The Brāhmaṇa Sudāmā Benedicted by Lord Kṛṣṇa

Next paragraph. Chapter Eighty-one: "The Brahmana Sudama Benedicted by Lord Krsna."

Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supersoul of all living entities, does know very well everyone's heart. He is especially inclined to the brahmana devotees. Lord Krsna's another name is brahmanya-deva, which means that He is worshiped by the brahmanas. Therefore a devotee who is fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is to be considered already acquired the position of a brahmana. Without becoming a brahmana, nobody can approach the Supreme Brahma, Lord Krsna. As such, Lord Krsna is very much attached to the brahmana devotees. He is also known as worshipable by the brahmanas. Krsna is specifically meant for vanquishing the distress of His devotees, and He is the only shelter of pure devotees.

Lord Krsna was engaged for a long time in talking with Sudama Vipra about their past association. Now Lord Krsna, just to enjoy the company of an old friend, began to smile and asked him, "My dear friend, what you have brought for Me? Has your wife given something eatable for Me?" Lord Krsna, while He was addressing His dear friend, He was smiling with great love and looking upon him. Lord Krsna continued to say, [within quotation] "My dear friend, you must have brought something presentation for Me from your home." [quotation close]

Lord Krsna knew it also that Sudama was hesitating to present Him the paltry chipped rice, which was factually unfit for His eating. But Krsna, understanding the mind of Sudama Vipra, began to say as follows: [within quotation] "My dear friend, certainly I am not in need of everything, but if My devotee gives Me something as offerings of love, even though such thing may be very insignificant, I accept it with great pleasure. On the other hand, if a person is not a devotee, even though he may offer Me very valuable things as presentation, I do not like to accept them. Actually, I accept only things which are offered to Me in devotion and love; otherwise, however valuable a thing may be, I do not accept it. My pure devotee, even he offers Me most insignificant things like a little piece of flower, a little piece of leaf, a little water, saturated in devotional love, such thing not only I accept them gladly, but I also eat them with great pleasure." [quotation close]

Even though Lord Krsna assured Sudama Vipra that He would be very glad to accept his chipped rice which he had brought from home, out of great shyness he hesitated to present them before Krsna. And because he was thinking how he could offer such insignificant things to Krsna, he simply bowed down his head.

Lord Krsna, the Supersoul, knows everything in one's heart. He knows everyone's determination and everyone's want. He knew therefore what was the reason of Sudama Vipra's coming to Him. He knew it also that driven by extreme poverty, he had come there on the request of his wife only. He began to think within himself also that Sudama was His very dear class friend, and his loving relationship with Krsna as friend was never meant for deriving any material benefit. "Now he had come not for asking anything from Me; but being obliged by the request of his wife, he has come to see Me just to please his wife." Lord Krsna therefore thought that He would give such material opulence to Sudama Vipra as even the king of heaven could not imagine.

Thus considering, Lord Krsna immediately caught up the bundle of chipped rice which was hanging on the shoulder of Sudama Vipra packed in one corner of his wrapper. Lord Krsna snatched away the bundle, saying, "What is this?" and encouraged Sudama Vipra by saying, "My dear friend, you have brought for Me such nice palatable and eatable chipped rice. I consider that this quantity of chipped rice will not only satisfy Me, but it will satisfy the whole creation." [quotation close]

By this statement of Lord Krsna it is understood that Krsna, being the origin source of everything, is the root of all creation. As watering on the root of the tree is distributed immediately to every part of the tree, similarly, anything offered to Krsna or anything done for Krsna is the highest welfare act because the result of such offering is distributed throughout the creation. Our love for Krsna becomes distributed to all living entities.

Next paragraph.

