Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 22

Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa: Divine Friendship, Guru-bhakti, and the Lord’s Grace

Devanagari script

अथोपवेश्य पर्यङ्के स्वयं सख्यु: समर्हणम् । उपहृत्यावनिज्यास्य पादौ पादावनेजनी: ॥ २० ॥ अग्रहीच्छिरसा राजन् भगवाँल्ल‍ोकपावन: । व्यलिम्पद् दिव्यगन्धेन चन्दनागुरुकुङ्कुमै: ॥ २१ ॥ धूपै: सुरभिभिर्मित्रं प्रदीपावलिभिर्मुदा । अर्चित्वावेद्य ताम्बूलं गां च स्वागतमब्रवीत् ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

athopaveśya paryaṅke svayam sakhyuḥ samarhaṇam upahṛtyāvanijyāsya pādau pādāvanejanīḥ

Translation

Lord Kṛṣṇa seated His friend Sudāmā upon the bed. Then the Lord, who purifies the whole world, personally offered him various tokens of respect and washed his feet, O King, after which He sprinkled the water on His own head. He anointed him with divinely fragrant sandalwood, aguru and kuṅkuma pastes and happily worshiped him with aromatic incense and arrays of lamps. After finally offering him betel nut and the gift of a cow, He welcomed him with pleasing words.

Synonyms

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connecting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), discourse particle (अनन्तरार्थक/क्रमसूचक)

• upaveśya: having seated (him)
• upaveśya: Kriya (क्रिया/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-viś (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), from उप-√विश्; indeclinable verbal form meaning 'having seated'

• paryaṅke: on the couch/bed
• paryaṅke: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paryaṅka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• sakhyuḥ: of (his) friend
• sakhyuḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• samarhaṇam: honoring/reception
• samarhaṇam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samarhaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• upahṛtya: having brought (items)
• upahṛtya: Kriya (क्रिया/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from उप-√हृ; 'having brought/offered'

• avanijya: having washed
• avanijya: Kriya (क्रिया/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-nij (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from अव-√निज्; 'having washed'

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• pādau: (his) two feet
• pādau: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन)

• pāda-avanejanīḥ: feet-washing (water/vessels)
• pāda-avanejanīḥ: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + avanejanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): 'feet-washing (water/vessels)'; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• agrāhīt: took/accepted
• agrāhīt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: Verb (तिङन्त), Aorist/लुङ् (लुङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• śirasā: with (his) head
• śirasā: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhagavān: the Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• loka-pāvanaḥ: purifier of the worlds
• loka-pāvanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + pāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): 'purifier of the world(s)'; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vyalimpad: smeared/anointed
• vyalimpad: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√lip (धातु)
• Form: Verb (तिङन्त), Imperfect/लङ् (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• divya-gandhena: with divine fragrance
• divya-gandhena: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya: 'divine fragrance'; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• candana-aguru-kuṅkumaiḥ: with sandalwood, aguru, and saffron
• candana-aguru-kuṅkumaiḥ: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candana (प्रातिपदिक) + aguru (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṅkuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvandva (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व): 'sandal, aguru, and saffron'; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• dhūpaiḥ: with incense
• dhūpaiḥ: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• surabhibhiḥ: fragrant
• surabhibhiḥ: Karana (करण/instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: surabhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adjective used substantively; Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mitram: the friend
• mitram: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• pradīpa-āvalibhiḥ: with rows of lamps
• pradīpa-āvalibhiḥ: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + āvali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: 'rows of lamps'; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mudā: with joy
• mudā: Hetu (हेतु/cause-manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mudā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• arcitvā: having worshipped
• arcitvā: Kriya (क्रिया/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from √अर्च्; 'having worshipped/honored'

• āvedya: having offered
• āvedya: Kriya (क्रिया/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-vid (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), from आ-√विद्; 'having offered/presented'

• tāmbūlam: betel (leaf)
• tāmbūlam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāmbūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• gām: a cow
• gām: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चय)

• svāgatam: welcome
• svāgatam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-āgata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya: 'good arrival' → welcome; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) (used as object of speech)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: Verb (तिङन्त), Perfect/लिट् (लिट्) in narrative sense, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Sudāmā (brāhmaṇa friend of Kṛṣṇa)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about how Krishna treats His devotees?

In this verse, Kṛṣṇa personally seats Sudāmā and washes his feet, showing that the Lord lovingly serves and honors His devotee.

Why did Krishna wash Sudama’s feet in Bhagavatam 10.80?

To offer the highest welcome and worship to His dear friend and devotee, demonstrating divine humility and the greatness of devotional relationships.

Practical application of Krishna’s humility in modern life?

Honor sincere devotees and guests through simple service, respect, and attentive care—placing devotion and character above status or wealth.