Annapurna

[ghanshyam]

Annapurna
Annapurna or Annapoorna is the Hindu Goddess of nourishment. Anna
means food and grains. Purna means full, complete and perfect. She is
a form of Parvati, the consort ofShiva. Annapurna is eulogised in
Annada Mangal, a narrative poem in Bengali byBharatchandra Ray.
Annapurna is the Goddess of the city of Kashi (now known as Varanasi,
U.P., India). Kasi is also known as the City of Light. Ka means the
cause, a means the manifestation of consciousness, sa means peace and
I is the causal body. Kasi is also the place which causes
consciousness to manifest the highest peace of the causal body. And
She is the Supreme Goddess of the City of Kasi.
Once Shiva told his consort Parvati that the world is an illusion and
that food is a part of this illusion called maya.
The Divine Mother who is worshipped as the manifestation of all
material things, including food, became angry. To demonstrate the
importance of her manifestation of all that is material she
disappeared from the world.
Her disappearance brought time to a standstill and the earth became
barren. There was no food to be found anywhere and all the beings
suffered from the pangs of hunger.
Seeing all the suffering, Mother Parvati was filled with compassion
and reappeared in Kasi and set up a Kitchen.
Hearing about her return, Shiva ran to her and presented his bowl in
alms saying, "Now I realise that the material world, like the spirit,
cannot be dismissed as an illusion." Parvati smiled and fed Shiva with
her own hands.
Since then Parvati is worshipped as Annapurna, the Goddess of
Nourishment.
Annapurna has many names. The Annapurna Sahasranam presents her one
thousand names and the Annapurna Shatanama Stotramcontains 108 of her
names. She is variously described as:
 She who is full, complete and perfect with food and grains
 She who gives nourishment
 She who is the strength of Shiva
 She who is the grantor of knowledge
 She who takes away all fear
 She who is the Supreme welfare
 She who manifests truth and efficiency
 She who is beyond Maya
 She who is the cause of creation and dissolution
 she who is adi sakthi
 Physically, Annapurna is described as holding a golden ladle adorned
with various kinds of jewels in her right hand and a vessel full of
delicious porridge in her left. She is seated on a throne. In some
depictions, Lord Shiva is shown standing to her right with a begging
bowl, begging her for alms.
 It is said that she does not eat a morsel unless all her devotees
have been fed in her temple.
 She is worshipped through the recitation of her thousand names and
her one hundred and eight names. The Sri Annapurna Ashtakamcomposed by
Shankaracharya is chanted by several devout Hindus around the world as
a prayer for nourishment, wisdom, and renunciation. Before partaking
of any food, Hindus chant the following prayer:
 “Oh Annapurna, who is always full, complete, and perfect. Beloved
energy of Lord Shiva, for the attainment of perfection in wisdom and
renunciation, give me alms, Parvati.
 My mother is Goddess Parvati, my father is the Supreme Lord
Maheswara (Shiva). My relatives are the devotees of Lord Shiva, and
the three worlds are my Motherland.”
 The Annapurna Vrat Katha containing stories of her devotees are also
recited by her devotees.
 The most well-known temple dedicated to Goddess Annapurna is in
Varanasi, U.P., India. Adjacent to the Sanctum of the Goddess is the
Kasi Viswanath temple. The two are separated by only a few yards.
Annapurna is regarded as the queen of Varanasi alongside her
husbandVishweshwar (Shiva), the King of Varanasi.
 In the temple, at noon time, food offerings to the Goddess are
distributed to the elderly and disabled daily. During the Autumn
Navaratri food is distributed on a larger scale.
 The other famous temple is Annapoorneshwari Temple, situated at
Horanadu in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, where evening prayers are
held after the devotees are fed.