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
Bien qu’il vécût en maître de maison, il subsistait de ce qui venait de soi-même. L’épouse de ce brāhmane aux vêtements misérables souffrait avec lui et était amaigrie par la faim.
Sudāmā’s chaste wife was also poorly dressed, and whatever food she obtained she gave to her husband. Thus she remained fatigued from hunger.
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.