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CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE

The Lord Blesses Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa

This chapter describes how Lord Kṛṣṇa ate a morsel of the flat rice brought by His friend Sudāmā and bestowed upon him wealth greater than that of the King of heaven.

In the course of His loving talks with His friend Sudāmā, Lord Kṛṣṇa said, “My dear brāhmaṇa, have you brought any gift for Me from home? I regard as very significant even the smallest offering from My loving devotee.” But the poor brāhmaṇa was ashamed to present Kṛṣṇa with his meager gift of flat rice. However, since Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supersoul dwelling in all hearts, He knew why Sudāmā had come to visit Him. So He grabbed the bundle of flat rice Sudāmā was hiding and ate a handful of it with great pleasure. He was about to eat a second morsel when Rukmiṇī devī stopped Him.

Feeling as if he had gone back to Godhead, Sudāmā spent that night comfortably in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s palace, and the next morning he set off for home. As he passed along the highway, he thought of how fortunate he was to have been so honored by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Absorbed in this meditation, Sudāmā arrived at the place where his home used to be — and he was struck with great wonder. Instead of his broken-down hovel, he saw a series of opulent palaces. While he stood astonished, a group of beautiful men and women came forward to greet him with singing and music. The brāhmaṇa’s wife, wonderfully adorned with celestial jewelry, came out of the palace and welcomed him with great love and reverence. Sudāmā entered his home together with her, thinking that this extraordinary transformation must have been due to the Supreme Lord’s mercy on him.

From then on Sudāmā lived his life amidst lavish wealth, yet he maintained his mood of detachment and constantly chanted the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa In a short time he broke off all bonds of bodily attachment and attained to the kingdom of God.

Devanagari

श्रीशुक उवाच
स इत्थं द्विजमुख्येन सह सङ्कथयन् हरि: ।
सर्वभूतमनोऽभिज्ञ: स्मयमान उवाच तम् ॥ १ ॥
ब्रह्मण्यो ब्राह्मणं कृष्णो भगवान् प्रहसन् प्रियम् ।
प्रेम्णा निरीक्षणेनैव प्रेक्षन् खलु सतां गति: ॥ २ ॥

Text

śrī-śuka uvāca
sa itthaṁ dvija-mukhyena
saha saṅkathayan hariḥ
sarva-bhūta-mano-’bhijñaḥ
smayamāna uvāca tam
brahmaṇyo brāhmaṇaṁ kṛṣṇo
bhagavān prahasan priyam
premṇā nirīkṣaṇenaiva
prekṣan khalu satāṁ gatiḥ

Synonyms

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; saḥ — He; ittham — in this manner; dvija — of brāhmaṇas; mukhyena — with the best; saha — together; saṅkathayan — conversing; hariḥ — Lord Hari; sarva — of all; bhūta — living beings; manaḥ — the minds; abhijñaḥ — who knows perfectly; smayamānaḥ — smiling; uvāca — said; tam — to him; brahmaṇyaḥ — devoted to the brāhmaṇas; brāhmaṇam — to the brāhmaṇa; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; prahasan — laughing; priyam — at His dear friend; premṇā — lovingly; nirīkṣaṇena — with a glance; eva — indeed; prekṣan — looking; khalu — indeed; satām — of the saintly devotees; gatiḥ — the goal.

Translation

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī said:] Lord Hari, Kṛṣṇa, perfectly knows the hearts of all living beings, and He is especially devoted to the brāhmaṇas. 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 brāhmaṇa Sudāmā, all the while smiling and looking upon him with affection.

Purport

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the words sarva-bhūta-mano-’bhijña indicate that since Lord Kṛṣṇa knows the minds of everyone, He could tell at once that His friend Sudāmā had brought some flat rice for Him and was ashamed to present it. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī’s further explanation of this verse, Lord Kṛṣṇa smiled at this moment, thinking “Yes, I am going to make you show what you brought for Me.” His smile then turned to laughter as He thought, “How long are you going to keep this precious gift hidden in your cloth?”

Kṛṣṇa glanced toward the bundle hidden inside His friend’s garment, telling Sudāmā by His loving glance, “The veins showing through your emaciated skin and your ragged clothes astonish everyone present, but these symptoms of poverty will last only until tomorrow morning.”

Although Lord Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān, the supreme, independent Lord, He is always pleased to reciprocate with those who are priya, His cherished servants. As the indulgent patron of the brāhmaṇa class, He especially enjoys favoring brāhmaṇas who are additionally qualified by unconditional devotion to Him.

Devanagari

श्रीभगवानुवाच
किमुपायनमानीतं ब्रह्मन् मे भवता गृहात् ।
अण्वप्युपाहृतं भक्तै: प्रेम्णा भूर्येव मे भवेत् ।
भूर्यप्यभक्तोपहृतं न मे तोषाय कल्पते ॥ ३ ॥

Text

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kim upāyanam ānītaṁ
brahman me bhavatā gṛhāt
aṇv apy upāhṛtaṁ bhaktaiḥ
premṇā bhury eva me bhavet
bhūry apy abhaktopahṛtaṁ
na me toṣāya kalpate

Synonyms

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Lord said; kim — what; upāyanam — gift; ānītam — brought; brahman — O brāhmaṇa; me — for Me; bhavatā — by you; gṛhāt — from your home; aṇu — infinitesimal; api — even; upāhṛtam — thing offered; bhaktaiḥ — by devotees; premṇā — in pure love; bhūri — immense; eva — indeed; me — for Me; bhavet — it becomes; bhūri — huge; api — even; abhakta — by nondevotees; upahṛtam — presented; na — not; me — My; toṣāya — for the satisfaction; kalpate — is competent.

Translation

The Supreme Lord said: O brāhmaṇa, 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.

Devanagari

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति ।
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्न‍ामि प्रयतात्मन: ॥ ४ ॥

Text

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

Synonyms

patram — a leaf; puṣpam — a flower; phalam — a fruit; toyam — water; yaḥ — whoever; me — unto Me; bhaktyā — with devotion; prayacchati — offers; tat — that; aham — I; bhakti-upahṛtam — offered in devotion; aśnāmi — accept; prayata-ātmanaḥ — from one in pure consciousness.

Translation

If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.