Lord Krsna, speaking to Sudama Vipra like that, immediately ate one morsel of chipped rice from his bundle, and when He was attempting to eat the second morsel, Rukminidevi, who is the goddess of fortune herself, stopped the Lord from eating further morsel and checked Him by catching His hand. This indicates that in a home where Lord Krsna is offered foodstuff with love and devotion, and if the Lord accepts such foodstuff, being pleased on the devotee, then Rukminidevi, the goddess of fortune, becomes so much obliged to the devotee that she has personally to go to the devotee's home to turn it to be the most opulent home in the world. In other words, if you feed Narayana sumptuously, goddess of fortune, Laksmi, becomes automatically your guest in the house, which means your home becomes opulent.

So after catching the hand of Krsna, Rukminidevi said as follows: "My dear Lord, it is sufficient for a man to become very, very opulent in this life as well as continue his life of opulence in the next life, this one morsel of chipped rice is sufficient. You are so kind upon Your devotee, my Lord, that this one morsel of chipped rice makes You so much pleased, and Your pleasure means the devotee's opulence both in this life and in the next." [quotation close]

In this way, the learned brahmana Sudama passed that night at the house of Lord Krsna, and while he was there he was feeling exactly he was living in the Vaikuntha planet. And actually he was there because wherever Lord Krsna, who is original Narayana, lives along with goddess of fortune, Rukminidevi, certainly the place is not different from the spiritual planet Vaikuntha-loka.

The learned brahmana Sudama appeared to have received nothing substantial directly from Lord Krsna while he was at His place. Still, the brahmana did not ask anything from the Lord. The next morning he started for his home, thinking always about his reception by Krsna, and thus he became merged into transcendental bliss, and all the way he simply began to remember the dealings of Lord Krsna and thus feeling very much happy on account of his seeing Lord Krsna. The brahmana began to think within himself as follows: "How much pleasurable it is to see Lord Krsna so much devoted to the brahmanas, and how much great lover is the Lord of the brahminical culture! He is the Supreme Brahma Himself, and reciprocally He respects the brahmanas also so much so that He embraced on His chest a poor, poor brahmana like me, although He never embraces on His chest anyone else except the goddess of fortune. How there can be any comparison between me, who is a poor brahmana, full of sinful life, and the Supreme Lord Krsna, who is the only shelter of the goddess of fortune? Still, considering me as a brahmana, He embraced me with heartfelt pleasure by His two transcendental arms.

"Not only this, Lord Krsna was so much kind upon me that He allowed me to sit down on the same bedstead where the goddess of fortune lies down. He considered me as if I am His real brother. How much I can appreciate my obligation upon Him. When I was too much tired, Srimati Rukminidevi, the goddess of fortune, began to fan me with the whisk camara in her own hand. She never considered about her exalted position as the first queen of Lord Krsna. How much I was rendered service by the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of His high regard for the brahmanas, and I was worshiped by Him by massaging of my legs and by feeding me in His own hand in so many ways.

"The whole universe worships the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, aspiring for being elevated to the heavenly planet or to get liberation or to achieve all kinds of material opulences and perfection in the yoga mystic powers. But still, He was so kind upon me that He did not give me even a farthing because He knows very well that I am a poverty-stricken man, and as soon as I get some money I may be puffed up and mad after material opulence so that I shall forget Him." [quotation close]

Next paragraph.

The statement of Sudamabrahmana is correct. An ordinary man, when he is very poor he prays to the Lord for some benediction in material opulence, and by somehow or other if he becomes richer by material opulences, he immediately forgets his obligation to the Lord. Therefore, even to His devotee the Lord does not offer opulences unless he is thoroughly tested. On the other hand, if a neophyte devotee serves the Lord very sincerely, at the same time wants some material opulence, the Lord checks him from such opportunity.

The learned brahmana, in this way thinking within himself, gradually reached his own place. Reaching there, he saw everything wonderfully changed. He saw that the place where his cottage was standing was now turned into place of big palaces made of valuable stones and jewels, glittering like the sun, moon and rays of fire. Not only there were such big palaces, but at interval there was nice parks also, very beautifully decorated, and flocks of different colored birds were chirping there. In those parks there were nice lakes full of lotus flowers and beautiful lilies, and many beautiful men and women were strolling in those parks.

