Sudama and Krishna

He was so poor he could only bring a handful of beaten rice. Krishna treated it like the greatest treasure in the world.

Years later, after Krishna had grown up and become the king of a beautiful golden city called Dwaraka, an old school friend named Sudama walked many days to come and see him. He had nothing to bring except a small bundle of poha. Krishna welcomed him like a brother, ate his gift like the greatest treasure on earth, and quietly filled his little hut back home with everything he needed.

A Long Time Later

Years went by. Many, many years.

The little Krishna you have been reading about, the one who stole butter, lifted Govardhan, and played the flute by the Yamuna, had grown up. He had left Vrindavan. He had gone far away, all the way to the western coast of Bharat, and built a beautiful golden city called Dwaraka by the sea.

Now Krishna was a king.

He lived in a palace with high walls and a hundred elephants at the gate. Kings from other lands came to bow before him. He had jewelled crowns and silken clothes and golden plates for his food.

But even though he had become a king, the inside of Krishna had not changed at all. He still smiled the same smile. He still laughed at small things. And he still remembered every friend he had ever made.

Especially one.

The Quiet Boy from the Gurukul

When Krishna was a young boy, after his Vrindavan days, he had gone to study at a gurukul. A gurukul was an old kind of school in the forest, where children lived with their teacher and learned everything together. They cooked together. They fetched water together. They sat under the same tree and read from the same books.

At that gurukul, Krishna had a best friend. A quiet boy named Sudama.

Sudama was very poor. His clothes were old and patched. He never had any sweets to share. But he was kind, and he was clever, and he loved Krishna with his whole heart.

They did everything together. They ran in the rain. They climbed trees. Once, when their teacher's wife sent them into the forest to bring back some firewood, a big storm came and they had to spend the whole night up in a tree, holding each other so they wouldn't fall. They laughed about that night for years afterwards.