Kuselan

This is not the Kuselan movie review. But about the original Krishna-Kuselan [Sudama] story. So, whats special in the story? Its heard, read and even seen many times. Yes, there is something special in this story that i very recently understood after reading it from Srimadh Bhagavatam. Its all the emotional part that is missing in the version of the story what we [atleast I] heard so far.

Just a recap of what we know widely... Krishna was the king of Dwaraka and Kuselan was his childhood friend. Krishna was rich whereas his friend was leading a poor life. Kuselan's wife once requested him to meet Krishna and seek his help to overcome their poverty. Kuselan accepting her request, journeyed to meet his friend with some beaten-rice [aval] as offering to his friend. Krishna on seeing Kuselan felt very happy, accepted the offering from him ate it. Kuselan after meeting his friend returned to his neighborhood, without requesting for  money in return, just to see that all of his wife's wealth requirements are already satisfied..

Now, the same version of story; close transliteration to what i read in Bhagavatam. The core story is still the same, but the way few small incidents are narrated and emotions are portrayed are excellent in the original version. I pretty well know the emotions will be lost during my translation, but let this create a drop of interest in you guys to read the original story to enjoy its fullness.

With more rhyming and timing...

Krishna after destroying Kamsa started ruling his Dwaraka kingdom. He was tied with full of political duties such that he couldnt go back to his home town Brindavan to meet his family, atleast for 100 years. Day in and out, there were kings, politicians, business man and other big merchants always waiting to see Krishna and seek his help for their needs. Krishna though couldn't get relieved from his political duties,  cannot stop thinking of his family and friends.

On the other end, Kuselan, the childhood friend of Krishna was leading a normal life. Though he possessed no wealth, he had a good wife and children. Kuselan was always thinking about his friend and his god, Krishna. He had a burning desire in him to meet Krishna, but his family conditions didn't allow him. Now, Kuselan's wife thought if her husband could meet Krishna, he could help them to overcome their poverty. But she didnt have the guts to request her husband to seek Krishna for financial help. Though poor, Kuselan had his self-respect. So, one day she requested her husband to go and meet Krishna, since he always remembers and speaks about him. 

With this unexpected permission from his wife, Kuselan exclaimed that he will start the journey to meet Krishna the same day. Now his wife intelligently did one thing. She asked her husband not to go empty-handed to meet his friend, who is now a king. Instead she will pack beaten-rice [Aval], that Kuselan can take as an offering to the king. She then tore the edge of her saree and the torn piece itself had several patches. She wrapped the beaten-rice in the patched cloth. Her idea was simple. Kuselan will never ask Krishna for financial help. But Krishna, if he sees the patched-cloth that wraps the offering, will definitely get a clue of their poverty and may offer Kuselan the required financial help. She saved her husband's self-respect along with expressing their condition to the king symbolically. Genuine thinking.

Kuselan now started his journey very happily, as he was meeting his old friend after a long time. He was running all nostalgic thoughts about their old days on the way to Dwaraka. Finally after reaching Dwaraka, he was astonished to see high-profilic guys like kings, merchants and business man waiting at the gate of Krishna's palace with rich gifts wrapped as offering to meet him atleast once. This poor man lost all his hope that he could meet Krishna. When such top people with costly gifts itself were waiting days to meet Krishna, where is he? With little hesitation, he approached the gate-keeping soldier and informed his wish to meet Krishna. To his surprise, the gate-keeper replied to walk him straight inside the palace and meet the king. Astonished, he asked the gatekeeper on whether he said was for real. Gate keeper said him about the king's order on allowing any holy-men into palace immediately without any wait. Other kings who were waiting in the queue were now looking at Kuselan jealously. Kuselan himself was embarrassed a lot for moving ahead of queue bypassing all other kings waiting to meet Krishna atleast once. 

On reaching the court-yard, Krishna spotted Kuselan coming to meet him. He swiftly jumped from the throne to receive him with a loving hug. Both of them went into tears. Enormous joy gripped them. Kuselan still spell-bound didn't expect the next shock he is going to encounter. Krishna took Kuselan forward, set him in his throne and he himself sat at his feet and asked to bring water: “I myself will wash his feet,” said Krishna. And all those around stood in full perplexity: the very Krishna washes Kuselan’s feet. What else to say? God and Goddess washing a true devotees feet. 

Krishna then took Kuselan to his personal chamber and seated him on his bed and sat down besides him. Krishna then asked Kuselan "What did you bring for me?". Only now Kuselan recovered back and remembered about the beaten-rice that he brought to Krishna. But he is again in shy and trouble. Will a king like Krishna accept this offering? With hesitation, Kuselan offered the rice that he brought to Krishna. 

On receiving the offering, Krishna was so happy and started opening the knot with almost excitement like a kid. He took one handful of beaten-rice and ate it happily. Kuselan felt so subtle on seeing such a king receiving his small offering and asked him "Is this so good than the offerings that other kings have with them waiting in the queue?". 

Krishna said "Precious offering from other kings or merchants to me in turn expects something from me. A king offering me gold expects me to threaten his neighboring king for not to mess with them. Other merchant waiting to offer pearls expect me to do some thing in favor of him".

"But this offering is 'only for me' and has no expectations in it".

Krishna then took the second handful of beaten-rice and ate it happily. He also offered it to his beloved Rukmani. Since the offering came from a poor-house, the beaten-rice was not cleaned up properly and had some husk in it. On husk scratched Krishna's mouth and it started bleeding. Kuselan on seeing this went into tears and cursed him for offering a dirty food to king. He remembered how Yasoda cared Krishna during his childhood, making sure even the softest butter would not harm him. Now the husky offering brought him trouble. But Krishna did not care about this. He was completely submerged inside the love of his devotee.

Now he took the third handful of rice and ate it happily. Kuselan couldn't do anything except watching Krishna with tears of joy. Krishna when tried to eat the fourth handful of beatren-rice, Rukmani stopped Krishna and said "Its enough". Krishna accepted her request.

After few days, Kuselan requested Krishna to relieve him home, since his wife and kids will be waiting. He didn't seek any financial help from Krishna, nor was that his intention for the journey. But, his heart was full of love and completeness in seeing his friend; the god himself. 

He journeyed his way back to get greeted by his family in a rich condition. All the wealth she thought was granted more than enough. Kuselan had no words to thank his friend, but the wealth did not appeal anything to him. He already was enlightened after seeing Krishna. He later quit his family and wealth and started his journey into divine. Kuselan became one of the great saint and achieved oneness with Krishna.

So, whatz missing to be told is "Why did Rukmani stop Krishna from eating the fourth-handful of rice?". With the first two handfuls of rice, Krishna liberated Kuselan from his past and future deeds. The third handful of  offering accepted gave him Moksha. This is the best a god can offer to his devotee. But Krishna was so submerged in the pure love of his devotee, he gave him everything already, still went ahead. I hope, that could put Kuselan more than God himself. Rukmani sensing that Krishna would even give up himself for a true love, stopped him from eating the fourth handful of rice.

The story ends here folks.  This is just a story in the ocean of Bhagavatam. Whenever we think of friendship, we remember Karna-Duriyodhana or the Krishna-Kusela stories. The first story is all about very true and trustful friendship, but the latter is about love and devotion, not just friendship. For Karna, there is a reason for friendship; Duriyodhana saved him from an insult, gave him a kingdom to rule and treated him equal to other kings. But for Krishna-Kusela there are no outward reasons, except they are childhood friends. What knit them together is the devotion Kuselan had for Krishna.

Moral of the story - Nothing... Just read and enjoy..