Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.47 Summary

This chapter describes how Uddhava, on the order of Lord Śrī Krishna, delivered the Lord's message to the gopīs, consoled them and then returned to Mathurā.

When the young maidens of Vraja saw lotus-eyed Uddhava, who wore a yellow garment and attractive earrings, they were astonished at how much he resembled Krishna. Thinking "Who is this?" they approached and encircled him. When they realized that Krishna must have sent him, they brought him to a secluded place where he could speak to them confidentially.

The gopīs then began to remember the pastimes they had enjoyed with Śrī Krishna, and putting aside all ordinary propriety and shyness, they loudly wept. One gopī, while deeply meditating on Her association with Krishna, noticed a bumblebee before Her. Imagining the bee to be a messenger from Him, She said, "Just as bees wander among various flowers, Śrī Krishna has abandoned the young girls of Vraja and developed affection for other women." The gopī continued to speak in this way, contrasting Her own supposed ill fortune to Her rival lovers' good fortune, all the while glorifying the names, forms, qualities and pastimes of Lord Krishna. She then declared that although Krishna may have abandoned the gopīs, they could not possibly stop remembering Him for even a moment.

Uddhava tried to console the damsels of Vraja, who were so anxious to see Krishna once again. Uddhava explained, "While ordinary persons must perform many pious deeds to qualify as servants of Lord Krishna, you simple cowherd girls are so extremely fortunate that the Lord has favored you with the very highest degree of pure devotion for Him." Uddhava then related to them the Lord's message.

Quoting Lord Krishna, Uddhava said, "I am the Supreme Soul and supreme shelter of all. By My potencies I create, maintain and destroy the cosmos. I am indeed most dear to you gopīs, but to increase your attraction for Me and intensify your remembrance of Me, I left you. After all, when a woman's beloved is far away, she fixes her mind upon him constantly. By incessantly remembering Me, you are sure to regain My association without delay.' "

The gopīs then asked Uddhava, "Is Krishna happy now that Kamsa is dead and He can enjoy the company of His family members and the women of Mathurā? Does He still remember all the pastimes He enjoyed with us, such as the rāsa dance? Will Śrī Krishna once again appear before us and give us ecstasy, just as Lord Indra, with his rain, gives life back to the forests aggrieved by the summer heat? Although we know that the greatest happiness comes from renunciation, we simply cannot stop hoping to attain Krishna, for the marks of His lotus feet are still present throughout the land of Vraja, reminding us of His graceful gait, generous smiles and gentle talks. By all these our hearts have been stolen away."

Having said this, the gopīs loudly chanted Lord Krishna's names, calling out, "O Govinda, please come and destroy our suffering!" Uddhava then pacified the gopīs with statements that dispelled their pain of separation, and they in turn worshiped him as nondifferent from Śrī Krishna.

Uddhava stayed in the district of Vraja for several months, giving pleasure to the residents by reminding them about Krishna in various ways. Very satisfied at seeing the extent of the gopīs' love for the Lord, he declared, "These cowherd girls have perfected their lives by coming to the platform of unalloyed love for Krishna. Indeed, even Lord Brahmā is inferior to them. The goddess of fortune herself, who always resides on Krishna's chest, could not get the same mercy as that which the gopīs obtained during the rāsa dance, when Krishna embraced their necks with His mighty arms. What, then, to speak of other women! Indeed, I would consider myself most fortunate to take birth as even a bush or creeper that would sometimes be touched by the dust of these gopīs' lotus feet."

Finally, Uddhava entreated Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherd men for permission to go back to Mathurā. Nanda presented him with many gifts and prayed to Uddhava for the ability to always remember Krishna. Returning to Mathurā, Uddhava offered Balarāma, Krishna and King Ugrasena the gifts sent by Nanda Mahārāja and described to them everything he had experienced in Vraja.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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