Bhagavata Purana

श्रीउद्धव उवाच। अहो यूयं स्म पूर्णार्था भवत्यो लोकपूजिताः। वासुदेवे भगवति यासामित्यर्पितं मनः

Śrī Uddhava said: Ah, you are truly fulfilled and honored in the world, for you have devoted your minds entirely to Vāsudeva, the Lord.

दानव्रततपोहोम जपस्वाध्यायसंयमैः। श्रेयोभिर्विविधैश्चान्यैः कृष्णे भक्तिर्हि साध्यते

By vows, austerity, sacrifice, recitation, study, self-restraint, and various other means, devotion to Krishna is attained.

भगवत्युत्तमःश्लोके भवतीभिरनुत्तमा। भक्तिः प्रवर्तिता दिष्ट्या मुनीनामपि दुर्लभा

By your good fortune, you have established supreme devotion to the Lord of exalted fame—a devotion that is difficult even for sages to attain.

दिष्ट्या पुत्रान्पतीन्देहान्स्वजनान्भवनानि च। हित्वावृणीत यूयं यत्कृष्णाख्यं पुरुषं परम्

By destiny, you have abandoned sons, husbands, bodies, relatives, and homes, and chosen that Supreme Person known as Krishna.

सर्वात्मभावोऽधिकृतो भवतीनामधोक्षजे। विरहेण महाभागा महान्मेऽनुग्रहः कृतः

The state of complete absorption in the Transcendent, O greatly fortunate ones, has arisen in you through separation; by this, you have bestowed a great favor upon me.

श्रूयतां प्रियसन्देशो भवतीनां सुखावहः। यमादायागतो भद्रा अहं भर्तू रहस्करः

Listen to the dear message, bringing you happiness, which I have brought in secret from your beloved husband.

श्रीभगवानुवाच। भवतीनां वियोगो मे न हि सर्वात्मना क्वचित्। यथा भूतानि भूतेषु खं वाय्वग्निर्जलं मही । तथाहं च मनःप्राण भूतेन्द्रियगुणाश्रयः

The Blessed Lord said: My separation from you is never complete, for I am present in all beings, just as the elements—space, air, fire, water, and earth—are present in all things; so too am I the foundation of mind, life-breath, elements, senses, and their qualities.

आत्मन्येवात्मनात्मानं सृजे हन्म्यनुपालये। आत्ममायानुभावेन भूतेन्द्रियगुणात्मना

By Myself, within Myself, I create, destroy, and sustain Myself, through My own power, as the essence of elements, senses, and their qualities.

आत्मा ज्ञानमयः शुद्धो व्यतिरिक्तोऽगुणान्वयः। सुषुप्तिस्वप्नजाग्रद्भिर्मायावृत्तिभिरीयते

The Self is made of knowledge, pure, distinct, and not bound by qualities; yet, through the workings of illusion, it appears to move through deep sleep, dream, and waking states.

येनेन्द्रियार्थान्ध्यायेत मृषा स्वप्नवदुत्थितः। तन्निरुन्ध्यादिन्द्रियाणि विनिद्रः प्रत्यपद्यत

By which one contemplates the objects of the senses—arising falsely like a dream—let one restrain the senses, remaining ever wakeful and self-possessed.

एतदन्तः समाम्नायो योगः साङ्ख्यं मनीषिणाम्। त्यागस्तपो दमः सत्यं समुद्रान्ता इवापगाः

This is the inner teaching, the yoga and discriminative wisdom of the wise: renunciation, austerity, self-control, and truth, like rivers flowing to the ocean.

यत्त्वहं भवतीनां वै दूरे वर्ते प्रियो दृशाम्। मनसः सन्निकर्षार्थं मदनुध्यानकाम्यया

Indeed, though I, your beloved, appear to be far away from you, it is for the purpose of drawing your minds closer to Me, out of your longing for constant remembrance.

यथा दूरचरे प्रेष्ठे मन आविश्य वर्तते। स्त्रीणां च न तथा चेतः सन्निकृष्टेऽक्षिगोचरे

Just as, when a beloved is far away, the mind dwells upon him, so too, for women, the heart is not as absorbed when he is near and visible to the eyes.

