The tale of Goddess Annapurna
The tale of Goddess Annapūrṇā
Introduction:—
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| Annadānaratā Pārvatī |
Goddess Annapūrṇā, the Beloved of Viśveśvara Śiva, is one of the most famous manifestation of the primordial energy or Ādyāśakti. Śakti means energy and foods are the resources of energy for all living beings. So, Śakti can also be portrayed as the residing goddess of Food or Anna(अन्न). Without Śakti, no being can exist — not even the gods or goddesses.
If food is absent, then wealth, wisdom, and all other attainments lose their value.
In the realm of reality, it is Śakti alone who stands as the Supreme. She's Himavānatanayā Annapūrṇā. As per Rudrayāmala Mahātantra, Cāmuṇḍā Tantra and Devī yāmala Tantra, she's a major Mahāvidyā. This Mahāvidyā belongs to mainly Gaurīkula or Gaurīkrama.
The Rudrayāmala states,
या देवी लोकमातेति महामाहेश्वरी शिवा।
अन्नपूर्णेति विख्याता सा परा षोडशाक्षरी ॥
Reference:— Rudrayāmala: Annapūrṇā Pañcāṅga
Meaning:— She is the Goddess, Mother of the worlds,
the great Mahā-Māheśvarī, the radiant Śivā (wife of Śiva).
Renowned as Annapūrṇā, the giver of food,
She is the Supreme, the Sixteen-Syllabled One.
It directly says to worship Paramśiva as Pārvatī's consort,"परंशिवेन सह संयोज्य तयोः सामरस्यं विभाव्य"
Even the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa says,
भर्त्ता सदानन्दमयः परमशिवः पुत्रः सदा विघ्नहरो गणाधिपः । आज्ञाकरो दण्डपाणिस्तु यस्याः सा किं न यच्छत्यनुकूलदात्री ॥ १२१॥
[[ Reference Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa: Kāśī Rahasya : Chapter 20]]
Meaning :— "Her husband is the Paramaśiva, full of eternal bliss;
Her son is always the remover of obstacles, Gaṇeśa, the Lord of hosts.
Her servant is Daṇḍapāṇi, who carries out her commands.
She, the ever-gracious Mother—
what is there that she would not bestow upon her devotees?"
The appearance story if Goddess Annapūrṇā can be found in several Śāstras. Kāmākṣī Vilāsa of Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa is one of them.
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| Aṣṭabhujā Annapūrṇā |
Story of Annadāsundarī :—
Kāmākṣī vilāsa says,
Once upon a time, Goddess Pārvatī cover Mahādeva's eyes with her hands. As a result the creation became filled with darkness . “Then there arose a terrible Pralaya (cosmic dissolution), the cause of universal destruction. By that Pralaya the entire world, both the moving and the unmoving, was annihilated. Seeing this, Pārvatī removed her hands from Śiva's eyes. She saw that her complexion became black. She felt sad and asked Parameśvara for the reason. Mahādeva explained the cause of the change of her complexion and advised her to the Āśrama of Kātyāyana in Badarīkāśrama.
Hearing this, Goddess Gaurī went to there as the disguise of a child girl. Sage Kātyāyana, who was childless, saw her and took her to his home. He understood that She's Ādyāśakti Gaurī. Sage Kātyāyana named her as Kātyāyanī.
The text states,
कात्यायनेन पृष्टा च तस्मै कैलाससद्गतिम् । त्वाष्टवार्षिकी कन्या समादायासनादिकान् ॥४३॥
~ Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa : Kāmākṣī Vilāsa : Chapter 8
(And we know that she killed Mahiṣāsura by taking this form.) Sage Kātyāyana gave her Yogadaṇḍa, Akṣamālā (Sacred beads), Dīpādhāra (Light stand), 2 Ghaṭas, Vyajana, Cāmara, Vidyādhāra (Book stand for reading), Pustaka (books) and Tiger skin (for seating). Taking these, she went to the Gaṅgātīrtha Vārāṇasī. She saw that the people of Kāśī were suffering from famine, so she began providing food to them. From then on, she became known as Annapūrṇā.
दुर्भिक्षं भविता काश्यां तत्काले त्वं शुचिव्रता । गत्वा तामन्नदानेन सद्भ्यस्तत्र मनोन्मनि ॥
अन्नपूर्णेति विख्याता स्थित्वा द्वादशवत्सरम् । कात्यायनि ततः पश्चात्प्राप्स्यसे दक्षिणां दिशम् ॥
~ Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa: Kāmākṣī Vilāsa: Chapter 8
Meaning:— Śiva said, “In Kāśī, famine shall arise,
Yet thou, O pure and steadfast one,
Shalt go, with vow of sacred life,
To give the noble souls their food.
