Annapurna - When Shiva Begged for Food

Dadi: "Beta Guddu, do you know why we always thank God before eating our food?"

Guddu: "Because food is a blessing, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Exactly! Let me tell you the story of when even Lord Shiva had to beg for food - and learned an important lesson from Goddess Parvati."

Guddu: "Lord Shiva had to beg? But he is one of the most powerful gods!"

Dadi: "Even the most powerful can learn important lessons, beta. It all started with a game of dice between Shiva and Parvati."

Guddu: "A dice game? Like the one Shakuni played?"

Dadi: "Similar! They were playing for fun, but Shiva kept losing. First he lost his jewels, then his trident, then his serpent, then even his begging bowl! He lost everything to Parvati."

Guddu: "That is embarrassing for the great Lord!"

Dadi: "He was so upset that he went away to the forest to sulk. Lord Vishnu came and suggested he play again. This time Shiva won everything back. But then Parvati accused him of cheating!"

Guddu: "Were they really fighting over a game?"

Dadi: "The fight became about something deeper. Shiva said, "All these things - possessions, even food - are just Maya, illusion. They do not really matter.""

Guddu: "Is that true, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Parvati did not agree. She said, "If food is just an illusion, then I too must be an illusion. How can anyone survive without eating? How can civilization exist without nourishment?""

Guddu: "She has a good point!"

Dadi: "Shiva dismissed her concerns. And then Parvati did something drastic - she vanished completely!"

Guddu: "She disappeared?"

Dadi: "Not just her - everything she represented disappeared. You see, Parvati is Shakti, the divine energy behind all of nature. When she left, there were no seasons anymore. The earth became barren. Nothing grew. No rain fell. No food existed anywhere."

Guddu: "That sounds terrible!"

Dadi: "It was a catastrophe, beta. All beings - gods, humans, demons, animals - began to starve. Without the goddess of abundance, there was no abundance."

Guddu: "What did Shiva do?"

Dadi: "For a long time, he meditated alone, trying to prove he did not need anything. But eventually, even the great ascetic felt the pangs of hunger. He began to understand - maybe food was not just Maya after all."

Guddu: "Where did he find food?"

Dadi: "Word reached him that in the holy city of Kashi, a goddess was feeding everyone. She had a kitchen that never ran out of food. The starving gods and all creatures were lining up there to eat."

Guddu: "Who was this goddess?"

Dadi: "It was Parvati herself! She had returned as Annapurna - Anna means food, and Purna means complete. She was the goddess of complete nourishment, giving food freely to all who came."

Guddu: "So Shiva went to her?"

Dadi: "Yes, with his begging bowl in hand. The great Lord of the Universe stood in line with everyone else, waiting to receive food from his own wife!"

Guddu: "That must have been humbling!"

Dadi: "When he reached the front, there stood Parvati - no longer the playful wife from their palace, but Annapurna Devi in her full divine glory, wearing purple and brown, seated on a throne, with a golden ladle in her hand."

Guddu: "What did she do?"

Dadi: "She looked at her husband with love and gently placed food in his bowl. She fed him, just as she was feeding everyone else."

Guddu: "Did Shiva apologize?"

Dadi: "In that moment of receiving food from her hands, Shiva understood completely. Food was not Maya - it was sacred. It nourished the body that housed the soul. Without the body, how could the atman do its work in the world? Without food, how could any spiritual practice happen?"

Guddu: "So food is important for spiritual life too?"

Dadi: "That is the teaching, beta. We cannot ignore our bodies and claim to be spiritual. The body is the temple of the soul. Food is what maintains that temple. Annapurna Devi represents this sacred truth - that nourishment is divine service."

Guddu: "Is that why we pray before eating?"

Dadi: "Exactly! When we pray before meals, we remember that food is a gift from the Divine Mother. We thank Annapurna for sustaining our bodies so our souls can grow and serve."

Guddu: "What happened to Shiva and Parvati after that?"

Dadi: "They were reconciled. Shiva understood that Shakti - the feminine divine energy represented by Parvati - is not separate from Shiva but essential to him. Without her, even he was incomplete."

Guddu: "So the goddess taught the great god a lesson?"

Dadi: "Yes! And the image of Shiva begging food from Annapurna is worshipped to this day. It reminds us that no one - not even the greatest - is above the need for nourishment and gratitude."

Guddu: "I will always remember to thank Annapurna Devi when I eat, Dadi!"

Dadi: "That is wonderful, beta. And remember - when you waste food, you disrespect the goddess. When you share food with the hungry, you serve her. Food is sacred. Treat it that way."

Guddu: "I will, Dadi. No more leaving vegetables on my plate!"

Dadi: "Now that is the best lesson of all! Come, let us go eat dinner together, and you can thank Annapurna Devi yourself."