Annapurna Devi Lord Shiva
Ma Shakti Devi is also called as Anandapurani Devi and as Annapurani Devi, since in these two forms she appears in a blissful state with a cheerful and smiling face, and she is of a motherly, lovely and friendly nature. The names Anandapurani and Annapurani were also mentioned in the famous Stotra Sri Lalitha Sahasranamavali.
We can enjoy our life with the grace of our holy mother, and we can also choose her as our own spiritual advisor. Goddess Anandapurani acts as the best spiritual advisor and she expresses herself in various forms in order to give proper advices to her devotees. Similar to keeping business advisors, the great Shakti Devi herself acts as our own personal advisor by taking different, different forms. Ma Annapurna asks us to provide food to the poor people, Ma Balatripura Sundari advises the people to understand the significance of female child, since still in some villages, female child are being mercilessly killed with the belief that bringing up them would cost more to the family!
Let’s joyfully offer golden shield (Thanga Kavacham) to Ma Shakti Devi, so that she would act like a protective shield to us. Similar to wearing rich garments like royal coat by us, the great holy mother also likes to wear the glittering golden shield, since it adds more beauty to her and also it covers some portion of her idol. The practice of adorning golden shield to Ma Shakti Devi took place even before several centuries ago. Ancient Chola, Chera and Pandyan Kings used to offer golden shield to the holy mother, in order to get good protection from her.
Similar to the State Governments, who are trying their level best to remove the hunger and thirst of the poor people by providing nice tiffin and meals items at an affordable rates, the rich people in India also can come forward to start Food centres at affordable rates in the name of Ma Annapurna, the goddess of food and health, in order to permanently remove the hunger problem of the poor people. As per the Holy texts of Hinduism, donating food is considered as a noble activity, and among all the donations, food donation is considered as an auspicious one.
Lord Krishna in his Bhagavat Gita Teachings tells, “Give food, give food, give food”. He tells the importance of food donation continuously for three times, and from this, we could know about the importance of food donation. Though in most of the temples, food donation is offered to the devotees in the noon, however, it is not possible for the temples to offer food to everybody at free of charge. Hence in order to participate in this noble cause, big business people, corporate company salary holders, share market investors and brokers could lend their helping hand, in order to protect the poor people from starvation.
When we refer to our ancient texts, most of the Hindu kings and queens like Ma Jhansi Rani, Krishnadevaraya and Vikramaditya have provided sufficient food to their people, and no one in their kingdom were suffered from hunger and thirst. Dhruva and Prahalada have opened big halls for the purpose of providing food to the people, and they have cultivated the habit of food donation even before several millions of years ago!
God cannot do all the things for us, since, only we have to take care of certain things like donating food, cloth and other necessaries for the poor and the needy. Hence, I sincerely request the readers who are good in their financial background, to implement the food donation schemes, by the way of opening “ANNAPURNA FOOD CENTRES”, across the country. All of us should remember one thing, and that is, after our death, nothing would come along with us, except our good Karmas!
“OM SRI ANANDAANNAPURNESWARI DEVIYE NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR