॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
18 May 2023, Thursday - Srimad Bhagavatam X.a47 - The Gopis stun Uddhava into extreme reverence by the intensity and single-mindedness of their devotion to Bhagavan. He returns a changed man to Mathura.
***
श्रीशुक उवाच
तं वीक्ष्य कृष्णानुचरं व्रजस्त्रियः प्रलम्बबाहुं नवकञ्जलोचनम् ।
पीताम्बरं पुष्करमालिनं लसन्मुखारविन्दं परिमृष्टकुण्डलम् ॥
शुचिस्मिताः कोऽयमपीच्यदर्शनः कुतश्च कस्याच्युतवेषभूषणः ।
इति स्म सर्वाः परिवव्रुरुत्सुकास्तमुत्तमश्लोकपदाम्बुजाश्रयम् ॥
तं प्रश्रयेणावनताः सुसत्कृतं सव्रीडहासेक्षणसूनृतादिभिः ।
रहस्यपृच्छन्नुपविष्टमासने विज्ञाय सन्देशहरं रमापतेः ॥
जानीमस्त्वां यदुपतेः पार्षदं समुपागतम् । भर्त्रेह प्रेषितः पित्रोर्भवान् प्रियचिकीर्षया ॥
अन्यथा गोव्रजे तस्य स्मरणीयं न चक्ष्महे । स्नेहानुबन्धो बन्धूनां मुनेरपि सुदुस्त्यजः ॥
अन्येष्वर्थकृता मैत्री यावदर्थविडम्बनम् । पुम्भिः स्त्रीषु कृता यद्वत्सुमनःस्विव षट्पदैः ॥
निःस्वं त्यजन्ति गणिका अकल्पं नृपतिं प्रजाः ।
अधीतविद्या आचार्यं ऋत्विजो दत्तदक्षिणम् ॥
खगा वीतफलं वृक्षं भुक्त्वा चातिथयो गृहम् ।
दग्धं मृगास्तथारण्यं जारो भुक्त्वा रतां स्त्रियम् ॥
T: Sage Shuka said: The young women of Vraja became astonished upon seeing Sri Krishna’s emissary, who looked divine himself -long arms, lotus eyes, a yellow garment and a lotus garland, and whose lotus-like face glowed with brightly polished earrings. “Who is this handsome man?” the Gopis asked. “Where has he come from, and whom does he serve? He’s wearing Sri Krishna’s clothes and ornaments!” Saying this, the gopīs eagerly crowded around Uddhava, whose shelter was the lotus feet of Bhagavan, the one with an impeccable reputation, Sri Krishna.
Bowing their heads in humility, with their shy, smiling glances and pleasing words, they took him to a quiet place, seated him comfortably and began to question him, for they recognized him to be a messenger from Sri Krishna, the master of Devi Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune.
The Gopis said: "We know that you are the personal servant of the chief of the Yadus, Sri Krishna, sent here by him to convey his affection and respect to his parents, King Nanda and Yashoda. We see nothing else he might consider worth remembering in these cow pastures of Vraja. Indeed, the bonds of affection for one’s family relatives are difficult to break, even for a sage!"
"The friendship shown toward others — those who are not relatives — is just a self-seeking pretence, like the fleeting interest men take in women, or bees in flowers. Even so, prostitutes abandon a poor man, citizens a useless king, students their teachers once they graduate, and priests the performing householder after getting the Dakshina. The same is the case with birds that abandon a tree when its fruits are gone, guests a house after they have eaten, animals in a forest that has burnt down, and a lover who leaves the woman without caring for her feelings."
Thus the Gopis went on, displaying the utmost affection for Sri Krishna, sorrowing over their separation, and recalling the various moments they had spent with him in such bliss.
Then a Gopi, particularly stirred emotionally, saw a bee and spoke to him: “Oh, you messenger of Sri Krishna, I can see on your whiskers the vermilion from his new lover’s breasts that you picked from Sri Krishna’s flower garland. Don’t touch me!"
