A Brahmin Sudama was the best friend of Lord Krishna. He was a great knower of the Absolute Truth, detached from sense gratification, peaceful in mind and self-controlled. Even though he was a householder, he was content with what he got according to his beginnings without any collection. His clothes were torn and old, as were his wife’s.
Request of his wife
One day his miserable wife, trembling with hunger, went to her husband and said Lord Krishna, is your friend. He is the tree of the devotee’s desires, compassionate to the refugees and the supreme devotee of the Brahmins. You go to them. When he learn that you are a relative and are suffering without food, he will give you something. Nowadays he is residing in Dwarka. He is so generous that he bestows his troubles on the loving devotees who remember his lotus feet.
Thus, when the wife of Sudama prayed to him several times with great humility, he thought, that It is not a matter of wealth. But seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa is the greatest benefit of life. He decided to go and asked his wife, Do you have anything to give as a gift in the house? If you have it, give it to me. Then his wife ordered four handfuls of rice from a neighbour’s house. She tied them in a cloth and gave them to her husband as an offering to lord. Then Sudama took the rice and set out for Dwarka. He would go on thinking, ‘How will I get the vision of Lord Krishna?’
When Sudama reached Dwarka
Upon reaching Dwarka, when krishna come to know about Sudama, he along with other Brahmins, crossed three camps of soldiers and three porches, to meet Sudama. Lord Krishna and Sudama both held each other’s hands and started remembering those joyful events. Which happened while they were living in the Gurukul, and they felt very happy.
Sudama entered the palace of Lord Krishna. In the form of ecstasy, Krishna started shedding tears of love from the lotus-like eyes. After some time, Lord Krishna took him and made him sit on his bed. Sudama was wearing tattered clothes. The body was very dirty and weak. All the veins of the body were visible. Rukmini herself started serving him by swinging the fan. The women of the inner circle were extremely astonished to see that the holy Krishna was worshiping Sudama with great love. They started saying among themselves – ‘What good deeds has this poor Sudama done , due to which Krishna himself, is honouring him.
Lord Shri Krishna knows everyone’s thoughts. He is the supreme devotee of the Brahmins, the destroyer of their troubles and the only refuge of the saints. He continued talking with Sudama in the above manner for a long time. Now he smiled a little and spoke humorously to his dear friend. At that time Lord Shri Krishna was looking at sudama with loving eyes.
A unique gift for krishna
Lord Shri Krishna said – ‘Sudama! What gift have you brought for me from your home?
If a person, out of love and devotion, offers anything to me, be it fruits, flowers, leaves or water. Then I not only accept that gift of love from that pure devotee, but also immediately enjoy it just like the people of vrindavan offered things to Lord Govardhan. Even after Lord Krishna said so, that Brahmin god out of shame did not give those four handfuls of rice to krishna. He lowered his face hesitantly. Lord Shri Krishna knows each and every resolution and absence of the hearts of all living beings.
He came to know the reason for the Brahmin’s arrival and what was in his heart. Now he started thinking, ‘Firstly, he is my dear friend, secondly, he has never worshipped me before for material things. At this time, he has come here on the request of his devoted wife to please her. Now I will give him such wealth, which is very rare even for the gods. Thinking this, Lord Krishna himself snatched away the rag tied from his clothes, saying ‘What is this? And he said with great respect – ‘Dear friend! This is a very dear gift you have brought for me. These pieces are enough to satisfy not only me but the entire world.
Saying this, he ate a handful of rice and as soon as he filled the other handful, Goddess Rukmini held the hand of Lord Krishna. Sudama that night Stayed in Shri Krishna’s palace only. He ate and drank there very comfortably and felt as if he had reached Vaikuntha. Sudama did not receive anything directly from Shri Krishna. Still he did not ask anything from them. Feeling somewhat ashamed of his own misdeeds, he started walking towards his home, immersed in the joy of seeing Lord Krishna. He started thinking in his mind – ‘Oh, what a joy and surprise!’ Today I saw with my own eyes the Brahmin devotion of Lord Shri Krishna who considers Brahmins as his favorite deity.
The love of krishna for Sudama
Thinking that I am a Brahmin, he took me in his arms and hugged me to his heart. Not only this, he made me sleep on the same bed on which his beloved Rukmini sleeps. As if I am his real brother! How much should I say? I was tired, so his queen Rukminiji herself served me by offering me a chawar with her own hands. Oh Despite being the worshipable deity of gods, the Lord who considered Brahmins as his favourite deity, pressed his feet, fed me with his own hands and took care of me and worshipped me like a god.
Worship of his feet is the root of attaining the wealth of heaven, salvation, earth and abyss and all the attainments of yoga. Still, the most merciful Shri Krishna did not give me even a little money, thinking that this poor man might get drunk after getting the money and forget me.
When Sudama got immense wealth
Thinking thus in his mind, the Brahmin deity reached his home. He saw that every place is surrounded by palaces made of gems as bright as the sun, fire and moon. There are picturesque gardens and parks here and there, and flocks of colourful birds are chirping in them. Seeing that place, Sudama started thinking – What am I seeing? Whose place is this? If this is the same place where I lived, then how did it become like this? While he was thinking thus, men and women as beautiful as gods came to welcome him, singing auspicious songs with musical instruments. Hearing the good news of her husband, Sudama’s wife felt immense joy and she hurriedly came out of the house, she looked as if Goddess Lakshmi (incarnated during samudra manthan) herself had come from the lotus forest.
As soon as she saw her husband ,tears welled up in the eyes of the devoted wife out of love and longing. He closed his eyes. The Brahmin greeted him with great love and even hugged him in his heart.
Sudama was astonished to see her in this form. He entered his palace with great love along with his wife. What was his palace, as if it was the residence of Devraj Indra. In this way, after seeing the prosperity of all the wealth and not finding any direct reason for it. Sudama started thinking with great seriousness as to how did I get so much wealth from. He started saying in his mind – ‘I have been unlucky and poor since birth. Then what is the reason for my wealth and prosperity?
Feeling of Gratitude
Of course, there cannot be any other reason other than the grace of Lord Shri Krishna. All this is due to his compassion. Lord Shri Krishna himself, being full of love and lord of Lakshmi, is blessed with infinite enjoyments. I had presented him with only a handful of rice, but the generous Lord Shri Krishna accepted it with so much love. That’s why they give a lot to the begging devotee after knowing his feelings. My friend Krishna is truly more generous. May I receive his love, his well-wishes, his friendship and his service every birth.
