Friendship - as defined in the Rig Veda - try to become the best friend with each and everyone of your family...

As tomorrow we are going to celebrate the birthday of my wife #reema, I think it's time to discuss the meaning of #friendship in the true sense.

I wish for everyone in this #universe either to get his/her best friend as a life partner or make your life partner your best friend ever to lead a happy life.

I am very naive in the true sense about the treasure of knowledge our ancestors created thousands of years ago. However, because of the internet, research has become easy.

We have kept the name of our only son #ridit - which means #rigveda - the oldest Veda of #bharat. Very soon we will get him introduced to the #sanskrit language so that unlike me, he does not have to depend on others to learn life skills and philosophy firsthand from the treasure trove of ancient #bharat

Rig Veda on Friendship - Mandala 10 Hymn 117

न वा उ देवाः कषुधमिद वधं ददुरुताशितमुपगछन्ति मर्त्यवः |

उतो रयिः पर्णतो नोप दस्यत्युताप्र्णन्मर्डितारं न विन्दते ||

य आध्राय चकमानाय पित्वो.अन्नवान सन्रफितायोपजग्मुषे |

सथिरं मनः कर्णुते सेवते पुरोतोचित स मर्डितारं न विन्दते ||

स इद भोजो यो गर्हवे ददात्यन्नकामाय चरते कर्शाय |

अरमस्मै भवति यामहूता उतापरीषु कर्णुते सखायम ||

न स सखा यो न ददाति सख्ये सचाभुवे सचमानायपित्वः |

अपास्मात परेयान न तदोको अस्ति पर्णन्तमन्यमरणं चिदिचःेत ||

पर्णीयादिन नाधमानाय तव्यान दराघीयांसमनुपश्येत पन्थाम |

ओ हि वर्तन्ते रथ्येव चक्रान्यम-अन्यमुप तिष्ठन्त रायः ||

मोघमन्नं विन्दते अप्रचेताः सत्यं बरवीमि वध इत सतस्य |

नार्यमणं पुष्यति नो सखायं केवलाघो भवतिकेवलादी ||

कर्षन्नित फाल आशितं कर्णोति यन्नध्वानमप वर्ङकतेचरित्रैः |

वदन बरह्मावदतो वनीयान पर्णन्नापिरप्र्णन्तमभि षयात ||

एकपाद भूयो दविपदो वि चक्रमे दविपात तरिपादमभ्येतिपश्चात |

चतुष्पादेति दविपदामभिस्वरे सम्पश्यन्पङकतीरुपतिष्ठमानः ||

समौ चिद धस्तौ न समं विविष्टः सम्मातरा चिन नसमं दुहाते |

यमयोश्चिन न समा वीर्याणि जञाती चित्सन्तौ न समं पर्णीतः ||

na vā u devāḥ kṣudhamid vadhaṃ dadurutāśitamupaghachanti mṛtyavaḥ |

uto rayiḥ pṛṇato nopa dasyatyutāpṛṇanmarḍitāraṃ na vindate ||

ya ādhrāya cakamānāya pitvo.annavān sanraphitāyopajaghmuṣe |

sthiraṃ manaḥ kṛṇute sevate purotocit sa marḍitāraṃ na vindate ||

sa id bhojo yo ghṛhave dadātyannakāmāya carate kṛśāya |

aramasmai bhavati yāmahūtā utāparīṣu kṛṇute sakhāyam ||

na sa sakhā yo na dadāti sakhye sacābhuve sacamānāyapitvaḥ |

apāsmāt preyān na tadoko asti pṛṇantamanyamaraṇaṃ cidicḥet ||

pṛṇīyādin nādhamānāya tavyān drāghīyāṃsamanupaśyeta panthām |

o hi vartante rathyeva cakrānyam-anyamupa tiṣṭhanta rāyaḥ ||

moghamannaṃ vindate apracetāḥ satyaṃ bravīmi vadha it satasya |

nāryamaṇaṃ puṣyati no sakhāyaṃ kevalāgho bhavatikevalādī ||

kṛṣannit phāla āśitaṃ kṛṇoti yannadhvānamapa vṛṅktecaritraiḥ |

vadan brahmāvadato vanīyān pṛṇannāpirapṛṇantamabhi ṣyāt ||

ekapād bhūyo dvipado vi cakrame dvipāt tripādamabhyetipaścāt |

catuṣpādeti dvipadāmabhisvare sampaśyanpaṅktīrupatiṣṭhamānaḥ ||

samau cid dhastau na samaṃ viviṣṭaḥ sammātarā cin nasamaṃ duhāte |

yamayościn na samā vīryāṇi jñātī citsantau na samaṃ pṛṇītaḥ ||

Translation (taken from the Internet. sorry for my lack of knowledge)

