FRIENDS-(9)-सखा,

SUBHASHITHANI:261
Sudama, also known as Kuchela , was Lord Krishna's classmate and a very intimate friend. Lord Krishna was a King. Sudama was an impoverished poor Brahmin. This difference did not come in the way of their true friendship.Shri Krishna-Sudama is an immortal example of real, non-materialistic friendship; a friendship of such nature could never be found in any other literature in the entire world. The story of Sudhama is a part of Srimad Bhagavatham . We have a few wonderful verses from bhagavatham in this blog. 

ननु ब्रह्मन् भगवत: सखा साक्षाच्छ्रिय: पति: । ब्रह्मण्यश्च शरण्यश्च भगवान् सात्वतर्षभ: ॥

 [Sudāmā’s wife said:] O wise man, isn’t it true that the husband of the goddess of fortune is the personal friend of your exalted self? That greatest of Yādavas, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, is compassionate to brāhmaṇas and very willing to grant them His shelter.

ŚB 10.80.9

स एवं भार्यया विप्रो बहुश: प्रार्थितो मुहु: ।
अयं हि परमो लाभ उत्तम:श्लोकदर्शनम् ॥10.80.12
इति सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा गमनाय मतिं दधे ।
अप्यस्त्युपायनं किञ्चिद् गृहे कल्याणि दीयताम् ॥ 10.80.13

When his wife thus repeatedly implored him in various ways, Sudhama thought to himself, “To see Lord Kṛṣṇa is indeed the greatest achievement in life.” Thus he decided to go, but first he told her, “My good wife, if there is anything in the house I can bring as a gift, please give it to me.”

नन्वेतदुपनीतं मे परमप्रीणनं सखे ।
तर्पयन्त्यङ्ग मां विश्वमेते पृथुकतण्डुला: ॥ ŚB 10.81.9

nanv etad upanītaṁ me parama-prīṇanaṁ sakhe I
tarpayanty aṅga māṁ viśvam ete pṛthuka-taṇḍulāḥ II

“My friend, have You brought this for Me? It gives Me extreme pleasure. Indeed, these few grains of flat rice will satisfy not only Me but also the entire universe.”
( Sri Krishna to Sudhaama )

नन्वब्रुवाणो दिशते समक्षं याचिष्णवे भूर्यपि भूरिभोज: ।

पर्जन्यवत्तत् स्वयमीक्षमाणो  दाशार्हकाणामृषभ: सखा मे ॥ ŚB 10.81.34

nanv abruvāṇo diśate samakṣaṁ yāciṣṇave bhūry api bhūri-bhojaḥ
parjanya-vat tat svayam īkṣamāṇo dāśārhakāṇām ṛṣabhaḥ sakhā me

After all, my friend Kṛṣṇa, the most exalted of the Dāśārhas and the enjoyer of 

unlimited wealth, noticed that I secretly intended to beg from Him. Thus even though

 He said nothing about it when I stood before Him, He actually bestowed upon 

me the most abundant riches. In this way He acted just like a merciful rain cloud.

( Kuchela seeing a palace in place of his old house)

किञ्चित्करोत्युर्वपि यत् स्वदत्तं सुहृत्कृतं फल्ग्वपि भूरिकारी ।
मयोपनीतं पृथुकैकमुष्टिं प्रत्यग्रहीत् प्रीतियुतो महात्मा ॥ŚB 10.81.35

kiñcit karoty urv api yat sva-dattaṁ suhṛt-kṛtaṁ phalgv api bhūri-kārī
mayopaṇītaṁ pṛthukaika-muṣṭiṁ pratyagrahīt prīti-yuto mahatma

The Lord considers even His greatest benedictions to be insignificant, while He magnifies even a small service rendered to Him by His well-wishing devotee. Thus with pleasure the Supreme Soul accepted a single palmful of the flat rice I brought Him. ( Kuchela to himself)

तस्यैव मे सौहृदसख्यमैत्री दास्यं पुनर्जन्मनि जन्मनि स्यात् ।
महानुभावेन गुणालये विषज्जतस्तत्पुरुषप्रसङ्ग: ॥ ŚB 10.81.36

tasyaiva me sauhṛda-sakhya-maitrī- dāsyaṁ punar janmani janmani syāt
mahānubhāvena guṇālayena viṣajjatas tat-puruṣa-prasaṅgaḥ

The Lord is the supremely compassionate reservoir of all transcendental qualities. Life after life may I serve Him with love, friendship and sympathy, and may I cultivate such firm attachment for Him by the precious association of His devotees.( Kuchala's prayer )
The friendship between Sri Krishna and Sudhama is an exception to the rule. What is the general rule?-

यस्यार्थास्तस्य मित्राणि यस्यार्थास्तस्य बान्धवाः ।
यस्यार्थास्स पुमान् लोके यस्यार्थास्स हि जीवति 
Yasyaarthaas tasya mitraani yasyaarthaas tasya baandhavaah I
Yasyaarthaas sa pumaan loke yasyaarthaas sa hi jeevati II
One blessed with wealth-money-property-riches is surrounded by the relatives/friends, considered to be honourable-respectable-revered and enlightened-learned-prudent-intelligent. ( This subhashitha finds a place in Ramayana, Maha bharata, Pancha tantra, Hitopa desa, Chanakya niti.. )

त्यजन्ति मित्राणि धनैर्विहीनं  पुत्राश्च दाराश्च सहृज्जनाश्च ।
तमर्थवन्तं पुनराश्रयन्ति  अर्थो हि लोके मनुष्यस्य बन्धुः ॥
Friends, children, wife and all (so called) well wishers abandon a person with out money. They all come back to him once he becomes wealthy again.

यत्रोदकं तत्र वसन्ति हंसाः  तथैव शुष्कं परिवर्जयन्ति ।
न हंसतुल्येन नरेण भाव्यं  पुनस्त्यजन्ति पुनराश्रयन्ति ॥

One should not behave like the swan, who stays near water bodies only till they have water and desert them, as soon as these ponds becomes dry.  These migratory birds move from one place to another, with the change of season. Humans should not behave like them. 

पञ्चत्वानु गमिष्यन्ति यत्र यत्र गमिष्यसि I

मित्राण्यमित्रा मध्यस्था उपजीव्योपजीविनः  IIPanchatvaanu gamishyanti yatra yatra gamishyasi IMitraanyamitraa madhyasthaa upajeevyopajeevinah IIWhere ever one goes, a human being will always be accompanied by these five: Friend,adversary, mediator, one on whom he depends, an a dependent.

दूरस्थोSपि न दूरस्थो यो यस्य मनसि स्थित:।

यो यस्य हृदये नास्ति समीपस्थोSपि दूरत:॥14-9॥Chanakya Niti

One who is close to the heart, is extremely close, even he is at a distance from us and the one who is disliked is far away even if he is stationed nearby. 

सोऽर्थो यो हस्ते तन्मित्रं यन्निरंतरं व्यसने ।
तद्रूपं यत्र गुणाः तद्विज्ञानं यत्र धर्मः ॥

sa artho yo haste tat mitram yat nirantaram vyasane ।
tat rUpam yatra guNAH tat vijnAnam yatra dharmaH ॥

It is called wealth only when it is in your hands (liquid cash). He is a friend who stands by you always when you are in trouble. Beauty is complete only when there are good qualities in the person. It is knowledge only when it makes you follow the moral code of life (Dharma).

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH