80-Krishn Welcomes Sudaamaa Jee

Pareekshit asked - "Hey Bhagavan, Mukti-giver Krishn's power is limitless, and so are His Leelaa. Now tell us any other Leelaa which you have not described yet. Blessed are the tongues which sing Bhagavaan's glory, blessed are the hands which serve Bhagavaan, and blessed is the mind which thinks about Him. Blessed are the ears which hear Bhagavaan's pious stories, and blessed is the head which bows in front of Bhagavaan." Soot Jee said - "Then Shuk Dev Jee said - "There was a Braahman who was a fast friend of Shree Krishn [his name was Sudaamaa]. He was very knowledgeable, indifferent and he had controlled his Indriyaan. In spite of being Grihasth, he did not collect things, and whatever he had got, he was satisfied with that. He was very poor. His own clothes were old and torn and so were his wife's. She was also hunger-stricken.

One day his wife got extremely sad because of her poverty, so she said to Sudaamaa Jee -  "Bhagavan, Lakshmee's husband is your friend and He is a devotee of Braahman. You may go to Him. When He will know that you are a Grihasth and you are sad without grains, He may give you a lots of wealth. Now a days He lives in Dwaarakaa Puree, and is so kind that whosoever remembers Him, He even gives Himself to him." When she requested thus, Sudaamaa Jee thought, "Although I am not after money, but at least I will do His Darshan." So he decided to go there and asked his wife - "Hey Kalyaanee, Is there anything to give Him as gift?"

Braahmanee got very happy to see that her husband has got ready to go there, but she did not have anything in the house to give him as gift, so she brought four handfuls Chivadaa (beaten rice) from her neighbors and tied them in a cloth piece, and gave that to Sudaamaa Jee. Now Sudaamaa Jee started towards Dwaarakaa Puree. On the way he was thinking, "How am I going to have His Darshan?" [Whether He will recognize me or not?, It is long time ago when we were together.]

When he arrived in Dwaarakaa, he crossed three cantonments and three gates with other Braahman to reach up to the palace of Yaadav. There were Bhagavaan's 16,000 wife's palaces, so he entered in one of them. He felt internal joy and pleasure while entering it. At that time Krishn was on His bed with His beloved Rukminee Jee. As He saw the Braahman coming, He immediately got up from His bed and hugged him. Krishn got so pleased with his touch that His eyes were filled with tears of joy.

After a few moments He took him by hand and made him sit on His bed. He Himself brought the Poojaa materials and worshipped him. Krishn makes holy everybody, still He touched his Charanodak (water after washing feet) with His head. Then He offered him Paan (betel leaf) and a cow and said - "It is good to see you." Sudaamaa Jee was very weak. Rukminee Jee herself started serving him by shaking Chamar over him.

All women present there were very surprised to see this that who is this dirty Braahman whom Krishn is worshipping with so much love. He had hugged him like His elder brother Balaraam Jee. Now Krishn and Sudaamaa Jee were talking about the good old days, of Gurukul time. Krishn asked - "Braahman Dev, When you returned after paying Guru Dakshinaa, then did you marry a girl like yourself? I know that in spite of being Grihasth, you are not involved in worldly desires. You do not love wealth. Only rare people can leave these Maayaa-made things and work for the welfare of all people. Do you still remember those days when we were together in Gurukul? Father is the first Guru in this world, because he is the cause of this body. After that, Guru is the second Guru who educates you about good Karm after your Upanayan Sanskaar. And after that there is one Guru more who makes Paramaatmaa available to you. He is my Roop. Varn Aashram people have these three Guru. I am the Aatmaa of all.

Do you remember the incident when our Guru-wife sent us to bring fire-wood from Jungle? We went to a dense forest and without any reason a big storm came. Sun was set and darkness fell all over. There was so much water everywhere that we could not know where was a ditch and where was the flat ground. And we roamed around here and there. When our Guru Saandeepan Muni came to know about this, he came to take us as the Sun rose. He said - "It is surprising that you took so much trouble for us. Everybody loves his body, but you didn't care for it at all and you still served us. I am very pleased with you, so I bless you that may your all wish be fulfilled, and you always remember the education you have obtained here, and it will not fail you anywhere in Tri-Lok." Sudaamaa said - "Hey Krishn, Now we don't have to do anything else. I was very fortunate to be with you in Gurukul. All Ved come from you still you were living there to study them in Gurukul? This is only your Maanav Leelaa (play as a human being)."

81-Sudaamaa Jee Gets Riches

Shuk Dev Jee said - "Bhagavaan knows everybody's mind. So He talked to his friend for a long time. Then He said smiling and joking - "OK, let me see what have you brought for me from your home? When my beloved devotees offer me even a small thing it becomes very big for me, but if my non-devotees offer me a lots of things, I am not that happy. Whoever offers me fruit, or flower, or leaf, or even water, I not only accept his gift with my pure heart but also take it immediately." But still Sudaamaa Jee didn't give the gift he brought for Him. He hesitantly bent his head down.

Bhagavaan knows everything, so He knew the reason of his coming. Now He thought that, "one, he is my friend, two, he never worshipped me with any desire, and this time he has come only to please his wife, so I will give him such wealth which is difficult even for Devtaa". Thinking thus, He took out the Chivadaa (tied in a torn cloth) from his clothes, saying "What is this? What is this?" Then said to him - "Dear friend, You brought this for me, but this is not only enough for me, it can satisfy the whole world." And He ate one handful Chivadaa from it. After eating that as He reached for the second one, Rukminee Jee held His hand and said - "Enough, this one handful Chivadaa is enough to get all kinds of wealth in this Lok and Par-Lok, because you get pleased with this much only."

Sudaamaa Jee stayed there in Krishn's palace that night. He stayed there very comfortably and felt as if he was living in Vaikunth. He did not ask for anything and Krishn did not give him anything apparently. Feeling ashamed of his actions and carrying joy of Krishn's Darshan in his heart he started for his home. On the way, he was thinking, "I only heard His Braahman Bhakti before, but today I have experienced it personally. Who keeps Lakshmee Jee on His chest, He hugged a poor man like me? But He did it because I was a Braahman. Even He made me sleep on that bed on which His beloved Rukminee Jee sleeps. She even served me? Who is worshipped by all Devtaa, He worshipped me like a Devtaa. He massaged my feet, He fed me with His own hands."

Thinking thus he arrived at his house, but his house was not there. There was a gem-studded palace shining like Soorya, Chandramaa and Agni. At places there were gardens many kinds of birds were singing in them. There were ponds and in ponds were blooming various types of lotus flowers. He got confused that whether he was at right place? And if he was, then how it changed overnight. He was thinking like this that several men and women came to welcome him with music and playing instruments. As Braahmanee knew that her husband has come, she also came out. She was looking like Lakshmee Jee. Seeing her husband her eyes were filled with the tears of joy. She took him inside the palace.

There Sudaamaa saw that the palace was like Indra's palace. It had hundreds of gem-studded pillars. Beds were made of elephants' tusks and were gold plated. They had milky white very soft bed sheets and pillows. There were many Chamar which had golden handles. All were also gem-studded. So he thought where did I get so much wealth from? I am very poor, ill-fate, since birth. Certainly Krishn must have given this to me. I gave Him only one handful Chivadaa, but He gave me so much in return of that. Thus although Bhagavaan is not under anybody's control but His Bhakt can control Him."

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