“The one who was without a caste, who took birth from a ground of sins – even that woman was liberated. O you of greatly foolish mind, how can you desire happiness while forgetting such a Lord?” (Dohavali, 156)

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जाति हीन अघ जन्म महि मुक्त कीन्हि असि नारि
महामंद मन सुख चहसि ऐसे प्रभुहि बिसारि

jāti hīna agha janma mahi mukta kīnhi asi nāri
mahāmaṃda mana sukha cahasi aise prabhuhi bisāri

One of the many notable interactions described in the Ramayana history is Shri Rama meeting the female ascetic named Shabari. It is a simple interaction. Something like visiting a home. A guest warmly received. A host witnessing an arrival they had long since anticipated.

The meeting is more striking considering the background. In modern parlance, we could say that the deck was stacked against Shabari. She did not have much chance for this meeting, based on the prior conditions. Nary a person would bet on her to meet an avatara of Vishnu in person, but that is exactly what took place.

1. Birth as a female

Vedic culture, in its genuine form, provides something like a handicapping system for the likelihood of reaching complete perfection in the human birth. Perfection, or siddhi, in this sense would be what the living being, who is purusha, would most benefit from. Their purushartha is to realize the self, which is distinct from the body. The complete realization is to know that the self is not different from the Supreme Self. They are two distinct entities, but also closely aligned.

The female birth is considered inauspicious in this regard. The description from Bhagavad-gita is papa yoni, which refers to a placement based on past sins. Something like a punishment, rather than a reward. Downgrading instead of upgrading. Regressing instead of progressing.

मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य
ये ऽपि स्युः पाप-योनयः
स्त्रियो वैश्यास् तथा शूद्रास्
ते ऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम्

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ‘pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te ‘pi yānti parāṁ gatim

“O son of Pritha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaishyas [merchants], as well as shudras [workers]— can approach the supreme destination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.32)

I might be insulted by the description. Who would happily accept the claim that they are less intelligent, that they should always remain a dependent, that they are born with the worst qualities imaginable?

Despite the selective outrage to such classifications, an honest person would admit that society already acknowledges these truths. In a subtle way, everything operates with this understanding in mind, at the foundation. It is a way to keep the peace. If men and women were always treated the same, in every circumstance, there would be chaos.

Shabari was a female, and so this meant that the typical interactions involved in ascending to the plateau of spiritual understanding were difficult to come by. She was not expected to be a Brahman realized soul. The traditional route is for the woman to get married, support her husband, and share in any merits, sukriti, that he accumulates through his service to the Divine.

2. Inauspicious ancestry

Goswami Tulsidas compares the place of birth to a ground of sins. The Sanskrit word is agha. We often think of sin in terms of punishment in the afterlife, of receiving the appropriate consequence to going against established standards of conduct.

Agha is simpler than that. Sin is basically going the wrong way. It is doing the wrong thing. It is like turning the screw in the wrong direction when we want to assemble furniture. Travelling down the wrong direction when driving. Staying up all night for many days in a row when trying to boost energy levels.

Shabari did not have a reputable pedigree. Her community would be considered tribal or aboriginal. It is not like she commanded respect based on her parents. There was nothing great inherited in that regard. It is like she was starting the race from all the way in the back of the pack.

3. Residence in the forest

Imagine lacking civility to the extent that you are not allowed to mingle with the rest of society. We see that the downtrodden, the distressed, the addicted, and the abused line the city streets. They have to beg for their needs. People take pity upon them when witnessing their forlorn condition. To simply have the opportunity to bathe is like winning the lottery.

Imagine if you were considered so low that you were not even allowed into the cities. You had to stay in the woods. You are something like a savage. This is based on an external viewpoint; no one really knows your heart. They judge your character based on the family lineage.

4. Scant resources

While living in the forest, what could Shabari really do? There is the saying that the empty sack cannot stand up straight. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that nobody listens to the poor man.

There is a requirement for resources in order to get the attention of important people. Shabari had some berries. That was about it. If someone happened to visit her, she could offer those berries as a welcoming gift.

5. Isolation

What can a person really do when on their own? As they say, there is strength in numbers. Isolation is something like weakness. If Shabari was following asceticism in a desolate forest, what kind of assistance could she expect to receive?

If there are only fruits and roots to eat, the body is bound to be weak. There is not much influence that can be exerted when in such a frail condition. How is someone expected to travel to this place and that? How can they be strong enough to even maintain themselves on a daily basis?

We see that Shabari still succeeded. She had a direct meeting with Shri Rama. She was patient. She dutifully served her spiritual guides, who were merciful upon her. After all, it is consciousness which matters. No person can be denied access to God, as He is within everyone already. We simply have to learn to see Him, to experience Him, to be confident in His constant embrace.

In Closing:

For female body blamed,
And of ancestry ashamed.

Living in the wooded place,
With harsh conditions to face.

With odds insurmountable to believe,
Still Shri Rama to receive.

Offering berries the best,
Through devotion blessed.

Categories: the five

Tags: caste system, hare krishna, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, shabari, women