Long ago, there was an elderly and simple woman named Karmabai. She lived in Puri and was a great devotee of Lord Jagannath. She considered him like her own son, and her love for him transcended all rituals.
Karmabai believed that the Lord would be hungry early in the morning. So, every morning, she would wake up at Brahmamuhurta (dawn), without bathing or performing any rituals, and without praying, she would go straight to her kitchen and lovingly prepare Khichdi. Then, placing the Khichdi on a plate, she would lovingly offer it to Lord Jagannath. She believed that the Lord would surely accept her loving offering.
Her devotion was so true and pure that Lord Jagannath himself, in the form of a child, would come to her house every day to eat Khichdi. He would quickly eat the Khichdi and return to the temple, so that no one would see him.
One day, a priest came to Karmabai's house. He saw Karmabai preparing Khichdi early in the morning without bathing or performing puja. He explained to her that there were certain rules for offering food to God. He advised her to bathe first, clean the kitchen, and then offer the food to God with all the rituals.
After listening to the Pandit, Karmabai thought he was probably right. The next day, as per the Pandit's instructions, she bathed, cleaned the kitchen, and then prepared Khichdi as per the prescribed rituals. But all this took a long time.
Meanwhile, Lord Jagannath arrived at Karmabai's house early in the morning to eat Khichdi as usual. He was very hungry, but Karmabai had not yet prepared it. When Karmabai prepared Khichdi and came to offer it to the Lord, Lord Jagannath quickly ate it and left for the temple without even rinsing his mouth, as it was time for the temple doors to open.
When the temple priest opened the doors, he saw that Lord Jagannath had some grains of khichdi stuck to his face and tears in his eyes. The priest was surprised and asked the Lord why.
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The Lord told the priest that his devoted devotee, Karmabai, had taken too long to prepare khichdi, and he was hungry. He explained that a devotee's true love and devotion were more important than rules and regulations. He said that Karmabai's love was so deep that he could not live without the khichdi she had prepared.
The Lord also told him that today his beloved devotee, Karmabai, had passed away, and who would now prepare and feed him khichdi with such love?
This story teaches us that God is pleased not by rituals, but by true love and devotion. Because of Karmabai's devotion, even today, khichdi is offered to the Lord in the morning at the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
This story tells us that the greatest thing in devotion is simplicity of heart and selfless love.
Read more : - Empowering Parents: Lessons from Jane Adams on Letting Go and Loving Unconditionally
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