Krishna spoke with compassion to the women of Vraja, assuring them, “If you fix your entire mind on Me, free yourself from all other attachments, and remember Me always, you will soon attain Me.” He reminded them that even those who could not join His night-time dance in the forest of Vraja were not deprived; for by meditating on His heroic deeds, they too attained Him. Hearing these cherished words from their beloved, the gopīs were filled with joy. They turned to Uddhava, recalling the message he had brought from Krishna, and began to speak. “By good fortune,” they said, “the wicked Kaṁsa, enemy of the Yadus, has been slain. By good fortune, Acyuta is safe, having achieved all His aims with His kin.” “O gentle one,” they asked Uddhava, “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?” They reminisced, “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?” “But 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?” they wondered. “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 longing was deep. “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?” In their yearning, they prayed, “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, describing how, relieved of the fever of separation by Krishna’s messages, the gopīs honored Uddhava, recognizing him as a manifestation of the Lord. Uddhava 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, time passed swiftly for the residents, 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 praises. He declared, “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.” Uddhava marveled, “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 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 narrated that, after taking leave of the gopīs, Yaśodā, Nanda, and bidding farewell to the cowherds, Uddhava 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 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 honored by the cowherds with devotion to Krishna, Uddhava returned again to Mathurā, protected by Krishna. He bowed to Krishna and, his heart overflowing with devotion for the people of Vraja, offered gifts to Vasudeva, Rāma, and the king. Śuka continued: 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. Her house was rich with splendid furnishings, enhanced for pleasure, adorned with pearl garlands, banners, canopies, beds, and seats, fragrant with incense, bright with lamps, and decorated with garlands and perfumes. Seeing Him enter her house, 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, perfumed, and having chewed betel, approached Mādhava, her bashful, sidelong, smiling glances betraying her excitement. He called his beloved, who was shy at their first meeting and hesitant, her hand adorned with bracelets. Taking her by the hand, He seated her on the bed and enjoyed with her, she blessed by the merit of anointing Him.