Shloka 16

Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa Receives Kṛṣṇa’s Mercy

The Gift of Flat Rice

Devanagari script

क्व‍ाहं दरिद्र: पापीयान् क्व‍ कृष्ण: श्रीनिकेतन: । ब्रह्मबन्धुरिति स्माहं बाहुभ्यां परिरम्भित: ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

kvāhaṁ daridraḥ pāpīyān kva kṛṣṇaḥ śrī-niketanaḥ brahma-bandhur iti smāhaṁ bāhubhyāṁ parirambhitaḥ

Translation

Who am I—sinful and poor, merely a brahma-bandhu? And who is Kṛṣṇa—the abode of Śrī, the Supreme Lord? Yet He embraced me with His two arms.

Synonyms

• kva: where (am) I?
• kva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक/विभागार्थक अव्यय (interrogative/contrastive adverb: “where?”)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• daridraḥ: poor
• daridraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daridra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (of aham)

• pāpīyān: more sinful/wretched
• pāpīyān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + īyasUN (ईयसुन् प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); ईयसुन्-प्रत्यय (comparative: “more sinful/wretched”)

• kva: and where
• kva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: विभागार्थक अव्यय (contrastive “and where…?”)

• kṛṣṇaḥ: Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• śrī-niketanaḥ: the abode of Lakṣmī
• śrī-niketanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + niketana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive tatpuruṣa: “abode of Śrī/Lakṣmī”), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणवत् (epithet of kṛṣṇaḥ)

• brahma-bandhuḥ: a so-called brāhmaṇa (unworthy)
• brahma-bandhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + bandhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (sense: “kinsman of brāhmaṇas” → ‘brāhmaṇa only by relation/name’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• sma: indeed/then
• sma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात (particle indicating recollection/emphasis; often with past narration)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• āha: said
• āha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; ‘स्म + आह’ = ‘said’

• bāhubhyām: with (his) two arms
• bāhubhyām: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• parirambhitaḥ: embraced
• parirambhitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-rabh (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (of aham)

Purport

This translation is from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s English rendering of Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Madhya 7.143) .

Characters & Entities

• Sudama
• Krishna

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna's mercy to the poor devotee Sudama?

This verse shows Sudama’s astonishment that Krishna—Śrī-niketana, the abode of all fortune—personally embraced him, even though Sudama felt unworthy and impoverished, highlighting Krishna’s mercy that transcends material status.

Why did Sudama call himself a 'brahma-bandhu' while being embraced by Krishna?

Out of deep humility, Sudama considered himself unqualified—“a brāhmaṇa in name only”—yet Krishna’s embrace demonstrates that the Lord honors sincere devotion rather than pride, wealth, or external prestige.

How can we apply Sudama’s humility in modern life according to this shloka?

Cultivate gratitude and humility, approach God without entitlement, and value devotion and character over social rank—trusting that sincere bhakti draws divine compassion.