Home

Index | Previous

Sudaamaa Meets Krishn

Krishn had already left Gurukul, after some time Sudaamaa also left it. In the course of time he got married and had children. He was a true Braahman. He never took anything more than his need, still he never got enough to bring up his family. Several years passed in this poverty but he never moved from his Dharm. His wife always used to complain about their poverty. She knew that Krishn was the best friend of her husband. Sometimes she used to remind him about Krishn but Sudaamaa used to ignore it. And they were continuing to live like that for many years.

In the meantime Krishn became the king of Dwaarakaa and used to live there with His 16,008 wives. He used to give alms everyday in morning, He used to respect Braahman very much and used to give them whatever they needed.

So one day Sudaamaa's wife reminded him again about Krishn that now Krishn was the king of Dwaarakaa and used to respect Braahman very much and give them whatever they needed. So why didn't he go there, meet him and ask something for himself. Sudaamaa understood a little. In fact he always remembered Krishn - his best friend. This time he longed to see Him, so he agreed to go to see Him.

His wife got extremely happy. She immediately went to her kitchen to find something there but her kitchen was empty. But she didn't leave hope. She rushed to her neighbor and requested her to give her something as her husband was first time going to see his friend in many years. She brought some puffed rice and said - "Sister, I have only this in my house. You take it and give it to your husband."

Sudaamaa's wife came back hastily and tied that rice well in a clean cloth and gave it to Sudaamaa saying - "Will you go empty-handed to see your friend? Take this for Him." And she handed over that to Sudaamaa. Sudaamaa also got ready to go and started his journey.

All the way to Dwaarakaa he thought about Krishn and the days passed with Him. He just forgot as why he was going to see him. He was just thinking about Him. How he will see Him, whether Krishn will recognize him or not, how glorious He will be looking in king's attire, how he will feel when he will see Him first time after so l,ong time, etc.

At last he arrived in Dwaarakaa Nagaree. He got lost in the beauty and glory of that city in which Naaraayan was living. It was His own city. Well, looking here and there he proceeded. He saw many similar large houses there. He decided that Krishn's palace must be the best and the largest one, so he started looking for such a palace. But all were so similar that he couldn't decide which one could be Krishn's palace.

So he asked someone about His palace. Seeing him new and a poor Braahman he directed him to Krishn's palace. Sudaamaa came to the gate of the palace and was about to enter the palace that gatekeepers stopped him seeing him in torn clothes and shoes and asked - "Who are you and what is your purpose to come here?" Sudaamaa said - "My name is Sudaamaa. I am Krishn's friend, and I have come to see Him."

Gatekeepers laughed heartily disbelieving him and tried to push him away, but Sudaamaa was not ready to go back from here without seeing Krishn. So he insisted - "At least go inside, and let Him know once that His childhood friend Sudaamaa has come to see Him." Then one gatekeeper got kind to him and went inside the palace to inform Krishn. He said - "A very poor Braahman is standing at the gate clad in torn clothes and shoes, taking a long stick in his hand, wishes to see you, tells that you are his childhood friend and tells his name as Sudaamaa."

At that time Krishn was sitting with Rukminee Jee. Hearing the name of Sudaamaa, He rushed towards the gate barefooted, embraced Sudaamaa as he was, brought him inside and made him sit near Him on the same bed where He was sitting. All gatekeeper got astonished to see this scene because they had never seen Krishn behaving like this for anybody else. Who was this poor man who made Him behave like this?

Krishn asked Rukminee to bring water to wash his feet. Rukminee brought water to wash his feet. Bhagvaan Krishn Himself washed Sudaamaa's feet, wiped his feet with His own Peetaambar (a long yellow strip of cloth which He wears on His shoulders), and worshipped him Himself. Then He asked his welfare, about his life and they talked a lot about their past times.

Rukminee was also surprised to see this behavior of Krishn, as she had never seen Him behaving like this. She started shaking fan on Sudaamaa. When they were talking, Krishn noticed that Sudaamaa was feeling uncomfortable and hesitating for something. He guessed it and asked - "My Bhaabhee must have given you something to give me, where is that, give it to me." Sudaamaa was hesitant to say anything, he moved backward a bit, but Krishn snatched away the puffed rice tied in a bit dirty cloth and hidden in Sudaamaa's armpit saying - "What is this you are hiding from me? Oh! this is the puffed rice she has sent to me, and why were you giving it to me?"

Saying this He took one handful rice from that and ate it saying "Oh! this is the sweetest rice I have ever eaten." Sudaamaa was embarrassed to see all this and wished he could hide himself somewhere where Krishn cannot see him but couldn't find such a place. Krishn took another handful rice and ate it saying "You hid it from me, you did not do good to me." And then He took out third handful rice and as He was about to eat it, Rukminee Jee held His hand saying - "Will you give everything to him? Or keep something for yourself too?"

Then Krishn fed Sudaamaa with His own hands. Sudaamaa stayed there overnight. Krishn made him sleep on His own bed and served him well. In the morning Sudaamaa got ready to come back to his own place. Krishn bade him farewell crying and saying - "Convey my regards to Bhaabhee and love to your children." Both got very sentimental, but Sudaamaa was very happy to see his friend after such a long time and that He recognized him as a friend and behaved very well.

So he left Dwaarakaa and started his journey back to his place. He was so happy that he didn't feel any tiredness during his journey. Actually he completely forgot his purpose to go there. But as his home was nearing he remembered his family and then he remembered that his wife sent him to ask for something from his friend. And he was coming empty-handed. Now what will he say to her because he just forgot it in the happiness of meeting Him and this also didn't look nice if he asked Him for something. He would have died with shame if he asked something from Him. Well, he will tell her something, but he was thankful to his wife as she gave him a chance to see his old friend. He was just happy.

Thinking like this he came to his house, but what is this? He couldn't see his house. He saw a big palace standing there. Many people were going in and coming from its gate. He looked around to find some other identification of his location but he couldn't see any, but the road to his place was the same.

The then his wife saw him from her upper room. She came down to welcome her husband. Sudaamaa couldn't recognize his wife at the first sight, then slowly he recognized her. She took him inside the palace and told him everything that how his hut was converted to this palace overnight.

Sudaamaa got very happy to see this, he thanked Krishn for all this He gave it to him without asking. But in spite of getting all this, it is said that he used to live with his same ideology and got pleasure in it.

Home

Index | Previous