Our BFF is Waiting

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6 mins September, 2026
Our BFF is Waiting
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The real proof that God loves us lies in our own perspective.


By Aarushi Agrawal

gatir bharta prabhuh sakshi

nivasah saranam suhrit

prabhavah pralayah sthanam

nidhanam bijam avyayam


“I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.” —Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 9.18


We’re all looking for someone special, a friend that stands out among all the others, our best friend forever (BFF). In the Gita, Krishna tells us that He is our “most dear friend.” And in the purport of this verse, ISKCON founder-acharya His Divine GraceA. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains in his Gita commentary that “Krishna is the supreme living entity. And since Krishna is the source of our generation, or the supreme father, no one can be a better friend than Krishna, nor can anyone be a better well-wisher.”


But sometimes, even though Krishna Himself is confirming that we are dear to Him, it can be hard to believe. Suppose you’re coming to spirituality from a background of atheism or agnosticism. Something you experienced or witnessed has made you curious about God. You’re now convinced that this higher power exists, and that He’s called Krishna. And the deeper you go into spirituality, the more you’ll understand what Srila Prabhupada meant when he called devotion a science. It’s logical and valiantly defeats each argument against spirituality. Krishna consciousness shines bright among other philosophies and belief systems. You can study and study and understand everything theoretically. You can become sure that Krishna exists, because it’s the most logical conclusion one can reach.


But it can still leave you feeling hollow, because connecting with Krishna isn’t about intelligence or study — not primarily, anyway. It’s about love. It’s possible to argue passionately about the existence of God but still not feel loved by Him. There can be a supportive community around you but spirituality can still feel like a lonely endeavor. Because the idea that He might love you makes you sceptical. After you first rejected Him, by not being a devotee in the past, you might wonder why He would now accept you. Such doubts are laced with guilt and fear and are entirely normal.


The scriptures affirm that Krishna’s love for us is an eternal, universal fact. He sits within all of our hearts and He loves us even when we don’t love Him back. He guides us even when we don’t want to listen. He showers mercy upon us even when we think we’re doing it all on our own. He protects us even when we think we’re strong enough to take care of ourselves. By living in the material world, we’re already distanced from Him, but He goes so far as to grant us forgetfulness if we want to separate from Him even more than we already are. He behaves with us however we wish to see Him, be it as a friend, as the Almighty, as a child, a lover, a story, a fact. He will become, for us, whatever we want Him to be. That’s the extent of His love for us.


Yet you might have a hard time believing you’re loved by Krishna. If you slack with your spiritual practices like chanting or following the regulative principles, or do something that you think has upset Him, you’ll suspect that His love for you is now gone, if it was even there to begin with in the first place. For some people, love is a natural bond that forms. For others, insecurity and fear get in the way. And even though we hear every day that Krishna loves His devotees, we might find reasons to exclude ourselves from that fact.


The solution here doesn’t lie in studying more vigorously or making declarations about the Supreme more handsomely. The answer is two pronged — it’s one, about our endeavour to contain our insecurities; and two, praying to Krishna so He can help us feel His love and presence. Nothing is ever going to be achieved without Krishna’s blessing, and so praying is essential. But the thing that, above all, is in our hands is our perspective.


In her 2011 TED talk “The Power of Vulnerability,” which has over 23 million views on YouTube, social work researcher Breni Brown speaks about how, in order for connections to form, we have to embrace vulnerability and let ourselves be truly seen. After collecting thousands of pieces of data, she explains how, if she took those people as a whole, they could be divided into two groups — those who have a sense of worthiness and those who struggle with it. “There was only one variable that separated the people who have a strong sense of love and belonging and people who really struggle for it. And that was, people who have a strong sense of love and belonging, believe they’re worthy of love and belonging. That’s it,” she says in the talk.


Krishna’s love is a fact. But do we believe we deserve it? Do we feel worthy of it?


The key to shifting our perspective and believing we are worthy of love is noticing Krishna’s presence in our life and being grateful for what we have. For starters, He gave us this human form and led us to bhakti. Of the many millions of souls in the universe, we are the ones who are connected with one of His temples. He certainly wants us to learn about Him and share love with Him. He’s also given us today, another day to further our spirituality and elevate our consciousness, so we can reach Him sooner. Through sending his confidential messengers like Srila Prabhupada for us, He’s given us immeasurable guidance, passionate and compassionate teachers, temples we can call homes all over the world. Krishna is ensuring our spiritual growth is well taken care of, whatever corner of the world we’re in — the sooner to see us.


When you feel guilt about your past, practice self-compassion. When you feel a sense of fear, remind yourself that Krishna isn’t a rude or vindictive God. He’s patient and kind and brimming with compassion. When you’re feeling disconnected, engage with His devotees. When you’re feeling distant from Him, chant His holy names. When you’re feeling empty, eat His leftovers. Essentially, follow the process. And remember to be grateful.


And before long, we’ll be back with Him:

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yaji mam namaskuru

mam evaishyasi satyam te

pratijane priyo ’si me


“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 18.65)


Again, He’s reminding us that we are His “very dear friend.” All we need do is follow the process. And we’ll be in front of Him sooner than we imagine.


Aarushi is an independent culture journalist with an interest in reading, writing and spending time with her cat. She has been connected with ISKCON Chowpatty since 2023 and finds deep satisfaction in the association of devotees around her. She’s slowly making sense of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and learning how to notice Krishna’s presence at the heart of everything and everyone around her.

