Devotee, dear to Lord Krishna

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Pranam to all Vaishnavas,

Devotee, dear to LORD KRISHNA

True devotees of Sri Krishna remain unaffected by vagaries of life. From the accounts of their lives the worldly people may wonder why Sri Krishna allowed such pious souls to suffer, but, a careful perusal will show that these devotees were never concerned with their lot and spent all their time in devotional activities. They reposed total faith in Krishna's saving grace and He responded to them in equal measure.

One such devotee who had the singular fortune of being the Lord Krishna's companion was Sudama. Unlike Arjuna who also enjoyed His friendship but took liberties with Him, right from the time he studied together with Krishna under Sandipini, Sudama's attitude to His friend was one of total adulation. Later when they separated after the completion of their studies he became a great devotee and spent all his time in devotional activities and he knew of Lord Krishna's divine nature.

Sudama’s devotional preoccupations did not allow him to engage in occupation to provide for his day-to-day needs and hence he lived a life of abject penury and subsisted on the alms he received. But this did not seem to bother him at all until his wife who could not bear to see her children suffer from hunger prodded him one day to go and meet his friend Lord Krishna, for she was sure that being the Lord of the Goddess of Wealth He would bestow prosperity on them seeing Sudama's emaciated state.

It was after frequent entreaties from his wife that Sudama agreed to her proposal as it would give him an opportunity to behold Lord Krishna which was a supreme gain in itself. Such was his devotion that even in that pitiable condition he wanted to take something for Sri Krishna to offer to Him and when he expressed his wish to his wife she managed to give him a few handfuls of parched rice borrowed from their neighbours.

He set out to Dwaraka with this humble present and his only thought on the way was how he would manage to obtain a sight of Lord Krishna. When he gained entry into the precincts of Sri Krishna's abode without any difficulty and his eyes feasted on Him and His consort Rukmini, his joy knew no bounds knowing for certain that he had realised the object of his life in beholding them.

The reception he was accorded by Lord Krishna and the relish with which the Supreme Lord partook the parched rice while recalling the incidents of their stay in their Guru's abode and the manner in which He blessed him with riches unsought certifies to how the Lord Krishna reciprocates to devotion.

The following is an extract from the Purport of Srimad Bhagavatam (8.3.17) :--

" Only Sri Krishna can deliver us from this material existence. Indeed, He is always trying to deliver us. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati. He is within our hearts and is not at all inattentive. His only aim is to deliver us from material life. It is not that He becomes attentive to us only when we offer prayers to Him. Even before we offer our prayers, He incessantly tries to deliver us. He is never lazy in regard to our deliverance. Therefore this

verse says, bhuri-karunaya namo 'layaya. It is the causeless mercy of Sri Krishna that He always tries to bring us back home, back to Godhead. Sri Krishna tries to make us liberated, but although He is constantly trying, we refuse to accept His instructions (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja). Nonetheless, He has not become angry. Therefore Lord Krishna is described here as bhuri-karunaya, unlimitedly merciful in delivering us from this miserable material condition of life and taking us back home, back to His abode ."

OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA!

Sri Krishna's Dasi, Jayamma.

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