Sadama & Krishan

The story of true friendship when Sudama met Krishan is truly inspirational. Not because it been mentioned numerous times in Gurbani and in Bhai Gurdass’ Vaars; but because what took place in the story is so rare and the chances it taking place today are unthinkable, yet possible. It’s a true story by the way, not fictionl.
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ਬਿਪਸੁਦਾਮਾਦਾਲਦੀਬਾਲਸਖਾਈਮਿਤ੍ਰਸਦਾਏ॥
ਲਾਗੂਹੋਈਬਾਮ੍ਹਣੀਮਿਲਜਗਦੀਸਦਲਿਦ੍ਰਗਵਾਏ॥
ਚਲਿਆਗਿਣਦਾਗਟੀਆਂਕ੍ਯੋਂਕਰਜਾਈਏਕੌਣਮਿਲਾਏ॥
ਪਹੁਤਾਨਗਰਦੁਆਰਕਾਸਿੰਘਦੁਆਰਖਲੋਤਾਜਾਏ॥
ਦੂਰਹੁੰਦੇਖਡੰਡਉਤਕਰਛੱਡਸਿੰਘਾਸਣਹਰਿਜੀਆਏ॥
ਪਹਿਲੇਦੇਪਰਦਖਣਾਪੈਰੀਂਪੈਕੇਲੈਗਲਲਾਏ॥
ਚਰਣੋਦਕਲੈਪੈਰਧੋਇਸ਼ਿੰਘਾਸਣਉਪਰਬੈਠਾਏ॥
ਪੁਛੇਕੁਸਲਪਿਆਰਕਰਗੁਰਸੇਵਾਦੀਕਥਾਸੁਣਾਏ॥
ਲੈਕੇਤੰਦਲਚਬਿਓਨਵਿਦਾਕਰੇਅਗੇਪਹੁਚਾਏ॥
ਚਾਰਪਦਾਰਥਸਕੁਚਪਠਾਏ॥9॥
10ਵੀਂ ਵਾਰ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦੳਸ ਜੀ, ਪਉੜੀ 9ਵੀਂ
Sudama was a very poor Brahaman. He was friends with Krishan while they studied together as children. Both of them moved on, Sadama got married and still lived on poverty. Yet after all these years he still kept talking about how great Krishan was a man and he was fortunate enough to still be his friend(even though he handn’t met him for a long time)

One day his wife got tired of him saying this and told him to actually go meet him so Krishan could get him out of poverty if Krishan was really as great as Sudama claimed. She told him a friend of a Great king like Krishan should not have to suffer the same fate as him.

So Sudama left home to meet Krishan. He thought to himself: I’m wearing dirty old ripped cloths and look like a beggar, who will want to even talk to me? He reached Diwarka Nagri(city) and stood outside the kings palace in deep thought. Krishan knew what was going on without even seeing him.

When Sadama came into his view, Krishan got up from his throne in great hurry and did a daundoat(long low laying down forward) and was overjoyed to see his childhood friend. Krishan took him inside where the royal court was in session. In front of all the powerful men of the kingdom Kirshan did parkarma(walked around him: a sign if deep respect) and fell down upon his feet touched them. He then got up and gave him a long hug. Krishan went as far as placing Sadama on the royal throne and washed Sadama’s feet and drank the charnodak(water with which he washed his feet).

Krishan then asked him about life and how he was doing. For hours they talked about the good memories they had as kids. They talked about how they had studied together and served their teacher. How Sadama found cooked sholay at home and wanted to give some to Krishan. Instead when he was collecting firewood he ate them all himself without realizing it. Somehow he bumped into Krishan and when he asked him what he was eating he told him he was eating nothing. Krishan said to him that he was a Dilidri-no-good, petty lier. Even as a child Krishan had a high spiritual state and with those words from that moment on sadama became entrapped in poverty and remained that way for the rest of his life.

Sadama’s wife was very smart and had given him a handful of rice to offer to Krishan. While talking about all the good memories Sadama had forgotten to give him the rice. Krishan took them from the bag himself and started eating. Sadama was so glad to have met Krishan that he forgot to ask him for anything

But the good friend Krishan blessed him with ‘char padarath’(everything and anything he would ever need or want) From that day forth Sadama and his family lived a luxurious life full of contentment.
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Some lines from Gurbani:
ਜਪਿਓਨਾਮੁਸੁਕਜਨਕਗੁਰਬਚਨੀਹਰਿਹਰਿਸਰਣਿਪਰੇ॥ ਦਾਲਦੁਭੰਜਿਸੁਦਾਮੇਮਿਲਿਓਭਗਤੀਭਾਇਤਰੇ॥ ਭਗਤਿਵਛਲੁਹਰਿਨਾਮੁਕ੍ਰਿਤਾਰਥੁਗੁਰਮੁਖਿਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਕਰੇ॥ -(ਅੰਕ 995)

ਅੰਬਰੀਕਕਉਦੀਓਅਭੈਪਦੁਰਾਜੁਭਭੀਖਨਅਧਿਕਕਰਿਓ॥
ਨਉਨਿਧਿਠਾਕੁਰਿਦਈਸੁਦਾਮੈਧ੍ਰੂਅਅਟਲੁਅਜਹੂਨਟਰਿਓ॥ -(ਅੰਕ 1105)

ਬਿਪ੍ਰਸੁਦਾਮੇਦਾਲਦੁਭੰਜ॥ਰੇਮਨਤੂਭੀਭਜੁਗੋਬਿੰਦ॥ -(ਅੰਕ 1192)