|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||
Sudama’s Story
“When the previous story was being narrated, Hemadpant was reminded of a similar story of Sudama, which illustrates the same principle and therefore, it is given here.
Shri Krishna and His elder brother, Balaram, were living with a co-student, named Sudama, in the ashram of their Guru, Sandipani. Once Krishna and Balaram were sent to the forest for bringing fuel. Then the wife of Sandipani sent Sudama for the same purpose with some quantity of grams for the three. When Krishna met Sudama in the forest, he said to him, “Dada, I want water, as I am thirsty.” Sudama replied, “No water should be drunk on an empty stomach so, it is better to rest a while.” He did not say that he had got grams with him and that Krishna should take some. As Krishna was tired, He lay down for rest on the lap of Sudama and was soon snoring. On seeing this, Sudama took out the grams and began to eat. Then Krishna suddenly asked him, “Dada, what are you eating, what is this chitter-chatter sound?”. He replied, “What is there to eat? I am shivering with cold and my teeth are chattering. I can’t even repeat distinctly Vishnu-sahasra-naam”.
Hearing this, the Omniscient Krishna said, “I just had a dream, in which I saw a man, eating things of another, and when asked about this, he said, “What dust should he eat?”, meaning thereby that he had nothing to eat? The other man said, “Let it be so.” Dada, this is only a dream. I know that you won’t eat anything without Me, under the influence of the dream I asked you what you were eating?”
If Sudama had known the Omniscient, Shri Krishna and His Leelas, he would not have acted as he did. Therefore, he had to suffer for what he did. Though he was a chum of Shri Krishna he had to pass his later life in utter poverty. But when he later offered Krishna a handful of parched rice, earned by his wife with her own labour, Krishna was pleased and gave him a golden estate to enjoy. This story should be remembered by those who have the habit of eating things alone without partaking them with others.
The Shruti also emphasises this lesson, and asks us to offer things first to God and then enjoy them after they are renounced by Him. Baba also has taught us the same lesson in His inimitable and humorous way.”
– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Chapter XXIV)
|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||
|| AUM SAI SHARNAM || 