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Shloka 7

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

यद‍ृच्छयोपपन्नेन वर्तमानो गृहाश्रमी । तस्य भार्या कुचैलस्य क्षुत्क्षामा च तथाविधा ॥ ७ ॥

yadṛcchayopapannena vartamāno gṛhāśramī tasya bhāryā ku-cailasya kṣut-kṣāmā ca tathā-vidhā

Though living as a householder, he sustained himself by whatever came of its own accord. The wife of that poorly clad brāhmaṇa shared his hardship and had grown emaciated from hunger.

यदृच्छयाby chance
यदृच्छया:
Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootयदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; adverbial use ‘by chance’
उपपन्नेनobtained/come by
उपपन्नेन:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootउपपन्न (कृदन्त; √पद्/पद्यते with उप-; past passive participle)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त)
वर्तमानःliving/being
वर्तमानः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootवर्तमान (कृदन्त; √वृत् ‘to be/occur’; शतृ)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ)
गृहाश्रमीa householder
गृहाश्रमी:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगृह + आश्रमिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गृहस्य आश्रमः यस्य)
तस्यof him
तस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन
भार्याwife
भार्या:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
कुचैलस्यof the one with poor clothing
कुचैलस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootकु + चैल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (कुचैलः = दुष्टं चैलं यस्य/दुष्टं चैलम्)
क्षुत्क्षामाemaciated by hunger
क्षुत्क्षामा:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootक्षुत् + क्षाम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (क्षुत्या क्षामा)
and
:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
तथाविधाof such a condition
तथाविधा:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootतथा + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (तथा-विध = ‘of such a kind’)

Sudāmā’s chaste wife was also poorly dressed, and whatever food she obtained she gave to her husband. Thus she remained fatigued from hunger.

S
Sudāmā (brāhmaṇa friend of Kṛṣṇa)
S
Sudāmā's wife

FAQs

This verse describes Sudāmā sustaining his household life by whatever came without striving, highlighting contentment, simplicity, and dependence on providence rather than greed.

The description emphasizes the family’s extreme poverty and austerity, setting the devotional backdrop for Sudāmā’s later visit to Lord Kṛṣṇa and the Lord’s compassion toward His devotee.

Cultivate contentment, reduce unnecessary wants, live honestly within one’s means, and keep devotion central—while still performing one’s duties responsibly, without obsession for luxury.