Once, the Supreme Lord, who removes the distress of those who seek refuge in Him, took Uddhava’s hand in His own, for Uddhava was most dear and devoted. With gentle affection, the Lord spoke to him, saying, “Go, O gentle Uddhava, to Vraja. Bring joy to my parents, and with my messages, ease the agony of the gopīs whose hearts are tormented by separation from me. “These women, their minds fixed upon me and their very lives devoted to me, have forsaken all bodily comforts for my sake. In their hearts, they have made me their beloved, their very self. Those who abandon worldly duties for me—I uphold them. Though I am far away, the women of Gokula, O dear one, are bewildered, always remembering me, overwhelmed by the pain and longing of separation. My cowherd maidens, whose hearts are united with me, somehow sustain their lives with great difficulty, holding on by the hope of my return and the messages I send.” Thus instructed, Uddhava honored his master’s command. He mounted his chariot and departed for Nanda’s cowherd village. When he arrived at Nanda’s Vraja as the sun was setting, the illustrious Uddhava entered, his chariot hidden in the dust raised by the hooves of the returning cattle. The air resounded with the bellowing of powerful bulls vying for the company of the cows, and with the cries of calves running eagerly to their mothers, heavy with milk. The place was adorned here and there by white calves leaping about, filled with the sounds of milking and the melodies of flutes. There, the beautifully adorned gopīs, together with the cowherd men, sang the auspicious deeds of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, making the village splendid. The delightful settlement was vibrant with rituals for fire, sun, guests, cows, brāhmaṇas, ancestors, and gods, as well as incense, lamps, and garlands. All around bloomed flower-filled groves, echoing with the songs of flocks of birds, and adorned with ponds full of swans, cranes, and lotuses. Upon Uddhava’s arrival, Nanda, meeting Kṛṣṇa’s dear companion, joyfully embraced him and honored him with the devotion he felt for Vāsudeva. After feeding Uddhava the finest food and seating him comfortably on a soft couch, Nanda, seeing Uddhava’s fatigue gone, inquired after his well-being, offering foot massages and other services. “O fortunate one,” Nanda asked, “is our friend, the son of Śūra, well? Is he surrounded by his family and children, free from troubles, and steadfast in his friendship? By good fortune, the wicked Kaṃsa, who always hated the virtuous Yadus, has been slain along with his followers by his own evil. Does Krishna still remember us—his mother, his friends, the cowherds, the village, his own dear ones, the cows, Vrindavana, and the hill? Will Govinda return, even once, to see his own people? Then we shall behold that face of his, with its fine nose and beautiful, smiling eyes. “From forest fires, storms and rains, wild bulls and serpents, and from dangers impossible to cross—even from death itself—we were protected by Krishna, the supremely great soul. When we remember Krishna’s heroic deeds, his playful glances, his laughter and speech, O dear one, all our activities become slack. Our minds become absorbed in those places—rivers, mountains, and forests—adorned by Mukunda’s footsteps, where we saw him play. “I think Krishna and Rama, the best among the gods, have come here for some great purpose of the gods, just as Garga said. Kamsa, whose strength was like ten thousand elephants, the wrestlers, and the lord of elephants—Krishna destroyed them all effortlessly, as a lion does beasts. He broke the three mighty palm trees, strong as a great bow, with one hand, and for seven days he held up the mountain. Pralamba, Dhenuka, Arishta, Trinavarta, Baka, and others—these demons, conquerors of gods and demons, were slain by him here in play.” Thus, remembering again and again, Nanda, whose mind was devoted to Krishna, became overwhelmed with longing and sat silent, overcome by the surge of love. Yaśodā, as she listened to the stories of her son’s deeds, her eyes filled with tears, and her breasts, flowing with affection, became wet. Seeing such supreme love for Krishna in Nanda and Yaśodā, Uddhava was filled with joy and spoke to Nanda: “You two are surely the most praiseworthy among all embodied beings, O bestowers of honor, for your minds are fixed in this way upon Nārāyaṇa, the teacher of all. For these two—Rāma and Mukunda—are the seed and womb of the universe: the Person and the Primal Matter. In all beings, they are the ancient lords of knowledge and mastery, distinct from all else. “He, in whom, at the time of death, a person fixes even an impure mind for a moment, who swiftly removes the store of karma—he, radiant as the sun and full of Brahman, leads one to the supreme path. In him, Nārāyaṇa, cause of all, who has taken a mortal form for the sake of all souls—since you have set your hearts so deeply, O great ones, what greater merit could there be for you? “Within a short time, Acyuta, the Lord of the Sātvatas, will come to Vraja and bring joy to his parents. Having slain Kamsa, the enemy of all the Sātvatas, in the midst of the arena, whatever Krishna promised you when he met you, he will surely fulfill. Do not grieve, O greatly fortunate ones; you will see Krishna nearby. He dwells within the hearts of all beings, like a light within the ether. “For him who exists in reality, there is no one dear nor anyone disliked; neither superior nor inferior, nor equal nor unequal, for he is the same to all. He has neither mother nor father, nor wife nor sons and others; neither his own nor another, nor body nor birth at all. Nor does he have any action in this world among the mixed sources of good and bad; even so, for the sake of play, he appears for the protection of the virtuous. “Though beyond qualities, he assumes the modes of goodness, passion, and darkness; playing with them, he creates, maintains, and destroys, though unborn. Just as, by the vision of the bee, something appears to whirl and be greatly agitated, so, in the mind, the self is remembered as the doer by the notion of agency.” Thus, in the sacred cowherd village, amidst the beauty of nature and the warmth of loving hearts, Uddhava delivered the Lord’s message, honoring the devotion of Nanda and Yaśodā, and revealing the profound truths of the Lord’s nature and play.