Loving Offering - Part 7

Date: 2017-06-30 Author: Kalacakra Krsna das

Hare Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the previous offering titled "Loving Offering" wherein we were meditating on the different types of examples which our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami had mentioned in his diary for the verse 9.26 of Bhagavad-Gita. In previous offering we also saw the nice example of how an old lady offered the manjadi seeds to Lord Guruvayurappa with love. Today we shall try to meditate on the offering done by Sudama.

Sudama is a childhood friend of Lord Krishna who studied in the same Gurukul along with Lord. But after Gurukul, Sudama could not meet the Lord for many years. He maintained himself and his wife with whatever came of its own accord, and thus they were poverty-stricken. One day Sudama's wife, unable to find any food to prepare for her husband, went to him and asked that he visit his friend Krishna in Dvaraka and beg some charity. Sudama was reluctant, but when she persisted he agreed to go, reflecting that an opportunity to see the Lord was extremely auspicious. His wife begged a few handfuls of flattened rice as a gift for Sri Krishna, and Sudama set off for Dvaraka.

When he hesitatingly entered the palace of Dwaraka, Lord Krishna along with His consort extended him a warm welcome. True to His magnanimity, the Lord personally washed the feet of Sudama and Srimati Rukminidevi fanned him. The Lord then lovingly asks Sudama to give Him the gift which he had brought for Him (SB 10.81.3):

śrī-bhagavān uvāca kim upāyanam ānītaṁ brahman me bhavatā gṛhāt aṇv apy upāhṛtaṁ bhaktaiḥ premṇā bhury eva me bhavet bhūry apy abhaktopahṛtaṁ na me toṣāya kalpate

The Supreme Lord said: O brahmana, what gift have you brought Me from home? I regard as great even the smallest gift offered by My devotees in pure love, but even great offerings presented by nondevotees do not please Me.

Lord Krishna knew that Sudama was feeling ashamed to give the flattened rice to Lord. So Lord further speaks (SB 10.81.4) the very same words which He spoke in Bhagavad-Gita verse 9.26 (patraṁ puṣpaṁ...aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ). Saying these words Lord snatches the flattened rice from Sudama and eats one morsel from it. Here we can note that in case of all His dear devotees, be it Draupadi, Vidura, the old lady who gifted Him manjadi seeds or Sudama - the Lord personally demanded the offerings, even though their position was quite humble compared to so many other wealthy people who could have offered much more opulent offerings. This shows how the Lord is not hungry for the opulent offerings given by non-devotee, but considers even the humble offerings of His dear devotees as most precious.

Krishna willing, we will try to meditate on this topic in tomorrow's offering.

Hare Krishna.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das & Sudarshana dasi.