Lord Krishna and Sudhama were little boys when they were studying in Guru Sandipani's ashram at Ujjain. They were the best of friends and classmates as well. Sudhama was from a poor Brahmin family while Krishna was from a royal family. Yet these differences never came in between their friendship.
As a part of the Gurukula system, the students were supposed to bring firewood to the ashram. The firewood was required for various mundane chores and for performing Yajnas/Havans by their Guru.
Once when Krishna, Balram (Krishna's elder brother) and Sudhama were heading to the forest to collect firewood, the Guru's wife sent some fried grams with Sudhama and asked him to share it with all and eat, before drinking water.
Later, in the forest, Krishna came to Sudhama and told him that he was thirsty.
Sudhama advised Krishna to take some rest saying that one should not drink water on empty stomach.
Though Sudhama had the fried grams given by the Guru's wife, he did not share them with Krishna.
Krishna laid His head on Sudhama's lap to rest and fell fast asleep. Once He was asleep, Sudhama opened the bundle of grams and started eating them.
On hearing the sound of chewing grams, Krishna woke up and enquired Sudhama, "Dada, are you eating something? I can hear some sound. I wish to eat too.."
Sudhama lied to Krishna saying, "What is there to eat? It is the sound of chattering of my teeth as I'm feeling very cold. I can't even recite the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra!"
Then the Omniscient Lord Krishna replied, "I just dreamt about a man who was eating something. When another person asked him as to what he was eating, he replied, "What mud should I eat?"(meaning there is nothing to eat). So the other person replied saying, "So be it..!!" Dada, this is just a dream. I know you won't eat anything without sharing with me. I asked you whether you were eating anything under the influence of this dream."
With this leela (dream story), Lord Krishna had hinted Sudhama that he must share food. But Sudhama had been very ignorant to understand it.
Had Sudhama known even a bit about the omniscient Krishna and his leelas, he would have shared the grams with Krishna. But alas, he had to face utter poverty in his later life as a consequence of this dishonest behaviour.
Later on, they grew up, parted their ways and lost touch with each other. Krishna got married to Rukmini and lived in Dwarka. Thereafter got involved in administrative duties of the kingdom. He became the King of his place. Sudhama also got married and made a living in a small remote village. He was still poor. Sudhama spent all his time teaching Vedas, Upanishads, Dharma (moral duties) and spreading spirituality through society. Rest of the time, he performed poojas and chanted the Lord's name.
At one point of time, Sudhama and his family were poverty stricken to such an extent that his children starved without food. His wife then told him, "It's alright if we stay hungry but our children must not starve like this. You keep talking about your friend Krishna so much, that he is your childhood friend and all. Now he's the King. Why don't you approach Him and seek some help?"
Though Sudhama was initially reluctant to seek Krishna's help, he was convinced by his wife and made up his mind to visit his friend, Krishna. He didn't have any gift to take for Krishna. His wife knew that Krishna liked Sattu Pohe (Beaten rice smeared with gram and wheat flour while it is fried) as Sudhama had casually told her many times. She had very little Pohe and Sattu in her kitchen that she had earned herself. She prepared the Sattu Pohe snack and bundled it in a piece of torn cloth. Sudhama left his hut with the small bundle of Sattu Pohe to visit Krishna. When he reached Dwarka, he was awestruck by the sight of the town. Nobody seemed to be sad or poor in there. Everyone looked fortunate, cheerful and contented.
He reached Krishna's palace which was made of gold. Sudhama was astonished at the glimpse of the grandeur and splendour of his friend's palace. The guards at the gates of Krishna's palace looked at Sudhama from top to bottom, gazed at his old torn clothes and enquired as to why he was there, as he looked like a hermit.
Sudhama replied, "My name is Sudhama. I want to see Krishna. I'm his childhood friend. Tell him that Sudhama has come to see him."
The guard smirked at Sudhama and went in to intimate Krishna. As soon as Krishna heard Sudhama's name, he ran to the gates barefooted to see his beloved friend. Everyone in the palace was surprised to see Krishna in such excitement.
As a part of the Gurukula system, the students were supposed to bring firewood to the ashram. The firewood was required for various mundane chores and for performing Yajnas/Havans by their Guru.
