Talk:Sakhya Bhāva: Bhagavān as a Friend, Companion or Comrade

By Vishal Agarwal

After serving the Lord as a Master, the Bhakta’s relationship with Him becomes less formal and he starts seeing the Lord as his friend or companion. Friendship or companionship with the Divine is attested in the mantras of the Veda-s and the Gita:

Agni is my friend and my brother forever. Rigveda 10.7.3 Indra, we cling to your friendship. Take us along the path of righteousness beyond all evils. Rigveda 10.133.6 O Soma, Be You comforting to our hearts as a father to a son or a friend/companion to a friend/companion. Rigveda 8.48.4 Indra, never may this bond of friendship between you and I (Rishi Vimada) get severed. We know that you care for us, and are a brother to us. Your friendship is a blessing in our lives. Rigveda 10.23.7 Arjuna prayed to Krishna: As a father to his son, as a friend to his friend, as a lover to his beloved, be pleased to show mercy O Lord. Gita 11.44b

In this mode of Bhakti, the devotee feels for Bhagavān lovingly as a friend, a confidante, a companion or comrade on whom the devotee can rely, seek help from, depend upon, and share his intimate thoughts. This Bhāva of Bhakti is characterized by an ‘equal, trusting, caring and a loving relationship’ just as between two close friends or companions. Numerous examples of this level of Bhakti are given in the Hindu scriptures: Krishna with Sudāmā, Krishna with Arjuna, Rāma with Sugriva, Rāma with Vibhīshaṇa. A friend need not be even of one’s gender. In the Mahābhārata, Draupadi, the Pāṇdava wife regarded their cousin Krishna as her very dear friend. Of course for our purposes, the Lord need not even be regarded as male or female if one worships Him/Her as a Supreme Ātmā that has no gender.

Krishna and Sudama:

Krishna had a classmate in school whose name was Sudama. They were very good friends. After their studies were over, Krishna started living in the city of Dwaraka. He married a princess and became the king of Dwaraka. Krishna was now very rich, famous, and powerful. But he never forgot his friend Sudama. After finishing their studies, Sudama married and had a few children. He and his family lived in a village. They were very poor. On some days, Sudama did not even have food to feed his children. One day, his wife got very upset because the kids had to go to bed hungry. She said to Sudama, “Please go to Krishna. He is your friend. If you ask him for money, he will help you.”

Sudama said, “I will go to see my friend. But I am too shy to ask for any help. Krishna used to love poha (a rice dish). I have seen him after many years. So let me take some poha as a gift for him.” Sudama’s wife went to a neighbor and borrowed some poha. Sudama then left for Dwaraka.

When Sudama reached Krishna’s palace after a few days, he told the guard, “Tell your king that his childhood friend Sudama is here.” As soon as Krishna learned that Sudama was at the door of his palace, he ran out of his room. When he saw Sudama, Krishna hugged him. Krishna was so happy that his eyes became full of tears. Krishna then took Sudama inside his palace.

There, Krishna asked Sudama to sit on his throne. Then he washed Sudama’s feet because Sudama had walked a long distance. He asked his queen to bring him food for Sudama and then he fed Sudama with his own hands. After dinner, the two friends started chatting about the good times when they were classmates. Suddenly, Krishna noticed that Sudama had brought a bag of poha as a gift. He snatched it from Sudama and started eating it hungrily. Sudama said, “My friend Krishna, I was ashamed to give this poha to you. It is just ordinary food. And you are a rich king. So I thought that this gift was not good enough for you.” Krishna laughed and said, “This is the best gift that I could have got. My dear friend has given this gift to me with great love.”

The next morning, Sudama said goodbye to Krishna and left for his home. He was so happy because he met his friend after many years. But, Sudama never asked Krishna for any help.

When Sudama reached his home after some days, he was surprised to find that his hut was no longer there. In its place, there was a mansion. Suddenly, Sudama’s wife and children came out wearing beautiful clothes. His wife said, “While you were away, Krishna asked his people to make this mansion for you and us.” Sudama smiled. Now he understood what a good friend Krishna was. Sudama did not even ask Krishna for help, but Krishna knew what Sudama needed, and gave it to him.