Uddhava Sandesh, Part 2
BY: SUN STAFF
Sri Krsna
Orissan Pata-chitra
Aug 5, CANADA (SUN) — The conclusion of 'Uddhava Sandesh' by Srila Rupa Gosvami.
65 In Vraja there are many kunds on the banks of which we drove many beautiful stakes into the ground. I made them with My own hand along with the cowherd-boys out of pure stone to tie the frolicsome happy calves, who were always trying to run away.
66 O Fair One! What kind of future has the creator written for us gopis! In the evening the kings messenger (Akrura) arrived in Nandagram and was whispering some secret thing in Krsna's ear in private.
67 O restless girl! Following the order of Nanda Maharaja, the police officer is announcing in the market place:
"Today Krsna is going to Mathura."
My right eye is twitching again and again, giving the sign of something inauspicious and my heart is breaking into pieces. Who knows what out destiny will be?
Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani, chapter seventeen, vipralambha (sentiment of love in separation) (17.8)
68 O my dear friend! When I heard that Krsna would be going to Mathura tomorrow I prayed to the night to go slowly, but just see that sinful night showed her real nature (by passing so quickly). It is true that black things in the mode of ignorance (night) never care for others.
69 O fair one! In the time which remains before Akrura takes Krsna off to Mathura, I wish to beg you to take care and water the malati creeper which is growing in my courtyard and has always provided flowers for decorating Krsna's ears.
Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani, chapter thirteen. vyabhicari (transgressing the bonds of marriage) (13.50). Radha is addressing Lalita.
70 O infatuated girl! Don't you see lightening bolts are falling on my head and you are thinking about protecting this flower creeper. O I am going to die right now! Come out of the house right now and look Krsna has already sat in the chariot for going to Mathura.
71 O noble lady, is no one in the whole of Vraja trying to stop Him? Are the legs of these sinful horses not going to break? Is something not going to happen to the chariot wheel? What! The killer of the Kesi demon, Krsna, is really going to Mathura?
72 O Akrura! Just see in front of you, that beautiful girl with a slender waist, who has given up all shame. What unparalleled thing is she about to do?
Until you do not put this shining Krsna off your chariot, she will not put down the shining sword she is holding in her hand (for committing suicide).
73 O mystified girl! Open Your eyes and have a last look at Krsna. Give up this illusory state and do not cheat Yourself out of a last glimpse of Krsna. Oh no! This merciless Akrura, even after hearing our crying appeals is quickly driving the chariot away.
74 O slender girl (Radha)! Not being able to see your face tears are profusely pouring Krsna's eyes. But due to the dust raised by the hooves of the horses, misunderstanding will be there (people will understand that it is due to the dust raised by the horses hooves going into Krsna's eyes that He is crying).
75 O Akrura! In this way do not kill the woman of Vraja (by taking Krsna away) and destroy the fame of the Yadu dynasty.
(Krsna) O Uddhava, when I was leaving for Mathura the Vraja-gopis were lamenting in this way and thus they threw every one into an ocean of lamentation.
Note: He who is doing this merciless deed should not be called Akrura. He is so extremely cruel that without even trying to console the sorrowful residents of Vraja, he is taking away Krsna, who is more dear to us than life itself.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.39.26)
Akrura means "not cruel".
76 Near Nandagram is the pure Pavan-sarovara. The gopis would go there on the pretext that they were filling their water pots. Surrounding that pond are many secret groves where we would enjoy. They are dense and shaded and full of the fragrance of lotuses and unlimited numbers of black bees are hovering around.
Note: Pavan-sarovara is Krsna's favourite sarovara, it was created by Pavan, Visakhadevi's father for Krsna's pleasure.
It appears that Vasudeva-Krsna is first having Uddhava perform parikrama of Nandagram, but as He remembers each pastime place He again starts describing the ecstatic love of the Gopis.
77 O friend (Visakha)! The area surrounding Nandagram is full of Krsna-pastime spots and the land is decorated with His lotus footprints. For the people of this world this place is indescribably wonderful and all-attractive, but alas! Now this wondrous place is setting my heart on fire.
Note: Here starts a fourteen sloka sanskrit sentence which ends with text 90.
78 O Sumukhi (Radha)! The sweet fragrance of Your pure love for Krsna will today or tomorrow definitely cause Krsna to come and embrace you like a garland around Your neck! So why are You speaking these words which are like lightening bolts striking the hearts of Your friends?
