Ramayana and Shabri
The story of Shri Rāma eating Shabari’s Jootha is not from authentic Hindu scriptures.
It is not found in Vālmiki Rāmāyaṇa. It is not found in Rāmopākhyāna of Mahābhārata. It is not found in Tulasidās’ Rāmcharitmānas. It is not found in Ananda Rāmayaṇa. It is not found in Purāṇas. It is not found in Tamil Kamba Rāmayaṇa. It is not found in Telugu Bhaskara Rāmayaṇa. It is not even found in Rām Avatar written by Guru Gobind Singh.
Indian Rāmāyaṇa TV serials often show this episode of Shri Rāma eating Shabari’s Jootha as a matter of fact. However, no such thing is mentioned in Vālmiki Rāmāyaṇa itself. In Vālmiki Rāmāyana(3.74), it is only mentioned that Shabari collected fruits for Shri Rāma. Nothing simply is said about jhootha.
Likewise, Goswami Tulasidas in रामचरितमानस (3.34) mentions that Shabari offered fruits to Shri Rāma. But no mention of any tasted fruits.
The episode is absent in Rāmopākhyāna of Mahābhārata.
Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa also mentions Shabari offering fruits to Shri Rāma. But there is again no mention of any eating already tasted fruits or jootha.
It is often claimed that this event is mentioned in Padma Purana. However, it is not found it in Padma Purana published by Gita Press. Neither in Deshpande’s complete translation of Padma Purana. Nor in Hans Bakker’s critical edition of Padma purana.
There is no mention of “Shabri ke juthe ber” here in the Adhyatma Ramayan either. It tells us that Shabri gathered some fruits for Shri Ram and offered them to him.
Let’s see in the Popular Telgu Ramayan called " Rangath Ramayan "
Here also there is no mention of Shabri ji ke jhute ber rather it mentions again that Shabri gathered many kand, mul, and fal for Shri Ram and Laxman and offered them and Shri Ram ate those fruits happily.
Now we’ll see another version of Ramayan written by famous Bhakti Saint “Shri Eknath Maharaj” and it is called “Bhavarth Ramayan”. He writes that Shabri Brought “Fal and Mul” (Fruits) for Shri Ram, he doesn’t mention anything other than this that Shabri offer juthe ber or fruits.
Last we will see that this incident of juthe ber as popular discourse comes in Odiya Ramayan known as " Jagmohan Ramayan/Dandi Ramayan".
It says when Shri Ram went to Champa Sarovara he saw there was a Siddha yogini called Shabri, shabri saw Shri Ram. and Laxman and worshiped them then as soon as Indra sent his yarn for her and took her back to Swarga. Hence Jagmohan Ramayan also doesn’t mention this story of Shabri ji ke juthe ber.