On the occasion of Sri Krishna Jayanthi here is my narration of the popular story of Krishna and Sudama as depicted in the Srimad Bhagavatham.

Sudama was a class-mate of Krishna at Rishi Sandipani’s Ashrama. This Ashrama was at Avanti (Ujjain). Even now this is a tourist place. Krishna was 8 years old and Balarama was a year older when they killed Kamsa. It was after that they joined Guru Sandipani’s Ashram and it was here that Sudama became Krishna’s friend.

After their education was over, they parted ways.

However, Sudama’s destiny had made him remain in dire poverty. But this did not in any way stop his devotion to Krishna. Over the years, penury had disciplined him in his controlling his senses and he had stopped even desiring for anything. Sudama had found a perfect partner in his wife Kalyani, who shared the same values as him, never complaining even once. The non-availability of food or comforts never mattered to her serene mind. In those days, the Brahmanas had to earn their food by begging, and their job was to pray for the well-being  of the Universe. So both husband and wife had accepted their destiny without complaining.

However, one day, Kalyani was extremely pained by the hardship endured by Sudama to provide for both of them. Very reluctantly, she started talking to him. “My Lord” she said in a soft voice, “You have often told me that Shri Krishna was your class-mate and dear friend. Now I believe He is the Prince at Dwaraka. He is known for His compassion to Brahmins. Also Rukmini, His spouse is said to be the very incarnation of Mahalakshmi, the Goddess of wealth…”.  

She paused for a while and spoke again. “Why should you not go and meet Krishna?” she said, “I feel He will certainly help you to come out of this poverty which is destroying you… I am pained to see your suffering…”

Kalyani did not continue and was looking down with trepidation that she had been too vocal. She had never complained or advised him earlier.

Sudama felt pity looking at her. Here was a wife who had never ever complained for the lack of anything. Even now, he knew her pain for him was real. That melted his heart and he agreed to her idea. The very thought of meeting his childhood play-mate and  their childhood memories brought a smile on Sudama’s parched face. But then, there was one problem. It was considered inauspicious to visit someone empty handed. That too meeting a friend after so many years!

Kalyani understood her husband’s thoughts and went to borrow something from the neighbours to send for Krishna. She visited four houses and succeeded in getting from them a fistful of paddy each. She pounded the paddy in the grinding stone converting them to rice flakes (Poha). She tore a piece of her old saree and bundled the  Poha in that and gave it to Sudama.

Sudama left for Dwaraka, his mind oscillating between fear and joy. Fear at how he would seek an audience with the Prince of Dwaraka and joy of thinking of his childhood days with Krishna. He started walking not knowing how many days it would take for him to reach Dwaraka but Krishna, the Omniscient one knew that someone dear to Him was on his way to Dwaraka and lo and behold! Sudama suddenly found himself on the streets of Dwaraka!

Meandering through the wide streets and spectacular palaces, he found himself in front of the most beautiful mansion of them all. Drawn by some invisible force, Sudama entered the mansion and walked in straight with no questions asked by anyone. And suddenly he found himself in front of the divine forms of Krishna and Rukmini who were seated on their thrones.

Krishna’s eyes met Sudama’s and He rushed towards Sudama with tears of joy and greeted Sudama with a warm tight hug. He held the hands of Sudama and led him to the very seat He had been sitting on and made Sudama sit on that. The next moment Krishna was at Sudama’s feet, washing the weary feet with his gentle lotus-like hands with cool fragrant water while Rukmini was fanning Sudama with a fan made of peacock feathers.

 Krishna took the water used for washing Sudama’s feet and sprinkled it on His own and Rukmini’s heads and continued applying cool sandal paste on Sudama’s feet. Sudama was tongue-tied and dazed with joy that he could not speak a word. The members present there were surprised that Krishna was honouring a beggar-like person in such a grand manner.