 

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Our BFF is Waiting

Our BFF is Waiting
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The real proof that God loves us lies in our own perspective.


By Aarushi Agrawal

gatir bharta prabhuh sakshi

nivasah saranam suhrit

prabhavah pralayah sthanam

nidhanam bijam avyayam


“I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.” —Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 9.18


We’re all looking for someone special, a friend that stands out among all the others, our best friend forever (BFF). In the Gita, Krishna tells us that He is our “most dear friend.” And in the purport of this verse, ISKCON founder-acharya His Divine GraceA. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains in his Gita commentary that “Krishna is the supreme living entity. And since Krishna is the source of our generation, or the supreme father, no one can be a better friend than Krishna, nor can anyone be a better well-wisher.”


But sometimes, even though Krishna Himself is confirming that we are dear to Him, it can be hard to believe. Suppose you’re coming to spirituality from a background of atheism or agnosticism. Something you experienced or witnessed has made you curious about God. You’re now convinced that this higher power exists, and that He’s called Krishna. And the deeper you go into spirituality, the more you’ll understand what Srila Prabhupada meant when he called devotion a science. It’s logical and valiantly defeats each argument against spirituality. Krishna consciousness shines bright among other philosophies and belief systems. You can study and study and understand everything theoretically. You can become sure that Krishna exists, because it’s the most logical conclusion one can reach.


But it can still leave you feeling hollow, because connecting with Krishna isn’t about intelligence or study — not primarily, anyway. It’s about love. It’s possible to argue passionately about the existence of God but still not feel loved by Him. There can be a supportive community around you but spirituality can still feel like a lonely endeavor. Because the idea that He might love you makes you sceptical. After you first rejected Him, by not being a devotee in the past, you might wonder why He would now accept you. Such doubts are laced with guilt and fear and are entirely normal.


The scriptures affirm that Krishna’s love for us is an eternal, universal fact. He sits within all of our hearts and He loves us even when we don’t love Him back. He guides us even when we don’t want to listen. He showers mercy upon us even when we think we’re doing it all on our own. He protects us even when we think we’re strong enough to take care of ourselves. By living in the material world, we’re already distanced from Him, but He goes so far as to grant us forgetfulness if we want to separate from Him even more than we already are. He behaves with us however we wish to see Him, be it as a friend, as the Almighty, as a child, a lover, a story, a fact. He will become, for us, whatever we want Him to be. That’s the extent of His love for us.


Yet you might have a hard time believing you’re loved by Krishna. If you slack with your spiritual practices like chanting or following the regulative principles, or do something that you think has upset Him, you’ll suspect that His love for you is now gone, if it was even there to begin with in the first place. For some people, love is a natural bond that forms. For others, insecurity and fear get in the way. And even though we hear every day that Krishna loves His devotees, we might find reasons to exclude ourselves from that fact.


The solution here doesn’t lie in studying more vigorously or making declarations about the Supreme more handsomely. The answer is two pronged — it’s one, about our endeavour to contain our insecurities; and two, praying to Krishna so He can help us feel His love and presence. Nothing is ever going to be achieved without Krishna’s blessing, and so praying is essential. But the thing that, above all, is in our hands is our perspective.


In her 2011 TED talk “The Power of Vulnerability,” which has over 23 million views on YouTube, social work researcher Breni Brown speaks about how, in order for connections to form, we have to embrace vulnerability and let ourselves be truly seen. After collecting thousands of pieces of data, she explains how, if she took those people as a whole, they could be divided into two groups — those who have a sense of worthiness and those who struggle with it. “There was only one variable that separated the people who have a strong sense of love and belonging and people who really struggle for it. And that was, people who have a strong sense of love and belonging, believe they’re worthy of love and belonging. That’s it,” she says in the talk.


Krishna’s love is a fact. But do we believe we deserve it? Do we feel worthy of it?


The key to shifting our perspective and believing we are worthy of love is noticing Krishna’s presence in our life and being grateful for what we have. For starters, He gave us this human form and led us to bhakti. Of the many millions of souls in the universe, we are the ones who are connected with one of His temples. He certainly wants us to learn about Him and share love with Him. He’s also given us today, another day to further our spirituality and elevate our consciousness, so we can reach Him sooner. Through sending his confidential messengers like Srila Prabhupada for us, He’s given us immeasurable guidance, passionate and compassionate teachers, temples we can call homes all over the world. Krishna is ensuring our spiritual growth is well taken care of, whatever corner of the world we’re in — the sooner to see us.


When you feel guilt about your past, practice self-compassion. When you feel a sense of fear, remind yourself that Krishna isn’t a rude or vindictive God. He’s patient and kind and brimming with compassion. When you’re feeling disconnected, engage with His devotees. When you’re feeling distant from Him, chant His holy names. When you’re feeling empty, eat His leftovers. Essentially, follow the process. And remember to be grateful.


And before long, we’ll be back with Him:

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yaji mam namaskuru

mam evaishyasi satyam te

pratijane priyo ’si me


“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 18.65)


Again, He’s reminding us that we are His “very dear friend.” All we need do is follow the process. And we’ll be in front of Him sooner than we imagine.


Aarushi is an independent culture journalist with an interest in reading, writing and spending time with her cat. She has been connected with ISKCON Chowpatty since 2023 and finds deep satisfaction in the association of devotees around her. She’s slowly making sense of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and learning how to notice Krishna’s presence at the heart of everything and everyone around her.