Çré Annadä Ekädaçé Issue no: 265 19th August 2025

Sudama Visits Lord Krishna in Dvaraka

Sudama Visits Lord Krishna in Dvaraka Nimai and the Brähmaëa
Srila Shukadeva Gosvami Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

The Appeal of Sudama's Wife When to Award the Sacred Thread?

Disciples of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada
What Kind of Vaiñëava has no Possessions?
Fate of a Brähmaëa Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada
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Sudama Visits Lord Krishna in Dvaraka Shukadeva Gosvami said: Lord Krishna had a
Srila Shukadeva Gosvami
certain brähmaëa friend [named Sudama] who
was most learned in Vedic knowledge and de-
[King Parikshit said:] My lord, O master, I wish tached from all sense enjoyment. Furthermore,
his mind was peaceful and his senses subdued.
to hear about other valorous deeds performed by
Living as a householder, he maintained himself
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mukun- with whatever came of its own accord. The wife
da, whose valor is unlimited. O brähmaëa, how of that poorly dressed brähmaëa suffered along
could anyone who knows the essence of life and with him and was emaciated from hunger. The
is disgusted with endeavoring for sense gratifi- chaste wife of the poverty-stricken brähmaëa once
cation give up the transcendental topics of Lord approached him, her face dried up because of her
Uttamahshloka after hearing them repeatedly? distress. Trembling with fear, she spoke as follows.
Actual speech is that which describes the qualities [Sudama’s wife said:] O brähmaëa, isn’t it
of the Lord, real hands are those that work for true that the husband of the goddess of fortune
Him, a true mind is that which always remem- is the personal friend of your exalted self? That
bers Him dwelling within everything moving greatest of Yadavas, the Supreme Lord Krishna,
and nonmoving, and actual ears are those that is compassionate to brahmanas and very willing
listen to sanctifying topics about Him. An actual to grant them His shelter. O fortunate one, please
head is one that bows down to the Lord in His approach Him, the real shelter of all saints. He will
manifestations among the moving and nonmov- certainly give abundant wealth to such a suffering
ing creatures, real eyes are those that see only the householder as you. Lord Krishna is now the ruler
Lord, and actual limbs are those which regularly of the Bhojas, Vrishnis and Andhakas and is stay-
honor the water that has bathed the Lord’s feet or ing at Dvaraka. Since He gives even His own self
those of His devotees. to anyone who simply remembers His lotus feet,
[Suta Gosvami said:] Thus questioned by King what doubt is there that He, the spiritual master
Vishnurata, the powerful sage Badarayani replied, of the universe, will bestow upon His sincere
his heart fully absorbed in meditation on the Su- worshiper prosperity and material enjoyment,
preme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. which are not even very desirable?
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 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 265, Page—3
Shukadeva Gosvami continued: When his wife worlds, the abode of Goddess Sri, is serving him
thus repeatedly implored him in various ways, reverently. Leaving the goddess of fortune sitting
the brähmaëa thought to himself, “To see Lord on her bed, the Lord has embraced this brähmaëa
Krishna is indeed the greatest achievement in life.” as if he were an older brother.
Thus he decided to go, but first he told her, “My Shukadeva Gosvami continued: Taking each
good wife, if there is anything in the house I can other’s hands, O King, Krishna and Sudama talked
bring as a gift, please give it to me.” Sudama’s wife pleasantly about how they once lived together in
begged four handfuls of flat rice from neighboring the school of their guru.
