Once there was a Brahmin living in Ujjain, in India. He used to provide food for the hungry every day. The Brahmin asked his guests one day: What is the fruit or merit of gifting food every day? The guests replied that they did not know the answer to his question but the goddess Annapoorna devi in Benares would know the answer.
The Brahmin then went to Varanasi and asked the goddess Annapoorna devi the same question.
She then replied that a baby was going to be born to the king of Hemavata city near Vaarana Ganga in the Himalayas. The names of the king and queen were Angeerasa and Sumati respectively. The goddess advised the Brahmin that this baby would answer his question and urged him to go to Hemavata city.
The Brahmin then proceeded towards the Himalayas, but lost his way. He met two tribals (Boya and Kirata) in the forest. The tribal man admonished the Brahmin for traveling alone in the very dangerous forest which was full of wild animals. He suggested that the Brahmin should spend the night with him. He then took the Brahmin to his field and gave him some grains and apologized to him that he could not supply him with a new mud pot in which to cook his food (it is traditional that Brahmins will cook only in new pots). The Brahmin then replied that he was contented and that his weariness had gone due to the tribal man‘s warm welcome. He then assured the tribal man that he was not hungry. But the tribal man gave him some honey and plain rice on two leaves and the Brahmin ate them after offering them to God.
The tribal man considered it unwise for the Brahmin to sleep on the ground due to the wild animals in the forest and requested his guest to go to an elevated platform along with the tribal man‘s wife and rest for the night on the platform. He then armed himself with a bow and arrows and kept the vigil for the night. But during the early hours of the morning while he dozed off, a tiger came and killed him. The wife of the tribal man then woke up and finding her husband dead, took up his bow and arrow and killed the tiger. The Brahmin meanwhile woke up and realizing what had happened asked the Kirata‘s (tribal man) wife: ―Am I a fitting person to receive this kind of help and sacrifice from my hosts?‖ He then arranged for the funeral ceremony for the Kirata. The Kirata‘s wife also entered the funeral pyre to be immolated with her husband. Then the Brahmin proceeded to the city of Hemavata in the Himalayas.
The queen at that time delivered a boy on one auspicious day. The Brahmin hearing this went to pay his respects to the king and queen and asked the new born baby: ―My dear baby – please reveal to me the merit of offering food to the hungry.‖ The baby boy answered him thus: ―Is it possible to describe the MERIT of giving food to the hungry? The MERIT for the gift of food given with sincere and divine love is INFINITE. What else can I tell you?‖ Then the baby revealed to the Brahmin that he was the very Kirata who had offered him rice and honey in his previous birth. —™
The story of Pushpagandhi
By the grace of God, the king of Kalinga had a daughter whose name was Pushpagandhi. The astrologers predicted that her husband would become prey to a Brahma Rakshasa (goblin) on the seventh day after her wedding. A few years later when Pushpagandhi had grown into a young
woman, the Prince of Maalava saw her and fell in love with her. He married her with the consent of her father. As predicted by the astrologers, the prince of Maalava fell into the hands of a Brahma Rakshasa. The prince then convinced the Raakshasa that he will return to him after taking permission from his parents. He then brought his young wife Pushpagandhi with him and offered himself as food to the Rakshasa. The Rakshasa then took his shining sword and brought it close to the neck of the Prince. At that very moment, the princess Pushpagandhi spread her palms in front of the Rakshasas and pleaded: ―Biksham dehi!‖ (Please give alms)
The raakshasa then asked her what kind of food she wanted and she replied:
―Purusha Biksha!‖ (Please give this man as alms). Wonderstruck by her intelligence the Brahma Rakshasa released the prince. A celestial plane then came from the heaven for the Rakshasa. The Brahma Rakshasa then left his sinful body, obtained a divine form and went to heaven in the divine vehicle. This too was a result of the gifting of food. —™
Dokka Seethamma Story
˜– There was a Brahmin couple by name Srimati Narsamma and Sri Bhavani Sankar Danappindi in Mandapeta village of East Godavari District
of composite Madras State and present Andhra Pradesh State. They had a daughter in 1841 and named her as Seethamma.
Sri Joganna Dokka, who lived in Lankala Gannavaram, married Seethamma after he lost his first wife. Seethamma joined her husband when she was very young. She rendered services to her husband, God, and guests day and night. Her husband‘s family was rich. She spent all their property for the charity of Annadaana. She had a son by name Sri Subbarayudu and daughter-in-law by name Subbamma. They also cooperated to render Annadaana service.
Srimati Seethamma lost her mother when she was very young. Also later she lost her father. Next she lost her husband too. But she never gave up her charity of giving food (Annadaana). In those days the Jamindars (rich land lords) used to donate grains and money to Seethammagaru whenever she made any request.
One day, Lord Vishnu came in disguise as a beggar and asked Srimati Seethamma for the golden necklace (Kante) in her neck. In spite of her husband preventing her from giving the necklace, she donated the ornament secretly to the beggar. Maha Vishnu then revealed to her through a dream that it was He who had come as the beggar.
One day, a person who had many bad habits came from Bombay to her village. While stealing her silk saree he was caught red-handed and arrested in the streets. By the grace and kindness of Seethamma the thief was released.
One dark night, the river Godavari was overflowing with floods and the sky was filled with clouds. While all the beings were asleep, a Harijan (person of untouchable caste) called out from the other side of the Godavari river saying he was hungry. Seethamma heard the noise of hunger. Immediately, she prepared the food and requested her husband to take her to the other side of the river and serve the needy. Her husband shirked at the thought. So, with great courage she went alone to the other side by boat and served the hungry person.
