The hearts of the people of Vraja could not fathom any reason for Krishna to be remembered so intensely, unless it was the unbreakable bond of affection that ties kin together—one so strong that even sages struggle to renounce it. After all, friendship in this world is usually forged for some purpose, and when that purpose fades, so too does the bond, just as men seek women or bees visit flowers only while they are in bloom. In this world, the destitute are abandoned by those who once offered pleasure; powerless kings are forsaken by their subjects; students go their own way after learning from their teachers; and priests depart once they have received their gifts. Birds leave a tree when its fruit is gone, guests depart a house after their hunger is sated, deer abandon a forest once it is burned, and lovers leave a woman after their desire is fulfilled. Yet, the gopīs of Vraja were not so easily moved. Their words, their bodies, and their very minds were wholly absorbed in Govinda. When Uddhava, Krishna’s messenger, arrived among them, they renounced all worldly concerns. They sang of Krishna’s beloved deeds, weeping openly and unashamed, as they recalled again and again the sweet acts of his childhood and youth. One gopī, upon seeing a honeybee, was so absorbed in thoughts of Krishna that she imagined the bee to be his messenger and began speaking to it as if it had come from her beloved. “O bee, companion of the deceitful,” she said, “do not touch the feet of my rival. The garland she wears, stained with the pollen from her breasts, marks your whiskers. Let the lord of bees carry word to those proud women, for you are his messenger, fit to be mocked in the assembly of the Yadus.” She continued, her heart aching, “He gave us but once the nectar of his lips, enchanting us, and then abandoned us like a flower cast aside. How does Padmā, the goddess Lakshmi, serve his lotus feet, when even her mind is stolen by the praises of that glorious one? Why do you, six-legged one, sing here of the lord of the Yadus, who is the ancient master of our homes? Go sing of his exploits among his city friends, for he has healed their pain and granted their desires.” “What women, in heaven, on earth, or in the underworld, are beyond his reach, whose charming smile and playful brows deceive all? We are but humble servants, worshipping the dust of his feet. Even among the wretched, his name is heard. Leave his foot from your head; I know his sweet words. He sends you, skilled in persuasion, as his messenger. He created wives and children here, only to abandon them without concern. What trust can be placed in him?” She went on, her voice trembling, “Like hunters who wounded the king of monkeys, he has wounded women who were unprotected and deformed by love, conquered by desire. Even the mighty Bali was bound by him. Enough of friendship with the dark one—yet, the stories of his deeds are impossible to abandon.” “Those who have tasted but a drop of the nectar of his playful acts, hearing them just once, are freed from all dualities and abandon home and family, though left destitute. Many here wander like birds as mendicants. We, trusting his crooked words as nectar, ignorant as chicks listening to their mother’s call, are Krishna’s wives, like deer. Again and again we recall the pain from the touch of his nails. Let other news be told, O messenger.” Then, softening, she addressed the bee, “Dear friend, have you returned, sent by the beloved? Tell me, what do you seek? You are worthy of honor, O gentle one. How will you bring us to the side of the one who cannot be abandoned, when Lakshmi, his bride, always dwells upon his chest?” Her longing spilled forth: “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, the sage, then said: Hearing their words, so full of longing for Krishna, Uddhava comforted the gopīs with loving messages from their beloved and spoke to them. Uddhava said, “O blessed ones, you are truly fulfilled and honored in this world, for you have devoted your minds entirely to Vāsudeva, the Lord. By vows, austerities, sacrifice, recitation, study, self-restraint, and many other means, devotion to Krishna is sought. By your great fortune, you have attained supreme devotion to the Lord of exalted fame—a devotion difficult even for sages to attain. By destiny, you have abandoned sons, husbands, bodies, relatives, and homes, and chosen that Supreme Person known as Krishna.” “The state of complete absorption in the Transcendent, O greatly fortunate ones, has arisen in you through separation; by this, you have bestowed a great favor upon me. Listen now to the dear message, bringing you happiness, which I have brought in secret from your beloved.” Uddhava then conveyed Krishna’s own words: “My separation from you is never complete, for I am present in all beings, just as the elements—space, air, fire, water, and earth—are present in 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 elements, senses, and their qualities.” “The Self is pure knowledge, distinct and not bound by qualities, yet through illusion, it appears to move through deep sleep, dream, and waking states. By this, one contemplates the objects of the senses, which arise 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 like rivers to the ocean.” “Though I, your beloved, appear to be far away, it is only to draw your minds closer to Me, so that your longing for constant remembrance may grow. When a beloved is far away, the mind dwells upon him; but when he is near, the heart is not as absorbed. Fix your entire mind on Me, freed from all other attachments, and remember Me always—you will soon attain Me. Even those who, while I played at night in 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, the wicked Kaṁsa, 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 joy? How could He, who knows the subtleties of love and is dear to the women of the city, not be captivated by their words and playful gestures?” “O noble one, does Govinda ever remember us, the village women, in the midst of the city ladies, during their intimate conversations? Do you remember those nights when he delighted with his beloveds in Vrindavan, amidst the beauty of lotus, jasmine, and moonlight, enjoying the rasa dance with the tinkling of anklets, and sometimes charming us with delightful stories?” “Will the descendant of Dasharha return here, afflicted by the sorrow caused by his own actions, and revive us with his touch, just as Indra rejuvenates the forest with rain?