The gopīs of Vraja, hearts aching with longing, gathered and spoke tenderly among themselves. “Is the noble son now in Mathurā?” they wondered. “Does he remember his father’s house, his kin, and the cowherds? Does he ever speak of us, his humble servants? When, oh when, will he return and place his mighty, fragrant arm upon our heads?” Śrī Śuka narrates that, hearing the depth of their yearning for Krishna, Uddhava sought to comfort the gopīs. With gentle affection, he offered them Krishna’s loving messages and began to speak. Uddhava said, “You are truly blessed and honored among all people, for you have devoted your minds wholly to Vāsudeva, the Lord. Others strive through vows, austerity, sacrifice, recitation, study, self-restraint, and countless disciplines to attain devotion to Krishna. Yet by your great fortune, you have established the highest devotion to the Lord of glorious fame—a devotion difficult even for the sages to achieve. By destiny, you have left behind sons, husbands, bodies, relatives, and homes, choosing instead that Supreme Person, Krishna. This complete absorption in the Transcendent, born from your separation, O greatly fortunate ones, has bestowed a great blessing even upon me. “Now, listen to the cherished message I have brought you in secret from your beloved Lord, words meant to bring you happiness.” Uddhava then spoke Krishna’s words: “Though I seem separated from you, I am never truly apart. I dwell 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 My own power, I create, sustain, and dissolve all things within Myself, as the essence of all. “The Self is pure knowledge, distinct and unbound by qualities, yet, through illusion, appears to wander through waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. The mind, which contemplates the fleeting objects of the senses—appearing like dreams—should be restrained; remain ever wakeful and self-possessed. “This is the inner teaching, the yoga and wisdom of the wise: renunciation, austerity, self-control, and truth, flowing together like rivers to the ocean. Even though I, your beloved, seem far away, it is only to draw your minds ever closer to Me, so that out of longing you will remember Me constantly. When the beloved is distant, the mind dwells upon him; when he is near, the heart is not so absorbed. So, by fixing your entire mind on Me, free from all other attachments, and remembering Me always, you will soon attain Me. “Even those blessed ones who, unable to join the dance with Me in the nights of Vraja, meditated on My heroic deeds, did not fail to attain Me.” Śuka continues: Hearing these words from their beloved Krishna, the women of Vraja were filled with joy. They spoke to Uddhava, treasuring 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 and has achieved all his aims with his kin. O gentle one, does the elder brother of Gadā, honored by the bashful, smiling glances of the city women, bring them joy? How could He, so versed in the ways of love and dear to the women of Mathurā, not be captivated by their words and playful gestures? “O noble Uddhava, does Govinda ever remember us, the simple village women, when he is among the city ladies in their intimate conversations? Do you recall those nights when he delighted with us in Vrindavan, amidst the beauty of lotus, jasmine, and moonlight, enjoying the rasa dance with the tinkling of anklets, and sometimes charming us with his delightful stories? “Will the descendant of Dasharha return here, afflicted by the sorrow of separation, and revive us with his touch, just as Indra rejuvenates the forest with rain? Why would Krishna come back, now that he has gained his kingdom, destroyed his enemies, married royal maidens, and is surrounded by all his dear friends? What need has the Lord of Lakshmi, who has fulfilled all desires, for us forest dwellers? “Indeed, supreme happiness lies in freedom from expectation, as Pingala the courtesan declared; yet, even knowing this, our hope in Krishna remains impossible to abandon. Who could bear to give up communion with the glorified Lord, even unwillingly, when fortune never leaves his body? These rivers, mountains, forests, cows, and the sound of the flute—all have been traversed by Krishna, accompanied by Sankarshana. Again and again, the abodes of Lakshmi remind us of Nanda’s son, and by those footprints, we are unable to forget him. With his graceful walk, noble laughter, playful glances, and sweet speech, he has captured our hearts—how could we ever forget him? “O Lord, O consort of Lakshmi, O master of Vraja, destroyer of distress, lift up Gokula, O Govinda, from the ocean of suffering in which it is submerged.” Śuka says that, comforted by Krishna’s message, the gopīs honored Uddhava, recognizing in him the presence of the Lord. Uddhava remained in Nanda’s Vraja for several months, dispelling the gopīs’ grief, singing stories of Krishna’s pastimes, and delighting the people of Gokula. For as long as Uddhava stayed among them, the days and nights passed swiftly for the residents, absorbed as they were in news of their beloved Krishna. As Uddhava wandered through the rivers, forests, and blossoming trees of Vraja, he too remembered Krishna and felt great joy, serving the people of that sacred land. Witnessing the gopīs’ profound absorption in Krishna, their minds overwhelmed with love, Uddhava, filled with supreme joy, bowed before them and sang these words: “These cowherd women are the highest among all embodied beings on earth, for their love for Govinda is deep within the heart. Sages, fearful of rebirth, and even we, desire such devotion—what use is birth as Brahma compared to tasting the nectar of his stories? Where are these women, humble forest-dwellers, and where is this supreme love for Krishna, the Paramatma? Truly, even those ignorant who worship the Lord directly receive blessing, just as a king bestows favor upon those who serve him. “O friend, this grace of intense love is not found even among the heavenly women, fragrant as lotuses, nor among others; it arose at the rasa festival, when Krishna embraced the necks of the beloveds of Vraja, granting them the highest fulfillment.