Purport

These famous words are also spoken by the Lord in Bhagavad-gītā (9.26); the translation and word meanings here are taken from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

In the context of the current episode of Sudāmā’s visit to Dvārakā, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī has kindly continued his explanation of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s statements: This verse is a reply to Sudāmā’s anxiety that his bringing such an unfit offering was ill-considered. The use of the words bhaktyā prayacchati and bhakty-upahṛtam may seem redundant, since they both mean “offered with devotion,” but bhaktyā can indicate how the Lord reciprocates the devotional mood of whoever offers Him something with love. In other words, Lord Kṛṣṇa here declares that His reciprocation in a pure loving exchange is not dependent on the external quality of what is offered. Kṛṣṇa says, “Something may or may not be impressive and pleasing in its own right, but when My devotee offers it to Me in devotion, with the expectation that I will enjoy it, it gives Me great pleasure; in this regard I make no discrimination.” The verb aśnāmi, “I eat,” implies that Lord Kṛṣṇa eats even a flower, which is supposed to be smelled, bewildered as He is by the ecstatic love He feels for His devotee.

Someone might then question the Lord, “So, will You refuse an offering made to You by a devotee of some other deity?” The Lord answers, “Yes, I will refuse to eat it.” This the Lord states by the phrase prayatātmanaḥ, implying “Only by devotional service to Me can one become pure in heart.”

Devanagari

इत्युक्तोऽपि द्वियस्तस्मै व्रीडित: पतये श्रिय: ।
पृथुकप्रसृतिं राजन् न प्रायच्छदवाङ्‍मुख: ॥ ५ ॥

Text

ity ukto ’pi dviyas tasmai
vrīḍitaḥ pataye śriyaḥ
pṛthuka-prasṛtiṁ rājan
na prāyacchad avāṅ-mukhaḥ

Synonyms

iti — thus; uktaḥ — addressed; api — although; dvijaḥ — the brāhmaṇa; tasmai — to Him; vrīḍitaḥ — embarrassed; pataye — to the husband; śriyaḥ — of the goddess of fortune; pṛthuka — of flat rice; prasṛtim — the palmfuls; rājan — O King (Parīkṣit); na prāyacchat — did not offer; avāk — bowed down; mukhaḥ — whose head.

Translation

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Even after being addressed in this way, O King, the brāhmaṇa 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.

Purport

According to Ācārya Viśvanātha Cakravartī, the description here of Kṛṣṇa as “the husband of the goddess of fortune” implies that Sudāmā questioned himself, “How can the Lord of Śrī eat this hard, stale rice?” By bowing his head, the brāhmaṇa revealed his meditation: “My dear master, please do not make me ashamed. Even if You request it from me repeatedly, I will not give this to You. I have made up my mind.” But the Lord countered with His own thought: “The intention you had fixed in your mind while coming here must not be frustrated, for you are My devotee.”

Devanagari

सर्वभूतात्मद‍ृक् साक्षात् तस्यागमनकारणम् ।
विज्ञायाचिन्तयन्नायं श्रीकामो माभजत्पुरा ॥ ६ ॥
पत्न्‍या: पतिव्रतायास्तु सखा प्रियचिकीर्षया ।
प्राप्तो मामस्य दास्यामि सम्पदोऽमर्त्यदुर्लभा: ॥ ७ ॥

Text

sarva-bhūtātma-dṛk sākṣāt
tasyāgamana-kāraṇam
vijṅāyācintayan nāyaṁ
śrī-kāmo mābhajat purā
patnyāḥ pati-vratāyās tu
sakhā priya-cikīrṣayā
prāpto mām asya dāsyāmi
sampado ’martya-durlabhāḥ

Synonyms

sarva — of all; bhūta — living beings; ātma — of the hearts; dṛk — the witness; sākṣāt — direct; tasya — his (Sudāmā’s); āgamana — for the coming; kāraṇam — the reason; vijñāya — understanding fully; acintayat — He thought; na — not; ayam — he; śrī — of opulence; kāmaḥ — desirous; — Me; abhajat — worshiped; purā — in the past; patnyāḥ — of his wife; pati — to her husband; vratāyāḥ — chastely devoted; tu — however; sakhā — My friend; priya — the satisfaction; cikīrṣayā — with the desire of securing; prāptaḥ — now come; mām — to Me; asya — to him; dāsyāmi — I will give; sampadaḥ — riches; amartya — by the demigods; durlabhāḥ — unobtainable.

Translation

Being the direct witness in the hearts of all living beings, Lord Kṛṣṇa fully understood why Sudāmā 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.”

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments that the Lord momentarily wondered, “How has it come about, despite My omniscience, that this devotee of Mine has fallen into such poverty?” Then, quickly understanding the situation, He spoke to Himself the words related in this verse.

But someone may point out that Sudāmā should not have been so poverty-stricken, since appropriate enjoyment comes as a by-product of service to God even for a devotee who has no ulterior motives. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.22):

ananyāś cintayanto māṁ
ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ
yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham

“But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form — to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.”

In response to this point, a distinction must be made between two kinds of renounced devotees: one kind is inimical to sense gratification, and the other is indifferent to it. The Supreme Lord does not force sense gratification upon the devotee who is extremely averse to worldly enjoyments. This is seen among such great renouncers as Jaḍa Bharata. On the other hand, the Lord may give limitless wealth and power to a devotee who is neither repelled nor attracted by material things, such as Prahlāda Mahārāja. Up to this point in his life, Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa was totally averse to sense gratification, but now, out of compassion for his faithful wife — and also because he hankered to have Kṛṣṇa’s audience — he went to beg from the Lord.

Devanagari

इत्थं विचिन्त्य वसनाच्चीरबद्धान्द्विजन्मन: ।
स्वयं जहार किमिदमिति पृथुकतण्डुलान् ॥ ८ ॥

Text

itthaṁ vicintya vasanāc
cīra-baddhān dvi-janmanaḥ
svayaṁ jahāra kim idam
iti pṛthuka-taṇḍulān

Synonyms

ittham — in this manner; vicintya — thinking; vasanāt — from the garment; cīra — in a strip of cloth; baddhān — tied up; dvi-janmanaḥ — of the twice-born brāhmaṇa; svayam — Himself; jahāra — He took hold of; kim — what; idam — this; iti — so saying; pṛthuka-taṇḍulān — the grains of flat rice.

Translation

Thinking like this, the Lord snatched from the brāhmaṇa’s garment the grains of flat rice tied up in an old piece of cloth and exclaimed, “What is this?

