1. Sambandha – Knowing Our Relationships
Sambandha means understanding our relationship with Lord, this world, others, and time. We relate to time through the past, present, and future; to Lord as our eternal source; to the world through the body; and to others through affection or duty.
There are five kinds of sambandhas:
- Between Īśvara and jīva,
- Between jīvas,
- Between jīva and prakṛti (nature),
- Between material objects, and
- Between time and everything else.
When one understands these five connections, one is freed from prapañca—the web of kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, madha, and mātsarya.
The first verse of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam reveals this sambandha-jñāna, showing Bhagavān’s relationship with time, demigods, and living beings.
2. Who is Bhagavān?
Bhagavān is the creator, maintainer, and destroyer—the one from whom this universe arises, by whose fear the sun rises, the oceans remain within bounds, and the seasons change.
He is directly (anvayād) and indirectly (itarataḥ) involved in creation—personally creating time and the Vedas, while empowering the demigods for secondary creation. He gives śakti to Brahmā, Agni, Varuṇa, and others to perform their functions, yet remains detached, delighting in the company of His devotees.
Kṛṣṇa is that Bhagavān—oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Śiva, sometimes a śaktyāveśa-avatāra of Kṛṣṇa, assists in destruction. Thirty-three crore demigods serve under His direction, but He alone is independent—abhijñaḥ svarāṭ.
3. The Loving Control of Bhagavān
Bhagavān governs not by tyranny but by prem. The Upaniṣads say the sun moves in its orbit out of fear of Him—not the fear of punishment, but of disappointing the beloved. The demigods’ “fear” is a reverential love, the fear of offending their Lord.
Even a little advancement in bhakti destroys great fear:
nehābhikrama-nāśo’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt
(Bhagavad Gita 2.40).
4. Abhidheya – Reconnecting with Bhagavān
Our present relationship with Bhagavān is broken. We remember only those with whom we have a connection. Thus, our minds dwell on family, possessions, and bodily ties. Abhidheya is the process of restoring our original link with Bhagavān.
Where there is relationship, there is remembrance. When that connection is revived, remembrance of Bhagavān becomes constant—like an electric current flowing once the wire is reconnected.
5. Māyā – The Power of Illusion
Bhagavān also creates māyā, which covers our true vision. The Bhāgavatam explains: tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayaḥ…—like mistaking a mirage for water.
As long as we identify with the body, we remain in illusion. What seems real is false, and what is real—the soul—is unseen. Māyā and the material world are inseparable. Even movies and worldly pleasures are extensions of illusion. We enjoy them only because we are habituated to false enjoyment.
Bhagavān, like a loving mother, created this world because we insisted on enjoying apart from Him. When we tire of illusion and turn back, He accepts us again with love.
6. Prayojana – Attaining the Goal
The purpose of creation is to redirect our desire for enjoyment toward Bhagavān’s real līlās. He lifted Govardhana, subdued Kāliya, and destroyed Rāvaṇa—not as myths, but as eternal, divine pastimes meant to attract our hearts away from illusion.
Sādhus train us to relish the holy name and pastimes of Bhagavān, not the temporary pleasures of māyā. Bhagavān’s abode is free from illusion (nirasta-kuhakam). The Bhāgavatam ends by declaring: satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi—“Let us meditate on the Supreme Truth.”
That Truth is Kṛṣṇa Himself. By hearing from sādhus, we can break our bond with māyā and revive our eternal relationship with Him—the very goal (prayojana) of life.
In Essence
- Sambandha: Know your relationship with Bhagavān.
- Abhidheya: Reconnect through remembrance and devotion.
- Prayojana: Attain love and eternal joy in relationship with Him.
To know these is to awaken from illusion and enter reality—satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi