The Self, the true essence within all, is pure knowledge—distinct and untouched by any qualities. Yet, through the play of illusion, it seems to journey through deep sleep, dreams, and waking life, as if it were bound by these states. It is by this same illusion that one contemplates the objects of the senses, which arise as fleeting and false as dreams. Therefore, let one restrain the senses, remaining ever alert and self-controlled. This is the heart of wisdom, the yoga and discriminative understanding cherished by the wise: renunciation, austerity, self-control, and truth, all streaming together like rivers flowing into the vast ocean. Though I, your beloved, seem far from you, it is only to draw your minds closer to Me, stirring your longing so that you may remember Me constantly. Just as the mind dwells upon a beloved who is far away, so too, when he is near and visible, the heart is less absorbed; thus, your longing for Me grows stronger in separation. Fix your entire mind upon Me, free from all other attachments, and remember Me always, and you will soon attain Me. Even those fortunate souls who, while I played at night in the forest of Vraja, could not join the dance, still attained Me—because they meditated upon 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, among 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, O king, 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, O master. 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 said: Then, relieved of the fever of separation by Krishna’s message, the gopīs honored Uddhava, recognizing him as a manifestation of the Lord. He stayed for several months, dispelling the grief of the gopīs, singing stories of Krishna’s pastimes, and delighting Gokula. For as many days as Uddhava remained in Nanda’s Vraja, the moments for the residents passed swiftly, absorbed in news of Krishna. Beholding the rivers, forests, and blossoming trees, Uddhava remembered Krishna and found joy, serving the people of Vraja. Seeing the gopīs so absorbed in Krishna, their minds overwhelmed, Uddhava, filled with supreme joy, bowed to them and sang: “These cowherd women are the highest among embodied beings on earth, for their love for Govinda is deep within the heart. Even sages, fearful of rebirth, and we ourselves desire such devotion—what use is birth as Brahma compared to tasting the nectar of Krishna’s 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 attain 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 fulfillment. Oh, how I wish I could become even a blade of grass, a bush, a creeper, or a herb here in Vṛndāvana, 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 Kṛṣṇa—the Lord, worshipped by Lakṣmī and the greatest of the self-satisfied yogis, and who is the very goal of the rāsa 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: Then, after taking leave of the gopīs, Yaśodā, Nanda, and bidding farewell to the cowherds, Uddhava, about to depart, ascended his chariot. As he was leaving, Nanda and the others, their hands full of various gifts, approached him with affection and, their eyes filled with tears, spoke: “May our minds always rest at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, 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 Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, remain steady through auspicious acts and charity.” Thus honored by the cowherds with devotion to Kṛṣṇa, Uddhava returned again to Mathurā, protected by Kṛṣṇa. He bowed to Kṛṣṇa and, his heart overflowing with devotion for the people of Vraja, offered gifts to Vasudeva, Rāma, and the king. Śuka said: Then the Lord, the Soul of all, who sees everything, knowing the desire of Sairandhrī (Kubjā) and wishing to please her, went to her house.