| Annapurna | |
|---|---|
Goddess of Food and Nourishment | |
 | |
| Sanskrit transliteration | Annapūrṇa |
| Sanskrit | अन्नपूर्णा |
| Affiliation | Parvati,Devi,Durga,Adi Parashakti |
| Abode | Mount Kailash |
| Mantra | Om Annapūrne Sadāpūrne Śankara Prāna Vallabhe Jnyāna Vairāghya Siddhyātam Bhikśām Dehī Ća Pārvatī |
| Symbol | Pot,Ladle |
| Day | Friday |
| Consort | Shiva |
Annapurna,Annapurneshwari, Annada orAnnapoorna (Sanskrit: अन्नपूर्णा,IAST: Annapūrṇā, lit.filled with or possessed of food)[1] is a manifestation ofParvati and is known as theHindu goddess of food and feeding. Worship and offering of food are highly praised in Hinduism, and therefore, the goddess Annapurna is regarded as a popular deity. She is a manifestation of the goddessParvati, the paredra ofShiva,[2] and is eulogized in theAnnada Mangal, a narrative poem inBengali byBharatchandra Ray. TheAnnapurna Sahasranam is dedicated to the goddess and praises her one thousand names, while theAnnapurna Shatanama Stotram is dedicated to her 108 names.
A few temples exist that are dedicated to her, some of the most prominent being theAnnapoorneshwari Temple established byAgastya atHoranadu andAnnapurna Devi Mandir inVaranasi. SinceAkshaya Tritiya is considered to be the birthdate of Annapurna, the day is believed to be very auspicious for buying gold jewellery.[3]
Annapurna is derived fromSanskrit meaningthe giver of food and nourishment.Anna (अन्न) means "food" or "grains" andpūrṇa (पूर्ण) means "full, complete and perfect."
It is believed that MountAnnapurna in theHimalayas is named after her as the goddess is believed to be one of the daughters ofHimavat, the king of the mountains.[4] The Western world names her the "Hindu God of Cooking," considering her association with food items.[5]
The other names of Annapurna are:[6]
TheAgamas (religious texts) describe the iconography of Annapurna as a youthful goddess having red complexion with a face round like the full moon, three eyes, high breasts, andfour hands. The lower left hand is depicted as holding a vessel full of delicious porridge. The right hand with a golden ladle adorned with various jewels. The other two hands depict theabhaya andvarada poses. She is depicted with wristlets and golden jewelry on her chest. She is seated on a throne with the crescent moon adorning her head.[7]
In some depictions, Shiva is shown standing to her right with a begging bowl, begging her for alms.[8]
Annapurna is mentioned in Hindu religious texts such as theRudrayamala,Sivarahasya,Annapurnamantratsava,Maha Tripurasiddhanta,Annapurna Kavacha,Annapurnahavamti,Annapurnamalininaksatramalika, andBhairvahyantantra.[6] TheKumara Sambhavam byKalidasa makes vivid mention about Varanasi and the deity Annapurna. The goddess is also described as the source of knowledge and the main deity in theAnnapurna Upanishad, which is considered a minor Upanishad among the 108 Upanishads. In this text, praying to Annapurna is the means by which the sage Ribhu attains knowledge.
TheDevi Bhagavata written during the 3rd and 4th centuries CE refers to Annapurna as the goddess ofKanchipuram andVishalakshi as the goddess of Varanasi. TheSkanda Purana, written during the 7th century, states the sageVyasa was led to Varanasi by a curse, and Annapurna came as a homemaker and offered him food. TheLinga Purana mentions that Shiva was begging for food for his children as he could not get food in the world due to a miracle created by his consort Parvati. Parvati came out as Annapurna and offered food to Shiva at his doorsteps. The legend ofKashi Viswanath Temple in Varanasi is associated with the story that Shiva built the temple there in her honour.[9]
The mention of Annapurna is also found inKumara Sambhava, aTelugu literature, by Nannechola, a Shaiva poet of the 12th century. There is also a mention of the deity inKasikhanda by Srinatha, a Telugu poet of the 13th century.[8]
One day, the god Shiva and his consort Parvati got into an argument about the material world. Shiva said that everything materialistic was just an illusion, including the food that the humans ate. This infuriated Parvati, who governs materialistic aspects. To show Shiva and the world her importance, she disappeared, saying that she wanted to see how the world would survive without her.
With Parvati's disappearance, the world was deprived of food, and there occurred a famine. Shiva's followers begged him for food; even the Gods were forced to beg for food, but could not find any food. Finally, Shiva and his followers realised that there was only one kitchen on earth, in the city ofVaranasi (Kashi), where food was still available.
Shiva went to Kashi to beg for food. To his surprise, the kitchen was owned by his wife Parvati, but in the form of Annapurna. She wore celestial purple and brown garments, which were lightly adorned with ornaments. She was seated on a throne, serving and distributed food to the starving gods and hungry inhabitants of the earth. Annapurna offered her food as alms to Shiva and made him realize that as Brahman, Shiva might have outgrown hunger; but his followers had not.[6]
Food is considered sacred in Hinduism, and prayers are offered before consuming it. The person who identifies the importance ofAnnam (food) within the five layers of the body helps carry life in the worldly process and subsequently seeks to identifyBrahman, the enlightenment.Annadana, the donation of food, is highly praised in Hinduism. The importance of Annadana is prescribed in theVishnu Dharamottara,Agni Purana,Padma Purana,Kurma Purana,Nandi Purana, andVayu Purana.[6]
Annapurna is worshipped through the recitation of her thousand names and her one hundred and eight names. TheAnnapurna Stotra composed byAdi Shankara extols her attributes and is chanted by devotees.
In Marathi weddings, the bride is given metal idols of Annapurna andBala Krishna by her mother. She worships them before the wedding, by offering rice and grains to the idols. This viddhi (custom) is known as Gauri Harap. She also takes images of her husband's house and places the idols on them.
Though Annapurna is a popular deity, there are few temples dedicated to her.[8]
annapūrṇa : pūrṇa mfn. filled with or possessed of food; (ā), f. N. of a goddess, a form of Durgā