1. The Gods have not ordained hunger to be our death; even to the well-fed man comes death in varied shapes.

The riches of the liberal never waste away, while he who will not give finds any to comfort him.

 

2. The man with food in-store who, when the needy comes in miserable case begging for bread to eat,

 

Hardens his heart against him – even when of old he did him service – finds not one comfort him.

 

3. Bounteous is he who gives unto the beggar who comes to him in want of food and feeble.

 

Success attends him in the shout of battle. He makes a friend of him in future troubles.

 

4.No friend is he who to his friend and comrade who comes imploring food, will offer nothing.

Let him depart—no home is that to rest in –, and rather seek a stranger to support him.

 

5. Let the rich satisfy the poor implorer, and bend his eye upon a longer pathway.

 

Riches come now to one, now to another, and like the wheels of car are ever rolling.

 

6. The foolish man wins food with fruitless labor; that food – I speak the truth – shall be his ruin.

He feeds no trusty friend, no man to love him. ALL GUILT IS WHO HE EATS WITH NO PARTAKER.

 

7. The plowshare plowing makes the food that feeds us, and with its feet cuts through the path it follows.

Better the speaking than the silent Brahman; the liberal friend outvalues him who gives not.

 

8. He with one foot hath far outrun the biped, and the two-footed catches the three-footed.

Four-footed creatures come when bipeds call them, and stand and look where five are met together.

 

9. The hands are both alike; their labor differs. The yield of the sister milch kine is unequal.

The Gist

• A friend indeed is a friend in need.

• Wealth is for distribution

• Food is for sharing.

Here we go...

My effort to sing a song written by Rabindranath Tagore on the deep meaning of Friendship

Lyrics

শুধু তোমার বাণী নয় গো, হে বন্ধু, হে প্রিয়, মাঝে মাঝে প্রাণে তোমার পরশখানি দিয়ো ॥ সারা পথের ক্লান্তি আমার সারা দিনের তৃষা কেমন করে মেটাব যে খুঁজে না পাই দিশা-- এ আধার যে পূর্ণ তোমায় সেই কথা বলিয়ো ॥ হৃদয় আমার চায় যে দিতে, কেবল নিতে নয়, বয়ে বয়ে বেড়ায় সে তার যা-কিছু সঞ্চয়। হাতখানি ওই বাড়িয়ে আনো, দাও গো আমার হাতে-- ধরব তারে, ভরব তারে, রাখব তারে সাথে, একলা পথের চলা আমার করব রমণীয় ॥ Shudhu tomar baani noy go, hey bondhu, hey priyo, Maajhe maajhe praane tomar paroshkhani diyo Saara pather klanti aamar saara diner trisha Kemon kore metabo je khnuje na paai disha E aandhar je purna tomay sei katha bolio Hriday aamar chaay je dite kebal nite noi, Boye boye beraay se tar ja kichhu sanchay Haatkhani oi baariye aano, daao go aamar haate Dhorbo taare, bhorbo taare, raakhbo taare saathe, Ekla pather chala aamar korbo ramoniyo. Maajhe maajhe praane tomar paroshkhani diyo.

English Translation

Extend your delicate touch toward me, O my friend dear, not your words only. Weariness of my entire course, Thirst of the whole day - I know not how to quench, How to keep at bay. Please remind me that - You fill the darkness and gray. My heart is willing to dole out, Acceptance is not what I only care, Carrying all its reserves And whatever it could spare. Extend your nimble hands towards me, Let me hold them firm, I'll fill them with my might, I'll keep them warm. Your subtle presence I would enjoy, Lonesome journey be delightful to me.