Devanagari

नन्वेतदुपनीतं मे परमप्रीणनं सखे ।
तर्पयन्त्यङ्ग मां विश्वमेते पृथुकतण्डुला: ॥ ९ ॥

Text

nanv etad upanītaṁ me
parama-prīṇanaṁ sakhe
tarpayanty aṅga māṁ viśvam
ete pṛthuka-taṇḍulāḥ

Synonyms

nanu — whether; etat — this; upanītam — brought; me — for Me; parama — supreme; prīṇanam — giving satisfaction; sakhe — O friend; tarpayanti — ingratiate; aṅga — My dear; mām — Me; viśvam — (who am) the whole universe; ete — these; pṛṭhuka-taṇḍulāḥ — grains of flat rice.

Translation

“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.”

Purport

Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “It is understood from this statement that Kṛṣṇa, being the original source of everything, is the root of the entire creation. As watering the root of a tree immediately distributes water to every part of the tree, so an offering made to Kṛṣṇa, or any action done for Kṛṣṇa, is to be considered the highest welfare work for everyone, because the benefit of such an offering is distributed throughout the creation. Love for Kṛṣṇa becomes distributed to all living entities.”

Devanagari

इति मुष्टिं सकृज्जग्ध्वा द्वितीयां जग्धुमाददे ।
तावच्छ्रीर्जगृहे हस्तं तत्परा परमेष्ठिन: ॥ १० ॥

Text

iti muṣṭiṁ sakṛj jagdhvā
dvitīyāṁ jagdhum ādade
tāvac chrīr jagṛhe hastaṁ
tat-parā parameṣṭhinaḥ

Synonyms

iti — thus speaking; muṣṭim — a handful; sakṛt — one time; jagdhvā — eating; dvitīyam — a second; jagdhum — to eat; ādade — He took; tāvat — thereupon; śrīḥ — the goddess of fortune (Rukmiṇī-devī); jagṛhe — seized; hastam — the hand; tat — to Him; parā — devoted; parame-sthinaḥ — of the Supreme Lord.

Translation

After saying this, the Supreme Lord ate one palmful and was about to eat a second when the devoted goddess Rukmiṇī took hold of His hand.

Purport

Queen Rukmiṇī took hold of Kṛṣṇa’s hand to prevent Him from eating any more of the flat rice. According to Śrīpāda Śrīdhara Svāmī, with this gesture she meant to tell the Lord, “This much of Your grace is sufficient to assure anyone vast riches, which are merely the play of my glance. But please do not force me to surrender myself to this brāhmaṇa, as will happen if You eat one more handful.”

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that by taking hold of the Lord’s hand Rukmiṇī implied, “If You eat all of this wonderful treat Your friend brought from his house, what will I have left for my friends, co-wives, servants and myself? There will not be enough left to distribute even one grain to each of us.” And to her maidservant companions she said by her gesture, “This hard rice will upset my Lord’s tender stomach.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda comments that “when food is offered to Lord Kṛṣṇa with love and devotion and He is pleased and accepts it from the devotee, Rukmiṇīdevī, the goddess of fortune, becomes so greatly obliged to the devotee that she has to go personally to the devotee’s home to turn it into the most opulent home in the world. If one feeds Nārāyaṇa sumptuously, the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, automatically becomes a guest in one’s house, which means that one’s home becomes opulent.”

Devanagari

एतावतालं विश्वात्मन् सर्वसम्पत्समृद्धये ।
अस्मिन्लोकेऽथवामुष्मिन् पुंसस्त्वत्तोषकारणम् ॥ ११ ॥

Text

etāvatālaṁ viśvātman
sarva-sampat-samṛddhaye
asmin loke ’tha vāmuṣmin
puṁsas tvat-toṣa-kāraṇam

Synonyms

etāvatā — this much; alam — enough; viśva — of the universe; ātman — O Soul; sarva — of all; sampat — opulent assets; samṛddhaye — for the prospering; asmin — in this; loke — world; atha — or else; amuṣmin — in the next; puṁsaḥ — for a person; tvat — Your; toṣa — satisfaction; kāraṇam — having as its cause.

Translation

[Queen Rukmiṇī 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.

Devanagari

ब्राह्मणस्तां तु रजनीमुषित्वाच्युतमन्दिरे ।
भुक्त्वा पीत्वा सुखं मेने आत्मानं स्वर्गतं यथा ॥ १२ ॥

Text

brāhmaṇas tāṁ tu rajanīm
uṣitvācyuta-mandire
bhuktvā pītvā sukhaṁ mene
ātmānaṁ svar-gataṁ yathā

Synonyms

brāhmaṇaḥ — the brāhmaṇa; tām — that; tu — and; rajanīm — night; uṣitvā — residing; acyuta — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; mandire — in the palace; bhuktvā — eating; pītvā — drinking; sukham — to his satisfaction; mene — he thought; ātmānam — himself; svaḥ — the spiritual world; gatam — having attained; yathā — as if.

Translation

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] The brāhmaṇa 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.

Devanagari

श्वोभूते विश्वभावेन स्वसुखेनाभिवन्दित: ।
जगाम स्वालयं तात पथ्यनुव्रज्य नन्दित: ॥ १३ ॥

Text

śvo-bhūte viśva-bhāvena
sva-sukhenābhivanditaḥ
jagāma svālayaṁ tāta
pathy anavrajya nanditaḥ

Synonyms

śvaḥ-bhūte — on the following day; viśva — of the universe; bhāvena — by the maintainer; sva — within Himself; sukhena — who experiences happiness; abhivanditaḥ — honored; jagāma — he went; sva — to his own; ālayam — residence; tāta — my dear (King Parīkṣit); pathi — along the path; anuvrajya — walking; nanditaḥ — delighted.

Translation

The next day, Sudāmā set off for home while being honored by Lord Kṛṣṇa, the self-satisfied maintainer of the universe. The brāhmaṇa felt greatly delighted, my dear King, as he walked along the road.

Purport

We are here reminded that Lord Kṛṣṇa maintains the supply of desirable objects for the whole universe. Therefore it is to be understood that He was about to manifest for Sudāmā opulence greater than Indra’s. Being sva-sukha, perfectly complete in His own bliss, the Lord has an unlimited capacity for bestowing gifts.

