The Most Valuable Friend

It’s Friendship Day on August 2. Perhaps you have a lot of friends. And perhaps you are a loner. Perhaps you like to unwind with friends, or you find solace in me-time. By and large, man is a social animal. Society is a social fabric comprising all those in it.

Each of us comes to and goes from the world alone. But in life's journey, we need friends, family, acquaintances, etc. The famous poet, Majhrooh Sultanpuri, wrote, “Main akela hi chala tha janib-e-manzil, magar log saath aate gaye aur kaarvnan banta gaya.” Meaning: I set out alone. I kept meeting people, and a caravan got made! Yes, this is true for most of us.

The history of India is privy to friendships that raised the bar high. The friendships of Bhagawan Rama with Sugriva and with Nishad Raj Guha played important roles in the story of the Ramayana.

Lord Krishna’s childhood friendship with the simpleton Sudama led to Krishna gifting Sudama massive riches. Krishna’s friendship with Arjuna was the basis of Krishna’s counselling Arjuna at the edge of the battlefield of the Mahabharata. Thus was pronounced the celestial song, the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna’s friendship with Draupadi led to him always helping the Pandavas at many instances in their lives.

At the same time, Karna was befriended by Duryodhana, while being rejected by society. Their friendship was quite a complex and controversial bond of loyalty. Duryodhana made Karna a king to spite the Pandavas. Karna never forgot this favour and remained indebted to him for all time. Here, it is interesting to note that Karna was the firstborn of Kunti. He was a king by blood. But because he fell into the company of Duryodhana, his mind was polluted by the greedy, revengeful and evil thoughts of Duryodhana. 

In contemporary history, there are many stories based on anecdotes about the friendship between Akbar and Birbal. Akbar, it seems, would come up with a problem now and then. The witty and intelligent Birbal would always find a solution to it. The matching of minds and the unconditional faith Akbar reposed in Birbal was unparalleled.

Do you remember Sholay’s superhit song, ‘Yeh dosti hum Nahin todenge, todenge dum agar, tera saath na chodenge …’?  What a friendship it portrayed! Those were the days when friends were real friends, when friends knew you inside out and would stand up for you or sacrifice anything for you, even behind your back. Now, fair-weather friends are most common. They are called ‘Barsaati Daddu’. They appear when it rains and vanish soon thereafter. Meaning: They appear when you are doing well financially, socially, etc. If you have nothing to offer, they quietly slip away.

In the present era of social media, everyone has friends galore. But are they really friends? Social media reminds us about birthdays and anniversaries. Earlier, the days to a dear friend’s birthday were counted with excitement. 

Friendship Day is another one in the string of days ‘invented’ by Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards, in 1930. It was a commercial greeting card promotion initiative. Do pause for a moment and think about the real friends you have. If you wake up to the realisation that true friends are very few or probably non-existent now, there is still light at the end of the tunnel. Sri Sathya Sai Baba said, “God is the only true and eternal friend for everyone. Unfortunately, you give up such a friend and struggle to attain worldly, physical, temporary and untrue friends. All these friendships are ephemeral and last only for a short time. Thus, we should always pray to the eternal and true friend.”

As we go through the ups and downs of life, contemplation and introspection lead to the realisation that God is the eternal companion and most valuable friend. He is the only one with whom we can talk about our innermost thoughts without any fear. He is the one on whom we can fully depend. Let’s nurture this most valuable friendship. Then, ‘Happy Friendship Day’ shall have a beautiful meaning!

Published in Indian Express on Aug 3, 2026

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