79 O despondent girl (Radha)! Why are You doubting that Krsna will come back? Krsna will definitely return so don't say continuously in this way.
O sakhi! Due to the forceful fire of separation, all my vital organs are being burnt and crushed. I would happily give up this body but my body beyond compare due to my having been embraced by Krsna.
80 O slender girl (Radha)! Why are you lamenting in this heart-breaking way and thus throwing the whole world into an unlimited ocean of unhappiness? Just be patient in your heart, because if that king of cunning people does not remember His promise (I will return very quickly to Vraja) and does not come back, every one in the three worlds will blame Him.
81 O sakhi! I thought my Krsna, the killer of the madhu demon, will never leave Vraja and I will always enjoy loving pastimes with Him. Thinking in that way I used to get angry with Him and misbehave. But who knew that the guru of wickedness, the most cruel Akrura (uncruel) would come and throw a lightening bolt on our head (take our Krsna away from us)?
82 O sakhi! I do not even have a drop of love for Krsna in my heart. I have appeared in this world simply to teach everyone how to love Krsna. That is why I am crying and this is the reason I am still alive even though I cannot see beautiful Krsna whose favourite attendant is the flute.
Note: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu expressed the same mood.
"My dear friends, I have not the slightest tinge of love of Godhead within My heart. When you see Me crying in separation, I am just falsely exhibiting a demonstration of my great fortune. Indeed, not seeing the beautiful face of Krsna playing His flute, I continue to live My life like an insect, without purpose.
(Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya lila 2.55)
83 O sakhi, I keep telling myself, Krsna will return soon but how long can I stay alive fooling myself in this way?
After all, I am just a weak woman here in Vraja. The blossoming trees and the places where Krsna enjoyed His pastimes are forcefully reminding me of Him. Thus my heart is being crushed and I am being thrown to the ground again and again.
84 O sakhi, when will that sweet-smiling Krsna, the destroyer of cupid's fame, whose lusty glances are shot on the bow of His beautifully curved eyebrows, come and pacify my mind?
85 O sakhi! It is not good that Krsna has of His own desire gone to Mathura to live but that pain I can tolerate. But the pain caused by the nail of His promise ("I will come back in two or three days") is piercing my heart and does not allow me to give up my life. That pain is burning internally and continuously growing in intensity.
Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani chapter seventeen vipralambha (Love in separation) (17.10)
86 O sakhi! When will it be possible for my tongue to taste the sweet lips of Krsna? When will my body be embraced by His cooling body and my eyes see His beautiful decorated body, my nose smell His sweet fragrance and my ears hear His sweet-flowing words? O when will I be able to engage my five senses fully in Krsna's service?
87 O sakhi! When will the son of Nanda Maharaja, Krsna who satisfies everyone's senses return to Nandagram and bring everyone back to life so that once again everything will be green and fresh and thus relieve my eyes of their unlimited suffering by displaying His amazing pastimes in front of me.
88 O Krsna! Previously I had taken You for granted and did not give proper respect to You. Now I will never become angry at You and I will be submissive. I am begging You, please appear on the path of My eyes again.
Even if it is not written in My destiny to have Your service, still I have the desire to serve You. so please I am remembering Your unlimited mercy and am begging You in this way.
89 O Krsna! I will take You to the cottage in the nikunja (the bower) and lay You down on a soft flower-bed while laughing and frolicking with You, I will place a tasty betelnut in Your mouth. I will happily serve You.
90 O Uddhava! When the gopis were totally absorbed in that way in Karunabhava and their loud cries of lamentation filled the whole of Vraja, travellers who were passing, on the road upon hearing their loud cries of lamentation covered their ears and with tears pouring from their eyes they ran far from Vraja.
91 O Uddhava! When your chariot which is pulled by horses wearing golden jewellery arrives at Nandagram, Radha and the other gopi girls will come running, thinking I have arrived. You should stop your chariot next to them.
92 O learned one! Please offer My full blessings to those beautiful pure trees and creepers of Vrndavana who are always being kissed by many humming bees. Whose new shoots and buds the Vraja-gopis had adorned themselves with and thus attracted Me to them.
Note: Now Vasudeva-Krsna starts telling Uddhava the messages to be delivered.
93 O Uddhava! To those beautiful cows who upon hearing the sweet song of My flute became restless and leaving aside their calves, rushed to Me with tears gushing from their eyes.
You kindly go close to them and sing My glories loudly and inquire with great love how they are.
94 When Brahma had stolen their calves, I had taken the form of those calves and drunk the sweet milk of those cows. You please offer My obeisances again and again to my mothers (cows).