According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, the word abhivanditaḥ indicates that Śrī Kṛṣṇa accompanied Sudāmā on the road for a short distance and finally parted with the brāhmaṇa after bowing down to him and speaking some respectful words.

Devanagari

स चालब्ध्वा धनं कृष्णान्न तु याचितवान्स्वयम् ।
स्वगृहान् व्रीडितोऽगच्छन्महद्दर्शननिर्वृत: ॥ १४ ॥

Text

sa cālabdhvā dhanaṁ kṛṣṇān
na tu yācitavān svayam
sva-gṛhān vrīḍito ’gacchan
mahad-darśana-nirvṛtaḥ

Synonyms

saḥ — he; ca — and; alabdhvā — not having obtained; dhanam — wealth; kṛṣṇāt — from Lord Kṛṣṇa; na — not; tu — however; yācitavān — did beg; svayam — on his own initiative; sva — to his; gṛhān — home; vrīḍitaḥ — embarrassed; agacchat — he went; mahat — of the Supreme Lord; darśana — by the audience; nirvṛtaḥ — made joyful.

Translation

Although he had apparently received no wealth from Lord Kṛṣṇa, Sudāmā 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.

Devanagari

अहो ब्रह्मण्यदेवस्य द‍ृष्टा ब्रह्मण्यता मया ।
यद् दरिद्रतमो लक्ष्मीमाश्लिष्टो बिभ्रतोरसि ॥ १५ ॥

Text

aho brahmaṇya-devasya
dṛṣṭā brahmaṇyatā mayā
yad daridratamo lakṣmīm
āśliṣṭo bibhratorasi

Synonyms

aho — ah; brahmaṇya — who is dedicated to brāhmaṇas; devasya — of the Supreme Lord; dṛṣṭa — seen; brahmaṇyatā — the devotion to brāhmaṇas; mayā — by me; yat — inasmuch; daridra-tamaḥ — the poorest person; lakṣmīm — the goddess of fortune; āśliṣṭaḥ — embraced; bibhratā — by Him who carries; urasi — on His chest.

Translation

[Sudāmā thought:] Lord Kṛṣṇa is known to be devoted to the brāhmaṇas, and now I have personally seen this devotion. Indeed, He who carries the goddess of fortune on His chest has embraced the poorest beggar.

Devanagari

क्व‍ाहं दरिद्र: पापीयान् क्व‍ कृष्ण: श्रीनिकेतन: ।
ब्रह्मबन्धुरिति स्माहं बाहुभ्यां परिरम्भित: ॥ १६ ॥

Text

kvāhaṁ daridraḥ pāpīyān
kva kṛṣṇaḥ śrī-niketanaḥ
brahma-bandhur iti smāhaṁ
bāhubhyāṁ parirambhitaḥ

Synonyms

kva — who am; aham — I; daridraḥ — poor; pāpīyān — sinful; kva — who is; kṛṣṇaḥ — Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śrī-niketanaḥ — the transcendental form of all opulence; brahma-bandhuḥ — the friend of a brāhmaṇa, not fit even to be called a brāhmaṇa; iti — thus; sma — certainly; aham — I; bāhubhyām — by the arms; parirambhitaḥ — embraced.

Translation

Who am I? A sinful, poor friend of a brāhmaṇa. And who is Kṛṣṇa? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in six opulences. Nonetheless, He has embraced me with His two arms.

Purport

This translation is from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s English rendering of Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 7.143).

Sudāmā was so humble that he considered his poverty to be his own fault, a result of sin. Such a mentality is in accord with the saying, dāridrya-doṣo guṇa-rāśi-nāśī: “The discrepancy of being poor ruins heaps of good qualities.”

Devanagari

निवासित: प्रियाजुष्टे पर्यङ्के भ्रातरो यथा ।
महिष्या वीजित: श्रान्तो बालव्यजनहस्तया ॥ १७ ॥

Text

nivāsitaḥ priyā-juṣṭe
paryaṅke bhrātaro yathā
mahiṣyā vījitaḥ śrānto
bāla-vyajana-hastayā

Synonyms

nivāsitaḥ — seated; priyā — by His beloved; juṣṭe — used; paryaṅke — on the bed; bhrātaraḥ — brothers; yathā — just as; mahiṣyā — by His queen; vījitaḥ — fanned; śrāntaḥ — tired; bāla — of (yak-tail) hair; vyajana — a fan; hastayā — in whose hand.

Translation

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 cāmara.

Devanagari

शुश्रूषया परमया पादसंवाहनादिभि: ।
पूजितो देवदेवेन विप्रदेवेन देववत् ॥ १८ ॥

Text

śuśrūṣayā paramayā
pāda-saṁvāhanādibhiḥ
pūjito deva-devena
vipra-devena deva-vat

Synonyms

śuśrūṣayā — with service; paramayā — sincere; pāda — of the feet; saṁvāhana — massaging; ādibhiḥ — and so on; pūjitaḥ — worshiped; deva-devena — by the Lord of all the demigods; vipra-devena — by the Lord of the brāhmaṇas; deva — a demigod; vat — like.

Translation

Although He is the Lord of all demigods and the object of worship for all brāhmaṇas, He worshiped me as if I were a demigod myself, massaging my feet and rendering other humble services.

Devanagari

स्वर्गापवर्गयो: पुंसां रसायां भुवि सम्पदाम् ।
सर्वासामपि सिद्धीनां मूलं तच्चरणार्चनम् ॥ १९ ॥

Text

svargāpavargayoḥ puṁsāṁ
rasāyāṁ bhuvi sampadām
sarvāsām api siddhīnāṁ
mūlaṁ tac-caraṇārcanam

Synonyms

svarga — of heaven; apavargayoḥ — and of ultimate liberation; puṁsām — for all men; rasāyām — in the subterranean regions; bhuvi — and on the earth; sampadām — of opulences; sarvāsām — all; api — also; siddhīnām — of mystic perfections; mūlam — the root cause; tat — His; caraṇa — of the feet; arcanam — the worship.

Translation

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.

