Krishna ExperienceTwo schoolboys
As boys, Krishna and a poor brahmin student, known in popular tradition as Sudama, studied together at the ashram of the sage Sandipani in Avanti (today's Ujjain). The Bhagavata calls him simply "a brahmin friend". They gathered firewood together; once they were caught in a storm in the forest and spent the night holding hands.
The rice
Years later Krishna was king of Dwarka, and his friend was so poor that his family went hungry. His wife begged him to visit his old friend. Sudama had nothing to bring, so she borrowed four handfuls of flattened rice (poha, chivda) and tied them in a corner of his worn cloth.
The welcome
At Dwarka, Krishna saw him from a distance, ran down and embraced him. He seated Sudama on his own bed, washed his feet, and with his queen Rukmini fanned and fed him. They talked about their schooldays. Then Krishna asked: What have you brought me? Ashamed, Sudama hid the bundle. Krishna pulled it from his cloth, delighted, and ate a handful, saying it would satisfy the whole world. When he reached for a second handful, Rukmini held his hand.
Patram pushpam phalam toyamGita 9.26: whatever is offered with love, Krishna accepts.The gift he never asked for
Sudama walked home without having asked for anything, and was glad of it: he gave me nothing, so that I would not become proud. At his village he found his hut turned into a palace and his family dressed like royalty. Sudama lived the rest of his life with every comfort and no attachment to any of it.
The Bhagavata draws the lesson from Krishna's own words in the Gita: whoever offers a leaf, a flower, fruit or water with love, he accepts.
Questions people ask
What did Sudama give Krishna?
A few handfuls of flattened rice (poha) wrapped in his cloth.
Where did Krishna and Sudama study?
At the ashram of Sandipani Muni in Avanti, present-day Ujjain.
Is the name Sudama in the Bhagavata Purana?
No. The Bhagavata calls him a brahmin friend of Krishna; the name Sudama comes from popular tradition.