"How come Devi Lakshmi still remains faithful to Sri Krishna!? Maybe her predicament of love is the same as mine, totally subsumed in his charm! Oh, bee, stop singing so much about Sri Krishna! We know all these stories too well!"
The Gopis went on and on in this vein, expressing extreme anguish at having been abandoned by Sri Krishna who had gone away to the pleasures and pomp of Mathura. They compared him to heartless hunters. They compared him to wanton men. They accused him of being a very fickle lover. But they repeatedly said how much they loved him, how he had made his permanent home in their hearts, and how they and totally lost any other interest or sense of obligation in life.
They concluded. “Oh, Uddhava! It is wrenching that Sri Krishna has gone away to Mathura. Does he still remember his father’s household affairs and his friends, the cowherd boys? Oh, noble sir! Does he ever talk about us, his Gopis? When will he lay on our heads his aguru-scented hand?”
Having heard this, Uddhava now tried to pacify the Gopis, who were most eager to see Sri Krishna. He thus began relating to them the message of their beloved.
उद्धव उवाच
अहो यूयं स्म पूर्णार्था भवत्यो लोकपूजिताः । वासुदेवे भगवति यासामित्यर्पितं मनः ॥
दानव्रततपोहोमजपस्वाध्यायसंयमैः । श्रेयोभिर्विविधैश्चान्यैः कृष्णे भक्तिर्हि साध्यते ॥
भगवत्युत्तमश्लोके भवतीभिरनुत्तमा । भक्तिः प्रवर्तिता दिष्ट्या मुनीनामपि दुर्लभा ॥
दिष्ट्या पुत्रान् पतीन् देहान् स्वजनान् भवनानि च ।
हित्वावृणीत यूयं यत्कृष्णाख्यं पुरुषं परम् ॥
सर्वात्मभावोऽधिकृतो भवतीनामधोक्षजे । विरहेण महाभागा महान् मेऽनुग्रहः कृतः ॥
श्रूयतां प्रियसन्देशो भवतीनां सुखावहः । यमादायागतो भद्रा अहं भर्तू रहस्करः ॥
Uddhava said: "Certainly, dear gopis, you are exemplary in your unique bond with Sri Krishna, you are thus universally acclaimed. People have to strive hard through big charity, strict austerity, Yajnas, constant Japa, scriptural studies, ritualistic strictness, and many such practices, all to develop true devotion. This you have in such profuse measure! You are fortunate in this -you have established an unexcelled standard of pure devotion for the Lord whose other name is Uttamashloka — the best among the worshippable. Your attainment beggars what even great Yogis strive for. Your love for the Parama Purusha, Supreme Person, has erased your attachment to people and things in your homes. I can say your displaying your devotion thus to me is entirely an act of grace from you!"
I do have a message for you from Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Please listen.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
भवतीनां वियोगो मे न हि सर्वात्मना क्वचित् ।
यथा भूतानि भूतेषु खं वाय्वग्निर्जलं मही । तथाहं च मनः प्राणभूतेन्द्रियगुणाश्रयः ॥
आत्मन्येवात्मनाऽऽत्मानं सृजे हन्म्यनुपालये । आत्ममायानुभावेन भूतेन्द्रियगुणात्मना ॥
आत्मा ज्ञानमयः शुद्धो व्यतिरिक्तोऽगुणान्वयः । सुषुप्तिस्वप्नजाग्रद्भिर्मायावृत्तिभिरीयते ॥
येनेन्द्रियार्थान् ध्यायेत मृषा स्वप्नवदुत्थितः । तन्निरुन्ध्यादिन्द्रियाणि विनिद्रः प्रत्यपद्यत ॥
एतदन्तः समाम्नायो योगः साङ्ख्यं मनीषिणाम् । त्यागस्तपो दमः सत्यं समुद्रान्ता इवापगाः ॥
यत्त्वहं भवतीनां वै दूरे वर्ते प्रियो दृशाम् । मनसः सन्निकर्षार्थं मदनुध्यानकाम्यया ॥
यथा दूरचरे प्रेष्ठे मन आविश्य वर्तते । स्त्रीणां च न तथा चेतः सन्निकृष्टेऽक्षिगोचरे ॥
मय्यावेश्य मनः कृत्स्नं विमुक्ताशेषवृत्ति यत् । अनुस्मरन्त्यो मां नित्यमचिरान्मामुपैष्यथ ॥
या मया क्रीडता रात्र्यां वनेऽस्मिन् व्रज आस्थिताः । अलब्धरासाः कल्याण्यो माऽऽपुर्मद्वीर्यचिन्तया ॥
T: Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s message to the Gopis: "Dear ones, you are never actually separated from Me, for I am the Soul of all creation. Just as the elements of nature — ether, air, fire, water and earth — are present in every created thing, so I am present within everyone’s mind, life breath and senses, and also within the physical elements and the modes of material nature. By My own will and energy, I create, sustain and withdraw Myself within Myself by the power of My Vishnu Maya Shakti, which comprises the material elements, the senses and the modes of nature. I am composed of pure consciousness or knowledge, and as the soul am distinct from everything material and am uninvolved in the entanglements of the modes of nature. One can intuit the soul through the three mental states known as wakefulness, sleep and deep sleep."
