12 - Sudaamaa

Sudaamaa was a poor Braahman. He used to study under Saandeepan Muni. Krishn and Balaraam also went to the same Muni to study. He became a good friend of Krishn. After they had finished their education, they both went to their places. Krishn became the King of Dwaarakaa and Sudaamaa got married to a poor Braahman girl. Sudaamaa had several children.

Everyday Sudaamaa used to sing Bhajans and went to ask for alms. People gave him some rice. He brought the rice home and his wife cooked it. First he would offer the cooked food to God, then to guests, then to children and in the end he himself ate it along with his wife. When children grew up, the food never was enough for all of them. His wife used to remind him about his good friend Krishn, that he could go there and since He was the King, He would surely help him, but Sudaamaa ignored her advice.

One day when she insisted too much, he intended to visit his old friend Krishn, not for money but for the joy of meeting his old friend. But as he was going to meet Him, he should take something for Him. They were very poor, there was nothing in the house to take to his friend. His wife thought for a moment and went to her neighbor and asked for some Chivadaa (beaten rice). She gave some Chivadaa to her. She came rushing to her hut and gave that Chivadaa to Sudaamaa tying in a cloth. Sudaamaa took the Chivadaa and set off to meet his friend. He was so engrossed thinking about his friend that when he reached Dwaarakaa he didn't know.

Dwaarakaa was very beautiful. Sudaamaa was looking for Krishn's palace. Searching here and there, he came to Krishn's palace. He found a guard there, so he asked him if he could meet Krishn. The guard asked him who was he who wanted to see Krishn? Sudaamaa said - "Tell him I am Sudaamaa, His childhood friend." Although the guard didn't believe that that poor Braahman could be Krishn's friend, still he went to Krishn and said - "There is a poor Braahman standing at the door. He wants your permission to see you and tells his name as Sudaamaa."

As soon as Krishn heard the name Sudaamaa, He ran to the door barefooted and embraced Sudaamaa very warmly. He brought him inside and washed his feet Himself. Krishn's dear wife Rukminee helped Him to wash Sudaamaa's feet. He made him wear good clothes, sit him near Himself and talked at length about their childhood days. Although Sudaamaa brought some Chivadaa for Krishn, but he was hesitating to give it to Him. He was hiding the packet under his arm. Krishn had guessed his hesitation, so He asked him - "What are you hiding from me, Sudaamaa?" Sudaamaa said hesitatingly, "Nothing."

But by then Krishn had put forward His arm and took out the packet of Chivadaa. He immediately said - "Oh, so this was the thing you were hiding from me. My Bhaabhee (brother's or a friend's wife) has sent me this delicious Chivadaa for me and you were not giving it to me? Why?" Saying this He opened the packet and took out one handful of Chivadaa and ate it. After He finished it, He took out the second handful Chivadaa and ate it too. As soon as He was about to take out the third handful of Chivadaa from the packet, Rukminee Jee who was fanning Sudaamaa, held His hand saying - "Will you give everything to him or you will keep something for yourself also?"

After a while Sudaamaa expressed his wish to go back to his home. Krishn wanted to be with him for some time more, but then He surrendered and Sudaamaa left Dwaarakaa for his home - empty-handed. When he was going home he thought that although he went to see his friend, but he did not ask for anything from him, now what will he say to his wife? She must be expecting some money to run her family. But at the same he was filled with joy thinking about his friend. Certainly the joy of meeting the childhood friend was greater than asking the money for his family.

Thus as Sudaamaa was coming to his home thinking all this, that he saw a big palace in front of him. He knew that there was no palace even near his hut, then where this palace came from? He looked here and there and confirmed that he had not forgotten his way, then whose palace is this? As he came nearer, he saw his wife coming out of the palace with some attendants to welcome her husband. Now he knew that Krishn had given all this to him without asking for it. His devotion, faithfulness, and love greatly increased towards Krishn at this.

His wife asked him to come inside the palace and told him that somebody built that palace overnight and they were transferred to it without their knowledge. Then Sudaamaa told her all what happened in Dwaarakaa. Both were very grateful to Krishn. But as Sudaamaa lived for a while in that palace, he found that he was not able to remember Bhagavaan as before. So he left his family there in the palace and he started living in his old hut.

He again started singing Bhagavaan's Bhajans and asking for alms. Whatever he got in alms he got satisfied with that.

[Its moral is: The same is good which is got without asking for. Besides, wealth creates obstacles in worshipping Bhagavaan, for the same reason, Sudaamaa left his palace and started living in his old hut.]