Bandhu & Bandhanam: The Vedic Wisdom on Relationships

The word Bandhu in Vedic Sanskrit stands for Relatives as well as Friends. The word Bandhanam, which comes from the root word Bandha, means Bondage. Are relationships bondage? Cannot relationships be liberating as well?

Most people think that relationships are of the body. The idea such as “because this person is related to me by blood, is my relative and, therefore, I must be more caring and considerate towards this person…” is a misconstrued idea. Such ideas are most certainly natural, but...