brahmanas, tied up the rice in a torn piece of cloth [The Supreme Lord said:] My dear brähmaëa,
and gave it to her husband as a present for Lord you know well the ways of dharma. After you
Krishna. Taking the flat rice, the saintly brähmaëa offered the gift of remuneration to our guru and
set off for Dvaraka, all the while wondering “How returned home from his school, did you marry
will I be able to have Krishna’s audience?” a compatible wife or not? Even though you are
The learned brähmaëa, joined by some local mostly involved in household affairs, your mind
brahmanas, passed three guard stations and went is not affected by material desires. Nor, O learned
through three gateways, and then he walked by one, do you take much pleasure in the pursuit of
the homes of Lord Krishna’s faithful devotees, material wealth. This I am well aware of. Having
the Andhakas and Vrishnis, which ordinarily no renounced all material propensities, which spring
one could do. He then entered one of the opulent from the Lord’s illusory energy, some people exe-
palaces belonging to Lord Hari’s sixteen thousand cute worldly duties with their minds undisturbed
queens, and when he did so he felt as if he were by mundane desires. They act as I do, to instruct
attaining the bliss of liberation. the general populace. My dear brähmaëa, do you
At that time Lord Acyuta was seated on His con- remember how we lived together in our spiritual
sort’s bed. Spotting the brähmaëa at some distance, master’s school? When a twice-born student has
the Lord immediately stood up, went forward to learned from his guru all that is to be learned,
meet him and with great pleasure embraced him. he can enjoy spiritual life, which lies beyond all
The lotus-eyed Supreme Lord felt intense ecstasy ignorance. My dear friend, he who gives a person
upon touching the body of His dear friend, the wise his physical birth is his first spiritual master, and
brähmaëa, and thus He shed tears of love. Lord he who initiates him as a twice-born brähmaëa
Krishna seated His friend Sudama upon the bed. and engages him in religious duties is indeed
Then the Lord, who purifies the whole world, per-
sonally offered him various tokens of respect and more directly his spiritual master. But the person
washed his feet, O King, after which He sprinkled who bestows transcendental knowledge upon
the water on His own head. He anointed him with the members of all the spiritual orders of society
divinely fragrant sandalwood, aguru and kuïkuma is one’s ultimate spiritual master. Indeed, he is as
pastes and happily worshiped him with aromatic good as My own self.
incense and arrays of lamps. After finally offering Certainly, O brähmaëa, of all the followers of the
him betel nut and the gift of a cow, He welcomed varëäçrama system, those who take advantage of
him with pleasing words. By fanning him with her the words I speak in My form as the spiritual mas-
cämara, the divine goddess of fortune personally ter and thus easily cross over the ocean of material
served that poor brähmaëa, whose clothing was existence best understand their own true welfare.
torn and dirty and who was so thin that veins were I, the Soul of all beings, am not as satisfied by rit-
visible all over his body. The people in the royal ual worship, brahminical initiation, penances or
palace were astonished to see Krishna, the Lord self-discipline as I am by faithful service rendered
of spotless glory, so lovingly honor this shabbily to one’s spiritual master.
dressed brähmaëa. O brähmaëa, do you remember what happened
[The residents of the palace said:] What pious to us while we were living with our spiritual mas-
acts has this unkempt, impoverished brähmaëa ter? Once our guru’s wife sent us to fetch firewood,
performed? People regard him as lowly and con- and after we entered the vast forest, O twice-born
temptible, yet the spiritual master of the three one, an unseasonal storm arose, with fierce wind
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 Issue no 265, Page — 4 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
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and rain and harsh thunder. Then, as the sun to her request that he go to Lord Krishna to beg
set, the forest was covered by darkness in every charity. If the brähmaëa might say, "How could
direction, and with all the flooding we could the husband of the goddess of fortune befriend
not distinguish high land from low. Constantly a fallen soul like myself?" she replies by saying
besieged by the powerful wind and rain, we lost that Lord Krishna is brahmaëya, very favorably
our way amidst the flooding waters. We simply disposed toward the brahmanas. If Sudama might
held each other’s hands and, in great distress, claim to have no real devotion for the Lord, she
wandered aimlessly about the forest. Our guru, replies by saying that he is a great and wise per-
Sandipani, understanding our predicament, set sonality who would surely obtain the shelter and
out after sunrise to search for us, his disciples, mercy of the Lord. If the brähmaëa might object
and found us in distress. that Lord Krishna is equally disposed to all the
[Sandipani said:] O my children, you have suf- countless unhappy conditioned souls suffering
fered so much for my sake! The body is most dear the fruits of their own karma, she replies that Lord
to every living creature, but you are so dedicated Krishna is especially the Lord of the devotees, and
to me that you completely disregarded your own thus even if He Himself did not grant Sudama His
comfort. This indeed is the duty of all true disci- mercy, certainly the devotees engaged in serving
ples: to repay the debt to their spiritual master by the Lord would mercifully give him some charity.
offering him, with pure hearts, their wealth and Since the Lord protects the Satvatas, the members
even their very lives. You boys are first-class brah- of the Yadu dynasty, what difficulty would there
manas, and I am satisfied with you. May all your be for Him to protect a humble brähmaëa like
de-sires be fulfilled, and may the Vedic mantras Sudama, and what fault would there be in His
you have learned never lose their meaning for doing so?
