Shloka 9
Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa Receives Kṛṣṇa’s Mercy
The Gift of Flat Rice
नन्वेतदुपनीतं मे परमप्रीणनं सखे । तर्पयन्त्यङ्ग मां विश्वमेते पृथुकतण्डुला: ॥ ९ ॥
nanv etad upanītaṁ me parama-prīṇanaṁ sakhe tarpayanty aṅga māṁ viśvam ete pṛthuka-taṇḍulāḥ
The Lord said, “My friend, have you brought this for Me? It gives Me the greatest delight. Truly, these few grains of flattened rice will satisfy not only Me but the entire universe.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “It is understood from this statement that Kṛṣṇa, being the original source of everything, is the root of the entire creation. As watering the root of a tree immediately distributes water to every part of the tree, so an offering made to Kṛṣṇa, or any action done for Kṛṣṇa, is to be considered the highest welfare work for everyone, because the benefit of such an offering is distributed throughout the creation. Love for Kṛṣṇa becomes distributed to all living entities.”
FAQs
This verse shows that even a humble offering like flattened rice, when given with love, is supremely pleasing to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and carries universal spiritual value.
Sudāmā felt shy about bringing only a poor man’s gift; Kṛṣṇa reassures him that devotion—not material opulence—is what truly satisfies the Lord.
Offer what you have—time, sincerity, service, or simple food—with genuine devotion; spiritual worth is measured by love and intention, not price.