"As a person just arisen from sleep may continue to meditate on a dream even though it is illusory, so by the agency of the mind one meditates on the sense objects, which the senses can then obtain. Therefore one should become fully alert and bring the mind under control. According to those with true wisdom, this is the ultimate conclusion of all the Vedas, as well as all practices of Yoga, Sankhya, Sannyasa, Tapas, Yama Niyama, and Satya. It is a bit like how the sea is the ultimate destination of all rivers."
"But the actual reason why I, the beloved object of your thoughts and perceptions, have stayed far away from you is that I wanted to intensify your meditation upon Me and thus draw your minds closer to Me. When her lover is far away, a woman thinks of him more than when he is present before her. Because your minds are totally absorbed in Me and free from all other preoccupations, you remember Me always, and so you will very soon have Me again in your presence. Now, about those gopis who had to remain in Vraja and so could not come to join the Raasa Leela to sport with Me at night in the forest. Know that they were nonetheless fortunate. Indeed, for they attained Me by thinking constantly of Me and My vigorous sport during Raasa."
The Gopis felt immense relief and joy hearing their beloved Sri Krishna’s message from Uddhvava. They now spoke.
गोप्य ऊचुः
दिष्ट्याहितो हतः कंसो यदूनां सानुगोऽघकृत् । दिष्ट्याऽऽप्तैर्लब्धसर्वार्थैः कुशल्यास्तेऽच्युतोऽधुना ॥
कच्चिद्गदाग्रजः सौम्य करोति पुरयोषिताम् । प्रीतिं नः स्निग्धसव्रीडहासोदारेक्षणार्चितः ॥
कथं रतिविशेषज्ञः प्रियश्च वरयोषिताम् । नानुबध्येत तद्वाक्यैर्विभ्रमैश्चानुभाजितः ॥
अपि स्मरति नः साधो गोविन्दः प्रस्तुते क्वचित् । गोष्ठीमध्ये पुरस्त्रीणां ग्राम्याः स्वैरकथान्तरे ॥
ताः किं निशाः स्मरति यासु तदा प्रियाभिर्वृन्दावने कुमुदकुन्दशशाङ्करम्ये ।
रेमे क्वणच्चरणनूपुररासगोष्ठ्यामस्माभिरीडितमनोज्ञकथः कदाचित् ॥
अप्येष्यतीह दाशार्हस्तप्ताः स्वकृतया शुचा । सञ्जीवयन् नु नो गात्रैर्यथेन्द्रो वनमम्बुदैः ॥
कस्मात्कृष्ण इहायाति प्राप्तराज्यो हताहितः । नरेन्द्रकन्या उद्वाह्य प्रीतः सर्वसुहृद्वृतः ॥
किमस्माभिर्वनौकोभिरन्याभिर्वा महात्मनः । श्रीपतेराप्तकामस्य क्रियेतार्थः कृतात्मनः ॥
परं सौख्यं हि नैराश्यं स्वैरिण्यप्याह पिङ्गला । तज्जानतीनां नः कृष्णे तथाप्याशा दुरत्यया ॥
क उत्सहेत सन्त्यक्तुमुत्तमश्लोकसंविदम् । अनिच्छतोऽपि यस्य श्रीरङ्गान्न च्यवते क्वचित् ॥
सरिच्छैलवनोद्देशा गावो वेणुरवा इमे । सङ्कर्षणसहायेन कृष्णेनाचरिताः प्रभो ॥
पुनः पुनः स्मारयन्ति नन्दगोपसुतं बत । श्रीनिकेतैस्तत्पदकैर्विस्मर्तुं नैव शक्नुमः ॥
गत्या ललितयोदारहासलीलावलोकनैः । माध्व्या गिरा हृतधियः कथं तं विस्मरामहे ॥
हे नाथ हे रमानाथ व्रजनाथार्तिनाशन ।मग्नमुद्धर गोविन्द गोकुलं वृजिनार्णवात् ॥
