Source
Texts:
The
Lord Blesses Sudâmâ Brâhmana
Text
1-2:
S'rî
S'uka said: 'He, Bhagavân Krishna, the True Goal of the
Devotees, the Lord Knowing Perfectly the Minds of All Beings,
in this manner conversing with the best of brahmins, then
spoke, in His dedication to the brahmins with a loving glance
looking, smiling and laughing at His dear friend, to the
brahmin.
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said:] Lord Hari, Krishna, perfectly
knows the hearts of all living beings, and He is especially
devoted to the brâhmanas. While the Supreme Lord, the
goal of all saintly persons, conversed in this way with the
best of the twice-born, He laughed and spoke the following
words to that dear friend of His, the brâhmana
Sudâmâ, all the while smiling and looking upon
him with affection.
Text
3
The
Supreme Lord said: 'What gift did You bring Me from your home,
o brahmin; even the slightest thing offered by devotees in pure
love turns into something immense to Me, whereas not even the
hugest presented by non-devotees is capable to serve My
satisfaction.
The
Supreme Lord said: O brâhmana, what gift have you
brought Me from home? I regard as great even the smallest
gift offered by My devotees in pure love, but even great
offerings presented by nondevotees do not please Me.
Text
4
Whoever
offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit and water with devotion,
that offer brought from the heart by a soul of good habits I
accept [same as in B.G.
9.26].'
If
one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a
fruit or water, I will accept it.
Text
5
The
twice one born though, thus being addressed, was, bowing down
his head, too embarrassed with Him, the Husband of the Goddess
of Fortune, and didn't offer the few hands of ricegrains, o
King.
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî continued:] Even after being
addressed in this way, O King, the brâhmana felt too
embarrassed to offer his palmfuls of flat rice to the
husband of the goddess of fortune. He simply kept his head
bowed in shame.
Text
6-7:
As
the direct Witness in the heart of all living beings fully
cognizant of the reason why he had come thought He: 'He,
worshiping Me in the past, never desired the opulence; however
since he, My friend, for securing the satisfaction of his
chastely to her husband devoted wife, now came to Me, will I
give him riches unobtainable [even] for the immortals
[see also B.G.
9.22 ].
Being
the direct witness in the hearts of all living beings, Lord
Krishna fully understood why Sudâmâ had come to
see Him. Thus He thought, "In the past My friend has never
worshiped Me out of a desire for material opulence, but now
he comes to Me to satisfy his chaste and devoted wife. I
will give him riches that even the immortal demigods cannot
obtain."
Text
8
Thinking
like this snatched He Himself from the garment of the twice
born one away the ricegrains tied up in a bundle, saying: 'What
is this?
Thinking
like this, the Lord snatched from the brâhmana's
garment the grains of flat rice tied up in an old piece of
cloth and exclaimed, "What is this?
Text
9
Have
you brought this to My pleasure My dear friend? These
ricegrains satiate Me and the whole universe that I
am!'
"My
friend, have You brought this for Me? It gives Me extreme
pleasure. Indeed, these few grains of flat rice will satisfy
not only Me but also the entire universe."
Text
10
Thus
speaking took He a handful to eat and a second one, whereupon
S'rî [Rukminî devî] devoted to Him,
the One Supreme, seized His hand
[as the grains
were hard to digest].
After
saying this, the Supreme Lord ate one palmful and was about
to eat a second when the devoted goddess Rukminî took
hold of His hand.
Text
11
'That,
o Soul of the Universe, is enough for a person after Your
satisfaction to prosper with all opulence in this world or else
a next one.'
[Queen
Rukminî said:] This is more than enough, O Soul of
the universe, to secure him an abundance of all kinds of
wealth in this world and the next. After all, one's
prosperity depends simply on Your satisfaction.
Text
12
The
brahmin following that night, residing in Acyuta's palace
eating and drinking to his fill, felt as if he had attained
heaven.
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî continued:] The brâhmana spent
that night in Lord Acyuta's palace after eating and drinking
to his full satisfaction. He felt as if he had gone to the
spiritual world.
Text
13
The
next day went he honored by Him, the Self-satisfied Maintainer
of the Universe, off to his own residence, my dear, all in
delight walking the road.
The
next day, Sudâmâ set off for home while being
honored by Lord Krishna, the self-satisfied maintainer of
the universe. The brâhmana felt greatly delighted, my
dear King, as he walked along the road.
Text
14
Though
he, embarrassed on his own accord not begging for it, had
received no wealth from Krishna, was he on his way home filled
with joy of the audience with the Great One.
Although
he had apparently received no wealth from Lord Krishna,
Sudâmâ was too shy to beg for it on his own. He
simply returned home, feeling perfectly satisfied to have
had the Supreme Lord's audience.
Text
15
'Ah, to have
seen the extend of the devotion to the brahmins òf the
Godhead of the Brahmins; He who carries Lakshmî on His
chest embraced the poorest man!
