Sudama was one of the friends who studied with Krishna.

Krishna became a king, and Sudama was a very poor man, He did not have anything at all. And once Sudama’s wife told him, “See, Krishna is your very close friend, dear friend. Why don’t you go and ask him for some help?” Sudama was a little shy, “How can I ask a friend for something? I don’t feel like doing it.” But when there was no other way to go, he decided to meet Krishna. There is a custom in India that when you go to meet somebody, you don’t go empty-handed. So what could he take? He had nothing. His clothes were torn. He was so poor! And then at home, he had few rice krispies. So he packed them in a piece of cloth and took them to Krishna.

He entered the palace, it was gorgeous and beautifully decorated. Krishna was sitting on his throne, and there were so many servants around. And the moment he saw Sudama, he rushed down, and washed his feet and offered him his own seat. He put him on the throne. And then Krisha asked Sudama, “What have you brought for me? Come on!” Krishna is always mischievous, he would make fun all the time. So he said, “What have you brought?” He knew that he was so shy, that he was trying to hide his rice krispies. “How I can offer these rice krispies?” asked Sudama, But then Krishna grabbed hold of it and caught on, and then he went on stuffing it in his mouth. The joy of meeting his old friend was so much that Sudama even forgot to ask anything and forgo why he had come to meet his friend and Krishna forgot to give him anything! They both forgot!  

When two souls meet in such deep friendship, they forget everything.

Sudama thanked Krishna and left the palace. And it is said, when Sudama went back to his home, he found his whole house was transformed, and he had all the riches in his house. His wife was very happy. Somebody had come with a lot of gifts. Without asking and without giving.

So it’s said, from any angle you see there is a totality, there is a uniqueness in Krishna’s personality.

And that is to indicate that you are like that. Your innermost Self has all the qualities in it, like a ray of sun has all the colors in it. Through a prism, all the colors get manifested. But the same ray of light through a black or blue or red glass reflects only that particular color. But through a prism, the rainbow comes out. And Krishna was such a prism, so clear, so full of joy. It’s wrong to say Krishna was. Krishna is, because it is the eternal presence that is never lost.

Krishna says “Though I am in the body, I am not this body. Though I am working through the mind, I am not the mind. I am not what you see me as. I am much more than what you perceive me as. I am present in your heart as you. And anytime you need me, you call me, I’ll be right there with you, to take you out of your troubles and difficulties. You can always count on me.”