Krsna Book Audio Dictation - Chapter 81
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Next paragraph. Chapter Eighty-one: "The Brāhmaṇa Sudāmā Benedicted by Lord Kṛṣṇa."
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supersoul of all living entities, does know very well everyone's heart. He is especially inclined to the brāhmaṇa devotees. Lord Kṛṣṇa's another name is brahmaṇya-deva, which means that He is worshiped by the brāhmaṇas. Therefore a devotee who is fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is to be considered already acquired the position of a brāhmaṇa. Without becoming a brāhmaṇa, nobody can approach the Supreme Brahma, Lord Kṛṣṇa. As such, Lord Kṛṣṇa is very much attached to the brāhmaṇa devotees. He is also known as worshipable by the brāhmaṇas. Kṛṣṇa is specifically meant for vanquishing the distress of His devotees, and He is the only shelter of pure devotees.
Lord Kṛṣṇa was engaged for a long time in talking with Sudāmā Vipra about their past association. Now Lord Kṛṣṇa, just to enjoy the company of an old friend, began to smile and asked him, "My dear friend, what you have brought for Me? Has your wife given something eatable for Me?" Lord Kṛṣṇa, while He was addressing His dear friend, He was smiling with great love and looking upon him. Lord Kṛṣṇa continued to say, (within quotation) "My dear friend, you must have brought something presentation for Me from your home." (quotation close)
Lord Kṛṣṇa knew it also that Sudāmā was hesitating to present Him the paltry chipped rice, which was factually unfit for His eating. But Kṛṣṇa, understanding the mind of Sudāmā Vipra, began to say as follows: (within quotation) "My dear friend, certainly I am not in need of everything, but if My devotee gives Me something as offerings of love, even though such thing may be very insignificant, I accept it with great pleasure. On the other hand, if a person is not a devotee, even though he may offer Me very valuable things as presentation, I do not like to accept them. Actually, I accept only things which are offered to Me in devotion and love; otherwise, however valuable a thing may be, I do not accept it. My pure devotee, even he offers Me most insignificant things like a little piece of flower, a little piece of leaf, a little water, saturated in devotional love, such thing not only I accept them gladly, but I also eat them with great pleasure." (quotation close)
Even though Lord Kṛṣṇa assured Sudāmā Vipra that He would be very glad to accept his chipped rice which he had brought from home, out of great shyness he hesitated to present them before Kṛṣṇa. And because he was thinking how he could offer such insignificant things to Kṛṣṇa, he simply bowed down his head.
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supersoul, knows everything in one's heart. He knows everyone's determination and everyone's want. He knew therefore what was the reason of Sudāmā Vipra's coming to Him. He knew it also that driven by extreme poverty, he had come there on the request of his wife only. He began to think within himself also that Sudāmā was His very dear class friend, and his loving relationship with Kṛṣṇa as friend was never meant for deriving any material benefit. "Now he had come not for asking anything from Me; but being obliged by the request of his wife, he has come to see Me just to please his wife.” Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore thought that He would give such material opulence to Sudāmā Vipra as even the king of heaven could not imagine.
Thus considering, Lord Kṛṣṇa immediately caught up the bundle of chipped rice which was hanging on the shoulder of Sudāmā Vipra packed in one corner of his wrapper. Lord Kṛṣṇa snatched away the bundle, saying, "What is this?" and encouraged Sudāmā Vipra by saying, "My dear friend, you have brought for Me such nice palatable and eatable chipped rice. I consider that this quantity of chipped rice will not only satisfy Me, but it will satisfy the whole creation." (quotation close)
By this statement of Lord Kṛṣṇa it is understood that Kṛṣṇa, being the origin source of everything, is the root of all creation. As watering on the root of the tree is distributed immediately to every part of the tree, similarly, anything offered to Kṛṣṇa or anything done for Kṛṣṇa is the highest welfare act because the result of such offering is distributed throughout the creation. Our love for Kṛṣṇa becomes distributed to all living entities.
Next paragraph.
