Sudama and Lord Krishna
Krishna continued to talk with His brahmana friend: ”My dear friend, I think you remember our activities during the days when we were living as students. You may remember that once we went to collect fuel from the forest on the order of the guru’s wife. While we were collecting the dried wood, we by chance entered the dense forest and became lost. There was an unexpected dust storm and then clouds and lightning in the sky and the explosive sound of thunder.
Then sunset came, and we were lost in the dark jungle. After this, there was severe rainfall; the whole ground was overflooded with water, and we could not trace out the way to return to our guru’s asrama. You may remember that the heavy rainfall–it was not actually rainfall but a sort of devastation. On account of the dust storm and the heavy rain, we began to feel greatly pained, and in whichever direction we turned we were bewildered. In that distressed condition, we took each other’s hand and tried to find our way out. We passed the whole night in that way, and early in the morning when our absence became known to our gurudeva, he sent his other disciples to search us out. He also came with them, and when they reached us in the jungle they found us to be very distressed.
“With great compassion our gurudeva said, ’My dear boys, it is very wonderful that you have suffered so much trouble for me. Everyone likes to take care of his body as the first consideration, but you are so good and faithful to your guru that without caring for bodily comforts you have taken so much trouble for me. I am also glad to see that bona fide students like you will undergo any kind of trouble for the satisfaction of the spiritual master. That is the way for a bona fide disciple to become free from his debt to the spiritual master. It is the duty of the disciple to dedicate his life to the service of the spiritual master. My dear best of the twice-born, I am greatly pleased by your action, and I bless you: May all your desires and ambitions be fulfilled. May the understanding of the Vedas which you have learned from me always continue to remain within your memory, so that at every moment you can remember the teachings of the Vedas and quote their instructions without difficulty. Thus you will never be disappointed in this life or in the next.’”
“Senseless Rituals” – Comparison of meetings between Krishna-Sudama and Two friends of 21st Century.
Sunday 25th Nov, time 7.45 am, I met a schoolmate of mine after 40 years.
We friends had planned to visit Yogoda aashram on the outskirts of Pune, for that we were to meet at a friend’s house in Vileparle, East, at 8.00 AM. As it was bit early I thought of strolling down, and inquiring about a friend, Punkaj, on the way. I must have passed through this friends place hundreds of time, but in rickshaws, so never had a chance to visit this friend, Me and my friend Punkaj Purohit, studied at his posh, mansion type haveli attached to a Dwarkadhees temple at Vile-parle east, when we were in standard 8/9.
There were many devotees (men/women) outside as well inside the haveli. When I was inquiring with the guard, whether a person named Punkajbhai, stays there? He said yes, he is the one who looks after this entire haveli and is our Guruji, is sitting a few yards away, a devotee, who overheard our conversation, voluntarily guided me to the spot, where this my friend Punkaj, who is now Guruji for them was sitting. I was excited and eager to hug him after I found out that he indeed was there.
Punkaj was sitting on a chair, behind a table, wearing dhoti, zabba, tilak on forehead, offering water ( ardhya ) from his small kamandal. Next to him was a lady, in her late fifties. When I stood in front of him and inquired whether he remembers me, he said yes Kanti, at once. When I extended my hand for handshake, he backed off and said he can not touch anybody. I was stunned, but continued with conversation and found out that he didn’t marry and that lady sitting next to him was his sister, who jokingly told me to show if I know a girl for him to marry.
Later I narrated this incident to rest of my friends, Anil Shah ( Vaishnav ) US resident, Bipin Vaidya ( Brahmin ), Kishore Rao ( Brahmin ) and their spouses. They were unanimous in their reaction, which was, because he is a priest, he can not touch any body, if he touches, he will have to take bath again.
Now compare this with Krishna- Sudama meeting.
When God himself didn’t hesitate in hugging his dirty, poor friend, why this self appointed and adored by thousands, a priest ( God’s agent ), didn’t hug me ? Are rituals/beliefs not senseless? They say God created man in his image, however man is the most dangerous, mean, greedy, cunning, cruel animal. I doubt God will ever produce such animals.
Kantilal Dhimar, Kandivali (W), Mumbai
pamho agtACBSP, TRAYODASI KI JAI, wow such wonderful Krishna-lila makes very clear that SRI KRISHNA IS THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, at the same time HE is the cause of everything, sarva karana karanam.
HE plays like an actor the role of a friend as human being but HE is the SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD.
HE could change everything immediately in the forest and if HE hasn’t done it is another proof that HE is the SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD.
No doubts about that, the story of SUDAMA VIPRA and SRI KRISHNA as good friends at the time spent in the gurukula with HIS guru SANDIPANI MUNI is one of the most attractive KRISHNA LILA because as the devotees already know after the student time passed THEY met again in DWARAKA PURI.
When SUDAMA VIPRA returned home, he saw that everything there was wonderfully opulent, and he praised the friendship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. With the gifts of the Lord, he enjoyed material opulence, and later he was promoted back home, back to Godhead.
That story is even more attractive than the Gurukula one. I have been in Purbandar the city where SUDAMA VIPRA used to live. SRI KRISHNA gave SUDAMA VIPRA another Gandharva-loka residence to live on this planet on request of his wife who sent him to DWARAKA PURI because she was not feeling comfortable by living in poverty with her brahmana husband.
She knew that SRI KRISHNA was a good gurukula friend of SRI SUDAMA VIPRA but although SUDAMA VIPRA forgot to ask KRISHNA what his wife told him to ask, SRI KRISHNA by knowing the heart of everyone gave SUDAMA VIPRA that celestial residence to live in Purbandar, Gujarat, in the way back to HIS city because SRI KRISHNA knew that SUDAMA VIPRA was not going in maha-maya with all that material opulence SUDAMA VIPRA was thinking SRI KRSNA gave me so much nectar let me use everything for HIM in this way i get more nectar,
this is real bhakti.
I like this wonderful lila of SRI SUDAMA VIPRA with SRI KRISHNA it makes the heart melt by meditating on the blissful qualities of SRI KRISHNA when HE plays the role of an ordinary human being, thank you for posting this ecstatic article on the story of SRI KRISHNA with SUDAMA VIPRA!
agtys
ys a.c seva das haribol