The Tale of Annapurna and the Curse of Hunger

In a kingdom far to the east, ruled by a just and noble king named Surajit, the land once flourished with abundance. Its fields were golden with grain, and its rivers flowed with crystal-clear water. The people of the kingdom were prosperous and content, living in harmony under the king’s wise governance. No one in the land had ever known hunger, and food was plentiful for all, from the richest noble to the humblest farmer.

However, this peace and prosperity did not last. Deep in the wilderness beyond the kingdom, there lived a demon named Durbhiksha, whose heart was filled with envy and malice. He despised the happiness and abundance of King Surajit’s realm and sought to bring misery to its people. Durbhiksha, whose very name meant “famine,” possessed a dark power—the ability to curse the land with insatiable hunger.

One fateful day, the demon emerged from his lair, casting a curse over the kingdom that no one could escape. With his dark magic, he ensured that no matter how much food was prepared or served, it would never be enough to satisfy the people’s hunger. As the curse spread, the kingdom’s fields began to wither, and the rivers dried up. Even the wealthiest citizens, with granaries full of food, found that the more they ate, the hungrier they became.

The people soon fell into despair. No matter how much they consumed, their stomachs remained empty, and their strength waned. The streets of the once-bustling cities were filled with the cries of the starving, and famine swept through the land like a storm. Wealth lost its value, for even the richest could not buy enough to fill their bellies. The kingdom, once a beacon of prosperity, was now a land of suffering and want.

King Surajit, deeply troubled by the plight of his people, called upon his advisors and priests to find a solution. They tried every remedy known to them, offering prayers to the gods, performing rituals, and even seeking out sages for advice, but nothing worked. The curse of hunger could not be lifted by ordinary means. Desperate and with no other recourse, the king turned to Goddess Annapurna, the divine mother of nourishment, in a heartfelt prayer.

“O gracious Annapurna,” the king prayed, “you who provide sustenance to all beings, we are lost without your grace. Our kingdom has fallen under the curse of endless hunger. No matter how much we eat, we remain starved and weak. Please, come to our aid and free us from this terrible fate.”

Hearing the sincere prayers of the king and his people, Annapurna appeared in a vision to King Surajit. Her form was radiant, and in her hands, she carried a golden bowl, filled to the brim with food. Her presence brought immediate relief to the king’s weary soul, and he knew that the divine mother had come to restore balance.

“King Surajit,” Annapurna said, her voice filled with kindness, “the suffering of your people is great, and I have heard their cries. The demon Durbhiksha has cursed your land with endless hunger, a hunger that can only be lifted by the power of compassion and unity. Food alone cannot satisfy those who eat without care for others. I shall lift the curse, but you and your people must learn that true nourishment comes not just from food, but from the heart.”

With that, Annapurna descended upon the kingdom, her presence filling the air with warmth and hope. She waved her hand over the land, and in an instant, the curse was broken. The fields that had been barren began to bloom again, and the rivers that had dried up returned to life. Food once again became abundant, and the people’s insatiable hunger vanished.

However, Annapurna’s task was not yet complete. She gathered the people of the kingdom together and spoke to them.

“You have suffered greatly,” she said, “but now you must understand that hunger is not just a physical state. It is a form of suffering that affects the soul. Greed and selfishness only deepen that hunger. To truly overcome it, you must act with compassion and share what you have with others. Hunger can only be defeated by the kindness of the community, by feeding not just yourselves, but those around you.”

The people listened to her words with reverence, realizing the deeper meaning behind their suffering. Annapurna then instructed the king and his subjects to establish communal kitchens, where food would be prepared and served to all, regardless of their status or wealth. These kitchens, known as Annapurna Mandirs, would be places of selfless service, where no one would be turned away, and where the food served would not just fill the belly, but also nourish the soul.

With Annapurna’s guidance, the king built these kitchens throughout the kingdom. The people of the land, now united by their shared suffering, came together to cook and serve food in these mandirs. Rich and poor, noble and commoner, all sat together in these sacred spaces, eating from the same pot, sharing the same bread. The simple act of feeding one another created bonds of kindness and community, and the curse of hunger became a distant memory.

Under Annapurna’s blessings, the kingdom flourished once again. The communal kitchens became not just places of nourishment, but symbols of unity, compassion, and generosity. People from neighboring lands would come to the kingdom, not just to eat, but to witness the transformation that had taken place. They saw how hunger had been defeated not by wealth or power, but by the strength of the community and the grace of the goddess.

King Surajit, forever grateful for Annapurna’s intervention, made it a tradition that the Annapurna Mandirs would always serve food to anyone in need, no matter the circumstances. In doing so, he ensured that no one in his kingdom would ever suffer from hunger again.

The Moral of the Tale:

The tale of Annapurna and the curse of hunger teaches us that hunger is not only a physical affliction, but also a spiritual one, and that it can only be truly defeated through compassion, generosity, and community. When we act selflessly and share what we have, we create bonds of unity that go beyond material wealth. Annapurna’s wisdom shows that true nourishment comes from the heart, and that feeding others is an act of grace that sustains both the giver and the receiver.