Shabari Calls Herself Lowest, and Rama Answers with the One Kinship of Bhakti
Aranya Kanda, Chaupai 33
Doha 35 · Movement 1 of 2
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Shabari stands before Rama with folded hands. The longer she beholds him, the more love rises within her. Yet when she tries to praise him, old measures of worth close around her speech. She names her low birth, dull understanding, womanhood, and sin, placing herself beneath those already called low. Her devotion has brought the Lord into her dwelling, but she cannot yet see herself through the welcome in his eyes.
Raghupati asks the gentle woman to listen. He recognizes only one bond, the bond of bhakti. Caste, social place, lineage, religious standing, greatness, wealth, strength, relatives, virtues, and cleverness cannot replace it. A person furnished with every outer distinction but empty of devotion resembles a cloud without water, carrying the form of abundance while giving no rain.
Then Rama begins the ninefold path and asks Shabari to receive it with complete attention. The first devotion is the company of saints. The second is love for the stories and sacred conversation of the Lord. Before listing any practice of austerity or achievement, Rama places companionship and delighted listening at the entrance to devotion.
Shabari offers Rama every reason to exclude her, and Rama answers that bhakti alone creates kinship.
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पानि जोरि आगें भइ ठाढ़ी। प्रभुहि बिलोकि प्रीति अति बाढ़ी।। केहि बिधि अस्तुति करौ तुम्हारी। अधम जाति मैं जड़मति भारी।। अधम ते अधम अधम अति नारी। तिन्ह महँ मैं मतिमंद अघारी।। कह रघुपति सुनु भामिनि बाता। मानउँ एक भगति कर नाता।। जाति पाँति कुल धर्म बड़ाई। धन बल परिजन गुन चतुराई।। भगति हीन नर सोहइ कैसा। बिनु जल बारिद देखिअ जैसा।। नवधा भगति कहउँ तोहि पाहीं। सावधान सुनु धरु मन माहीं।। प्रथम भगति संतन्ह कर संगा। दूसरि रति मम कथा प्रसंगा।।
With folded hands she stood before him, and beholding Prabhu, her preeti swelled beyond measure. 'How can I praise you? I am of the lowest jaati, and my mati is dull and heavy.' 'Lower than the low, and among the lowest are women. Among them I am the most foolish and laden with sin.' Raghupati said, 'Listen, O gentle one. I recognize only one naata, one bond: bhagati.' 'Jaati, lineage, kula, dharma, worldly greatness, wealth, strength, kin, guna, cleverness:' 'Without bhagati a person is like a cloud without water. What beauty can it hold?' 'I shall tell you the navadhaa bhagati, the ninefold devotion. Listen with full attention and hold it in your heart.' 'The first is satsanga, the company of saints. The second is rati, love for my kathaa and discourses.'