A friend is one who is related to another person for the cause of having a personal relationship regardless of the social and economic status of the friend. If a person is rich and famous, typically his friends and family also become famous on account of their relationship with the celebrity. So a celebrity is always connected to his or her opulence. Nevertheless, a true friend will associate with a celebrity not for his opulence but for his personal relationship. In the adult world, unfortunately, such friendships are rare because we only seek alliances if there is some level of social, economic, political or religious benefit. We live in a benefit-driven world, no doubt (true even amongst close family members)!
Duryodhana will be proud of this world since he was very much like that. Krishna is most richest and famous person in the entire cosmos. Not only that, He is also very attractive, powerful, strong etc. So who would not want alliance with Krishna. Duryodhana actively sought Krishna’s alliance for His riches and power. When Duryodhana went to see Krishna before the grand war, he asked Krishna’s favor for His power. Duryodhana asked for Krishna’s Narayani Sena so he can use them in the war. Duryodhana like modern man was a numbers person. He thought “what can one Krishna do? If I get His grand army, I can win the war”.
On the other side, Arjuna was a true friend. He did not care for Krishna’s majesty or opulence or power or how much he can benefit from Krishna. Rather, Arjuna’s only request was to be by-the-side of Krishna, that’s all. Arjuna only sought Krishna’s personal relationship without all His opulence. Arjuna was not benefit driven.
Today, we go to God for only one reason – to seek some benefit in the form of physical or mental or emotional support or even spiritual emancipation. We do not go to God just to express our friendship and love to Him. It is always purpose or benefit driven. When we approach God with no purpose but to only share our feelings of love or friendship, then we will realize God!
Great souls like Arjuna or Narada etc have shared their heart with God sans His opulence and have realized that Supreme Divine Being to be Sri Krishna.
Seek Krishna the Person and not His riches!
Hare Krishna