There shalt thou shine, O radiant Queen,
As Annapūrṇā, known to all—
For twelve long years in holy grace;
Then, O Kātyāyanī divine,
The southern realms shall welcome thee.”
काश्यामन्नप्रदानेन सान्नपूर्णति विश्रुता । काशीराजाय भक्ताय दत्वा मुक्ति सुदुर्लभाम् ॥
~ Same Reference
“In Kāśī, by the gift of food,
She gained renown as Annapūrṇā;
To the devout king of that land,
She granted liberation—rare, supreme.”
Glorifications of Goddess Annadāsundarī :—
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| Annapūrṇā Devī |
[[ Reference:— Śetubandha Commentary by Ācārya Nīlakaṇṭha : Chapter 20]]
Meaning :— In comparison with all else, Bhavānī here is Annapūrṇā, the Sovereign of the worlds.
Therefore, circumambulating this sacred place of Hers yields fruit far greater than circumambulating any other holy site.
By such worship and circumambulation, the wandering in saṁsāra ceases,
and there is no more return to repeated birth.
He also said,
भोगार्थिन इति। भोगार्थिनो ये ते दीनजनं क्षुल्लकमिन्द्राग्न्यादिदैवतं समाश्रिता इदं किम्भगवतीदत्तैश्वर्यभाजो भिक्षुका इन्द्रादयस्तैरन्यस्य भोगः कथं सिध्येदित्यर्थः । तथा च श्रुतिः— "इन्द्रमग्निश्च ये विदुः सिकता इव संयन्ति” इति तथा ये मोक्षार्थिनस्ते विष्ण्वादिदेवङ्गुणत्रयेण बद्ध अतएव धनकोटिभिर्युक्तं समाश्रिता इदमपि किं यो हि स्वयं बद्धः स कथम्परान्मोचयितुं समर्थः स्यात् तदुक्तम् "बद्धो यः स्वात्मना सोऽन्यं कथम्मोचयितुम्प्रभुः" इति अतो गुणत्रय-साम्यावस्थोपाधिसच्चिदानन्दरूपिणी मूलप्रकृतिरन्नपूर्णा भुवनेश्वर्येव भोगमोक्षौ ददाति तथा च सैवाऽऽश्रयणीयेत्याह भोगश्च मोक्षञ्चेति। तदुक्तं "शिवापदाराधन तत्पराणाम्भोगश्च मोक्षश्व करस्थ एवं" इति ॥६७॥
Meaning:— Those who seek only worldly enjoyments (bhogārthinah) turn for shelter to lesser deities such as Indra, Agni and others. But how can such deities—who themselves live upon the wealth and power granted by the Supreme Goddess—bestow enjoyment upon others? In the Śruti it is said: “Indra and Agni, those who are known as such, are but like grains of sand swept away.”
Similarly, those who seek liberation (mokṣārthinah) worship Viṣṇu and other deities. Yet these too are bound within the three guṇas of nature, and thus—even though endowed with great riches—they are not truly free. One who is himself bound, how can he liberate another? As the saying goes: “He who is bound in his own self, how could he be lord enough to free another?”
Therefore, it is Annapūrṇā, the Sovereign of the worlds—She who is the very root-prakṛti, of the nature of Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss, beyond the guṇas—who alone grants both enjoyment and liberation. Thus, She is the true refuge. Hence it is declared: “For those devoted to the feet of Goddess Śivā (Śiva’s consort), both enjoyment and liberation lie readily in their hands.”
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| Gaurī Devī |
Lastly, would conclude this by saying,
उद्यद्भास्करसन्निभां त्रिनयनां माणिक्यवर्णां शिवाम् । पाशश्चाङ्कुशमिक्षुचापमनिशम्बाणान्दधानाम्पराम्॥ ध्यात्वा कल्पलतां समस्तफलदां नित्यान्नितान्तप्रियाम् । विश्वेशीं विनायकस्य जननीं गौरी नमेद्योनुताम् ॥
[[Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa: Kāśī Rahasya : Chapter 20 : Annapūrṇā Māhātmya ]]
Like the rising sun She shines, three-eyed and radiant,
Her hue the crimson of finest ruby.
She holds the noose and goad, the bow of sugarcane,
and arrows tipped with tender blossoms.
Meditate on Her—
the wish-fulfilling vine, giver of every fruit,
eternally beloved, supremely dear.
She is the sovereign of the world,
the mother of Vināyaka,
Gaurī, ever praised, to whom we bow.
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