Sitting side by side Krishna and Sudama joyfully remembered their childhood days. The conversations were full of remembrances of specific incidents which had happened in the Gurukula. Both of them clearly remembered the one instance when Krishna and Sudama had got stranded in the forest after a terrible thunderstorm. They had gone to pick up twigs for the Gurukula. They remembered how the worried Guru had come looking for them the next day. Talking about all these, Sudama forgot himself completely in the presence of Krishna.

Krishna then asked Sudama about what had happened to him after they left the Gurukula. Then seeing that Sudama was too embarrassed to speak about his own life, Krishna changed the subject. After all, being the Lord of the universe, He knew what Sudama had come for. With the complete sense of right, which only a friend could have, he demanded to know what Sudama had brought for him. “I am sure you would have brought something for me. What is it??”   Sudama felt terribly ashamed and could not look at Krishna in his eye. “Come on Sudama!” said Krishna. “Tell me please, what have you brought?” He asked with a twinkle  in his eye.

Sudama’s eyes were still downcast when Krishna caught sight of the bundle in Sudama’s ‘Uttariyam’ (upper cloth). “Hey look! You have indeed brought me something and did not want to give me huh?” he said in a tone of false anger. “I have taken it Sudama!” said He as He took the bundle in His hand. Sudama was helplessly watching, still ashamed of the gift he had brought. Krishna had by then opened the bundle and was blowing the little specks of  chaff which were there in the Poha with His eyes glimmering with child-like joy! “Sudama, you remembered and brought what I liked?” exclaimed Krishna like a little boy and picked up a fistful of the Poha and put it into His mouth, savouring each and every bit of it, with His eyes closed as if in extreme bliss.

When He had eaten that, He was about to take one more handful. He put His hand on the Poha, when Rukmini caught His wrist. Smiling at her beloved, she said, “Enough! You have blessed him with enough. If you eat one more handful then I may have to leave you and go and reside in his house!”

Sudama who was absorbed in the divine form of Krishna, did not even hear their conversation.

He spent the night happily with Krishna and took leave of Krishna the next morning. Krishna, with His wives prostrated to Sudama seeking his blessings. Sudama was happy that he had not spoken about wanting wealth. “How cheap it would have been? Good I did not ask” he told himself. He thought again and again of the warm hug of his friend and the great respect he had received in Krishna’s palace. “It is enough if I am fortunate to be remembered by Krishna, he said to himself as he trudged  along the path to his home.

Again by the power of Krishna, very quickly, he seemed to be on the road where his house stood but noticed a huge mansion where his house used to be. “I have never noticed this mansion” he thought to himself. “It is so well-lit and looks like Krishna’s palace… Have I lost my way and gone back to Dwaraka instead of my village??”

As he neared the mansion, some well- dressed divine looking guards greeted him and escorted the puzzled Sudama to the door of the mansion. And from inside the mansion came Kalyani, now dressed like Mahalakshmi herself. She looked so beautiful. Sudama was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. He stood there trying to assimilate and process the change that had happened. He realized that it was a Leela of his dear Krishna. His eyes overflowed with tears of joy  and surrender.

“Who can describe the Leela of Krishna? He, who is capable of granting unmeasurable amounts of wealth, chose not to talk about it at all to me though He knew my state. For,  to Him, the devotion or Bhakti of a person is much more precious than all the wealth in all the worlds put together”  Sudama thought to himself. “Krishna chose to shower His Grace on me so quietly. He knew that I would have been embarrassed if He had declared that He is gifting me what I badly needed. How thoughtful of Him!”

The scene of dear Krishna lovingly taking a handful of the very ordinary Poha he had taken for Him and eagerly putting it into His mouth and relishing it flashed again and  again in the mind of Sudama. Krishna had shown the world that a poor man’s simple gift was way dearer to Him than all the delicacies He had in His palace!  Thinking of all this again and again, all Sudama could do was shed tears of ecstasy and joy.

Sudama and Kalyani accepted Krishna’s Grace with deep devotion and lived a comfortable life afterwards helping as many people as they could. However, as true devotees of Krishna, they  detached their minds from the wealth and lived happily with  their thoughts dwelling on Krishna always.

Jai Shri Krishna!