To awaken spiritual emotion rapidly, initially one needs to make constant efforts at the level of the mind and intellect. In the last Issue, 238,, we studied a type of the nine-fold devotion, namely devotion as a servitor. Today we will discuss another type of the nine-fold devotion, that is, devotion as a friend.

Devotion as a friend (sakhya bhakti)

    In this form of devotion, a devotee believes God to be his friend or sibling who shares his happiness and unhappiness. So, no barrier of any kind exists between the devotee and The Lord.

     Only a rare seeker with a spiritual level of more than 60% is capable of remaining devoted to The Lord as a friend. This makes it difficult for most to view Him as a friend.

    As spiritual emotion towards the Guru grows, there is a corresponding growth of respect and gratitude for Him.

    In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the devotion of Arjuna towards Lord Krishna is an unparalleled example of this kind of devotion.

    To understand Arjuna’s devotion to Lord Krishna, let us understand the relationship that Lord Krishna had with Arjuna. Lord Krishna came into Arjuna’s life as a friend (sakha). Arjuna was fully aware that Lord Krishna was none other than an Incarnation of Lord Vishnu Himself. He had nothing but devotion for Lord Krishna. Even though Lord Krishna treated him as a friend, Arjuna would take Lord Krishna’s every word as a command and as a teaching to learn from.