Devanagari

अधनोऽयं धनं प्राप्य माद्यन्नुच्चैर्न मां स्मरेत् ।
इति कारुणिको नूनं धनं मेऽभूरि नाददात् ॥ २० ॥

Text

adhano ’yaṁ dhanaṁ prāpya
mādyann uccair na māṁ smaret
iti kāruṇiko nūnaṁ
dhanaṁ me ’bhūri nādadāt

Synonyms

adhanaḥ — poor person; ayam — this; dhanam — riches; prāpya — obtaining; mādyan — delighting; uccaiḥ — excessively; na — not; mām — Me; smaret — will remember; iti — thus thinking; kāruṇikaḥ — compassionate; nūnam — indeed; dhanam — wealth; me — to me; abhūri — slight; na ādadāt — He did not give.

Translation

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.

Purport

Sudāmā’s statement that Lord Kṛṣṇa bestowed on him “not even a little wealth” may also be taken to mean that instead of giving him wealth that was abhuri, “slight,” the Lord in fact gave him the immense treasure of His association. This alternate meaning has been suggested by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī.

Devanagari

इति तच्चिन्तयन्नन्त: प्राप्तो निजगृहान्तिकम् ।
सूर्यानलेन्दुसङ्काशैर्विमानै: सर्वतो वृतम् ॥ २१ ॥
विचित्रोपवनोद्यानै: कूजद्‌द्विजकुलाकुलै: ।
प्रोत्फुल्ल‍कमुदाम्भोजकह्लारोत्पलवारिभि: ॥ २२ ॥
जुष्टं स्वलङ्कृतै: पुम्भि: स्‍त्रीभिश्च हरिणाक्षिभि: ।
किमिदं कस्य वा स्थानं कथं तदिदमित्यभूत् ॥ २३ ॥

Text

iti tac cintayann antaḥ
prāpto niya-gṛhāntikam
sūryānalendu-saṅkāśair
vimānaiḥ sarvato vṛtam
vicitropavanodyānaiḥ
kūjad-dvija-kulākulaiḥ
protphulla-kamudāmbhoja-
kahlārotpala-vāribhiḥ
juṣṭaṁ sv-alaṅkṛtaiḥ pumbhiḥ
strībhiś ca hariṇākṣibhiḥ
kim idaṁ kasya vā sthānaṁ
kathaṁ tad idam ity abhūt

Synonyms

iti — thus; tat — this; cintayan — thinking; antaḥ — inwardly; prāptaḥ — arrived; nija — his; gṛha — of the home; antikam — at the vicinity; sūrya — the sun; anala — fire; indu — and the moon; saṅkāśaiḥ — rivaling; vimānaiḥ — with celestial palaces; sarvataḥ — on all sides; vṛtam — surrounded; vicitra — wonderful; upavana — with courtyards; udyānaiḥ — and gardens; kūjat — cooing; dvija — of birds; kula — with hordes; ākulaiḥ — swarming; protphulla — fully bloomed; kumuda — having night-blooming lotuses; ambhoja — day-blooming lotuses; kahlāra — white lotuses; utpala — and water lilies; vāribhiḥ — with reservoirs of water; juṣṭam — adorned; su — well; alaṅkṛtaiḥ — ornamented; pumbhiḥ — with men; strībhiḥ — with women; ca — and; hariṇā — like those of she-deer; akṣibhiḥ — whose eyes; kim — what; idam — this; kasya — whose; — or; sthānam — place; katham — how; tat — it; idam — this; iti — so; abhūt — has become.

Translation

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Thinking thus to himself, Sudāmā 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, kahlāra and utpala lotuses grew. Finely attired men and doe-eyed women stood in attendance. Sudāmā wondered, “What is all this? Whose property is it? How has this all come about?”

Purport

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī gives the sequence of the brāhmaṇa’s thoughts: First, seeing a great, unfamiliar effulgence, he thought, “What is this?” Then, noting the palaces, he asked himself, “Whose place is this?” And recognizing it as his own, he wondered, “How has it become so transformed?”

Devanagari

एवं मीमांसमानं तं नरा नार्योऽमरप्रभा: ।
प्रत्यगृह्णन् महाभागं गीतवाद्येन भूयसा ॥ २४ ॥

Text

evaṁ mīmāṁsamānaṁ taṁ
narā nāryo ’mara-prabhāḥ
pratyagṛhṇan mahā-bhāgaṁ
gīta-vādyena bhūyasā

Synonyms

evam — thus; mīmāṁsamānam — who was deeply pondering; tam — him; narāḥ — the men; nāryaḥ — and women; amara — like the demigods’; prabhāḥ — whose effulgent complexions; pratyagṛhṇan — greeted; mahā-bhāgam — most fortunate; gīta — with singing; vādyena — and instrumental accompaniment; bhūyasā — loud.

Translation

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.

Purport

As explained by Ācārya Viśvanātha Cakravartī, the word pratyagṛhṇan (“they acknowledged in turn”) indicates that first Sudāmā accepted the servants within his mind, deciding “My Lord must want me to have them,” and in response to the visible change in his attitude, they approached him as their master.

Devanagari

पतिमागतमाकर्ण्य पत्न्‍युद्धर्षातिसम्भ्रमा ।
निश्चक्राम गृहात्तूर्णं रूपिणी श्रीरिवालयात् ॥ २५ ॥

Text

patim āgatam ākarṇya
patny uddharṣāti-sambhramā
niścakrāma gṛhāt tūrṇaṁ
rūpiṇī śrīr ivālayāt

Synonyms

patim — her husband; āgatam — come; ākarṇya — hearing; patnī — his wife; uddharṣā — jubilant; ati — extremely; sambhramā — excited; niścakrāma — she came out; gṛhāt — from the house; tūrṇam — quickly; rūpiṇī — manifesting her personal form; śrīḥ — the goddess of fortune; iva — as if; ālayāt — from her abode.

Translation

When she heard that her husband had arrived, the brāhmaṇa’s wife quickly came out of the house in a jubilant flurry. She resembled the goddess of fortune herself emerging from her divine abode.

Purport

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī points out that since Lord Kṛṣṇa had turned Sudāmā’s home into a heavenly abode, everyone living there now possessed beautiful bodies and attire appropriate to the residents of heaven. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī adds this insight: The night before, Sudāmā’s poor, emaciated wife had been sleeping in rags under a crumbling roof, but when she woke in the morning she found herself and her house wonderfully changed. Only for a moment was she confused; she then realized that this opulence was the Lord’s gift to her husband, who must be on his way home. Thus she prepared to greet him.