At that point, two ghosts (one had killed his brother and due that sin became a ghost; and the other was the killed one who became a goblin or Brahma Raakshasa) appeared to her. They requested to give the virtue of serving that food (dahara-surrendering the merit through water from palm into other man or soul) so that they could get rid of their ghost forms. She donated that virtue of service. One got rid of pain and the other went to heaven.
The king of Pithapuram, Sri Raja Rao Maheepati Gangadhara Ramarao Bahadur, arrived one day to test Seethamma. She served a delicious six-course meal to the king. When the Prime Minister (Diwan) pretended he
was sick, she specially prepared and served him food that was appropriate for a sick person.
Such was her greatness that Sri Karra Agnihotra Sastry, a famous Veda Pundit, came to see Seethamma. Due to her meritorious charity He circumambulated her and prostrated at her feet.
India was ruled by the British in those days. In 1902 A.D. December the Edward 7th was crowned Emperor. An invitation was sent from the Emperor to Srimati Dokka Seethamma to participate in the great function of Crowning. She refused saying that she does not want any respect, recognition, and presents. Finally it was decided to keep the photo of Srimati Seethamma Dokka adjacent to the picture of the Emperor Edward during the ceremony in Delhi. The glory of her acts of Annadana reached England and was recognized by the British Government. Her photo was also kept in the Darbar Hall in London during Crowning ceremony.
The following is the extract from the Madras Gazette: ―By Command of his Excellency, the Viceroy and Governor General in Council, this certificate is presented in the name of his gracious Majesty, King Edward VII, Emperor of India to Dokka Seethamma Garu of Gannavaram in recognition of her well known charity.” Madras (Sd.) G. Stocks, 1st January, 1903 Chief secretary to Government of Madras.
Such a great soul merged with God on Wednesday April 28, 1908. All the hungry in that region still remember her name even today. Let her fame stay till the end of Kalpa (great flood).
[Source: The life history of ―Nirata (ever) Annadaata (charioteer of food) Seethamma Dokka‖ by Sri Mittipati Seetharama Charyulu and Brahmana Sarvaswamu; Brief history of Andhra Pradesh, first volume published by All India Bharateeya Brahmana Karivena Nitya Annadaana Satram, Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh.] —™
These stories also illustrate how any food offered with a clean mind and heart full of love, tastes like nectar, and has the effect of nectar. It is important to note that our thoughts affect the food we cook! To purify the mind and the intellect for the correct reflection of the truth, the first caution is in regard to food. Indeed, this is a very serious matter for Sadhakas.
The story of the pious Brahmin
˜– There lived in Malur, Mysore state, a pious Brahmin who was a great scholar. He had an equally pious wife. He was always intent on puja and
japadhyanas and was known far and wide for his virtuous character. One day, a sanyasin called Nityananda came to his door seeking alms; so, he was happy beyond measure. He invited the monk to take dinner with him the next day so that he might honor him with due hospitality. He hung green festoons over his doors and made elaborate arrangements for reception. But, at the eleventh hour, physical impurity rendered his wife unfit to prepare food for the honored guest or for any on else. A neighbor volunteered to cook the meal and she was brought in and introduced into the kitchen. Everything went off well and all were as happy as they could be, under the circumstances. Only, the sanyasin was wrung during meals by an overpowering desire to steal the silver cup which the host had placed near his plate. In spite of his best efforts, the evil idea won and the sanyasin hurried to his abode with the cup hidden in the folds of his robe.
He could not sleep that night, for his conscience pricked him so. He felt he had brought the disgrace on his Guru and on the rishis whom he invoked by the mantras he recited. He could not rest, until he ran back into the Brahmin‘s house and, and falling at his feet, restored the article with tears of repentance trickling down his cheeks. Everyone wondered how such a saint could stoop so low; then, someone suggested it might be the fault transmitted to the food he ate, by the person who cooked it. And when they examined the history of the neighbor they found that she was an irrepressible thief! The thieving tendency had, by subtle contact, affected the food she prepared. —™
This is the reason why sadhakas are advised to live on fruits and tubers only when they reach a certain stage of spiritual achievement.
The body is the crucible for the purification of the mind. If the crucible is not strong, it will crack or break. To make the crucible of the body strong enough to withstand the heat of the spiritual tires, care should be taken to choose the food that is taken in and the activities which are taken up so as to make the body strong and worthy
As you advance higher and higher in your Saadhana, you will feel more and more the subtle influences of the food you take as also the influences radiated by environments and the embodied energies around you, till you reach that stage where you will see Divinity everywhere, in everyone and in everything. —™
Mahalaya Paksham & Its Significance
˜– King Srnjaya performed putra kameshti and prayed to God for bestowing a son who can produce gold at will. In due course of time, he was blessed with a son who was named as Suvarni Istivi. Everything about the child was gold except the sweat, spit and other natural excreta. The king built golden palaces and abodes where even the toilets were made of gold. Shortly, some thieves came to know of the little prince‘s prowess, and stole him from the palace. They took him to the forest and foolishly thinking that there would be
gold, they cut open the child‘s stomach. Finding nothing, they left the dead body and went away.
The unhappy King Srnjaya lived for some more years and reached Bramaloka after his death. There he was offered food made of gold, because of his yearning for gold. After going hungry for a couple of days he complained to Brahma. Brahma explained the reason, and allowed him to go back to earth for 15 days. He said that the king must talk to his subjects about greed, and what it leads to.
The reformed king accordingly spent the time in advising his subjects the importance of shraddha, and that they should offer rice, vegetables, oil, etc., to the needy who partake them on behalf of the ancestors and other invited gods. —™
Wealth earned in the right way can bring solace and happiness, but greed can only cause misery. Let us not meditate for money and debase ourselves, and indulge in a million ways to amass wealth.