So seeing the wonderful conversion of his native place in that way, he began to think within himself, [within quotation] "What I am seeing all these changes? Does this place belong to me or somebody else? If it is the same place where I used to live, then how it has changed into such wonderful situation?"

When the learned brahmana was considering like this, immediately some beautiful men and women exactly resembling the features of the demigods, accompanied by musical chanters all combined together, approached before the brahmana to welcome him. All of them were singing auspicious songs. The wife of the brahmana became very much glad on hearing the tidings of her husband's arrival, and with great haste she also came out of the home.

At that time the wife of the brahmana appeared so beautiful, as if the goddess of fortune herself has come to receive him. As soon as she saw her husband present before her, she was dropping tears from her eyes on account of great joy. But she could not address her husband, on account of her voice being choked up and eyes being full of tears. She could simply close her eyes in ecstasy. But with great love and affection she bowed down before her husband, and within herself she thought of embracing her husband in that spot. The wife of the brahmana was fully decorated with gold necklace and ornaments, and while she was standing amongst the maidservants she appeared exactly like the wife of some demigod getting down from the aeroplane. The brahmana also became surprised seeing her [his] wife in that posture. But without speaking anything the brahmana entered the palace with her [his] wife in great affection.

When the brahmana entered his personal apartment in the palace, what did he see? He saw that it was not an apartment, but the residence of the king of heaven. The palace was surrounded by many columns of jewels. The couches and the bedsteads were made of ivory, bedecked with golden plates and jewels, and the beddings on them were as white as the foam of milk and they were as soft as the lotus flower. Many whisks were hanging there, with golden rods. There were many golden thrones, and the sitting cushion on them were as soft as the lotus flower. In different places there were nice velvet and silken canopies with laces of pearls hanging all around.

The structure of the building was standing on first-class transparent marble, with engraving of emerald stones. All the women in the palace were carrying lamps made of valuable jewels. The flame and the jewels combined together produced an wonderful glaring. When the brahmana saw such sudden change of everything in his possession into heavenly opulence, and when he could not find out any reason, cause, of such sudden change of his position, then he began to consider within himself very gravely how it so happened.

He thus began to murmur within his mind, [within quotation] "From the beginning of my life I am poverty-stricken extremely. Then what may be the cause of such great opulence all of a sudden? I do not find any other reason than the all-merciful glance of my friend Lord Krsna, the chief of the Yadu dynasty. Certainly they are gifts of Lord Krsna's causeless mercy. The Lord is self-sufficient and is the husband of the goddess of fortune; thus He is always full with six kinds of opulences. As such, He can understand the mind of His devotee, and according to the devotee's desire He fulfills sumptuously. So all these are acts of my friend Lord Krsna. My beautiful blackish friend Krsna is far more liberal than the cloud, which can fill up the great ocean with water. But still, for the satisfaction of a cultivator, cloud does not pour water before the cultivator but at night it rains sufficiently, which the cultivator considers still less when he is awakened in the morning." [quotation close]

The idea is that the Lord fulfills the desire of everyone according to his position, and still, one who is not in Krsna consciousness considers all gifts of Lord still lesser than he desired. On the other hand, the Lord, when He receives a little thing from His devotee in love and affection, He considers it as great valuable gift. "The vivid example is myself. I simply offered Him a morsel of chipped rice, and in exchange of that, He has given me the opulences greater than the opulences of the king of heaven." [quotation close]

Actually, the devotee, what he offers to the Lord is not needed by the Lord. He is self-sufficient. If the devotee offers something to the Lord, it is for his own interest because whatever a devotee offers to the Lord, it comes back in millions times greater quantity than what he offered to the Lord. Or in other words, nobody become loser by giving to the Lord, but he becomes gainer by millions of times.