Devanagari

पतिव्रता पतिं द‍ृष्ट्वा प्रेमोत्कण्ठाश्रुलोचना ।
मीलिताक्ष्यनमद्बुद्ध्या मनसा परिषस्वजे ॥ २६ ॥

Text

pati-vratā patiṁ dṛṣṭvā
premotkaṇṭhāśru-locanā
mīlitākṣy anamad buddhyā
manasā pariṣasvaje

Synonyms

pati-vratā — devoted to her husband; patim — her husband; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; prema — of love; utkaṇṭha — with the eagerness; aśru — tearful; locanā — whose eyes; mīlita — holding closed; akṣī — her eyes; anamat — she bowed down; buddhyā — with thoughtful reflection; manasā — with her heart; pariṣasvaje — she embraced.

Translation

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.

Devanagari

पत्नीं वीक्ष्य विस्फुरन्तीं देवीं वैमानिकीमिव ।
दासीनां निष्ककण्ठीनां मध्ये भान्तीं स विस्मित: ॥ २७ ॥

Text

patnīṁ vīkṣya visphurantīṁ
devīṁ vaimānikīm iva
dāsīnāṁ niṣka-kaṇṭhīnāṁ
madhye bhāntīṁ sa vismitaḥ

Synonyms

patnīm — his wife; vīkṣya — seeing; visphurantīm — appearing effulgent; devīm — a demigoddess; vaimānikīm — come in a heavenly airplane; iva — as if; dāsīnām — of maidservants; niṣka — lockets; kaṇṭhīnām — on whose necks; madhye — in the midst; bhāntīm — shining; saḥ — he; vismitaḥ — amazed.

Translation

Sudāmā 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.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that up to now the Supreme Lord had kept the brāhmaṇa in his wretched state so that his wife could recognize him.

Devanagari

प्रीत: स्वयं तया युक्त: प्रविष्टो निजमन्दिरम् ।
मणिस्तम्भशतोपेतं महेन्द्रभवनं यथा ॥ २८ ॥

Text

prītaḥ svayaṁ tayā yuktaḥ
praviṣṭo nija-mandiram
maṇi-stambha-śatopetaṁ
mahendra-bhavanaṁ yathā

Synonyms

prītaḥ — pleased; svayam — himself; tayā — by her; yuktaḥ — joined; praviṣṭaḥ — having entered; nija — his; mandiram — home; maṇi — with gems; stambha — columns; śata — hundreds; upetam — having; mahā-indra — of great Indra, the King of heaven; bhavanam — the palace; yathā — like.

Translation

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.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments that Sudāmā was simply astonished at the sight of his wife. As he wondered, “Who is this demigod’s wife who has approached such a fallen soul as me?” the maidservants informed him, “This is indeed your wife.” At that very moment Sudāmā’s body became young and beautiful, bedecked in fine clothing and jewelry. The word prītaḥ here indicates that these changes gave him considerable pleasure.

The famous “Thousand Names of Viṣṇu” hymn of the Mahābhārata immortalizes Sudāmā’s sudden opulence in the following phrase: śrīdāmā-raṅka-bhaktārtha-bhūmy-ānītendra-vaibhavaḥ. “Lord Viṣṇu is also known as He who brought Indra’s opulence to this earth for the benefit of His pitiful devotee Śrīdāmā [Sudāmā].”

Devanagari

पय:फेननिभा: शय्या दान्ता रुक्‍मपरिच्छदा: ।
पर्यङ्का हेमदण्डानि चामरव्यजनानि च ॥ २९ ॥
आसनानि च हैमानि मृदूपस्तरणानि च ।
मुक्तादामविलम्बीनि वितानानि द्युमन्ति च ॥ ३० ॥
स्वच्छस्फटिककुड्येषु महामारकतेषु च ।
रत्नदीपान् भ्राजमानान् ललनारत्नसंयुता: ॥ ३१ ॥
विलोक्य ब्राह्मणस्तत्र समृद्धी: सर्वसम्पदाम् ।
तर्कयामास निर्व्यग्र: स्वसमृद्धिमहैतुकीम् ॥ ३२ ॥

Text

payaḥ-phena-nibhāḥ śayyā
dāntā rukma-paricchadāḥ
paryaṅkā hema-daṇḍāni
cāmara-vyajanāni ca
āsanāni ca haimāni
mṛdūpastaraṇāni ca
muktādāma-vilambīni
vitānāni dyumanti ca
svaccha-sphaṭika-kuḍyeṣu
mahā-mārakateṣu ca
ratna-dīpān bhrājamānān
lalanā ratna-saṁyutāḥ
vilokya brāhmaṇas tatra
samṛddhīḥ sarva-sampadām
tarkayām āsa nirvyagraḥ
sva-samṛddhim ahaitukīm

Synonyms

payaḥ — of milk; phena — the foam; nibhāḥ — resembling; śayyāḥ — beds; dāntāḥ — made of elephant tusks; rukma — golden; paricchadāḥ — whose ornamentation; paryaṅkāḥ — couches; hema — of gold; daṇḍāni — whose legs; cāmara-vyajanāni — yak-tail fans; ca — and; āsanāni — chairs; ca — and; haimāni — golden; mṛdu — soft; upastaraṇāni — cushions; ca — and; muktā-dāma — with strings of pearls; vilambīni — hanging; vitānāni — canopies; dyumanti — gleaming; ca — and; svaccha — clear; sphaṭika — of crystal glass; kuḍyeṣu — upon the walls; mahā-mārakateṣu — with precious emeralds; ca — also; ratna — jeweled; dīpān — lamps; bhrājamānān — shining; lalanāḥ — women; ratna — with jewels; saṁyutāḥ — decorated; vilokya — seeing; brāhmaṇaḥ — the brāhmaṇa; tatra — there; samṛddhīḥ — the flourishing; sarva — all; sampadām — of opulences; tarkayām āsa — he conjectured; nirvyagraḥ — free from agitation; sva — his own; samṛddhim — about the prosperity; ahaitukīm — unexpected.

Translation

In Sudāmā’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 cāmara 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 brāhmaṇa calmly reasoned to himself about his unexpected prosperity.

