Who Is The Best Friend?

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Pratibimba is my childhood friend,
One day I asked him
In your mind what is the best example of friendship?
He paused for a minute and told
Arjuna and Krishna’s friendship is the best.

I asked him, how come?
Krishna is God, Arjuna is Human,
Krishna is an incarnation, Arjuna is Devotee,
Krishna is Guru, Arjuna is Disciple
Krishna is Yadav, Arjuna is Kshatriya
How come these opposite you call them best friend?

He said, have you read Gita?
I said with pride, of course, I read a book named The Gita.
He asked me which Gita you read.
I said, what do you mean by which Gita, there is The Gita?

He said, Hari, there are 60 odd different types of Gita
The famous one is the Bhagwat Gita.
It is called so because the Guru in the Gita is Krishna, the Bhagwan
Thus the song of Bhagwan is called Bhagwat Gita.

He said Krishna and Arjuna are the best friends
and cousins at same the time.
Do you know any other example,
Where out of the two best friends or cousins
One is Guru and the other is ardent Disciple?

In spite of all the ups and down in their individual lives
They remained together & helped each other
At one end, Arjuna is the greatest warrior of his time
On another end, Krishna is a mystical personality
One of the sharpest, compassionate and tricky mind to understand
Both are extremely tall in their persona.

For the cause of society,
they know how to utilize the skills of each other.
Even with all his might, Arjuna was never king.
Even with all his mystical powers, Krishna was never king
But they together did whatever needs to be done
at the time when needed.

In today’s time if we have might
then we lose our mental balance.
If I know more than my friend then
I will play all the dirty tricks which can hurt my friend.
But Arjuna and Krishna showered their all
whatever they had on each other
Arjuna didn’t hesitate in asking anything
Krishna didn’t keep anything close to his chest
Arjuna didn’t leave any stone unturned,
if it is a command of his friend Krishna.
And none of them worked for their personal gain

Where is the place when two such strong powers,
come together and stay together.
They respect and listen to each other.
They stand and support each other.
And most of the time,
It is Krishna who is in giving the position
But Arjuna in receiving all with utmost Shraddha

Krishna didn’t need money, Arjuna didn’t have
Krishan needed love and respect and
Arjuna could give that which he had the best

On the other hand, Arjuna knew
I am a younger brother of Yudhistera
So, I will always follow him
I can never become king,
Even Krishna cannot make me king
And for my survival what I need
I can earn with my might
But to live a happy life
I need the support and wisdom of Krishna
And Krishna never hold himself back

Many children have been named Krishna
And many have been named Arjuna
In the hope of their Mothers
that their Children will meet someday
to their eternal companion and friend

But where is the austerity of Kunti, Devaki, and Yashoda?
Where is innocence, respect & love which Kunti’s Arjuna had?
Where is the compassion, care,
and a mind merged in the oneness with Brahman,
which Devaki’s son had?
In politics, corporate, spiritual, and family life
we don’t find this kind of combination of friends

Where is that Krishna today
Who makes promises and keeps his promise at any cost?
Where is that Arjuna who can hear
with such attention even in the terrible war field?

No matter how strong we are when we are in the war field
We know the limitation of the body and mortality of the body
So, we are feared because of our death
That time Arjuna refused to fight,
not because of the fear of his personal death

But because of some reasons, which we in society call
Brotherhood, care for women, respect for elders
The sin of killing of my own clan
And seeing the futility of the war!

Where is that Arjuna who asks the following question
to his friend in a time of deep trouble
and listen to him with absolute attention
What is a steady mind?
What is real knowledge?
What is that which forces us to do what we normally end up doing?
What are Dharma’s characteristics?
What is Prakruti, and its role in making us the way we are?
What is the difference between Sanyasa and Tyaga?
Normally, in today’s time, these questions vanished first
When we see a huge calamity before.

Where is that friend who after giving his best advice
Tells that, this is all, apply your own mind and choose now!
Since the time of Krishna & Arjuna of Dwapar
Many but countable people have come and gone
Who accumulated lots of wealth and comfort
Earned a lot of fame gave their best possible to the society
But that kind of friendship we never have heard
It looks creator creates
that kind of friendship only once in the cosmic cycle

Hari Om Tat Sat
Your Truly Hari