Should Shri Karunamayi Maa not reside with Lord Shiv as the wife of Lord Shiv in Kailash, how would Lord Shiv feed Himself and such a huge family? She is Annapurṇā. She does not keep any one hungry. Let me tell you a Katha (story) related to this.
A story on the grace of Maa Annapurṇā – Navratri Sandesh 2
This is a story in Kashi. The citizens of Kashi proudly claim that they live in the city of Vishwanath and their mother is Annapurṇā. So no one sleeps hungry in Kashi.
Once, in Kashi, a person came from another town and heard this statement. He was a stubborn man. He went to Maa Annapurṇā’s temple and sat there with the thought, “Let’s see if mother will feed me”.
This man sat there while others were eating. One person offered food to this individual who refused. “I will only eat if mother feeds me,” he said. They advised him that all this is food provided by mother so to eat but this man remained stubborn. He did not eat despite many attempts by people.
It was now 10 o’clock at night and time for the temple to close. The temple closed and this man is hungry. Midnight struck. At night, food is offered to Maa in the temple in silver plates. At midnight, mother could not bear to see her child who was hungry. She came herself out of the temple with the silver plate containing food. She patted him with affection on his head.
“One should not be so stubborn,” she said. “Here, eat.” She gave him the food and left. This man was extremely hungry so he finished all the food from the silver plate. It was delicious. Then he fell asleep in the temple.
In the morning, the priest opened the temple doors. He saw that the silver plate was absent and assumed it had been stolen. He begun looking for the plate with other people. They found it next to this man who was still asleep. Immediately, they beat this man up thinking that he had stolen it.
The man said,” I am not a thief, don’t beat me. If I was a thief, I would have run away with the plate. I wanted to experience the claim that Maa does not leave anyone hungry in Kashi. Mother came herself and gave me food. I ate it all. Thereafter, I even shouted for the plate to be taken but no one came. I was tired so I fell asleep. I am not a thief.”
Hearing this, the priest fell unconscious with the thought, “I have spent my life doing worship in this temple as a priest. What I haven’t gained, this man has gained. Mother herself has fed him!”
Maa Annapurṇā keeps no one hungry. Even Bholenath, who has nothing, but so many people to feed! No one stays hungry in His household due to Maa Annapurṇā.
When sages accept the food collected from alms, they say:
Annapūrṇe sadāpūrṇe Śankaraprāṇvallabhe, gyānvairagyasiddhyarthaṃ bhikṣām dehī ca Pārvatī
Meaning, Annapurṇā Maa! You are beloved to Lord Shankar. Maa Parvati! Give me such alms that lead to the accomplishment of my knowledge and renunciation.
Mātā me Pārvati devī pita devo maheśvaraḥ, bāndhavāḥ Śivbhaktāśca svadeśo bhuvanatrayaṃ
For all of us, our mother is Maa Parvati and father is Lord Shiv. Hence all devotees of Lord Shiv, meaning, every being, are my friends and this entire universe is my own.
Maa Annapurṇā gives us the understanding that everyone is our own and no one is foreign.