Sudama
Sudama (Sanskrit सुदामा IAST Sudāmā, also known as Kuchela in South India) was a Brahmanic friend of the Hindu deity Krishna from Mathura , whose story is mentioned in the Bhagavatapurana . In this legend he was born a poor man, but earned rich wages through his piety and worship.
The legend
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Sudama's father Matuka and his mother Rochana Devi raised their son in a poor Brahmin family in Bhadohi or Porbandar . His childhood school friend was Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. Krishna came from a royal family. This difference in status did not stand in the way of their friendship, however. They lost touch over the years, and as Krishna's influence in the ruling family in Dwarka grew, Sudama remained a humble, impoverished villager. But he was very religious. Sudama spent much of his time doing religious exercises, instructing others in the proper manner of prayer and ceremonies, engaging in the living practice of religion in his community, and doing everything that was befitting of a pious man. That also explains why he wasn't doing well financially. After some time, when Sudama's poverty became more and more oppressive and he did not even have enough money to support his children, his wife Niyati Desai reminded him of his friendship with Krishna.
Despite initial hesitation about asking for help, Sudama finally agreed. He went with nothing more than some poha , according to some other sources with some sattu wrapped in a cloth like a gift. He remembered that this was one of Krishna's favorite dishes and decided to give it as a gift to God.
Krishna was very happy to see his old friend. He treated him royally and with affection, invited him and also gave him new clothes. Overwhelmed by it all, Sudama forgot to ask for help, which was the real purpose of his visit. But the god recognized his friend's need, and his wife Rukmini , the incarnation of Lakshmi , gave him what he needed. When Sudama wanted to go, Krishna stopped him. He went in and asked Rukmini to bring him the old, torn clothes that Sudama was wearing when he arrived. Krishna took these clothes and told Sudama to take off the royal clothes and wear his old clothes again. Everyone, including Rukmini, was horrified to hear this. After Sudama left, Krishna locked himself in his room and began to cry. Rukmini asked him what had happened, to which Krishna replied, “If Sudama had worn the royal clothes, people would have said, 'Just because God is his friend, he got so much,' but now if he was in the same state when he came back, people will realize that all I have given him is only because of his devotion. ”On his return trip, Sudama reflected on his fate and was grateful for the good friend he was in which God had Krishna. When he finally returned home, he found a palace in place of the hut he had left. His family wore splendid robes and waited for him. From then on he led a pious, humble life and was forever grateful to God.
moral
As is very often the case with religious legends, the story of Sudama should serve the Hindus as a reminder and example of the correct way of life. The story is supposed to show that God Krishna does not distinguish people according to their financial status and that he will always reward devotion ( bhakti ). It should also show that people cannot expect anything in life without something in return, but that God rewards good deeds and cares for the pious. But you shouldn't exchange bhakti for anything. Sudama did not ask anything from Krishna. Although he was poor, Sudama had given Krishna all that he had (Poha); for that the god Sudama gave everything he needed. There is also a lesson on how Krishna rewards devout people. Krishna rewarded Sudama not just for being a friend, but for his continued religious retreat, which is one of the causes of his poverty. For this effort, Krishna rewards Sudama's family richly so that Sudama can continue this work.
Sources and Adaptations
Sudama is not mentioned in the very old scriptures such as Mahabharata , Harivamsha or Vishnupurana , but in Bhagavatapurana . Since films and TV series about the rich mythology of Hinduism are very popular in South Asia to this day, there are also some works that record the history of Sudama:
- Kadha Parayumbol (2007)
- Kuselan (2008)
- Billu (2009)
- Dwarkadheesh (2011)