T: The Gopis spoke: “It is very good that Kamsa, the sworn enemy of Yadus, and his ilk, have all been killed and Sri Krishna is now in charge. This must have brought great happiness to him and his people in Mathura. Tell us, dear Uddhava, is our Lord now busy sporting with the lucky women of Mathura? With his amorous skills, he must be the darling of those city women. They must have snared him with their clever enticements!
Tell us, Oh saintly one, does Govinda ever remember us during time with those women? Does he ever mention us at all while he is chatting with them? Does he recall those delectable nights spent in Vrindavan with us in moonlight, with the fragrance of lotuses and jasmine? The Raasa Dance we all danced, which resounded with the music of ankle bells? Will he ever come here again to bring us back to life with his touch? Like Indra enlivens a parched forest with rain?
But then, why should Sri Krishna come here after winning a kingdom, killing his enemies and having married the daughters of kings? He’s satisfied there, surrounded by all his friends and well-wishers. After all, Bhagavan Sri Krishna is the Lord of the goddess of fortune, and he automatically achieves whatever he desires. How can we forest-dwellers or any other women fulfil his purposes when he is already fulfilled within himself?
Even that fallen woman Pingala has spoken the wise words, “The greatest happiness is to renounce all desires.” But yet, we cannot give up our hopes of attaining our Sri Krishna Who indeed can bear to give up the intimate talk one can have with the most worshippable Lord? Does not Devi Sri Lakshmi herself remain stuck on his chest?"
"Dear Uddhava Prabhu, when Sri Krishna was here in the company of Balarama, he enjoyed all these rivers, hills, forests, cows and flute sounds. All these are still very much reminding us constantly of Nanda’s son. Indeed, because we see Sri Krishna’s footprints, which are marked with divine symbols, we can never forget him. Oh, Uddhava, how can we forget him when our hearts have been stolen away by the charming way he walks, his generous smile and playful glances, and his honeylike words? Oh master, Oh master of the goddess of fortune, Oh master of Vraja! Oh destroyer of all suffering, Govinda, please lift Your Gokula out of the ocean of distress in which it is drowning!”
The Gopis were feeling much better now and showed affectionate respect to Uddhava. He remained in Vraja for several months, dispelling the Gopis’ sorrow by chanting the topics of Sri Krishna’s pastimes. Thus he brought joy to all the people of Gokula. They fled very fast. Uddhava, that servant of Sri Hari, very much enjoyed the sights of the rivers, forests, mountains, valleys and flowering trees of Vraja, and equally enjoyed cheering up the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana with his accounts of Sri Krishna.