[Sudâmâ
thought:] Lord Krishna is known to be devoted to the
brâhmanas, and now I have personally seen this
devotion. Indeed, He who carries the goddess of fortune on
His chest has embraced the poorest beggar.
Text
16
Who am I?
Someone poor and sinful! And who is Krishna? The temple of
S'rî! And I, this brahmin's friend, was just like that
closed in His arms!
Who
am I? A sinful, poor friend of a brâhmana. And who is
Krishna? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in six
opulences. Nonetheless, He has embraced me with His two
arms.
Text
17
Just as
brothers being seated on the bed used by His love, was I,
fatigued, fanned by His queen with a hair-fan in her
hand.
He
treated me just like one of His brothers, making me sit on
the bed of His beloved consort. And because I was fatigued,
His queen personally fanned me with a yak-tail
câmara.
Text
18
With sincerity
served and with the feet massaged and such was I like a demigod
worshiped by the God of Gods, the Godhead of the
Learned!
Although
He is the Lord of all demigods and the object of worship for
all brâhmanas, He worshiped me as if I were a demigod
myself, massaging my feet and rendering other humble
services.
Text
19
The worship of
His feet is the root cause of all perfections and opulence that
a person may find in heaven, in emancipation, in the lower
regions and on earth.
Devotional
service to His lotus feet is the root cause of all the
perfections a person can find in heaven, in liberation, in
the subterranean regions and on earth.
Text
20
If this poor
one obtains riches will he, delighting in excess, not remember
Me', He must have thought, compassionately not giving me the
slightest of wealth.'
Thinking
"If this poor wretch suddenly becomes rich, he will forget
Me in his intoxicating happiness," the compassionate Lord
did not grant me even a little wealth.
Text
21-23
Thus
innerly occupied with these thoughts arriving at the vicinity
of his home was he confronted with high rising palaces,
rivaling the sun, the fire and the moon, on all sides
surrounded by wonderful courtyards and gardens swarming with
hordes of cooing birds, reservoirs of water full of lilies and
night- and daytime blooming lotuses white and fully open, and
well adorned and ornamented men and women with deer-like eyes.
'What is this, whose place is this, how could this come
about?'
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî continued:] Thinking thus to
himself, Sudâmâ finally came to the place where
his home stood. But that place was now crowded on all sides
with towering, celestial palaces rivaling the combined
brilliance of the sun, fire and the moon. There were
splendorous courtyards and gardens, each filled with flocks
of cooing birds and beautified by ponds in which kumuda,
ambhoja, kahlâra and utpala lotuses grew. Finely
attired men and doe-eyed women stood in attendance.
Sudâmâ wondered, "What is all this? Whose
property is it? How has this all come about?"
Text
24
That
way paining his mind was he welcomed by the men and women with
complexions effulgent like the demigods, who most fortunately
loudly sang with instrumental music.
As
he continued to ponder in this way, the beautiful men-and
maidservants, as effulgent as demigods, came forward to
greet their greatly fortunate master with loud song and
instrumental music.
Text
25
Hearing
that her husband had arrived, came his excited wife extremely
jubilant, quickly out of the house like the Goddess of Fortune
manifesting herself from her abode.
When
she heard that her husband had arrived, the brâhmana
's wife quickly came out of the house in a jubilant flurry.
She resembled the goddess of fortune herself emerging from
her divine abode.
Text
26
Seeing
the husband she was so devoted to, bowed she with her eyes,
tearful with the spur of love, closed, solemnly her head down,
embracing him within her heart.
When
the chaste lady saw her husband, her eyes filled with tears
of love and eagerness. As she held her eyes closed, she
solemnly bowed down to him, and in her heart she embraced
him.
Text
27
Seeing his wife
appearing as effulgent as a goddess in a vimâna, shining
in the midst of maidservants with golden lockets around their
necks, was he stunned.
Sudâmâ
was amazed to see his wife. Shining forth in the midst of
maidservants adorned with jeweled lockets, she looked as
effulgent as a demigoddess in her celestial airplane.
Text
28
Pleased
himself to be joined by her saw he, having entered, how his
home with its hundreds of gem-studded pillars looked like the
palace of the great Indra.
With
pleasure he took his wife with him and entered his house,
where there were hundreds of gem-studded pillars, just as in
the palace of Lord Mahendra.
Text
29-32
There
were ivory beds ornamented with gold [with bedding]
white as foam and couches with golden legs, yaktail-fans,
golden chairs with soft cushions and canopies hung with strings
of pearls. Seeing the sparkling clear quartz walls inlaid with
precious emeralds as also the jeweled lamps and the women
decorated with jewels, made the brahmin there, free from
agitation with all the flourishing opulence, reason to himself
about the unexpected prosperity:
In
Sudâmâ's home were beds as soft and white as the
foam of milk, with bedsteads made of ivory and ornamented
with gold. There were also couches with golden legs, as well
as royal câmara fans, golden thrones, soft cushions
and gleaming canopies hung with strings of pearls. Upon the
walls of sparkling crystal glass, inlaid with precious
emeralds, shone jeweled lamps, and the women in the palace
were all adorned with precious gems. As he viewed this
luxurious opulence of all varieties, the brâhmana
calmly reasoned to himself about his unexpected
prosperity.
