Bhagavatam - Tenth Skandha , Chapter 47

Bharamara Gitam !

They saw the disciple of Krishna , with Long arms , with eyes like a new Lotus, wearing yellow garments , and wearing garland of lotuses ,whose face is lotus like with ear rings.

Bhramara Gitam

Suka Deva continued

They saw Uddhava.

They saw long armed Uddhava , the disciple of Krishna wearing yellow garments and a garland of lotuses . His face is lotus like with ear rings. They were astonished and said “ Who is this handsome man , from where is he and why is he dressed and decorated like Achyuta" . Thinking like this they surrounded the man who is a devotee of Lord himself.

Realizing him to be the messenger of the Lord the Gopis welcomed Uddhava bowing down properly with humility and honoring him respectfully. Once he was comfortably seated in a secluded place the Gopis spoke to Uddhava, unable to contain their curiosity.

“ We know you as the personal messenger of Lord of Yadus sent by the master to give satisfaction to his parents. Otherwise we do not find anything worth remembering for him in Vraja. After all the affectionate attachment for relatives is something which even sages cannot break. Indeed the friendship with others is a pretense till the motive is achieved, like the men towards women and the bees for the flowers.It is well known that the Courtesans leave the one without assets. Citizens leave an incompetent King. Those who have completed studies leave their teacher. Priests leave the one who has given the gift. Birds leave tree without fruits. Guests leave a house having had their fill. Animals leave a forest that is burnt down. Now we also know a Lover leaves a woman whom he has enjoyed.”

Thus Gopis spoke with Krishna's emissary who has come to Vraja putting aside worldly affairs. They spoke focusing all their words on Govinda and pouring out their misery in not seeing him. One Gopi seeing a honey bee treating it like a messenger from her beloved Krishna, began to speak eloquently with her mind completely absorbed in the Lord Krishna. Yet addressing Uddhava too !

“ Oh Honey Bee , Oh friend of the cheater! do not touch our feet, with your whiskers which carry the kumkum of the flowers fallen from the breast of our rival . The assembly of Yadus will laugh at him , who sends you as messenger .!”

“Oh bee ! Having made us drink the nectar of his lips he suddenly abandoned us , much like you leaving the flowers. Why I wonder, why indeed the Goddess of Lakshmi serves his lotus feet ? May be because he has taken away her mind with false speech !”

“ Oh bee!, why do you sing about the master of Yadus in front of us, the homeless people. You should sing for the friends of Krishna, whose pain he has relieved. May be they will show some charity “.

“ For the one with deceptive smiles, what women are there who is not available to him, in the heavenly regions, or on the earth , and in the subterranean world . The Goddess of fortune still worships his Lotus feet. Alas ! what is our position. Nevertheless for those who are wretched like us , we can only chant his name .“

“ Oh bee ! let go of my feet with your head. You are an expert in the art of conciliation having learnt from Mukunda. You are coming as his messenger with flattering words for us who have abandoned our children husbands, and everyone else. He is ungrateful. Why indeed should I make up with him ? “

“Like a hunter he killed the King of Monkeys. He disfigured a woman. He was conquered by a woman. Having accepted his gifts, he then bound King Bali like a crow . Enough of friendship with this black Krishna though we cannot give up chanting his stories ! “

“ Oh bee, just hearing those Leelas of the Lord is like nectar for the ears, just partaking once removes the duality. Many such people rejecting families are here in Vrindavan for more of that nectar , literally begging in the form of doves “.

“ Trusting his deceptive speech, like the black deer's foolish wives hearing the hunter's song, we repeatedly felt the sharp lust by the touch of his nails. Oh! messenger please speak about another topic , not about Krishna “.

“ Oh friend of my beloved, you have come again ! Ask what you want , you are good enough to be honored. How will you take us to him whose love is difficult to give up. He is always accompanied by Goddess of fortune sitting on his chest “.

“ Alas ! the son of Nanda now residing in Mathura , does he remember the house hold affairs of his father , his Gopa friends ?. Does he remember us his maid servants ? And does he remember that he put his hands on our heads offering protection ? “

Hearing this highly enchanting, and unmatched out pouring of the Gopis , who are anxious for meeting Krishna, and wanting to pacify them the great Uddhava spoke. He spoke with the assurance of the man who was assured .

“ You are all indeed fulfilled and universally worshipped because you have surrendered your mind to the son of Vasudeva . Oh Ladies ! , the devotion to the Lord is realized by charity , by sacrifice, by austerities , by fire , by chanting , by study of Vedic principles . By good fortune the ideal of unexcelled devotion for the Supreme Lord glorified in great poetry has been established by you . This is difficult to attain even for sages. By a divine twist you have left your children, husbands , relatives and homes and choose Krishna as the Supreme person. The whole hearted love is claimed by you rightfully for the Supreme Lord . This despondency on separation from the Lord you exhibit is a blessing to me . Please hear this message from your beloved for your happiness. I have come as a confidential messenger of my master, the Supreme one.

