Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 36
Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa: Divine Friendship, Guru-bhakti, and the Lord’s Grace
अपि न: स्मर्यते ब्रह्मन् वृत्तं निवसतां गुरौ । गुरुदारैश्चोदितानामिन्धनानयने क्वचित् ॥ ३५ ॥ प्रविष्टानां महारण्यमपर्तौ सुमहद् द्विज । वातवर्षमभूत्तीव्रं निष्ठुरा: स्तनयित्नव: ॥ ३६ ॥
api naḥ smaryate brahman vṛttaṁ nivasatāṁ gurau guru-dāraiś coditānām indhanānayane kvacit
O brāhmaṇa, do you remember what happened to us while we were living with our spiritual master? Once our guru’s wife sent us to fetch firewood, and after we entered the vast forest, O twice-born one, an unseasonal storm arose, with fierce wind and rain and harsh thunder.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that this storm arose during winter and was therefore unseasonal.
FAQs
This verse recalls Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā serving in the guru’s household—sent to collect firewood—showing that sincere service and obedience in student life are integral to spiritual culture.
Kṛṣṇa evokes their shared gurukula memory to deepen intimacy and highlight the sacred bond formed through serving the spiritual master together, even amid hardship.
Cultivate humility and gratitude by remembering formative lessons, and practice service-mindedness—especially toward teachers and guides—steadily, even when circumstances become difficult.