Sabaris Love for Lord Rama

Swami starts to sing: Jūṭhe phala sabarī ke khāye.
Sabari was a great devotee of Rama.
In the time of Rama, Sabari everyday would collect fruits from the jungle and she would wait for Rama, since her youth.
Rama is one aspect of the Divine.
She would wait till Rama came to eat the fruit.
So every day, she would bring fresh flowers and she would bring fresh fruit and wait for Rama.
And she would chant all day: Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram. Eventually she grew old; she became a very old lady.
All her teeth fell out, you know.
She became so old that Rama finally came.
When Rama and Lakshman were on the way to Lanka, they came and they passed by the cottage of Sabari and there this old lady without teeth, just two teeth in her mouth, was waiting for Rama.
When Rama came, she was really joyfully welcoming Him.
She put Rama on the seat there, because every day she would write with fresh flowers the name of Rama.
So when Rama was there, she opened up her heart so much.
Her heart was so full with Love. Of course Rama was with Lakshman, who is His brother, His small brother.
Jūṭhe phala sabarī–jūṭhe is jujube, a fruit.
I don’t know whether you have it here.
So, she would first taste the fruit, whether it’s sour or sweet.
She gave Rama only the sweet ones to eat and then Lakshman said “Oh, my goodness, how can you eat this?”
And Ram said to Lakshman “You would not understand that.
This is between the bhakta and the Beloved, the Lover and the Beloved one.”
It’s the Love, you know, that the soul has, the soul connection and this is the Love that Sabari had for Rama.
So Rama would eat it, because of that Love.
That’s why we say: Jūṭhe phala sabarī ke khāye | bahu vidhi prema lagāī. That means: But he would feel great joy by eating that fruit.

More Hindu stories can be found in this book Just Love

Here you can watch the really beautiful scene of Sabari meating her beloved Rama: click here