you, in this world or the next. —Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum

[Lord Krishna continued:] We had many Bonum » Chapter 80 » Verses 9 » Purport By the Disciples of His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada
similar experiences while living in our spiritual
master’s home. Simply by the grace of the spiritual
master a person can fulfill life’s purpose and attain Fate of a Brähmaëa
eternal peace. His Divine Grace
[The brähmaëa said:] What could I possibly A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada
have failed to achieve, O Lord of lords, O universal
teacher, since I was able to personally live with When a human being gives up sinful activi-
You, whose every desire is fulfilled, at the home of ties and accumulates piety, then he is born in a
our spiritual master? O almighty Lord, Your body high-class brähmaëa family. The identification
of a brähmaëa is the highest identification in this
comprises the Absolute Truth in the form of the world. A brähmaëa is respected by all, and his
Vedas and is thus the source of all auspicious goals example should be followed by everyone. Due to
of life. That You took up residence at the school of their sinful propensities, living entities feel proud
a spiritual master is simply one of Your pastimes to identify with castes other than brähmaëa, but
in which You play the role of a human being. there cannot be any fault in identifying oneself
— Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum
as a real brähmaëa. Those who commit sinful
Bonum » Chapter 80 » Verses 1-34 » Translation By the Disciples of His Divine
activities are awarded severe miseries by Yamaraja,
Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada
who awards punishment. Particularly, if in spite of
being born in a brähmaëa family by the influence
The Appeal of Sudama's Wife of one's piety, and if in spite of receiving the great
Disciples of His Divine Grace opportunity of obtaining proper instruction one
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada becomes bewildered and engages in committing
various offenses, he can never escape the unlim-
Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti explains in his ited miseries in the abode of Yamaraja.
commentary how the brahmana's wife anticipated
every possible objection her husband might make
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 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 265, Page—5
—Madhya-khaëòa 13.065 Srila Vrindavan Dasa Thak- angry at Nimai. Thereafter, on the special request
ura » The vyäsa-avatära of Caitanya-lélä » With English Translation of Vishvarupa, Vishvambhara’s elder brother, the
of the Gauòéya-bhäñya Commentary and Chapter Summaries brähmaëa agreed to cook again. All the relatives
of His Divine Grace Oà Viñëupäda Paramahaàsa Parivräjakäcärya then sat around the Lord in a room, and Jaganna-
Çré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja » Translated by Bhu- tha Mishra sat at the doorway to ensure that the
mipati Dasa naughty boy could not spoil the offering again.
Jagannatha Mishra and the others even considered
Nimai and the Brähmaëa binding the boy with ropes.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura When the child Gaurahari displayed His pas-
times of yoga-nidrä (mystic sleep) inside the room,
One day Sri Jagannatha Mishra ordered his son to everyone felt relieved. Then, since it was late at
bring a book from the house. As Nimai went in night, everyone fell asleep. When the brähmaëa
the house to bring the book, Sachi and Jaganna- meditated on offering the foodstuffs to Bala-gopala
tha heard the pleasing sound of ankle bells. After for the third time, Gaura-gopala again came and
Vishvambhara brought the book and went out to ate the offering. Sri Gaurasundara then appeared
play, the brähmaëa couple saw footprints marked before the brähmaëa in a four-armed form holding
with a flag, thunderbolt, goad, and banner in their conch, disc, club, and lotus; He ate butter with one
house. But due to the nature of paternal affection, hand from a pot held in another hand and with
they could not understand that those footprints two other hands He played flute. After appearing
belonged to their own jewel-like son, rather they in that wonderful form along with His own abode,
concluded that their family Deity, Sri Damoda- the Lord bestowed unlimited mercy on the pious
ra-shalagrama, had walked about their house brähmaëa. He explained to the brähmaëa His own
unseen. Thinking in this way, they arranged an identity, the brahmana’s position as His eternal
abhiñeka, a special offering, and worship for their servant, and the cause of His incarnation, and then
Deity, Lord Damodara. On another day a mendi- the Lord forbade the brähmaëa from disclosing
cant brähmaëa who worshiped Bala-gopala became these secret topics to anyone. After this incident the
a guest at the house of Jagannatha Mishra. After brähmaëa would beg alms here and there during
completing his cooking, the brähmaëa offered Lord the day, but one time everyday he would visit the
Krishna the foodstuffs in meditation. house of Jagannatha Mishra in Navadvipa to see
In order to bestow mercy on the devoted bräh- his worshipable Lord.