The Lord said , “ you cannot be separated from me , manifesting the whole universe , just like the five elements which manifest everything. I create I sustain and I destroy , everything out of myself with my own power . The soul is a pure form of knowledge. It goes through three modes , wakeful state, sleep and deep sleep . By which of the sense one meditates after waking up from a dream that sense must be brought under control becoming fully alert. The entire Vedic literature , the standard system of Yoga , the process of Sankhya meditation , renunciation , austerity , and sense control is having this as the conclusion . It is like all the rivers merging into the ocean . Fact is that I am situated far away from those who are dear to Intensify the attraction of the mind and meditate on me . A woman thinks more of her lover when is far away than when he is near . Completely absorbing your mind on me , having given up everything , continuously remembering me you will attain me . Indeed some Gopis could not join me physically on the nights of Rasa dance , they did in fact reach me through meditation. “

The women of Vraja , having heard the message which revived their memories , were very pleased. They again addressed Uddhava .

“ It is fortunate that Kamsa , the enemy of Yadus , has been killed with his followers. It is fortunate that his well wisher have obtained all their wishes and living happily. Oh Gentle one ! , perhaps Krishna is giving loving glances and smiles which belong to us to the women of Mathura ?. Krishna , the expert in Love affairs , the darling of city women , how can he not be captivated by their gestures and words ? Oh Pious one !, does he remember us in his discussions. In the assembly of city women during free conversation does he mention us as village girls. Does he recollect those nights of Rasa dance in Vrindavan . Krishna the descendent of Dasarha , will he ever come to Vraja and bring those who are dying of separation back to life ?. Oh ! why should he come here having won the kingdom , with all enemies dead . After marrying daughters of kings he must be happy surrounded by all well wishers . Again what is there with us the village women or the city women , when he is the Lord of the Goddess of fortune who fulfills all desires for the one who has no desires !. As Pingali , the unchaste woman rightly said, the highest happiness indeed is indifference . Though knowing this , we are not able to give up on Krishna. Who can bear to give up intimate talks with the Supreme Lord , even the Goddess of fortune does not go away even though he has no use for her . Oh Prabho when he was here he enjoyed the rivers mountains and the areas of the forest and the cows and the flute . Now these constantly remind us of the son of Nanda. Oh how can we forget him who stole our hearts with generous smiles . Oh Master, Oh Master of the Goddess of Fortune , Oh Master of Vraja, Oh destroyer of all suffering ,Oh Govinda please lift Gokul out of the ocean of distress. “

Then having been satisfied by the messages of Krishna , recognizing Uddhava as no other than Supreme Lord they worshipped him. Uddhava remained there for several months dispelling the distress of Gopis . Singing the glories of Krishna , he made everybody in Gokul happy. The servant of Hari seeing the rivers , mountains , forests in Vrindavan enjoyed inspiring the people of Vraja singing glories of Krishna. Seeing how Gopis were totally absorbed in Krishna, thoroughly pleased offering all respect to them he was delighted .

And he sang in their praise ! .

“ These Gopis alone justified their birth on the earth having perfected loving attraction to the Lord , which is wanted by all sages afraid of material existence and even us . What is the need of being born as a Brahman or Lord Brahma , when one is immersed in the glories of the Lord”.

“ Where are these women wandering in the forest with improper behavior and where is perfect love for the supreme soul . Certainly Supreme soul bestows highest good to one who worship him constantly though that one may not be learned . Indeed just like the medicine taken by a person ignorant of ingredients still works for the person their devotion even if they are learned still works “.

“The Goddess of fortune reposing on his chest did not have the fortune, The celestial damsels carrying the aromas did not have the fortune ,and indeed the Gopis in the Rasa dance had been embraced by the Lord, providing unlimited bliss”.

“Let me become any one among the bushes creepers and herbs in Vrindavan devoted the dust of the lotus feet of Gopis , who gave up the family , the path of chastity which is very difficult give up, and worshipped the lotus feet of the Supreme one”.

“The Goddess of Fortune and the Lord Brahma and other sages can worship the Lotus feet in their mind . These women of Vraja had the Lotus feet of the Lord on their breasts in the Rasa dance and embracing those feet Gopis gave up all distress. I salute the dust of the feet of the women of Nanda in Vraja , whose loud chanting of Lord Hari's glories purifies the three worlds “

Then Uddhava took permission to leave Vraja from the Gopis , Yashoda and Maharaj Nanda . He took leave from all the Gopas too and mounted his chariot .

Then Nanda and Gopas approached him with gifts and addressed him . ” May all activities of our mind be focused on his lotus feet , may our words be focused on chanting his name, may our body remain engaged in bowing before him to serve him . Wherever we are made to move by our Karma , let only the devotion to Krishna be the fruit of our karma. ”

After being honored by Nanda and the other Gopas , Uddhava returned to Mathura , which is now under protection of Krishna. After falling down at the feet of Krishna , he told of the enormous devotion in Vraja to Krishna , Balaram and the King and presented them the gifts he received .

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After falling down at the feet of Krishna , he told of the enormous devotion in Vraja to son of Vasudeva , Balaram and the King and presented them the gifts he received .