Shloka 2
Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa Receives Kṛṣṇa’s Mercy
The Gift of Flat Rice
श्रीशुक उवाच स इत्थं द्विजमुख्येन सह सङ्कथयन् हरि: । सर्वभूतमनोऽभिज्ञ: स्मयमान उवाच तम् ॥ १ ॥ ब्रह्मण्यो ब्राह्मणं कृष्णो भगवान् प्रहसन् प्रियम् । प्रेम्णा निरीक्षणेनैव प्रेक्षन् खलु सतां गति: ॥ २ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca sa itthaṁ dvija-mukhyena saha saṅkathayan hariḥ sarva-bhūta-mano-’bhijñaḥ smayamāna uvāca tam
Śukadeva nói: Khi Hari trò chuyện như thế với vị bà-la-môn ưu tú, Ngài—Đấng thấu biết tâm ý mọi loài—mỉm cười và nói với ông. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, Đấng tôn kính và che chở các brāhmaṇa, mục tiêu tối thượng của bậc hiền thánh, vừa cười nhẹ vừa nhìn người bạn thân yêu là brāhmaṇa Sudāmā bằng ánh mắt chan chứa tình thương, rồi cất lời dịu ngọt.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the words sarva-bhūta-mano-’bhijña indicate that since Lord Kṛṣṇa knows the minds of everyone, He could tell at once that His friend Sudāmā had brought some flat rice for Him and was ashamed to present it. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī’s further explanation of this verse, Lord Kṛṣṇa smiled at this moment, thinking “Yes, I am going to make you show what you brought for Me.” His smile then turned to laughter as He thought, “How long are you going to keep this precious gift hidden in your cloth?”
FAQs
This verse calls Hari “sarva-bhūta-mano’bhijña,” affirming that Kṛṣṇa perfectly knows the minds and inner intentions of every living being.
Because Kṛṣṇa understood Sudāmā’s heart and situation; His smile signals affectionate recognition and compassionate intention toward His devotee.
It encourages sincerity in devotion and prayer—trusting that God understands one’s inner struggles even when words are inadequate.