Love Through Friendship
The sixth form is the mood of friendship, in which the devotee relates to God as a trusted, beloved companion.
Sakhya-asakti is love in the attitude of friendship — the intimacy of the devotee who walks with God as with a dear friend, confiding everything and fearing nothing. Arjuna's relationship with Krishna, and the cowherd boys' playful companionship with the young Krishna, exemplify this sweet familiarity that sets aside awe in favor of closeness. This form dissolves the distance that reverence can create, allowing a tender, equal-hearted intimacy. The friend-devotee shares joys and sorrows with God, asks freely, and rests in trusting companionship. It teaches that the Divine desires not only our worship but our friendship. In this mood, the vast and holy becomes the nearest and most beloved of companions.
Some love Him in the mood of a dear and trusted friend.
Friendship with the Divine echoes the biblical description of Abraham as 'the friend of God' and Jesus' words, 'I no longer call you servants but friends,' suggesting a cross-cultural recognition of intimate companionship as a height of religious love.
Narada Bhakti Sutras
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- What the Narada Bhakti Sutras say about friendship
Friendship is one of the eleven forms devotion can take: sakhya, walking with God as with a friend, confiding everything and fearing nothing. Arjuna and the cowherd boys of Vrindavan are its examples — relationships in which awe has been set down in favour of closeness.