Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 84: Guha Meets Bharata
Text 2.84.6
भर्ता चैव सखा चैव रामो दाशरथिर्मम।
तस्यार्थकामाः संनद्धा गङ्गानूपे प्रतिष्ठत॥
bhartā caiva sakhā caiva rāmo dāśarathir mama
tasyārtha-kāmāḥ sannaddhā gaṅgānūpe pratiṣṭhata
bhartā ca eva = is master; sakhā ca eva = and friend; rāmaḥ = Rāma; dāśarathiḥ = Daśaratha’s son; mama = my; tasya artha-kāmāḥ = for His sake; sannaddhāḥ = put on your armors; gaṅgā = of Gaṅgā; anūpe = on the bank; pratiṣṭhata = and station yourselves.
“Daśaratha’s son Rāma is my master and friend. Put on your armors and station yourselves on the bank of Gaṅgā for His sake.
NOTE. It is a fact that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the eternal master and friend of not only Guha, but every living entity. Prabhupāda explains this fact in the following words in his purport to Bhagavad-gītā (2.22):
The Vedas, like the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, as well as the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, compare the soul and the Supersoul to two friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds (the individual atomic soul) is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other bird (Kṛṣṇa) is simply watching His friend. Of these two birds—although they are the same in quality—one is captivated by the fruits of the material tree, while the other is simply witnessing the activities of His friend. Kṛṣṇa is the witnessing bird, and Arjuna is the eating bird. Although they are friends, one is still the master and the other is the servant. Forgetfulness of this relationship by the atomic soul is the cause of one’s changing his position from one tree to another, or from one body to another. The jīva soul is struggling very hard on the tree of the material body, but as soon as he agrees to accept the other bird as the supreme spiritual master—as Arjuna agreed to do by voluntary surrender unto Kṛṣṇa for instruction—the subordinate bird immediately becomes free from all lamentations. Both the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.1.2) and Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (4.7) confirm this:
samāne vṛkṣe puruṣo nimagno
‘nīśayā śocati muhyamānaḥ
juṣṭaṁ yadā paśyaty anyam īśam
asya mahimānam iti vīta-śokaḥ
“Although the two birds are in the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord and knows His glories—at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties.”