The brahmana, therefore, thought himself so much obliged to Krsna, and he began to think within himself, [within quotation] "I may have the friendship of Lord Krsna. I may be engaged in His service. I may have full surrender unto Him in love and affection, life after life. I do not want any opulences. My only desire is that I may not forget His service. I may simply wish that I may be associated with His pure devotees, and my mind and activities be always engaged in His service. The unborn Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna knows the bitterness of great opulences. He knows that many great personalities, on account of extravagant opulences, do fall down from their position. Therefore, sometimes even His devotee asks from Him for some opulence, He does not give him. He is very cautious about His devotees. If opulences are offered to a devotee in immature condition, then the devotee on account of being in the material world may fall down from his devotional position. Therefore, the Lord does not offer any opulence to a devotee in immature condition.

"This is another causeless mercy of the Lord upon His devotee. His first interest is that the devotee not fall down, exactly like a well-wishing father does not give much wealth in the hand of immature son. But when the son is grown up and knows how to spend money, the whole keys of treasury house is given to him."

The learned brahmana thus concluded that whatever opulences he had received from the Lord should not be used for his sense gratification and extravagancy; it must be used in the service of the Lord. Thus the brahmana, in a spirit of renunciation and without attachment for sense enjoyment, he remained in that position very peacefully, along with his wife, and he enjoyed all facilities of opulences as prasadam of the Lord. As we enjoy different varieties of foodstuff offered to the Lord and then we take as prasadam, similarly, if by the grace of the Lord we get opulences as material wealth, fame, power, education, beauty, it is our duty to consider that they are all gifts of the Lord and they must be used for the service of the Lord, not for sense enjoyment.

The learned brahmana remained in that position, therefore, day after day. Instead of deteriorating on account of great opulences, he increased his love and affection for Lord Krsna. The idea is that material opulence is the cause of degradation and also the cause of elevation, as they are used for different purposes. If they are used for sense gratification, they are cause of degradation; and if they are used for the service of the Lord, they are cause of elevation.

Next paragraph.

From this instance it is evident that Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is very, very pleased upon a person with brahminical qual…

[break] ...qualified brahmana like Sudama Vipra is naturally a devotee of Lord Krsna. Therefore, it is said that brahmano vaisnavaḥ: a brahmana is a Vaisnava. Just like sometimes it is said brahmanaḥ panḍitaḥ. A brahmana cannot be foolish or uneducated. Panḍita means learned-highly learned person. Therefore brahmins, or brahmanas, have got two sub-designation, namely Vaisnava or panḍita. Those who are simply learned or panḍita but is not a devotee of the Lord, or a Vaisnava, Lord Krsna is not very much pleased upon them. Simply qualification of a brahmana is not sufficient to draw the attraction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be as good qualified as they are stated in the scriptures like Srimad Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and at the same time must be a devotee of Lord Krsna.

The vivid example is Sudama Vipra. He is a qualified brahmana, unattached to any sorts of material sense enjoyment, at the same time a great devotee of Lord Krsna. Lord Krsna, the enjoyer of all sacrifices and penances, are very much fond of such a brahmana like Sudama Vipra, and we have seen by practical behavior of Lord Krsna how much He adores such brahmana. Therefore, the ideal perfectional stage of a human being is to become a brahmana-vaisnava like Sudama Vipra.

Next paragraph.

In this way, Sudama Vipra realized that although Lord Krsna is unconquerable, still, He agrees to be conquered by His devotees. He realized how Lord Krsna was kind upon him; therefore, he was always in trance, thinking of Krsna constantly. By such constant association with Lord Krsna, whatever darkness of material contamination was there within his heart became all cleansed and cleared up, and very shortly he was transferred to the spiritual kingdom, which is the goal of all saintly persons in perfectional stage of life.

Sukadeva Gosvami has blessed all persons who in future would hear this history of Sudama Vipra and Lord Krsna. By reading and hearing this history of Sudama Vipra and Krsna, one could know how much Lord Krsna is affectionate to the brahmana devotee like Sudama. Anyone, therefore, who hears this history gradually becomes as qualified as Sudama Vipra, and thus he is transferred to the spiritual kingdom of Lord Krsna.

Next paragraph.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of Chapter Eighty-one Krsna in the matter of "Brahmana Sudama Benedicted by Lord Krsna."

Next paragraph.