Devanagari

नूनं बतैतन्मम दुर्भगस्य
शश्वद्दरिद्रस्य समृद्धिहेतु: ।
महाविभूतेरवलोकतोऽन्यो
नैवोपपद्येत यदूत्तमस्य ॥ ३३ ॥

Text

nūnaṁ bataitan mama durbhagasya
śaśvad daridrasya samṛddhi-hetuḥ
mahā-vibhūter avalokato ’nyo
naivopapadyeta yadūttamasya

Synonyms

nūnam bata — certainly; etat — of this same person; mama — myself; durbhagasya — who am unfortunate; śaśvat — always; daridrasya — poverty-stricken; samṛddhi — of the prosperity; hetuḥ — cause; mahā-vibhūteḥ — of Him who possesses the greatest opulences; avalokataḥ — than the glance; anyaḥ — other; na — not; eva — indeed; upapadyeta — is to be found; yadu-uttamasya — of the best of the Yadus.

Translation

[Sudāmā 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 Kṛṣṇa, the supremely opulent chief of the Yadu dynasty, has glanced upon Me.

Devanagari

नन्वब्रुवाणो दिशते समक्षं
याचिष्णवे भूर्यपि भूरिभोज: ।
पर्जन्यवत्तत् स्वयमीक्षमाणो
दाशार्हकाणामृषभ: सखा मे ॥ ३४ ॥

Text

nanv abruvāṇo diśate samakṣaṁ
yāciṣṇave bhūry api bhūri-bhojaḥ
parjanya-vat tat svayam īkṣamāṇo
dāśārhakāṇām ṛṣabhaḥ sakhā me

Synonyms

nanu — after all; abruvānaḥ — not speaking; diśate — He has given; samakṣam — in His presence; yāciṣṇave — to him who was intending to beg; bhūri — plentiful (wealth); api — even; bhūri — of plentiful (wealth); bhojaḥ — the enjoyer; parjanya-vat — like a cloud; tat — that; svayam — Himself; īkṣamāṇaḥ — seeing; dāśārhakāṇām — of the descendants of King Daśārha; ṛṣabhaḥ — the most exalted; sakhā — friend; me — my.

Translation

After all, my friend Kṛṣṇa, the most exalted of the Dāśārhas 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.

Purport

Śrī Kṛṣṇa is bhūri-bhoja, the unlimited enjoyer. He did not tell Sudāmā how He was going to fulfill his unspoken request because, according to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, He was thinking at the time, “My dear friend has given Me these grains of rice, which are greater than all the treasures I own. Even though in his own house he had no such gift to bring Me, he took the trouble of begging it from a neighbor. Therefore it is only proper that I give him something more valuable than all My possessions. But nothing is equal to or greater than what I possess, so all I can do is give him such meager things as the treasures of Indra, Brahmā and other demigods.” Embarrassed at being unable to properly reciprocate His devotee’s offering, Lord Kṛṣṇa bestowed His favor on the brāhmaṇa silently. The Lord acted just like a magnanimous rain cloud which provides the necessities of life for everyone near and far but feels ashamed that its rain is too insignificant a gift to give in return for the abundant offerings that farmers make to it. Out of shame the cloud may wait until nighttime, when the farmers are asleep, before watering their fields.

The chiefs of the Dāśārha clan, with whom Lord Kṛṣṇa is identified in this verse, were especially renowned for their generosity.

Devanagari

किञ्चित्करोत्युर्वपि यत् स्वदत्तं
सुहृत्कृतं फल्ग्वपि भूरिकारी ।
मयोपनीतं पृथुकैकमुष्टिं
प्रत्यग्रहीत् प्रीतियुतो महात्मा ॥ ३५ ॥

Text

kiñcit karoty urv api yat sva-dattaṁ
suhṛt-kṛtaṁ phalgv api bhūri-kārī
mayopaṇītaṁ pṛthukaika-muṣṭiṁ
pratyagrahīt prīti-yuto mahātmā

Synonyms

kiñcit — insignificant; karoti — He makes; uru — great; api — even; yat — which; sva — by Himself; dattam — given; suhṛt — by a well-wishing friend; kṛtam — done; phalgu — meager; api — even; bhūri — great; kārī — making; mayā — by me; upanītam — brought; pṛthuka — of flat rice; eka — one; muṣṭim — palmful; pratyagrahīt — He accepted; prīti-yutaḥ — with pleasure; mahā-ātmā — the Supreme Soul.

Translation

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.

Devanagari

तस्यैव मे सौहृदसख्यमैत्री
दास्यं पुनर्जन्मनि जन्मनि स्यात् ।
महानुभावेन गुणालयेन
विषज्जतस्तत्पुरुषप्रसङ्ग: ॥ ३६ ॥

Text

tasyaiva me sauhṛda-sakhya-maitrī-
dāsyaṁ punar janmani janmani syāt
mahānubhāvena guṇālayena
viṣajjatas tat-puruṣa-prasaṅgaḥ

Synonyms

tasya — for Him; eva — indeed; me — my; sauhṛda — love; sakhya — friendship; maitrī — sympathy; dāsyam — and servitude; punaḥ — repeatedly; janmani janmani — life after life; syāt — may be; mahā-anubhāvena — with the supremely compassionate Lord; guṇa — of transcendental qualities; ālayena — the reservoir; viṣajjataḥ — who becomes thoroughly attached; tat — His; puruṣa — of the devotees; prasaṅgaḥ — the valuable association.

Translation

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.

Purport

As explained by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, sauhṛdam here signifies affection toward Him who is so compassionate to His devotees, sakhyam is affinity manifested in the desire to live in His company, maitrī is the attitude of intimate comradeship, and dāsyam is the urge to do service.

Devanagari

भक्ताय चित्रा भगवान् हि सम्पदो
राज्यं विभूतीर्न समर्थयत्यज: ।
अदीर्घबोधाय विचक्षण: स्वयं
पश्यन् निपातं धनिनां मदोद्भ‍वम् ॥ ३७ ॥

Text

bhaktāya citrā bhagavān hi sampado
rājyaṁ vibhūtīr na samarthayaty ajaḥ
adīrgha-bodhāya vicakṣaṇaḥ svayaṁ
paśyan nipātaṁ dhanināṁ madodbhavam

Synonyms

bhaktāya — to His devotee; citrāḥ — wonderful; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord; hi — indeed; sampadaḥ — opulences; rājyam — kingdom; vibhūtīḥ — material assets; na samarthayati — does not bestow; ajaḥ — unborn; adīrgha — short; bodhāya — whose understanding; vicakṣanaḥ — wise; svayam — Himself; paśyan — seeing; nipātam — the downfall; dhaninām — of the wealthy; mada — of the intoxication of pride; udbhavam — the rise.