Uddahava’s parting words were in prayer to the Gopis:
एताः परं तनुभृतो भुवि गोपवध्वो गोविन्द एव निखिलात्मनि रूढभावाः ।
वाञ्छन्ति यद्भवभियो मुनयो वयं च किं ब्रह्मजन्मभिरनन्तकथारसस्य ॥
क्वेमाः स्त्रियो वनचरीर्व्यभिचारदुष्टाः कृष्णे क्व चैष परमात्मनि रूढभावः ।
नन्वीश्वरोऽनुभजतोऽविदुषोऽपि साक्षाच्छ्रेयस्तनोत्यगदराज इवोपयुक्तः ॥
नायं श्रियोऽङ्ग उ नितान्तरतेः प्रसादः स्वर्योषितां नलिनगन्धरुचां कुतोऽन्याः ।
रासोत्सवेऽस्य भुजदण्डगृहीतकण्ठलब्धाशिषां य उदगाद्व्रजवल्लवीनाम् ॥
आसामहो चरणरेणुजुषामहं स्यां वृन्दावने किमपि गुल्मलतौषधीनाम् ।
या दुस्त्यजं स्वजनमार्यपथं च हित्वा भेजुर्मुकुन्दपदवीं श्रुतिभिर्विमृग्याम् ॥
या वै श्रियार्चितमजादिभिराप्तकामै
र्योगेश्वरैरपि यदात्मनि रासगोष्ठ्याम् ।
कृष्णस्य तद्भगवतश्चरणारविन्दं
न्यस्तं स्तनेषु विजहुः परिरभ्य तापम् ॥
वन्दे नन्दव्रजस्त्रीणां पादरेणुमभीक्ष्णशः ।
यासां हरिकथोद्गीतं पुनाति भुवनत्रयम् ॥
“Among all persons on earth, these cowherd women alone have actually perfected their embodied lives, for they have achieved the perfection of unalloyed love for Lord Govinda. Their pure love is hankered after by those who fear material existence, by great sages, and by ourselves as well. For one who has tasted the narrations of the infinite Lord, what is the use of taking birth as a high-class Brahmin, or even as Lord Brahma himself? How amazing is it that these simple women who wander about the forest, seemingly spoiled by improper behaviour, have achieved the perfection of unalloyed love for Sri Krishna, the Supreme Soul! Still, it is true that the Supreme Lord Himself awards His blessings even to an ignorant worshipper, just as the best medicine works even when taken by a person ignorant of its ingredients.”
When Bhagavan Sri Krishna was dancing with the Gopis in the Raasa Leela, the Gopis were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This transcendental favour was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or other consorts in the spiritual world. Indeed, never was such a thing even imagined by the most beautiful damsels in heaven, whose bodily lustre and aroma resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women who are very beautiful only according to physical estimation?
“The Gopis have abandoned all attachments to worldly life and ties to family, and apparently all ideas of social morality in their unreserved love for Bhagavan. Yet, they have achieved what even the greatest ascetics and meditators strive for - eternal Bhakti to the Lord! Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers or herbs in Vrindavan because the Gopis trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet. Devi Lakshmi, Brahma, other gods who are masters of yogic perfection, can worship the lotus feet of Sri Krishna only mentally. But during the Raasa Leela, Sri Krishna placed his feet upon these Gopis’ breasts, and by embracing those feet the Gopis gave up all distress. I repeatedly offer my respects to the dust from the feet of the women of King Nanda’s Gokula. When these Gopis loudly chant the glories of Sri Krishna, the vibration purifies the three worlds.
It was time for Uddhava to leave. As he boarded his chariot, Nanda and others came with many gifts to be given to everyone in Mathura. Nanda spoke:
“May our minds always take shelter of Sri Krishna’s lotus feet, may our words always chant his names, and may our bodies always bow down to him and serve him. Wherever we are made to wander about this world by the Supreme Lord’s will, in accordance with our Karma, may our good Karma and Dharma always grant us love for Bhagavan Sri Krishna.”
Thus honoured by the cowherd men with expressions of devotion for Bhagavan, Uddhava went back to the city of Mathura, protected by Sri Krishna himself. After bowing in homage, Uddhava described to the Lord the immense devotion of the residents of Vraja. Uddhava also narrated all to Vasudeva, Balarama and King Ugrasena and presented to them the gifts of tribute he had brought with him.
***
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
