Sudama : The Loyal Friend

Sudama

Introduction

Krishna’s childhood friend, known as Sudama, is also called Kuchela. According to the Bhagavata Purana, he visited Dvaraka to meet his friend. It is believed that since he was born on earth, he was ready to meet Krishna when the Hindu deity was young.

As children, Krishna and Sudama studied together at the ashram of Sandipani at Ujjain. When Sudama started struggling with poverty, his wife urged him to seek help from Krishna. He went to Dvaraka and received an honor from his old friend. After seeing his unrevealed condition, Krishna lavished him with palaces that he had built for him.

Physical Traits

Sudama was described as a frail and poverty stricken brahmin.

Family

When he was a child, Sudama was a poor Brahmin, and he studied under the preceptor of Krishna, known as Sandipani. Krishna, on the other hand, was from a royal household of Yaduvamsha. Despite their socioeconomic status, both of them were able to go to school the same way. A story states that, in order to obtain firewood for their havana, Sudama and Krishna went to the forest. When they were hungry, Krishna asked if he could have anything to eat, as Sandipani had given him a bundle of chickpeas. However, Sudama chose to eat all of the chickpeas, denying Krishna that he had anything with him.

Even though they were separated at the time, their friendship was not broken. Eventually, Krishna became Dvaraka’s ruler and was known for his good deeds, while Sudama remained poor and humble. According to the Bhagavata Purana, the wife of Sudama, who was a poor Brahmin, would ask her husband to go to Krishna and tell him about his impoverishment. She believed that as a patron of Brahmins and a refuge for his devotees, Krishna would give him great wealth.

Other names

Sudama was also popularly known as Kuchela or Kucela in many parts of India

Powers and Abilities

Sudama was not known to have any special abilities or powers apart from complete faith and belief in the Lord Krishna. Vasundhara, his wife, told him about Krishna when he and his family were struggling due to their financial situation. She urged him to seek help, but instead of traveling for it, he decided to remain loyal to Krishna as he was a spiritual and pure Brahman.

After agreeing to go to meet Krishna, Sudama brought some beaten rice with him. Since he knew that the Lord loved this type of food, he tied a piece of cloth around it. As he was sitting on his throne, Krishna saw Sudama and immediately offered him his own seat. Krisha then asked him what he had brought.

Krishna was always mischievous, and he would often make fun of others. When he saw that Sudama was carrying beaten rice, he was stunned. He was aware that he was shy, as he tried to conceal his offerings. However, after catching hold of the rice, Krishna proceeded to choke it down. The meeting of Krishna and Sudama was such that they both felt happy. However, both forgot why they had come.

After thanking Krishna, Sudama left the palace. According to the legend, upon returning home, he found that his house had been transformed, and all of his riches were there. His wife was also happy, as somebody had come with numerous gifts.

Modern Day Influence

It is believed that the meeting between Krishna and Sudama was on the day known as Akshaya Tritiya, which is a very prosperous occasion in Hinduism. This day can be beneficial for people who are looking to start new businesses or make charitable donations.