Just as the mind of a woman often dwells more intensely on her beloved when he is far away than when he is present before her eyes, so too did the hearts of the women of Vraja remain absorbed in Krishna, even in his absence. Krishna, in his message, assured them: “Fix your entire mind on Me, free yourself from all other attachments, and remember Me always. In doing so, you will soon attain Me.” He reminded them that even those blessed souls who, unable to join the nightly dance in the forests of Vraja, meditated on his heroic deeds, did not fail to reach him. Hearing these comforting words from their beloved, the gopīs were filled with joy. They turned to Uddhava, the messenger who had brought Krishna’s words, and began to speak, their hearts brimming with emotion. “By fortune,” they said, “the wicked Kaṁsa, enemy of the Yadus, has been slain, and 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 so dear to the women of the city, not be captivated by their words and playful gestures?” Longing for Krishna, they continued, “O noble one, does Govinda ever remember us, the village women, when he is among the city ladies in their intimate conversations? Do you remember those nights in Vrindavan, when he delighted with his beloveds, surrounded by lotus, jasmine, and moonlight, enjoying the rasa dance to the sound of tinkling 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?” Yet, doubt mingled with their longing: “Why would Krishna come here, having attained his kingdom, destroyed his enemies, married royal maidens, and 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?” Their hearts were ever drawn to Krishna: “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: Relieved of the fever of separation by Krishna’s message, the gopīs honored Uddhava, recognizing him as a manifestation of the Lord. Uddhava stayed for several months in Vraja, dispelling the grief of the gopīs by singing stories of Krishna’s pastimes and bringing delight to all of Gokula. For as many days as Uddhava remained in Nanda’s Vraja, the moments for the residents passed swiftly, absorbed as they were 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. Seeing the gopīs so deeply absorbed in Krishna, their minds overwhelmed with love, Uddhava, filled with supreme joy, bowed to them and spoke: “These cowherd women are the highest among 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, 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.” He continued, “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 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 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 narrated that, 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 brimming with tears. They prayed, “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 then described how the Lord, the Soul of all, who perceives everything, knowing the desire of Sairandhrī—Kubjā—and wishing to please her, went to her house. Her home was splendidly adorned for pleasure, with pearl garlands, banners, canopies, beds, and seats, fragrant with incense, bright with lamps, and decorated with garlands and perfumes. Seeing Krishna enter, Kubjā, flustered, immediately rose from her seat, approached Him as was proper, and, together with her companions, honored Acyuta with a seat and other offerings. Uddhava, too, was respectfully welcomed, and after touching the seat, sat down. Krishna, following worldly custom, quickly entered the splendid bed. Kubjā, having bathed, anointed herself, dressed in fine garments and ornaments, garlanded and perfumed, and having chewed betel, approached Mādhava. Her bashful, sidelong, smiling glances betrayed her excitement as she came near to her beloved guest.