Translation

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.

Purport

As explained by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, the humble brāhmaṇa Sudāmā considered himself unworthy of the Supreme Lord’s most rare and valuable benediction, pure devotional service. He reasoned that if he had any true devotion, the Lord would have granted him perfect, unflinching devotion rather than the material riches and servants he had received. Lord Kṛṣṇa would have protected a more serious devotee by denying him such distractions. The Lord will give a sincere but less intelligent devotee not as much material wealth as he desires, but only what will promote his devotional progress. Sudāmā thought, “A great saint like Prahlāda Mahārāja can avoid becoming contaminated by immeasurable wealth, power and fame, but I must always be wary of temptation in my new situation.”

We may understand that this humble attitude assured Sudāmā Vipra final success in his execution of bhakti-yoga by the standard process of hearing and repeating the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Devanagari

इत्थं व्यवसितो बुद्ध्या भक्तोऽतीव जनार्दने ।
विषयान् जायया त्यक्ष्यन्बुभुजे नातिलम्पट: ॥ ३८ ॥

Text

itthaṁ vyavasito buddhyā
bhakto ’tīva janārdane
viṣayān jāyayā tyakṣyan
bubhuje nāti-lampaṭaḥ

Synonyms

ittham — in this way; vyavasitaḥ — fixing his determination; buddhyā — with intelligence; bhaktaḥ — devoted; atīva — absolutely; janārdane — to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the shelter of all living beings; viṣayān — the objects of sense gratification; jāyayā — with his wife; tyakṣyan — wanting to renounce; bubhuje — he enjoyed; na — not; ati-lampaṭaḥ — very avaricious.

Translation

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Thus firmly fixing his determination by means of his spiritual intelligence, Sudāmā remained absolutely devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa, 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.

Devanagari

तस्य वै देवदेवस्य हरेर्यज्ञपते: प्रभो: ।
ब्राह्मणा: प्रभवो दैवं न तेभ्यो विद्यते परम् ॥ ३९ ॥

Text

tasya vai deva-devasya
harer yajña-pateḥ prabhoḥ
brāhmaṇāḥ prabhavo daivaṁ
na tebhyo vidyate param

Synonyms

tasya — of Him; vai — even; deva-devasya — of the Lord of lords; hareḥ — Kṛṣṇa; yajña — of Vedic sacrifice; pateḥ — the controller; prabhoḥ — the supreme master; brāhmaṇāḥ — the brāhmaṇas; prabhavaḥ — masters; daivam — deity; na — not; tebhyaḥ — than them; vidyate — exists; param — greater.

Translation

Lord Hari is the God of all gods, the master of all sacrifices, and the supreme ruler. But He accepts the saintly brāhmaṇas as His masters, and so there exists no deity higher than them.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that even though Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the supreme ruler of creation, He accepts the brāhmaṇas as His masters; even though He is the God of all gods, the brāhmaṇas are His deities; and even though He is the Lord of all sacrifices, He performs sacrifices to worship them.

Devanagari

एवं स विप्रो भगवत्सुहृत्तदा
द‍ृष्ट्वा स्वभृत्यैरजितं पराजितम् ।
तद्ध्यानवेगोद्ग्रथितात्मबन्धन-
स्तद्धाम लेभेऽचिरत: सतां गतिम् ॥ ४० ॥

Text

evaṁ sa vipro bhagavat-suhṛt tadā
dṛṣṭvā sva-bhṛtyair ajitaṁ parājitam
tad-dhyāna-vegodgrathitātma-bandhanas
tad-dhāma lebhe ’cirataḥ satāṁ gatim

Synonyms

evam — thus; saḥ — he; vipraḥ — the brāhmaṇa; bhagavat — of the Supreme Lord; suhṛt — the friend; tadā — then; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; sva — His own; bhṛtyaiḥ — by the servants; ajitam — unconquerable; parājitam — conquered; tat — upon Him; dhyāna — of his meditation; vega — by the momentum; udgrathita — untied; ātma — of the self; bandhanaḥ — his bondage; tat — His; dhāma — abode; lebhe — he attained; acirataḥ — in a short time; satām — of great saints; gatim — the destination.

Translation

Thus seeing how the unconquerable Supreme Lord is nonetheless conquered by His own servants, the Lord’s dear brāhmaṇa 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 Kṛṣṇa’s supreme abode, the destination of great saints.

Purport

Sudāmā’s earthly fortune has been described, and now Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the treasure the brāhmaṇa enjoyed in the next world. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī mentions that Sudāmā’s last trace of illusion lay in the subtle pride of being a renounced brāhmaṇa. This trace was also destroyed by his contemplating the Supreme Lord’s submission to His devotees.

Devanagari

एतद् ब्रह्मण्यदेवस्य श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मण्यतां नर: ।
लब्धभावो भगवति कर्मबन्धाद् विमुच्यते ॥ ४१ ॥

Text

etad brahmaṇya-devasya
śrutvā brahmaṇyatāṁ naraḥ
labdha-bhāvo bhagavati
karma-bandhād vimucyate

Synonyms

etat — this; brahmaṇya-devasya — of the Supreme Lord, who especially favors the brāhmaṇas; śrutvā — hearing; brahmaṇyatām — of the kindness toward brāhmaṇas; naraḥ — a man; labdha — obtaining; bhāvaḥ — love; bhagavati — for the Lord; karma — of material work; bandhāt — from the bondage; vimucyate — becomes freed.

Translation

The Lord always shows brāhmaṇas special favor. Anyone who hears this account of the Supreme Lord’s kindness to brāhmaṇas will come to develop love for the Lord and thus become freed from the bondage of material work.

Purport

In the introduction to the chapter of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead that describes this pastime, His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda comments: “Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul of all living entities, knows everyone’s heart very well. He is especially inclined to the brāhmaṇa devotees. Lord Kṛṣṇa is also called brahmaṇya-deva, which means that He is worshiped by the brāhmaṇas. Therefore it is understood that a devotee who is fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead has already acquired the position of a brāhmaṇa. Without becoming a brāhmaṇa, one cannot approach the Supreme Brahman, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is especially concerned with vanquishing the distress of His devotees, and He is the only shelter of pure devotees.”

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Eighty-first Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Lord Blesses Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa.”