Sache dost aason ki tarah hain..yahan dil udas hua wahan voaagaye
Shakespeare says what's in a name!? But what if the name is: Kanha, Govind, Krishna, Murari, Madhav....well the list is endless and so are the emotions. There are so many lessons to draw from Krishna's life and afterlife that just a 1000-word article can never be enough. But I will still try: after all, he says, "Karam kar, phal ki chinta mat kar".
Friend, Dost, Sakhi, Mitr!! Well, it's the family one chooses that is different from the one one is born into. So it has to be special. Like all relationships in life, this treasured bond also needs to be cherished and valued for which Krishna, as usual, has set a benchmark that is difficult to meet!
Sudama, Krishna's close comrade and dear friend from the Gurukul was in an impoverished state but continued to stay and preach the path of dharma. When he hits the breakeven point of being unable to feed his children, he decides to undertake the journey to the King of Dwarka's palace, now Krishna, for help albeit with a lot of hesitation. As expected, he is met at the palace gates with a lot of ridicule by the gatekeepers but when the messenger goes to the palace with the news of Sudama's arrival, the Lord runs out to meet his dear old friend. His sudden hug to his (poor) friend amidst the eyes of the onlookers takes everyone including Sudama by surprise.
This gesture was not only revered by Sudama then but even today it is symbolic of the true meaning of friendship.
A friendship so pure and beautiful that it has inspired the celebration of Friendship's Day that we celebrate today; divine intervention in how both Friendship's day and Krishna's birth, Janmashtami fall in August. This theme of friendship has inspired so many Bollywood movies and dialogues that sometimes make it easy to put words into this emotion. You know that sometimes your friends are your soulmates! The real wealth of a person is defined by the relationships he has earned and nurtured. A cheesy Bollywood line highlights this emotion: "Jinke pass dost kam hote hain, woh ameer nahi hote."
Sudama was so overwhelmed by the royal treatment he obtained from Krishna that he decided to return without asking for Krishna's help. But nothing ever goes unnoticed from the eyes of the higher power. Sudama came home to a palace instead of a tattered hut and happy instead of hungry faces of his kids. He expressed his deepest gratitude to the lord and continued on his path of righteousness. Maybe here's another lesson in trusting God's plan and divine timing instead of losing patience and faith during life's adversities.
Always believe that whatever you put in the piggy- bank of time comes back as the wheel of time rotates full circle. So decide very carefully what you put! Rest assured, heartfelt friendships and gestures from the heart have a funny way of coming back when we least expect it and they are above and beyond our imagination. Do you know why? Because they are part of God's plan and not your plan!
Pyaar ka pehla kadam dosti hain aur aakhri bhi- translation: Friendship is the stepping stone of love and is the last stop of life's ride. A life without love is a life not lived. Friendship brings you the love you are capable of giving and receiving.
So hello fraandzz, mjhse dosti karoge? ;)