Shloka 3
Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa Receives Kṛṣṇa’s Mercy
The Gift of Flat Rice
श्रीभगवानुवाच किमुपायनमानीतं ब्रह्मन् मे भवता गृहात् । अण्वप्युपाहृतं भक्तै: प्रेम्णा भूर्येव मे भवेत् । भूर्यप्यभक्तोपहृतं न मे तोषाय कल्पते ॥ ३ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca kim upāyanam ānītaṁ brahman me bhavatā gṛhāt aṇv apy upāhṛtaṁ bhaktaiḥ premṇā bhury eva me bhavet bhūry apy abhaktopahṛtaṁ na me toṣāya kalpate
The Supreme Lord said: “O brāhmaṇa, what gift have you brought Me from your home? Even the tiniest offering, when given by My devotees with pure love, becomes great to Me; but even vast gifts from the faithless do not please Me.”
FAQs
This verse teaches that Kṛṣṇa values the devotion and love behind an offering more than its material size—an offering, even tiny, becomes “great” when given with bhakti.
In the Sudāmā episode (Canto 10, Chapter 81), Kṛṣṇa lovingly draws out His friend’s humble offering to show that He is pleased by sincere devotion, not by wealth or display.
Offer whatever you can—time, prayer, simple food, service—with sincerity and love, focusing on devotion rather than status, expense, or external show.