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Shloka 33

Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa Receives Kṛṣṇa’s Mercy

The Gift of Flat Rice

नूनं बतैतन्मम दुर्भगस्य शश्वद्दरिद्रस्य समृद्धिहेतु: । महाविभूतेरवलोकतोऽन्यो नैवोपपद्येत यदूत्तमस्य ॥ ३३ ॥

nūnaṁ bataitan mama durbhagasya śaśvad daridrasya samṛddhi-hetuḥ mahā-vibhūter avalokato ’nyo naivopapadyeta yadūttamasya

Sudāmā dachte: Ich war stets arm und vom Unglück verfolgt. Dass ein so unglücklicher Mensch wie ich plötzlich reich wird, kann nur daran liegen, dass Śrī Kṛṣṇa, das erhaben opulente Haupt der Yadus, mich mit Seinem gnädigen Blick bedacht hat; anders ist es nicht erklärbar.

nūnamsurely
nūnam:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnūnam (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle of certainty)
bataalas/indeed
bata:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootbata (अव्यय)
Formविस्मय/खेदसूचक अव्यय (exclamatory particle)
etatthis
etat:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootetat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg)
mamaof me/my
mama:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी एकवचन (Gen sg)
durbhagasyaunfortunate
durbhagasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootdurbhaga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen sg)
śaśvatalways
śaśvat:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootśaśvat (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: always/continually)
daridrasyapoor
daridrasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootdaridra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen sg)
samṛddhiprosperity
samṛddhi:
Samāsa-pūrvapada (समास-पूर्वपद)
TypeNoun
Rootsamṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (stem used in compound)
hetuḥcause
hetuḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roothetu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); समास: समृद्धेः हेतुः (Genitive Tatpuruṣa)
mahāgreat
mahā:
Samāsa-pūrvapada (समास-पूर्वपद)
TypeAdjective
Rootmahā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रातिपदिक (stem used in compound)
vibhūteḥof (his) great opulence
vibhūteḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootvibhūti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen sg); महा-विभूति = ‘great opulence’ (karmadhāraya)
avalokataḥfrom the sight (of it)
avalokataḥ:
Hetu (हेतु/ablative cause)
TypeNoun
Rootava√lok (धातु)
Formकृदन्त-तसिल् (ablatival adverbial): ‘from seeing/at the sight of’; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग
anyaḥanother (cause)
anyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootanya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)
evaindeed/just
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)
upapadyetawould be possible
upapadyeta:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootupa√pad (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; ‘would be possible/fit’
yadūttamasyaof the best of the Yadus (Kṛṣṇa)
yadūttamasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootyadu + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen sg); समास: यदूनाम् उत्तमः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
S
Sudāmā
Ś
Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Yadūttama)

FAQs

This verse states that true prosperity arises from Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s merciful glance; Sudāmā sees no other cause for his upliftment than the Lord’s compassion.

Sudāmā was lifelong poor and considered himself unfortunate; seeing Kṛṣṇa’s attention and affection, he concludes that only the Lord’s grace—not his own merit—can account for any future good fortune.

Cultivate humility, gratitude, and devotion—recognizing that lasting well-being is strengthened by divine grace and sincere relationships rather than pride in personal achievement.