Lord Kṛṣṇa, speaking to Sudāmā Vipra like that, immediately ate one morsel of chipped rice from his bundle, and when He was attempting to eat the second morsel, Rukmiṇīdevī, who is the goddess of fortune herself, stopped the Lord from eating further morsel and checked Him by catching His hand. This indicates that in a home where Lord Kṛṣṇa is offered foodstuff with love and devotion, and if the Lord accepts such foodstuff, being pleased on the devotee, then Rukmiṇīdevī, the goddess of fortune, becomes so much obliged to the devotee that she has personally to go to the devotee's home to turn it to be the most opulent home in the world. In other words, if you feed Nārāyaṇa sumptuously, goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, becomes automatically your guest in the house, which means your home becomes opulent.
So after catching the hand of Kṛṣṇa, Rukmiṇīdevī said as follows: "My dear Lord, it is sufficient for a man to become very, very opulent in this life as well as continue his life of opulence in the next life, this one morsel of chipped rice is sufficient. You are so kind upon Your devotee, my Lord, that this one morsel of chipped rice makes You so much pleased, and Your pleasure means the devotee’s opulence both in this life and in the next." (quotation close)
In this way, the learned brāhmaṇa Sudāmā passed that night at the house of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and while he was there he was feeling exactly he was living in the Vaikuṇṭha planet. And actually he was there because wherever Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is original Nārāyaṇa, lives along with goddess of fortune, Rukmiṇīdevī, certainly the place is not different from the spiritual planet Vaikuṇṭhaloka.
The learned brāhmaṇa Sudāmā appeared to have received nothing substantial directly from Lord Kṛṣṇa while he was at His place. Still, the brāhmaṇa did not ask anything from the Lord. The next morning he started for his home, thinking always about his reception by Kṛṣṇa, and thus he became merged into transcendental bliss, and all the way he simply began to remember the dealings of Lord Kṛṣṇa and thus feeling very much happy on account of his seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa. The brāhmaṇa began to think within himself as follows: "How much pleasurable it is to see Lord Kṛṣṇa so much devoted to the brāhmaṇas, and how much great lover is the Lord of the brahminical culture! He is the Supreme Brahma Himself, and reciprocally He respects the brāhmaṇas also so much so that He embraced on His chest a poor, poor brāhmaṇa like me, although He never embraces on His chest anyone else except the goddess of fortune. How there can be any comparison between me, who is a poor brāhmaṇa, full of sinful life, and the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the only shelter of the goddess of fortune? Still, considering me as a brāhmaṇa, He embraced me with heartfelt pleasure by His two transcendental arms.
"Not only this, Lord Kṛṣṇa was so much kind upon me that He allowed me to sit down on the same bedstead where the goddess of fortune lies down. He considered me as if I am His real brother. How much I can appreciate my obligation upon Him. When I was too much tired, Śrīmatī Rukmiṇīdevī, the goddess of fortune, began to fan me with the whisk cāmara in her own hand. She never considered about her exalted position as the first queen of Lord Kṛṣṇa. How much I was rendered service by the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of His high regard for the brāhmaṇas, and I was worshiped by Him by massaging of my legs and by feeding me in His own hand in so many ways.
"The whole universe worships the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, aspiring for being elevated to the heavenly planet or to get liberation or to achieve all kinds of material opulences and perfection in the yoga mystic powers. But still, He was so kind upon me that He did not give me even a farthing because He knows very well that I am a poverty-stricken man, and as soon as I get some money I may be puffed up and mad after material opulence so that I shall forget Him." (quotation close)
Next paragraph.
The statement of Sudāmābrāhmaṇa is correct. An ordinary man, when he is very poor he prays to the Lord for some benediction in material opulence, and by somehow or other if he becomes richer by material opulences, he immediately forgets his obligation to the Lord. Therefore, even to His devotee the Lord does not offer opulences unless he is thoroughly tested. On the other hand, if a neophyte devotee serves the Lord very sincerely, at the same time wants some material opulence, the Lord checks him from such opportunity.
The learned brāhmaṇa, in this way thinking within himself, gradually reached his own place. Reaching there, he saw everything wonderfully changed. He saw that the place where his cottage was standing was now turned into place of big palaces made of valuable stones and jewels, glittering like the sun, moon and rays of fire. Not only there were such big palaces, but at interval there was nice parks also, very beautifully decorated, and flocks of different colored birds were chirping there. In those parks there were nice lakes full of lotus flowers and beautiful lilies, and many beautiful men and women were strolling in those parks.
