Shakambhari

Shakambhari

In Hinduism, Shakambhari is an incarnation of Goddess Durga, consort to Shiva. She is the divine mother, called "The Bearer of the Greens." In Hinduism any Vegetarian Item is considered as the Prasad of Shakambhari Devi. It is said that in times of famine, the Goddess Durga comes down and gives vegan food to the hungry (Shaka comes from Sanskrit and means vegetables and vegan food; "Bhari" means one who wears or bears. Actually the name Shakambhari comes from "Shakam" joined with the root Bhri (Shaka - vegetables or food and root Bhri - to nourish).

In old times, there was a great demon named Durgamasur he was very cruel. He, the son of Ruru, was born in the family of Hiranyaksha. Once he thought that he must attain the Vedas - the four books of worldly knowledge from the Gods and sages and he must get his fair share from fire sacrifices. Thus, he went to the Himalayas to perform penance.

He meditated upon Brahma, and lived only on air. He practiced hard penance for one thousand years and the Gods and the demons and all the worlds were agitated by the power of his Tejas (fiery luster). Then the Lord, the four-faced Brahma, became pleased with him and mounted on his carrier, the Swan came to grant Ruru the boon. Brahma said that he was pleased with Ruru's penance and would grant his desired boon. Hearing this, the Demon got up from his penance and worshipping Him duly, asked Brahma to give him all the four books of Vedas. Hearing this, the Lord Brahma, the author of the four Vedas, granted the boon and went away.

From that time, the sages forgot all about the Vedas. So bathing, twlights, daily rituals, faith, sacrifices, and Japam and other rites and performances, all became extinct. Then a cry of universal distress arose on the surface of this wide earth; the sages began to wonder how they forgot the Vedas and wondered where they went. Thus when great calamities befell on the earth, the Gods became gradually weaker and weaker, not getting their share of the sacrificial offerings. At this time, that demon invaded the city of heaven. And the Gods, not being able to fight with the demon fled in various directions.

They took refuge in the caves of the mountain Sumeru and the inaccessible passes of the mountain and began to meditate on the Highest Force, the Great Goddess. When oblations of clarified butter are offered to the Fire, those get transferred to the Sun and get transformed as rains. So when the Homa ceremonies disappeared, there was the scarcity of rain. The earth became quite dry and not a drop of water was found anywhere. The wells, tanks, pools, rivers all were dried up. And this state of “no rains” lasted one hundred years. Countless people, hundreds and thousands of cows, buffaloes and other beasts went to the jaws of death. The dead bodies of persons remained in heaps in every house; persons would not be found to perform their burning ceremonies. When such calamities were seen, the calm and quiet body of the saints, in their earnestness to worship the Supreme Goddess, went to the Himalayas. They with their whole heart and without taking any food began to worship the Goddess daily with their penance, meditation and worship.

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