Facebook users are quite familiar with the “friend request” facility. Here let’s talk about a “friend request” made since time immemorial. Long before social media was enabled by the Internet, the Supreme Lord Krishna has been continuously making “friend requests” through his expansion as the Supersoul present in the heart of all living entities. Of course, those who have births lower than humans are unable to do anything about it. But humans have all faculties to ‘`add” Sri Krishna as their friend. In the Bhagavad-gita (5.29) Krishna says, “A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries”.
He is the benefactor and friend to all living entities. As a benefactor He fulfils the wishes of the living being, and even if the living being makes a wrong desire He stays with him throughout. By his karma (actions) the living being can be elevated to the post of a demigod in the heavenly planet or be degraded to take a birth as a worm, but in all situations the Paramatma (Supersoul) never leaves him. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great Vaisnava acarya (spiritual master) writes in one of his devotional poems: tomare bite ami hoinu avatara ami bina bandhu ara lee ache tomara “I have descended just to save you. Other than Myself, who else is your friend?” The (Gita teaches us that Krishna incarnates for the express purpose of saving the lives of conditioned living beings who would otherwise glide down into lower species of lives. This proves that He is our only true friend. How does one develop one’s friendship with Krishna? Throughout the entire universe Krishna is the les supreme enjoyer and beneficiary of all kinds of sacrifices, penances and austerities, which should be performed Only to attain His devotional service. Krishna is the Supreme Being and the proprietor of all the material worlds. And Krishna is the only friend who only does good to all living entities.
One who understands these three principles about Krishna immediately becomes desireless (niskama) and therefore peaceful. How do we accept the Friend Request from Krishna? It’s very simple. We need to understand three truths: Krishna is the only master: Krishna’ is the only friend; and, Krishna is the only proprietor Krishna is our only master. During a morning walk in Vrindavana, Srila Prabhupada was asked, “What does it mean to be fully Krishna conscious?” After rejecting several answers offered by his disciples, he said, ‘Real Krishna consciousness means to know that Krishna is the master and I am His servant.’” Krishna is the only friend: Krishna is such a friend that He travels with us from body to body, witnessing us being tossed around by the modes of material nature, and waiting patiently but eagerly for us to turn to Him.
As soon as He notices a slight desire on our part to come to Him, He makes all arrangements to draw us hack to His lotus feet. Therefore He sends us a perfect and pure devotee to save us from repeated birth and death. Kona is the only proprietor: In the purport to Bhagavad-gita (9.18) Srila Prabhupuda mentions that Krishna is the original source of creation and the ultimate rest after annihilation. Krishna is therefore the eternal cause of all causes. And since Krishna is also the source of our generation, no one can be a better well-wisher and friend than He.
–Syamananda Dasa