So seeing the wonderful conversion of his native place in that way, he began to think within himself, (within quotation) "What I am seeing all these changes? Does this place belong to me or somebody else? If it is the same place where I used to live, then how it has changed into such wonderful situation?"
When the learned brāhmaṇa was considering like this, immediately some beautiful men and women exactly resembling the features of the demigods, accompanied by musical chanters all combined together, approached before the brāhmaṇa to welcome him. All of them were singing auspicious songs. The wife of the brāhmaṇa became very much glad on hearing the tidings of her husband's arrival, and with great haste she also came out of the home.
At that time the wife of the brāhmaṇa appeared so beautiful, as if the goddess of fortune herself has come to receive him. As soon as she saw her husband present before her, she was dropping tears from her eyes on account of great joy. But she could not address her husband, on account of her voice being choked up and eyes being full of tears. She could simply close her eyes in ecstasy. But with great love and affection she bowed down before her husband, and within herself she thought of embracing her husband in that spot. The wife of the brāhmaṇa was fully decorated with gold necklace and ornaments, and while she was standing amongst the maidservants she appeared exactly like the wife of some demigod getting down from the aeroplane. The brāhmaṇa also became surprised seeing her (his) wife in that posture. But without speaking anything the brāhmaṇa entered the palace with her (his) wife in great affection.
When the brāhmaṇa entered his personal apartment in the palace, what did he see? He saw that it was not an apartment, but the residence of the king of heaven. The palace was surrounded by many columns of jewels. The couches and the bedsteads were made of ivory, bedecked with golden plates and jewels, and the beddings on them were as white as the foam of milk and they were as soft as the lotus flower. Many whisks were hanging there, with golden rods. There were many golden thrones, and the sitting cushion on them were as soft as the lotus flower. In different places there were nice velvet and silken canopies with laces of pearls hanging all around.
The structure of the building was standing on first-class transparent marble, with engraving of emerald stones. All the women in the palace were carrying lamps made of valuable jewels. The flame and the jewels combined together produced an wonderful glaring. When the brāhmaṇa saw such sudden change of everything in his possession into heavenly opulence, and when he could not find out any reason, cause, of such sudden change of his position, then he began to consider within himself very gravely how it so happened.
He thus began to murmur within his mind, (within quotation) "From the beginning of my life I am poverty-stricken extremely. Then what may be the cause of such great opulence all of a sudden? I do not find any other reason than the all-merciful glance of my friend Lord Kṛṣṇa, the chief of the Yadu dynasty. Certainly they are gifts of Lord Kṛṣṇa's causeless mercy. The Lord is self-sufficient and is the husband of the goddess of fortune; thus He is always full with six kinds of opulences. As such, He can understand the mind of His devotee, and according to the devotee's desire He fulfills sumptuously. So all these are acts of my friend Lord Kṛṣṇa. My beautiful blackish friend Kṛṣṇa is far more liberal than the cloud, which can fill up the great ocean with water. But still, for the satisfaction of a cultivator, cloud does not pour water before the cultivator but at night it rains sufficiently, which the cultivator considers still less when he is awakened in the morning." (quotation close)
The idea is that the Lord fulfills the desire of everyone according to his position, and still, one who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness considers all gifts of Lord still lesser than he desired. On the other hand, the Lord, when He receives a little thing from His devotee in love and affection, He considers it as great valuable gift. "The vivid example is myself. I simply offered Him a morsel of chipped rice, and in exchange of that, He has given me the opulences greater than the opulences of the king of heaven." (quotation close)
Actually, the devotee, what he offers to the Lord is not needed by the Lord. He is self-sufficient. If the devotee offers something to the Lord, it is for his own interest because whatever a devotee offers to the Lord, it comes back in millions times greater quantity than what he offered to the Lord. Or in other words, nobody become loser by giving to the Lord, but he becomes gainer by millions of times.