मय्यावेश्य मनः कृत्स्नं विमुक्ताशेषवृत्ति यत्। अनुस्मरन्त्यो मां नित्यमचिरान्मामुपैष्यथ

Fixing your entire mind on Me, freed from all other attachments, and remembering Me always, you will soon attain Me.

या मया क्रीडता रात्र्यां वनेऽस्मिन्व्रज आस्थिताः। अलब्धरासाः कल्याण्यो मापुर्मद्वीर्यचिन्तया

Those blessed ones who, while I played at night in this forest of Vraja, could not join the dance, did not fail to attain Me, for they meditated on My heroic deeds.

श्रीशुक उवाच। एवं प्रियतमादिष्टमाकर्ण्य व्रजयोषितः। ता ऊचुरुद्धवं प्रीतास्तत्सन्देशागतस्मृतीः

Śuka said: Hearing these words from their beloved, the women of Vraja, filled with joy, spoke to Uddhava, recalling the message he had brought.

गोप्य ऊचुः। दिष्ट्याहितो हतः कंसो यदूनां सानुगोऽघकृत्। दिष्ट्याप्तैर्लब्धसर्वार्थैः कुशल्यास्तेऽच्युतोऽधुना

The Gopīs said: By fortune, the wicked Kaṁsa, the enemy of the Yadus, has been slain; by fortune, Acyuta is now safe, having achieved all His aims with His kin.

कच्चिद्गदाग्रजः सौम्य करोति पुरयोषिताम्। प्रीतिं नः स्निग्धसव्रीड हासोदारेक्षणार्चितः

O gentle one, does the elder brother of Gadā, honored by the loving, bashful, smiling glances of the city women, bring them joy?

कथं रतिविशेषज्ञः प्रियश्च पुरयोषिताम्। नानुबध्येत तद्वाक्यैर्विभ्रमैश्चानुभाजितः

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?

अपि स्मरति नः साधो गोविन्दः प्रस्तुते क्वचित्। गोष्ठिमध्ये पुरस्त्रीणाम्ग्राम्याः स्वैरकथान्तरे

O noble one, does Govinda ever remember us, the village women, in the midst of the city ladies, during their intimate conversations?

ताः किं निशाः स्मरति यासु तदा प्रियाभिर्। वृन्दावने कुमुदकुन्दशशाङ्करम्ये। रेमे क्वणच्चरणनूपुररासगोष्ठ्याम्। अस्माभिरीडितमनोज्ञकथः कदाचित्

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?

अप्येष्यतीह दाशार्हस्तप्ताः स्वकृतया शुचा। सञ्जीवयन्नु नो गात्रैर्यथेन्द्रो वनमम्बुदैः

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?

कस्मात्कृष्ण इहायाति प्राप्तराज्यो हताहितः। नरेन्द्र कन्या उद्वाह्य प्रीतः सर्वसुहृद्वृतः

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?

किमस्माभिर्वनौकोभिरन्याभिर्वा महात्मनः। श्रीपतेराप्तकामस्य क्रियेतार्थः कृतात्मनः

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?

परं सौख्यं हि नैराश्यं स्वैरिण्यप्याह पिङ्गला। तज्जानतीनां नः कृष्णे तथाप्याशा दुरत्यया

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.

क उत्सहेत सन्त्यक्तुमुत्तमःश्लोकसंविदम्। अनिच्छतोऽपि यस्य श्रीरङ्गान्न च्यवते क्वचित्

Who could bear to give up communion with the glorified Lord, even unwillingly, when fortune never departs from his limbs?

सरिच्छैलवनोद्देशा गावो वेणुरवा इमे। सङ्कर्षणसहायेन कृष्णेनाचरिताः प्रभो

These rivers, mountains, forests, cows, and the sound of the flute—all have been traversed by Krishna, accompanied by Sankarshana, O master.

पुनः पुनः स्मारयन्ति नन्दगोपसुतं बत। श्रीनिकेतैस्तत्पदकैर्विस्मर्तुं नैव शक्नुमः

Again and again, the abodes of Lakshmi remind us of Nanda's son; by those footprints, we are unable to forget him.

गत्या ललितयोदार हासलीलावलोकनैः। माध्व्या गिरा हृतधियः कथं तं विस्मराम हे

With his graceful walk, noble laughter, playful glances, and sweet speech, he has captivated our minds—how could we ever forget him?