|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 279 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  130

Sridhama Charithram

Krishnasyaseeth Sakha Kashchith Bhramano Bhramaviththama: | Virakth Indhriyarththeshu Prashanthathma Jithendhriya: || Yadhricchayopapannena  Varththamano Grihashrami | Thasya Bharya Kuchailasya Kshuthkshama Cha Thadhavidha ||

Shuka Bhramam speaks “Oh! Rajan, the supreme Lord Krishna had a close companion Sudhama, during his childhood.  He was a twice-born has profound knowledge in Bramham, he has perfect control over senses and has no desires, expectation or attachment, and he has serene nature, most importantly he has the nature to receive all that happenings in the life as the grace of Lord.  He was a Grihashrami, his wife Susheela is a virtuous woman, and the couples were suffering from extreme poverty.  One day she spoke to her husband “ Oh!Mahathma, Oh! Mahabhaga, I have heard your close companion, Krishna who is the Lord of Dwaraka, I have heard of his great compassion, that if anyone surrender at his lotus feet, he would give away himself to his devotees. He will definitely help people like us providing wealth.” In this way, Susheela prompted her husband Sudhama to meet Krishna in Dwaraka, moreover, she was well aware that they are childhood friends.  Thus, Sudhama prepared to meet Krishna, he expressed his uneasiness to meet Krishna with nothing in hand to offer Krishna, and they are meeting each other after several years.  Susheela rushed out of the house and begged for rice from her neighbors, she got a few handfuls of unprocessed rice; she safely packed it on her torn off clothes and brought home.  She processed it and prepared flattened rice, it was packed in the upper clothe of Sudhama to deliver to his childhood friend. Thus Sudhama left home with a pleasing heart, yearning to meet his childhood mate Krishna, he immersed in the thoughts of their childhood days and walked several miles.  Finally, Sudhama reached before a huge stunning fortress of Dwaraka and saw numerous marvelous fortresses surrounded by it, he enquired the guards of the palace and walked towards the palace of Devi Rukmini.  Krishna saw a skeleton shaped Sudhama walking towards the palace; he ran towards Sudhama whose face was full of happiness, no exhaustion after walking several hours. Krishna embraced him tightly; shed tears of extreme happiness and love.  He took Sudhama inside the palace, offered him a higher seat, washed his feet, and sprinkled that water on his head.  Krishna advised Devi Rukmini to fan him with the Chamara, Devi Rukmini was surprised to witness all these hospitalities of Krishna to a poor Bhramin and thought the Bhramin must have earned an abundance of piousness in his life.  Krishna offered him a sanctified seat and massaged his hands and feet, as a service to his brother.

Bhagavan speaks “Oh! Sudhama, after leaving the hermitage of Maharishi Sandheepani, you must have married, I hope you are living happily with your wife.  I cannot forget those marvelous days we have spent in the hermitage of Maharishi Sandheepani, those were the blissful days in my life.  Do you remember an incident happened in the hermitage? We have gone to the forest to collect wood at the instruction of Gurumatha, suddenly there was an unexpected heavy downpour that made us stuck in the forest.  Do you remember that we spend hours and hours in the embrace of each other in wet clothes, we could not trace the way back to the hermitage, the whole night we had to spend in the darkness of the wood?  On the next day, our preceptor anxiously arrived in the wood looking for us, he located us and expressed his worries about our safety in the dense wood, and further Maharishi Sandheepani highly spoke about the courage and selflessness of us, he praised us abundantly and blessed us to attain all that desired by us.  He also blessed us to remain intellectuals with a thorough knowledge of what we have learned from him.  We are fortunate to have the blessings of our preceptor to keep ourselves peaceful and serene.”

Sudhama speaks “ Oh! Bhagavan, I am an extremely fortunate one, I had the opportunity to spend sixty-four days with you in the hermitage of Maharishi Sandheepani.  Oh! Devadeva, do you need to study anything? You have all that knowledge inherited in you.  Oh! Jagathguru,/Universal preceptor, you are wisdom personified on the Earth.”