As the women of Vraja gathered, their hearts heavy with separation, they wondered aloud, “What atonement will he accomplish for us, to bring joy to our beloved master?” It was then, at the break of day, after completing his morning devotions, that Uddhava arrived among them. When the gopīs saw Uddhava, companion of Krishna, they beheld a striking figure: long-armed, his eyes fresh as lotuses, dressed in radiant yellow, adorned with a garland of lotuses, his face aglow like a blooming lotus, and his earrings gleaming. Recognizing him at once, they said, “We know you, Uddhava, as the attendant of the lord of the Yadus. Surely you have come here, sent by our beloved master, to do something pleasing for his parents. For what other reason would he remember Vraja? The bonds of affection among kin are not easily broken, even for a sage. “Friendship with others always has its purpose, lasting only so long as that purpose endures—just as men are drawn to women, or bees to flowers. When the destitute are left by prostitutes, when subjects forsake a powerless king, when students leave their teacher after learning, or priests depart once they’ve received their fee—so too do birds abandon a fruitless tree, guests leave a house after eating, deer flee a burnt forest, and lovers leave a woman once their pleasure is spent.” Thus, the gopīs, whose words, bodies, and very minds were absorbed in Govinda, set aside all worldly concerns at the arrival of Krishna’s messenger, Uddhava. They sang of Krishna’s sweet deeds and wept openly, remembering again and again the playful acts of his childhood and youth. One gopī, seeing a honeybee and lost in thoughts of union with Krishna, imagined the bee as a messenger from her beloved and spoke to it, “O bee, companion of the unfaithful one, do not touch the feet of my rival. The garland she wears, stained with the pollen from her breasts, now marks your whiskers. Let the lord of bees carry the favor of those proud women, for you are his messenger, and fit to be mocked in the assembly of the Yadus. “After giving us but a single taste of the nectar of his lips, enchanting us, he abandoned us as one leaves a flower behind. How does Padmā (Lakshmi) serve his lotus feet, when his mind is so easily stolen by the praise of the fortunate? Why do you, six-legged one, sing here of the lord of the Yadus, the ancient master of our homes? Go sing of his victories among his city friends, for he has healed the pain of their breasts, granting their desires. “What woman, in heaven, on earth, or in the underworld, is unattainable to him, whose charming smile and playful brows deceive all? We, whose only fortune is to worship the dust of his feet, are but humble; even among the wretched, his name is heard. Take his foot from your head—I know the sweetness of his words. He sends you, skilled in persuasion, as his messenger, yet he abandoned his wives and children here, whom he himself created, and left without care. What trust can be placed in him? “Like a hunter pursuing the king of monkeys, he wounded women who were defenseless and deformed by love, conquered by desire. Even the mighty Bali was bound by him, like a bird. Enough of friendship with the dark one—yet his deeds are impossible to forget. “Those who once tasted the nectar of his playful acts—even hearing them once—were freed from all dualities, abandoning home and family, wandering as mendicants like birds. We, trusting his crooked words as nectar, as ignorant chicks respond to their mother’s call, are Krishna’s wives, like deer. Again and again we remember the intense pain from the touch of his nails. Let us hear some other news, O messenger. “Dear friend, have you returned, sent by our beloved? Tell me, what do you seek? You are worthy of honor, gentle one. But how can you bring us to the side of the one who cannot be abandoned, when Lakshmi herself dwells always upon his chest? Is the noble son now in Mathurā? Does he remember his father’s house, his kin, and the cowherds? Does he ever speak of us, his servants? When will he place his mighty, fragrant arm upon our heads?” Śuka then spoke: Uddhava, hearing their words so full of longing for Krishna, comforted the gopīs with loving messages and addressed them. Uddhava said, “Truly, you are the most blessed and honored in all the world, for your minds are wholly devoted to Vāsudeva, the Lord. Through vows, austerity, sacrifice, recitation, study, self-restraint, and many other means, devotion to Krishna is sought—but by your great fortune, you have attained the highest devotion to the Lord of supreme glory, a devotion difficult even for sages to reach. “By destiny, you have relinquished sons, husbands, bodies, kin, and homes, choosing instead that Supreme Person, Krishna. This complete absorption in the Transcendent, O greatly fortunate ones, has arisen in you through separation, and by this, you have bestowed a great favor upon me. “Now, listen to the dear message I bring in secret from your beloved, a message meant to bring you happiness: ‘My separation from you is never complete, for I am present in all beings, just as space, air, fire, water, and earth pervade all things. I am the foundation of mind, life-breath, elements, senses, and their qualities. By Myself, within Myself, I create, destroy, and sustain Myself, through My own power, as the essence of all elements, senses, and their qualities. ‘The Self is pure knowledge, distinct, untouched by qualities; yet, through illusion, it seems to move through waking, dream, and deep sleep. By that which contemplates the objects of the senses—arising falsely like a dream—let one restrain the senses, remaining ever wakeful and self-possessed. ‘This is the inner teaching, the yoga and wisdom of the wise: renunciation, austerity, self-control, and truth, flowing to the ocean like rivers. Though I, your beloved, seem far from you, it is to draw your minds ever closer to Me, through your longing and constant remembrance. ‘Just as, when a beloved is far away, the mind dwells upon him, so too, when near and visible, the heart is not as absorbed. Fix your entire mind on Me, free from all other attachments, and remember Me always—you will soon attain Me. ‘Even those blessed ones who, while I played at night in the forests of Vraja, could not join the dance, did not fail to attain Me, for they meditated on My heroic deeds.’” Śuka continued: Hearing these words from their beloved, the women of Vraja were filled with joy. They spoke to Uddhava, recalling the message he had brought. The gopīs said, “By fortune, wicked Kaṁsa, the enemy of the Yadus, has been slain; by fortune, Acyuta is now safe, having achieved all his aims with his kin. O gentle one, does the elder brother of Gadā, honored by the loving, bashful, smiling glances of the city women, bring them happiness? How could He, who knows the secrets of love and is so dear to the women of the city, not be captivated by their words and playful gestures?