess Parvati disagreed, asserting that if food were an illusion, she too would be an illusion. She questioned how the world could survive without food and then vanished. Her disappearance caused Nature to come to a standstill. There were no seasonal changes, everything became barren, and there was no regeneration or birth. Soon, a severe drought and food shortage ensued.
Shiva realized that he was incomplete without Shakti. Gods, humans, and demons all prayed for sustenance. Unable to see her children perish from hunger, Goddess Parvati reappeared in Kashi (Varanasi) and began distributing food.
Shiva approached her with a begging bowl, and Parvati fed him. Shiva acknowledged that food could not be dismissed as mere illusion, as it is essential to nourish the body that houses the Atma (soul).
Since then, Goddess Parvati has been worshipped as the Goddess of food, Annapurna Devi.
Thus, Shiva acknowledged the vital importance of food, leading to the worship of Parvati as Annapurna Devi, the Goddess of food. This story underscores that sustenance is fundamental, even in the spiritual journey towards salvation.