The brāhmaṇa, therefore, thought himself so much obliged to Kṛṣṇa, and he began to think within himself, (within quotation) "I may have the friendship of Lord Kṛṣṇa. I may be engaged in His service. I may have full surrender unto Him in love and affection, life after life. I do not want any opulences. My only desire is that I may not forget His service. I may simply wish that I may be associated with His pure devotees, and my mind and activities be always engaged in His service. The unborn Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa knows the bitterness of great opulences. He knows that many great personalities, on account of extravagant opulences, do fall down from their position. Therefore, sometimes even His devotee asks from Him for some opulence, He does not give him. He is very cautious about His devotees. If opulences are offered to a devotee in immature condition, then the devotee on account of being in the material world may fall down from his devotional position. Therefore, the Lord does not offer any opulence to a devotee in immature condition.
"This is another causeless mercy of the Lord upon His devotee. His first interest is that the devotee not fall down, exactly like a well-wishing father does not give much wealth in the hand of immature son. But when the son is grown up and knows how to spend money, the whole keys of treasury house is given to him."
The learned brāhmaṇa thus concluded that whatever opulences he had received from the Lord should not be used for his sense gratification and extravagancy; it must be used in the service of the Lord. Thus the brāhmaṇa, in a spirit of renunciation and without attachment for sense enjoyment, he remained in that position very peacefully, along with his wife, and he enjoyed all facilities of opulences as prasādam of the Lord. As we enjoy different varieties of foodstuff offered to the Lord and then we take as prasādam, similarly, if by the grace of the Lord we get opulences as material wealth, fame, power, education, beauty, it is our duty to consider that they are all gifts of the Lord and they must be used for the service of the Lord, not for sense enjoyment.
The learned brāhmaṇa remained in that position, therefore, day after day. Instead of deteriorating on account of great opulences, he increased his love and affection for Lord Kṛṣṇa. The idea is that material opulence is the cause of degradation and also the cause of elevation, as they are used for different purposes. If they are used for sense gratification, they are cause of degradation; and if they are used for the service of the Lord, they are cause of elevation.
Next paragraph.
From this instance it is evident that Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is very, very pleased upon a person with brahminical qual…
(break) ...qualified brāhmaṇa like Sudāmā Vipra is naturally a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, it is said that brāhmaṇo vaiṣṇavaḥ: a brāhmaṇa is a Vaiṣṇava. Just like sometimes it is said brāhmaṇaḥ paṇḍitaḥ. A brāhmaṇa cannot be foolish or uneducated. Paṇḍita means learned—highly learned person. Therefore brahmins, or brāhmaṇas, have got two sub-designation, namely Vaiṣṇava or paṇḍita. Those who are simply learned or paṇḍita but is not a devotee of the Lord, or a Vaiṣṇava, Lord Kṛṣṇa is not very much pleased upon them. Simply qualification of a brāhmaṇa is not sufficient to draw the attraction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be as good qualified as they are stated in the scriptures like Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and at the same time must be a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
The vivid example is Sudāmā Vipra. He is a qualified brāhmaṇa, unattached to any sorts of material sense enjoyment, at the same time a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the enjoyer of all sacrifices and penances, are very much fond of such a brāhmaṇa like Sudāmā Vipra, and we have seen by practical behavior of Lord Kṛṣṇa how much He adores such brāhmaṇa. Therefore, the ideal perfectional stage of a human being is to become a brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava like Sudāmā Vipra.
Next paragraph.
In this way, Sudāmā Vipra realized that although Lord Kṛṣṇa is unconquerable, still, He agrees to be conquered by His devotees. He realized how Lord Kṛṣṇa was kind upon him; therefore, he was always in trance, thinking of Kṛṣṇa constantly. By such constant association with Lord Kṛṣṇa, whatever darkness of material contamination was there within his heart became all cleansed and cleared up, and very shortly he was transferred to the spiritual kingdom, which is the goal of all saintly persons in perfectional stage of life.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī has blessed all persons who in future would hear this history of Sudāmā Vipra and Lord Kṛṣṇa. By reading and hearing this history of Sudāmā Vipra and Kṛṣṇa, one could know how much Lord Kṛṣṇa is affectionate to the brāhmaṇa devotee like Sudāmā. Anyone, therefore, who hears this history gradually becomes as qualified as Sudāmā Vipra, and thus he is transferred to the spiritual kingdom of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Next paragraph.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of Chapter Eighty-one Kṛṣṇa in the matter of "Brāhmaṇa Sudāmā Benedicted by Lord Kṛṣṇa."
Next paragraph.