maëa, Gaura-gopala came there and ate a handful —Madhya-khaëòa 13.065 Srila Vrindavana Dasa Thaku-
of the rice offering. Seeing the boy eat the food that ra » The vyäsa-avatära of Caitanya-lélä » With English Trans-
he had offered to Krishna, the mendicant brähmaëa lation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya Commentary and Chapter Summaries
shouted, “This naughty boy has spoiled the offer- of His Divine Grace Oà Viñëupäda Paramahaàsa Parivräjakäcärya
ing.” When Jagannatha Mishra heard this he pre-
pared to beat the boy in anger, but he was stopped !! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurchandra Jayati !!
by the brahmana’s request. Jagannatha Mishra then
requested the brähmaëa to again cook an offering Nityaà Bhägavata-sevayä E-magazine
for Krishna. At the suggestion of those present, is a part of
mother Sachidevi took the boy to the neighbor’s
house until the brähmaëa finished eating. Mean- In Service of Srimad Bhagavatam™
while, the brähmaëa cooked for the second time
Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of
and then offered the foodstuffs to Bala-gopala in His Divine Grace
meditation. At that moment, Sri Gaurasundara, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada
the predominating Deity of the mind, bewildered
everyone with His yogamäyä potency, came before ©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
the brähmaëa, and began to eat the offering. When ©All the paintings are copyrights of their respective
the brähmaëa again loudly shouted, “The offering artists.
is spoiled!” Jagannatha Mishra became even more

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 Issue no 265, Page — 6 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
Çré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja » Translated by
symptoms of classification.” And Sridhara Svami
Bhumipati Dasa
in his commentary on this verse states: yad yadi
anyatra varëäntare ’pi dåçyeta, tad-varëäntaraà
When to Award the Sacred Thread? tenaiva lakñaëa-nimittenaiva varëena vinirdiçet, na
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura tu jäti-nimittenety arthaù—“If the proper symp-
toms are seen in persons other than those born as
It is stated in the Vedas: añöa-varñaà brähmaëam brahmanas, then such persons should be consid-
upanayéta—“When the son of a brähmaëa be- ered brahmanas. They should not be considered
comes eight years old, he should be awarded according to their caste by birth.”
the sacred thread.” In this statement the word The Mahäbhärata (Anuçäsana 143.46 and 50)
brähmaëa refers to those who will become bräh- states: çüdro ’py ägama sampanno dvijo bhavati
maëas in the future. The Çrémad Bhägavatam saàskåtaù—“Persons born in lower, degraded
(11.17.39) statement: gåhärthé sadåçéà bhäryäm castes can become qualified well-versed bräh-
udvahet—“One who desires to establish family maëas.” na yonir näpi saàskäro na çrutaà na
life should marry a wife of his own caste,” refers ca santatiù käraëäni dvijatvasya våttam eva tu
to those who will accept wives in the future, käraëam—“Therefore, neither the source of one’s
and in the same way a non-brähmaëa who will birth, nor his reformation, nor his education is the
become a brähmaëa in the future is called a criterion of a brähmaëa. The våtta, or occupation,
brähmaëa. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.11.13) is the real standard by which one is known as a
it is stated: saàskärä yaträvicchinnäù sa dvijo ’jo brähmaëa.”
jagäda yam—“Those who have been reformed by In the Bhäradväja-saàhitä of the Närada
the garbhädhäna ceremony and other prescribed Païcarätra (2.34) it is stated: svayaà brahmaëi
reformatory methods, performed with Vedic nikñiptän jätän eva hi mantrataù vinétän-artha
mantras and without interruption, and who have puträdén saàskåtya prati-bodhayet—“An äcärya
been approved by Lord Brahma, are dvijas, or should purify his sons and disciples by engaging
twice-born.” them in the service of the Absolute Truth after initi-
In the Viñëu Yämala it is stated: ating them with proper mantras so that they will be
açuddhäù çüdra-kalpä hi purified and knowledgable.” The Hari-bhakti-vilä-
brähmaëaù kali-sambhaväù sa (Part 2) quotes the Tattva-sägara as follows:
teñäm ägama-märgeëa yathä käïcanatäà yäti käàsyaà rasa-vidhänataù
çuddhir na çrota-vartmanä tathä dékñä-vidhänena dvijatvaà jäyate nåëäm—
“The brahmanas born in the Age of Kali are “As bell metal, when mixed with mercury, is
merely sudras. Their so-called Vedic path of transformed to gold, a person, even though not
karma is polluted and cannot purify them. They golden pure, can be transformed into a bräh-
can only be purified by following the path of maëa, or dvija, simply by the initiation process.”
