Krishna-Sudama : A Story of Giving and Care

Dear friends, today I was thinking about the general life that people who care and do not take advantage are extinct ....but does it so !! OK, lets share a small story of friendship between unequal who were close school-friends. 

This is the story of Sudama- Krishna. They were friends who had their education at the ashram of Guru Sandipan.  Sudama was a poor fellow and Krishna was from an affluent family. They shared their student days together while learning the lessons given by their teacher. After completion of education both of them went to their respective places and settled down. Krishna became the king and due to his charismatic personality became famous as well. On the other side Sudama went to his native village and got married with a simple woman and had children from her. His life was not comfortable rather a miserable one. As his wife knew about his friendship with Krishna so she forced him to go and meet Krishna and took some financial help from him. Sudama knew that it was a long time when he had friendship with him and now Krishna was a king and it might be possible he would not able to recognise him in person. Despite that thought as he was under severe pressure to look after his children, he decided to go and meet Krishna. As he was going after a long time therefore Sudama’s wife gave her some raw rice as a gift- gesture of friendship for Krishna. As he was quite poor so he walked upon and reached Dwarka in sandy and dirty clothes. He informed the sentry at the gate that he wanted to meet Sri Krishna. The sentry took him as an ordinary man and did not inform Krishna about his arrival at once but on his persuasions he send this message to Sri Krishna that one poor man had come and standing at the main gate and claiming himself as school friend of respected king and his name was Sudama. On hearing that message while he along with his wife Rukmani went to main gate and welcomed Sudama with warm heart and gave him an equal place for sitting. He accepted the gift of raw rice which Sudama tried to hide as he could notice that the gift is not up to the mark to Krishna. As I have said before that even a piece of straw if dedicated with reverence and surrender is more precious than the comforts of whole world. Sri Krishna gracefully accepted that and ate the same as most tasty dish even it were uncooked. Sri Krishna always have this quality even when he had accepted the  offerings of peelings of banana by Vidur who offered them while under emotional burst out of happiness and reverence. To save his self-respect even without pretending to Sudama, Sri Krishna helped him by sending the proper assistance directly to his family in his native town so when Sudama was returning from there he was not aware about the support given by Sri Krishna. As he reached in his village he could not able to recognise his house, children and wife as they were wearing the best clothes while having the best fruits. Sudama was speechless and became devotee of Krishna with love.

      [ This photo is thankfully downloaded from http://sharmaarunk.blogspot.in/ ]

This has happened because someone had trust in friendship and someone was aware about the difficulties which generally face in life.  The story of Sudama- Sri Krishna is remembered because of large heartiness of Krishna. It is a famous story of all giving not an example of taking. Sudama is a plain character but the hero of the story is always Krishna because he is the giver, a sharer- a truthful friend. What a story which begins with Sudama and ended with Sudama and still we find that the Sudama was a simple character to define the quality of Krishna. The charity and sharing is what we always mean in that story. The miracles in life happen not because of our desires rather because of our nobility and charity. 

Life is a roller coaster journey. The journey will always remind us about what we have shared and what still is to be shared. The sign of happiness always arrive upon us through that analysis of life. A soul has no choice. It chooses what we choose, it accompany us in our bad or good time, in our good habits and vices.It is to understand that no moment has future in its pocket only what is now is reality otherwise what is gone is gone and what would come is still away. That is the power of now. The power of now is all in giving and sharing rather than taking or possessing. May God! I wish we all understand it!! May God I wish we all do that!! And now I may believe that People who care and do not take advantage may extinct but still exist in this beautiful world...

With this story I would like to convey my all good wishes and sympathy to the parents of little children who lost their precious lives on December 14, 2012 in their kindergarten school - Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut, US. May God give them enough strength to bear this unbearable pain... Amen !!