Sudama | |
---|---|
Texts | Puranas |
Genealogy | |
Spouse | Sushila[1] |
Sudama (Sanskrit: सुदामा, romanized: Sudāmā),[2] also known as Kuchela (Sanskrit: कुचेल, romanized: Kucela),[3] is a childhood friend of the Hindu deity Krishna. The story of his visit to Dvaraka to meet his friend is featured in the Bhagavata Purana.
In their legend, Sudama and Krishna study together as children at Sandipani's ashrama, believed to have been at Ujjain. Leading a life of abject poverty, Sudama's wife urges him to go to Krishna, and request his assistance. Carrying some handfuls of parched rice as a gift, Sudama visits his old friend at Dvaraka, who receives him with honour. After discerning Sudama's unrevealed poverty, Krishna creates various luxurious palaces for his friend where his hut had stood, which the former sees when he returns home.[4]