Anna is food for our nourishment, and Purna is completeness or perfection. Thus, Annapurna is the food or the giver of food that perfectly nourishes us. The tradition worships Mother Parvati as Annapurna. We come from a tradition where food is never a commodity to be sold but to be shared and had with others.
Women of the home always had the pleasure of hosting many invited and uninvited guests for the meal. There were homes where never a person would return without taking food. The mother of the household is representative of Annapurna herself.
The philosophy of abundance and seeking
The Mother Goddess is worshipped as Annapurna and also as Sada+Purna, ever abundant and perfect. The seeker asks Mother about a metaphysical thing which shall make us all perfect.
Here, Lord Shiva himself shows us the way on what to ask and how to ask. He becomes the seeker for our benefit and asks Mother for “Jnana Vairagya Siddhi”, and seeks alms to this extent.
The trinity and nourishment of life
We know the trinity of the universe: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma creates the existence, Vishnu nourishes, and Shiva brings it to perfection. We operate through the body, mind, and soul. The body needs basic, physical food for continued existence.
This includes consumables like dhanya, phala, patra, shaka, etc. After birth, one’s mother nourishes the child for a limited period, and later Annapurna takes over. The food we consume becomes our part.
Food consumed becomes “sapta+dhatus”, seven elements of rasa, rakta, mamsa, meda, asti, majja, and shukra. Physical life continues with body and mind.
From physical sustenance to spiritual fulfilment
For the soul’s nourishment, we go to the next level and seek the blessings and offering from the Mother Goddess. She is called “Shiva Jnana Pradayini”. Hence, we seek bhiksha (alms) from HER, that kindly give us that nourishing food which shall provide Jnana and Vairagya.
Here, the Jnana once obtained from Mother Goddess can help us to some extent. Any attachment with this Jnana too can be binding for us. The shackles have to be broken, whether these are made of iron or gold. For this, we need Vairagya, and Mother Goddess, as Annapurna, provides us both Jnana and Vairagya.
(Dr. S. Ainavolu is a Mumbai-based teacher of Management and Tradition)