the agamas or päïcarätrika-viddhi.” From this (Hari-bhakti-viläsa 2.12) In his commentary on
statement it is understood that due to the lack of this verse, Sri Sanatana Gosvami has written:
purity in family lines in the Age of Kali, or quarrel, nåëäà sarveñäm eva, dvijatvaà vipratä—“All
one should become purified through the process human beings are eligible to become twice-
of päïcarätrika initiation. Therefore, the Çrémad born brahmanas.” In his Dig-darçiné-öékä on
Bhägavatam (7.11.35) states: Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.37), he has explained
yasya yal lakñaëaà proktaà the word, dikñä-lakñaëa-dhäriëaù—“accepting
puàso varëäbhivyaïjakam the signs of initiation,” as follows: “Some of them
yad anyaträpi dåçyeta [the residents of Vaikuntha] accepted the signs of
tat tenaiva vinirdiçet initiation, and some of them accepted mantras for
“If one shows the symptoms of being a bräh- worshiping the Lord. They had sacred threads,
maëa, kñatriya, vaiçya or çüdra, as described waterpots, asanas of kuça grass, tulasé beads, and
above, even if he has appeared in a different various other signs.”
class, he should be accepted according to those

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 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 265, Page—7
In his commentary on the Brahma-saàhitä
(5.27), Sri Jiva Gosvami Prabhu has written:
“After being initiated in the chanting of the
eighteen syllable mantra, Lord Brahma became
a dvija. There was no impediment with this
because Lord Brahma was born from Sri Gov-
indadeva, who is the predominating Deity of
the eighteen syllable mantra. We can also cite
the evidence of Dhruva Maharaja, for he also
became a brähmaëa after initiation.” These and
innumerable other statements of the scriptures
and mahajanas confirm that everyone must be
initiated through the päïcarätrika process and
accept the sacred thread. This has been the
process since time immemorial.
Therefore Sri Jayatirthapada refers to the he had no possessions. Sudama brähmaëa was
våçcika-täëòuli-nyäya in his Tattva-prakäçikä extremely impoverished, and he too was akiï-
commentary on the Brahma-sütras (1.3.29) cana. Both devotees were free of material desire.
to demonstrate that brahminical qualities ac- The akiïcana devotees know well that the material
quired by birth or by occupation are accepted. world simply contains ingredients for the service
The sacred thread ceremony is meant to give of Hari, guru, and the Vaishnavas. They do not
one the qualification for studying the Vedas, see this material world in the spirit of personal
because the Brahma-sütras state that çüdras, enjoyment, nor do they become indifferent to it.
or those without sacred thread, are not eligible Rather, they engage everything in this world in the
to hear Vedänta. After accepting päïcarätrika Supreme Lord’s service. Unless we worship Lord
mantras and being properly initiated according Hari, we have no right to take even a blade of grass
to the Sri Narada Païcarätra a person must from this world. Akiïcana devotees realize this fact.
observe the ten samskaras, or purificatory The devotees are convinced that by rendering
rites, and thereafter hear the meanings of the devotional service to Krishna they can attain
mantras. happiness and auspiciousness. By constantly
—Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura » The vyäsa-avatära of Caitanya-lélä and offenselessly chanting Krishna’s holy name,
» With English Translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya Commentary and Chapter they realize the essential characteristics of Vaish-
SummariesofHisDivineGraceOàViñëupädaParamahaàsaParivräjakäcärya navas, devotional service, and the Supreme Lord.
Çré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja » Translated by We have to hear Kåñëa-kathä from the spiritual
Bhumipati Dasa master and the Vaishnavas and then preach it to
others. This is how we cultivate Krishna conscious-
What Kind of Vaiñëava has no Possessions? ness. If we are not cultivating Krishna conscious-
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ness, we will certainly cultivate attitudes unrelated
to Krishna.
Those who want nothing from this world —Amåta Väëé: Nectar of Instructions of Immoratality » His Divine Grace
are actually akiïcana, devoid of possessions. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada » Compiled by Çrépäda Bhakti
Such Vaishnavas have understood that there is Mayukha Bhagavat Maharaja » Adapted and Published by Ishvara Dasa
nothing in this world that can give them eternal
happiness. The material world is a prison house
for conditioned souls. Because we have been
averse to Krishna, we have been imprisoned
here and have suffered the material miseries.
Although Prahlada Maharaja was an emperor,

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