The Legend of Annapurna

One Cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. - Virginia Woolf.

Lord Shiva Primordial destroyer of evil, slayer of demons, protector and omniscient observer of the universe was testing his wife's patience. Historically the union of Shiva and Parvati was a glorious one. They maintained the equilibrium between thought and action on which the well being of the world dependent. Without Parvati as an agent of energy the growth and development of the world would be ceased and Shiva would become an detached observer. For the Well being of the world it is essential for the divine union of both which is called Ardhanarishvara which bought fertility and connection to all living things. Parvati was an essential counterpart for Shiva's power of raw creation. She looked after the material comfort, well being of inhabitants of Earth and ensured connectivity between them physically, emotionally & spiritually. Thus she was worshipped far and wide. Yet their started drift between two divine forces. Shiva started to belittle the responsibilities ensured by Parvati. He insisted on quarelling about her role and responsibilities in the universe. He believed that material plane was created by Brahma for his own fancy and they are just cosmic illusion which he called Maya. Parvati knowingly sustained it for millennials but with Shiva's latest rebuke she reconciled that it was essential now to make shiva realise her importance. Thus she took a flight from the world withdrawing her half of the cosmic energy which kept the earth turning. At her disappearance an all terrifying scary silence enveloped the earth. The earth got gloomy & dark. Suddenly the land became barren and rivers shrunk, Hunger descended on humanity. As nothing left to eat people found hard to console their trumbling babies with their own crumbling stomach. Shiva shocked and awe was hit hard by the profound emptiness left by her wife. In lieu all his Supreme powers he too realised that he was not immune to the need of sustenance. As Shiva despaired over the desolate earth he realized that worldly material cannot be so easily dismissed. Seeing Shiva's epiphany and her devotee's wasting compassionate Parvati could no longer stand by. She takes a new avatar with a porridge in one hand and a jewell gold laden in another called Annapurna. With the arrival of Annapurna the world blossomed a new. It is said that she arrived at Kasi the holy city and feed the people till their stomach full. Hearing this news Shiva too arrived in the form of Bhikshu with empty bowl begging for food and forgiveness. This Depicts that material world cannot be so easily dismissed but rather it is a cycle that must be sustained with the equilibrium of earth.