Question: I was wondering if our spiritual relationships or relationships in general carry on to the next life or the spiritual world. Let’s say my significant other and me have a loving relationship that is also in the realm of Krishna consciousness, does this mean that we will be always connected in some capacity in future lifetimes? What about brother, sister, mother, father or friends? Even if we relate with one another spiritually, these are not totally spiritual relationships as they are material in some capacity. Will it carry over and grow in future lifetimes? It would be very helpful if you can clarify some of these questions. I appreciate your feedback.
Answer by Romapada Swami:
Relationships based on the body or mind are certainly temporary but relationships of the soul are eternal, as they are connected through the medium of service to Krishna. Even bodily relations may be spiritual in as much as they are fully centered around service to Krishna.
We pray to our spiritual masters: “janme janme prabhu sei”, he is my lord birth after birth. Similarly, for very elevated souls who are accustomed to the association of other similarly realized souls, they are connected with one another beyond the limits of this mortal coil.
Although eternal, however, such relationships will not necessarily continue in a similar form as they are in our present material condition (as brothers, sisters or husband and wife etc.). Nor will we remember, as fallible living entities, the details of those relationships; nonetheless we remain connected through our relationship with Krishna. Ultimately this is all completely under Krishna’s independent jurisdiction, and a devotee is simply ready to go wherever the Lord may want to send him; but by the Lord’s grace one attains the company of the devotee-associates to whom one is deeply attached and obliged.
A nice scriptural example that illustrates this is of Dhruva Maharaja: when he was ascending the Vaikuntha airplane, he remembered his mother Suniti, feeling greatly obliged, for it was she who had initially given him impetus towards Krishna consciousness. Understanding his mind the Vishnudutas showed him his mother also ascending a similar airplane. (Cf. SB 4.12.32)
Another example is of the Pandavas who we understand to be on the eternal entourage of the Lord, always serving in some capacity wherever the Lord is manifesting His pastimes. Although Queen Kunti petitions the Lord to please sever her material attachments with the Pandavas and Vrishnis, in doing so she is speaking of the `skin-relationship’, so that all her thoughts and actions including her relationships may be connected to Krishna. Srila Prabhupada remarks here that their relationship to each other was not out of the range of devotional service, and that such relationship and service to the Lord’s devotees is sometimes more valuable than even direct service to Krishna. (Cf. 1.8.41-42) There is no question of wanting to severe such relationships altogether.