Once when Krishna, Balram (Krishna's elder brother) and Sudhama were heading to the forest to collect firewood, the Guru's wife sent some fried grams with Sudhama and asked him to share it with all and eat, before drinking water.
Later, in the forest, Krishna came to Sudhama and told him that he was thirsty.
Sudhama advised Krishna to take some rest saying that one should not drink water on empty stomach.
Though Sudhama had the fried grams given by the Guru's wife, he did not share them with Krishna.
Krishna laid His head on Sudhama's lap to rest and fell fast asleep. Once He was asleep, Sudhama opened the bundle of grams and started eating them.
On hearing the sound of chewing grams, Krishna woke up and enquired Sudhama, "Dada, are you eating something? I can hear some sound. I wish to eat too.."
Sudhama lied to Krishna saying, "What is there to eat? It is the sound of chattering of my teeth as I'm feeling very cold. I can't even recite the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra!"
Then the Omniscient Lord Krishna replied, "I just dreamt about a man who was eating something. When another person asked him as to what he was eating, he replied, "What mud should I eat?"(meaning there is nothing to eat). So the other person replied saying, "So be it..!!" Dada, this is just a dream. I know you won't eat anything without sharing with me. I asked you whether you were eating anything under the influence of this dream."
With this leela (dream story), Lord Krishna had hinted Sudhama that he must share food. But Sudhama had been very ignorant to understand it.
Had Sudhama known even a bit about the omniscient Krishna and his leelas, he would have shared the grams with Krishna. But alas, he had to face utter poverty in his later life as a consequence of this dishonest behaviour.
Later on, they grew up, parted their ways and lost touch with each other. Krishna got married to Rukmini and lived in Dwarka. Thereafter got involved in administrative duties of the kingdom. He became the King of his place. Sudhama also got married and made a living in a small remote village. He was still poor. Sudhama spent all his time teaching Vedas, Upanishads, Dharma (moral duties) and spreading spirituality through society. Rest of the time, he performed poojas and chanted the Lord's name.
At one point of time, Sudhama and his family were poverty stricken to such an extent that his children starved without food. His wife then told him, "It's alright if we stay hungry but our children must not starve like this. You keep talking about your friend Krishna so much, that he is your childhood friend and all. Now he's the King. Why don't you approach Him and seek some help?"
Though Sudhama was initially reluctant to seek Krishna's help, he was convinced by his wife and made up his mind to visit his friend, Krishna. He didn't have any gift to take for Krishna. His wife knew that Krishna liked Sattu Pohe (Beaten rice smeared with gram and wheat flour while it is fried) as Sudhama had casually told her many times. She had very little Pohe and Sattu in her kitchen that she had earned herself. She prepared the Sattu Pohe snack and bundled it in a piece of torn cloth. Sudhama left his hut with the small bundle of Sattu Pohe to visit Krishna. When he reached Dwarka, he was awestruck by the sight of the town. Nobody seemed to be sad or poor in there. Everyone looked fortunate, cheerful and contented.
He reached Krishna's palace which was made of gold. Sudhama was astonished at the glimpse of the grandeur and splendour of his friend's palace. The guards at the gates of Krishna's palace looked at Sudhama from top to bottom, gazed at his old torn clothes and enquired as to why he was there, as he looked like a hermit.
Sudhama replied, "My name is Sudhama. I want to see Krishna. I'm his childhood friend. Tell him that Sudhama has come to see him."
The guard smirked at Sudhama and went in to intimate Krishna. As soon as Krishna heard Sudhama's name, he ran to the gates barefooted to see his beloved friend. Everyone in the palace was surprised to see Krishna in such excitement.
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Krishna welcoming Sudhama at His palace
Sudhama was welcomed royally. It is also said that Krishna washed Sudhama's feet on arrival (gesture of respect).
Seeing Krishna's riches and glory, Sudhama was ashamed to give Him the gift he had brought. He hid his hand with the bundle behind him. Krishna being the omniscient Lord, insisted his friend to tell him what he had been hiding behind him. He forced him to show his hand and to bring it forward. Sudhama was reluctant. But Krishna forced his hand forward and finally snatched the bundle, opened it and was delighted to find his favourite snack in it. He shared it with Rukmini and both munched on the Sattu Pohe very affectionately. He expressed His delight at Sudhama's gesture of bringing Him His favourite snack and said that it was the tastiest He had ever had. (Because Sudhama's wife had made it with all the pohe she had which she had earned herself; and Sudhama had brought the gift with immense love for Krishna.)
Sudhama spent two days in the palace. He was given royal treatment. He was so overwhelmed by Krishna's hospitality that he forgot to tell Krishna why he had come to meet him.
One evening, they were sitting on a swing and recalling their childhood memories of the days they had spent together in Guru Sandipani's ashram.
They talked of how the Guru and Guru's wife took care of them like their own children.
They talked about their mischievous acts and laughed together.
Then Krishna asked Sudhama, "Do you remember that day when I rested on your lap in the forest after cutting firewood?"
Sudhama replied, "Leave it, it's not worth talking about."
Krishna said, "It is Dada. Our Guru's wife had given you a bundle of fried grams and asked you to share them with me too. I heard the sound of chewing and knew that you were eating them up, so I asked you. But you lied to me saying that it's the sound of your teeth chatter due to cold and you ate them up all alone! How funny was that?"
Sudhama wailed, "Oh Krishna, did you know that I had something to eat?"
"Yes, I knew everything", said Krishna smilingly.
Sudhama realised his mistake and the effect of not sharing food with a hungry person and lying instead.
He realised that his ill Karma might have brought him such poverty.
Sudhama felt ashamed and asked His pardon. He expressed his grief over not sharing food with his dear friend.
Krishna hugged and consoled him and said that it's all over and to not worry about it.
Next day, Sudhama had to leave for his village but still hadn't asked Krishna to help him.
Krishna escorted him to the gates of His palace and bid him farewell while insisting him to visit again.
On his way back to his village, Sudhama kept thinking as to how to explain to his wife that he couldn't seek Krishna any help. When he arrived in his village, he couldn't find his hut. To his surprise, there stood a magnificent gold mansion in the place of his hut. He found his family happily dressed in grand attires, wearing lush jewellery and eagerly waiting for him. On seeing Sudhama, his wife overwhelmingly said, "Didn't I tell you, Lord Krishna would sort out all our problems?! See, he has not only gotten us rid of all our problems but also bestowed us with so much treasure. We'll never be poor ever again!"
Sudhama's eyes welled up with tears of joy. He felt ecstatic. He uttered Krishna's name dearly. His faith and devotion knew no bounds. He thanked his friend Lord for blessing him abundantly without he seeking any help from Him.
It is believed that it was the sacred day of Akshaya Tritiya when Sudhama visited Krishna and gave him that small bundle of Sattu Pohe which was Krishna's favourite. Sudhama had brought for Krishna all that he had i.e., a handful of that snack. He couldn't afford any gift for his dear friend yet he had brought all that he had. The Lord knew of Sudhama's plight. Hence Lord Krishna's wife, Rukmini who was an incarnate of Goddess Lakshmi, blessed Sudhama with inexhaustible wealth and prosperity. Hence it is believed that one must offer food, make donations on Akshaya Tritiya day and become a receiver of blessings from the Lord.
This story also shows us that the Law of Karma doesn't spare anyone. Sudhama hadn't lent his friend a few fried grams and he had to return to his friend to seek help later in his life.
Also, Krishna bestowed Sudhama with wealth and treasures not because he was his close friend but because of his faith and devotion, his divine karma that he did without expecting anything in return. Sudhama had spent his life performing poojas, reading scriptures and God's glory to people, spreading the knowledge of the vedas and morals unto people. He used to chant the Lord's name all the time while doing any work.
This story illustrates how the Lord blesses His devotees and how the God is always listening and present with His true devotees(bhaktas).
Note:
- Sudhama was older to Krishna and hence Krishna addressed him as Dada; meaning older brother.
- Sudhama is also known by the name Kuchela in South India.
- Regarding the gift that Sudhama carried for Krishna, some scriptures say that he carried only Pohe whereas a few other scriptures say that he carried only Sattu peeth(powder). However, it seems that he carried a combination of both of these called as Sattu-peeth pohe. It's known as Atukulu in Telugu. This snack is of absolute fame amongst the Samvadi Lad Brahmins to which Sudhama belonged. Sattu peeth is prepared from gram and wheat flour. Pohe is parched/beaten rice. In this snack, the pohe is smeared with the sattu flour while it is fried.
- Only Bhagavat Puran details the stories of Sudhama.
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