Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 16
Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa: Divine Friendship, Guru-bhakti, and the Lord’s Grace
त्रीणि गुल्मान्यतीयाय तिस्र: कक्षाश्च सद्विज: । विप्रोऽगम्यान्धकवृष्णीनां गृहेष्वच्युतधर्मिणाम् ॥ १६ ॥ गृहं द्वयष्टसहस्राणां महिषीणां हरेर्द्विज: । विवेशैकतमं श्रीमद् ब्रह्मानन्दं गतो यथा ॥ १७ ॥
trīṇi gulmāny atīyāya tisraḥ kakṣāś ca sa-dvijaḥ vipro ’gamyāndhaka-vṛṣṇīnāṁ gṛheṣv acyuta-dharmiṇām
Ang marunong na brāhmaṇa (kasama ang ilang lokal na brāhmaṇa) ay lumampas sa tatlong himpilan ng bantay at dumaan sa tatlong tarangkahan, at naglakad sa pagitan ng mga tahanan ng mga Andhaka at Vṛṣṇi—mga debotong tapat sa dharma ni Acyuta—na karaniwang di-mapapasok ng sinuman. Pagkaraan, pumasok siya sa isa sa maringal na palasyo ng labing-anim na libong reyna ni Hari; at sa pagpasok niya, nadama niya na para bang natamo niya ang brahmānanda ng kalayaan.
When the saintly brāhmaṇa entered the precincts of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s palaces and then actually entered one of the palaces, he completely forgot everything else, and thus his state of mind is compared to that of one who has just achieved the bliss of spiritual liberation. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī quotes from the Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa, wherein we learn that the brāhmaṇa actually entered the palace of Rukmiṇī: sa tu rukmiṇy-antaḥ-pura-dvāri kṣaṇaṁ tūṣṇīṁ sthitaḥ. “He stood for a moment in silence at the doorway of Queen Rukmiṇī’s palace.”
FAQs
This verse shows that even within guarded royal quarters, a saintly devotee like Sudāmā is able to enter—highlighting that devotion, not external status, grants true access to Kṛṣṇa.
Because their household and social life were centered on Acyuta (Kṛṣṇa); their defining ‘dharma’ was service and allegiance to Him.
Sincere devotion and purity of heart open doors that prestige and power cannot—seek Kṛṣṇa through humility, faith, and bhakti rather than external credentials.