Shloka 17
Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa: Divine Friendship, Guru-bhakti, and the Lord’s Grace
त्रीणि गुल्मान्यतीयाय तिस्र: कक्षाश्च सद्विज: । विप्रोऽगम्यान्धकवृष्णीनां गृहेष्वच्युतधर्मिणाम् ॥ १६ ॥ गृहं द्वयष्टसहस्राणां महिषीणां हरेर्द्विज: । विवेशैकतमं श्रीमद् ब्रह्मानन्दं गतो यथा ॥ १७ ॥
trīṇi gulmāny atīyāya tisraḥ kakṣāś ca sa-dvijaḥ vipro ’gamyāndhaka-vṛṣṇīnāṁ gṛheṣv acyuta-dharmiṇām
Der gelehrte Brāhmaṇa (begleitet von einigen örtlichen Brāhmaṇas) passierte drei Wachposten und durchschritt drei Tore; dann ging er zwischen den Häusern der Andhakas und Vṛṣṇis hindurch, der dem Acyuta-Dharma treuen Gottgeweihten, wohin gewöhnlich niemand gelangen konnte. Darauf betrat er einen der prächtigen Paläste der sechzehntausend Königinnen des Herrn Hari, und beim Eintritt empfand er es, als erlange er die Brahmānanda der Befreiung.
When the saintly brāhmaṇa entered the precincts of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s palaces and then actually entered one of the palaces, he completely forgot everything else, and thus his state of mind is compared to that of one who has just achieved the bliss of spiritual liberation. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī quotes from the Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa, wherein we learn that the brāhmaṇa actually entered the palace of Rukmiṇī: sa tu rukmiṇy-antaḥ-pura-dvāri kṣaṇaṁ tūṣṇīṁ sthitaḥ. “He stood for a moment in silence at the doorway of Queen Rukmiṇī’s palace.”
FAQs
This verse says Sudāmā felt as if he had attained brahmānanda simply by entering one of Kṛṣṇa’s splendid palaces, indicating that contact with the Lord’s presence can surpass impersonal spiritual happiness.
Because he was directly experiencing the Lord’s divine opulence and sanctity—Kṛṣṇa’s home, even among the queens’ palaces, is spiritually potent and evokes transcendental joy in a devotee.
Seek closeness to God through sincere devotion—regular association with sacred practices (name, worship, scripture) can bring inner fulfillment that is not dependent on external wealth.