Text
33
'It
must be so that the cause of the prosperity of this one, me who
poverty stricken was always so unfortunate, can be nothing else
indeed but the glance of Him, the Best of the Yadus, the One of
the Greatest Opulence.
[Sudâmâ
thought:] I have always been poor. Certainly the only
possible way that such an unfortunate person as myself could
become suddenly rich is that Lord Krishna, the supremely
opulent chief of the Yadu dynasty, has glanced upon
Me.
Text
34
After
all, gave He, my Friend, the most exalted among the Das'arhas,
with me being in the presence of Him, the Enjoyer of All
Wealth, saying nothing to my intention to beg, as plentiful as
a cloud when He took notice.
After
all, my friend Krishna, the most exalted of the
Dâs'ârhas and the enjoyer of unlimited wealth,
noticed that I secretly intended to beg from Him. Thus even
though He said nothing about it when I stood before Him, He
actually bestowed upon me the most abundant riches. In this
way He acted just like a merciful rain cloud.
Text
35
As
opposed to the little that He makes of the great that He
Himself gives is the insignificant given by a well-wishing
friend by Him turned into something great; that is how the
Supreme Soul with pleasure accepted the palmful of ricegrains
brought by me.
The
Lord considers even His greatest benedictions to be
insignificant, while He magnifies even a small service
rendered to Him by His well-wishing devotee. Thus with
pleasure the Supreme Soul accepted a single palmful of the
flat rice I brought Him.
Text
36
Let
there indeed life after life repeatedly be my love
[sauhrida], friendship [sakhya], sympathy
[maitrî] and servitude [dâsya] with
Him, the Supremely Compassionate Reservoir of Transcendental
Qualities, and may I become firmly attached to the valuable
association of His devotees.
The
Lord is the supremely compassionate reservoir of all
transcendental qualities. Life after life may I serve Him
with love, friendship and sympathy, and may I cultivate such
firm attachment for Him by the precious association of His
devotees.
Text
37
Upon
His devotee does the Supreme Lord not bestow the wonderful
opulences - a kingdom and material assets - when he, not born
again [see 10.80:
32],
falls short in understanding because He in His wisdom sees how
the intoxication [the mada]
leads to the downfall of the wealthy.
To
a devotee who lacks spiritual insight, the Supreme Lord will
not grant the wonderful opulences of this world - kingly
power and material assets. Indeed, in His infinite wisdom
the unborn Lord well knows how the intoxication of pride can
cause the downfall of the wealthy.
Text
38
This
way firmly fixed with intelligence most devoted to
Janârdana, enjoyed he together with his wife free from
inordinate desire, keeping in mind the renunciation of the
objects of the senses.'
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî continued:] Thus firmly fixing his
determination by means of his spiritual intelligence,
Sudâmâ remained absolutely devoted to Lord
Krishna, the shelter of all living beings. Free from
avarice, he enjoyed, together with his wife, the sense
pleasures that had been bestowed upon him, always with the
idea of eventually renouncing all sense
gratification.
Text
39
Of
Him, the God of Gods, Hari, the Master and Lord of Sacrifice
are the brahmins truly the masters; there is no greater deity
to be found than them [see also 7.11:
14,
7.14:
17-18,
10.24:
25,
10.45:
32].
Lord
Hari is the God of all gods, the master of all sacrifices,
and the supreme ruler. But He accepts the saintly
brâhmanas as His masters, and so there exists no deity
higher than them.
Text
40
Thus
seeing the Unconquerable One as conquered by His own servants
[see also 9.4:
63]
was he, the learned friend of the Supreme Lord, by the momentum
of his meditation upon Him untied in his bondage to the
[material] self and attained he soon His abode, the
destination of the truthful.
Thus
seeing how the unconquerable Supreme Lord is nonetheless
conquered by His own servants, the Lord's dear
brâhmana friend felt the remaining knots of material
attachment within his heart being cut by the force of his
constant meditation on the Lord. In a short time he attained
Lord Krishna's supreme abode, the destination of great
saints.
Text
41
A
man hearing of this sympathy for the brahmins of the Godhead of
the brahmins, finds love for the Supreme Lord and becomes freed
from the bondage of fruitive labor [see also
7.11:
35].
The
Lord always shows brâhmanas special favor. Anyone who
hears this account of the Supreme Lord's kindness to
brâhmanas will come to develop love for the Lord and
thus become freed from the bondage of material work.
