Satyabhama & Jambavati are shocked to see Susheela's behavior. Satyabhama recalls how Susheela used to be a very devoted wife, would wait for her kids and supervise them properly, wouldn't eat a grain b4 her husband did, and so on. She wonders what's suddenly happened to her? Krishna tells her that excessive wealth has the tendency to make people very materialistic, and following that, always on a chase to satisfy their never satisfying desires. They resume watching the TV.
Susheela arrives @ the neighbor's place w/ her sons. The neighbor greets her and asks her about Sudama - w/o his blessings, his daughter's happiness would be incomplete. He tells her that he's heard that Sudama has returned from his pilgrimage, and Susheela looks uneasy. He asks her where Sudama is, and she tells him that Sudama was unwell after that long journey, and didn't come. 🤔
Just then, as if on cue, Sudama arrives and greets him, and Susheela is shocked. So is the neighbor on seeing him - he's come in his old rags. The neighbor goes and asks him why he has come like that, and Sudama tells him that that is the essence of who he is. It's true that he had strayed for a while, but now he's decided to remain grounded. The neighbor asks Susheela to persuade her husband, and Susheela demands that Sudama come home just now, and walks out.
Sudama stops everyone and asks them whether they had invited him or his clothes 😆 Some of the guests remark that Sudama was the most learned Brahmin in town. Sudama tells them all that if he's been invited b'cos he's the most learned Brahmin in town, then that would be true regardless of what he wore. But if it was his clothes that marked him, then he'd be letting down his dharam. Sudama & his family all left.
At home, Susheela demands to know what's happened to him - how could he go there so shabbily dressed? Sudama tells her that that was precisely the question he wanted to ask her - she's changed a lot. He tells her that he misses the wife who used to dote on him and the family in the old days. Susheela tells him to stop living in the past, and live in the present & the future. Sudama tells her that his past is his essence and who he really is. He asks Susheela what would happen if all that wealth were to disappear. Susheela asks why would it disappear, and then asks what's wrong w/ Krishna that while he gave Sudama all the riches, he didn't give him the intelligence to let go of his poverty? Sudama gets angry and raises his hand, w/ the rudraksh mala in it. Susheela and the kids all leave.
Satyabhama & Jambavati are furious that Susheela has started blaming Krishna as well, and suggest that he take back what he's given. Krishna refuses, asking how can he? In the meantime, Sudama in his shrine begs Krishna to take back all the riches he has given them, saying that he wants his old family back. He vows not to leave that shrine until Krishna does.
Krishna appears as Narayan b4 Sudama. Sudama's soul leaves his body and asks him to take back what he's given them. Narayan tells him that taking back all the wealth would not solve the issue. He reminds Sudama that he's the head of that family, and if he fails to guide them properly, he'd have failed in both his dharam & his karma. He tells Sudama that Susheela has strayed from the path, but that when Sudama comes back to him he wants Susheela & the family to to be w/ him as well. Saying this, he disappears.
The soul re-enters Sudama, who wakes up. He sees a fluorescent footprint of Vishnu on the floor, and reverently touches it. He then smiles @ the realization that the Lord had visited him.
Comments:
A good episode. In addition to my comments here, I'll add - I didn't like a lot of things about Susheela's deviated character - her lying to her host, her confronting Sudama right in front of her kids, and of course, asking whether why Krishna didn't alter Sudama's mind as well.
But although I agree theoretically w/ Sudama, I think he could have taken a middle ground b/w rags and being ostentatious like his wife. He didn't have to go there in a way that would embarrass them. After all, there is a reason that people dress nicely/appropriately @ functions such as weddings. Sudama could have done that, while later, @ home, telling Susheela & the kids what they could do or couldn't.
I liked Krishna's advice to him that simply making him poor again wouldn't solve the problems. I particularly liked Krishna reminding him that it was his responsibility to lead his family on the path of dharam. So essentially, this is something that Sudama will have to fix. And I hope next week, Sudama doesn't solve that simply by giving away everything, but rather by laying down the rules for both Susheela & the kids.
Looks like this storyline is going to go into next week. I hope that @ the end of it all, Sudama and family join Satyabhama & Jambavati in watching the Mahabharata.
Edited by .Vrish. - 13 years ago
