Uddhava, the dear friend and messenger of Krishna, approached the women of Vraja with a message he had carried in secret, a message meant to bring them happiness. With reverence, he said, “Listen to these words, so dear to you, sent by your beloved husband.” He began to convey Krishna’s message: “My separation from you is never truly complete. I am present in all beings, just as the elements—space, air, fire, water, and earth—are present in all things. I am the very foundation of mind, life-breath, the elements, the senses, and all their qualities. “By Myself, within Myself, I create, sustain, and dissolve everything through My own power. I am the essence of all elements, senses, and their qualities. The Self, made of pure knowledge, untainted and distinct, is not bound by any qualities; yet, through the play of illusion, it seems to move through deep sleep, dreams, and waking states. “The mind contemplates the objects of the senses, which arise falsely like dreams. Therefore, let one restrain the senses and remain ever wakeful and self-possessed. This is the inner teaching—yoga and the wisdom of discrimination—practiced by the wise: renunciation, austerity, self-control, and truth, flowing together like rivers to the ocean. “Although I, your beloved, seem far away from you, it is only to draw your minds closer to Me, so that you may remember Me constantly and long for Me. When a beloved is far away, the mind dwells upon him more deeply; when he is 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 reach Me—they attained Me by meditating on My heroic deeds.” As Uddhava finished Krishna’s message, Śuka says, the gopīs were filled with joy. Their hearts overflowed as they spoke to Uddhava, recalling the message he had brought. They said, “By good fortune, wicked Kaṁsa, the enemy of the Yadus, has been slain. By good fortune, Acyuta is safe, having achieved all His aims with His kin. O gentle one, does the elder brother of Gadā, honored by the bashful, loving, smiling glances of the city women, bring them joy? How could He, who knows the subtleties of love and is so 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? Why would Krishna come here, having attained His kingdom and destroyed His enemies, after marrying royal maidens and being surrounded by all His dear friends? What purpose could we forest dwellers or others serve for the great soul, the Lord of Lakshmi, who has fulfilled all desires and is accomplished within Himself? “Indeed, supreme happiness lies in freedom from expectation, as Pingala the courtesan declared; yet, even knowing this, our hope in Krishna remains difficult to abandon. Who could bear to give up communion with the glorified Lord, even unwillingly, when fortune never departs from His limbs? “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; by those footprints, we are unable to forget Him. With His graceful walk, noble laughter, playful glances, and sweet speech, He has captivated our minds—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 continued: Thus, relieved of the fever of separation by Krishna’s message, the gopīs honored Uddhava, recognizing him as a manifestation of the Lord. Uddhava stayed in Vraja for several months, dispelling the grief of the gopīs by singing stories of Krishna’s pastimes and delighting all of Gokula. For as long as Uddhava remained in Nanda’s Vraja, the days passed swiftly for its people, as they were absorbed in news of Krishna. As Uddhava beheld the rivers, forests, and blossoming trees, he remembered Krishna and found joy in serving the people of Vraja. Observing the gopīs so deeply absorbed in Krishna, their minds overwhelmed by love, Uddhava was filled with supreme joy. He bowed to them and spoke: “These cowherd women are the highest among embodied beings on earth, for their love for Govinda is deep within their hearts. 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, forest-dwellers, corrupted by transgression, and where is this supreme love for Krishna, the Paramatma? Truly, even those ignorant who worship the Lord directly are blessed, just as a king bestows favor upon those who serve him. “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 He embraced the necks of the beloveds of Vraja, granting them fulfillment. Oh, how I wish I could become even a blade of grass, a bush, a creeper, or a herb here in Vrindavan, so that I might receive the dust of the feet of those who, abandoning what is so hard to give up—their own kin and the path of the virtuous—have sought the path of Mukunda, which is searched for by the Vedas. “Those whose breasts, adorned with the lotus feet of Krishna—the Lord, worshipped by Lakshmi and the greatest of the self-satisfied yogis, and who is the very goal of the rasa dance—have, by embracing Him, cast off all suffering. I bow again and again to the dust of the feet of the women of Nanda’s Vraja, whose singing of Hari’s glories purifies all the three worlds.” Śuka continued: After taking leave of the gopīs, Yaśodā, Nanda, and bidding farewell to the cowherds, Uddhava prepared to depart and ascended his chariot. As he was leaving, Nanda and the others, their hands full of various gifts, approached him with affection, their eyes filled with tears, and spoke to him: “May our minds always rest at the lotus feet of Krishna, may our words speak only His names, and may our bodies bow in His service. Though we are tossed about by our actions wherever the Lord’s will may send us, may our devotion to Krishna, the Lord, remain steady through auspicious acts and charity.” Thus, Uddhava departed, carrying with him the blessings of Vraja and the deep devotion of its people, who remained ever absorbed in the remembrance of their beloved Krishna.