95 When I would go to the forest to see the flowers, Sridama and My other dear friends would come rushing happily to touch me, shouting: "I will be first, I will be first."
Taking My name and inquiring about their well-being, affectionately embrace them over and over on My behalf.
96 After I had killed Kamsa in front of everyone I had spoken sweet and gentle words of enlightenment to Nanda Maharaja and sent him back to Vraja. Taking My name you should very gently and respectfully surrender at his lotus feet, saying, "Krsna offers His unlimited obeisances."
97 Next taking My name on your lips offer My full obeisances to the lotus feet of My mother. I am her only son, she is thus feeling unlimited pain and has become very skinny. She again and again raised her finger cursing Kamsa, "You have taken my Krsna away, so you will be destroyed!"
98 She (Mother Yasoda) is always singing My names and in a deep mood of separation she takes long slow breaths, (the sound) "Ha Krsna, Ha Krsna." comes from her throat. She becomes bathed in her own perspiration and her body withers while tears gush from her eyes, soaking her clothes, she stares intently at the road to Mathura waiting for My return.
99 The hot summer Akrura has forcefully drawn out the water of their soul leaving the earth of their heart cracked and without water. The lake of their bodies has all but dried up. Their lotus like faces have withered and the turtle of those gopis life force has hidden in the damp mud of their hope.
Note: In this analogy Akrura is compared to the hot summer and Krsna to the water in the lake (the gopis bodies). The gopis heart is compared to the cracked earth at the bottom of the lake after the summer sun has evaporated the water, and their faces are compared to the withered lotuses.
The turtles (their life airs) who are harassed when the water of the lake is reduced thus try to take shelter in the damp mud (the gopis hope that Krsna will return).
100 O ocean of good qualities (Uddhava)! You are going to Nandagram as the messenger of this offender. There the gopis are suffering under the distress of separation. Each and every one of their limbs are agitated. Maybe they can curse you but if you present yourself before them in a self controlled humble way with your hands folded, they will see that this sinless servant is repentant for his master's actions.
101 When the gopis see you are wearing the same clothes as Me and look just like Me, they will come close to you(thinking you to be Me). But when they realise their mistake they will become very surprised, restless, doubtful and their mind fickle.
Various other moods will rise within them and then they wills tart talking among themselves but you stay there without obstructing them and slowly deliver My captivating message.
102 (First introduce yourself) "I am the secretary for conjugal affairs to that person who has a strong desire to enjoy in the forest on the banks of the Yamuna, who is the master of the sixty four arts, who was taken away to Mathura by Akrura. I have come to you as His messenger. My name is Uddhava."
103 O gentle ladies! Due to intense separation Krsna is taking deep long breaths and His beautiful full lips have faded. He has no interest in any kind of pleasure. His throat is white like foam, He is always remembering your unlimited qualities with a distressed heart. Your Beloved sends this indescribable message to you.
104 O gentle gopis! Now no demons are coming to frighten you like before. Are you all happy and peaceful? Do you ever remember the sweet groves of Vrndavana, where I used to enjoy with you according to your desires?
105 My parents and other relatives are keeping Me tied up with their sweet pleading words and various auspicious works. Thus I have to stay in Mathura. I remember all of the loving pastimes we enjoyed, thus I am passing My days with great difficulty here in Mathura.
106 I am aware of your transcendental nature, so kindly forgive Me but the truth is that you are all responsible for breaking My heart and driving Me mad by causing love for you to sprout in My weak heart. It is very difficult for Me to pass even half a moment without you.
107 O cunning young ladies! Although every night in your dreams You enjoy rasa dancing with Me (Krsna) there in sweet Vrndavana, still again and again you call out "Krsna has deserted us!"
Do you not feel ashamed of yourselves for making such false accusations?
108 O Candravali! Due to the sweet loving movements of your eyes and the amorous movements of your eyebrows, I had the strength to defeat the three worlds.
Now when I remember those same amorous movements of your eyebrows My heart is crushed down.
Note: Now Vasudeva-Krsna is giving specific messages for the principle eight gopis Radharani, Candravali, Lalita, Visakha, Syama, Padma, Bhadra and Saibya.
109 O beautiful soft bodied Visakha! Do you remember that day when I was with great joy again and again pulling at your clothes in one nice forest? When along came an old lady seeing her I said, "O crooked girl, give back My gunja garland that you are hiding under your cloth. When I said that I felt ashamed.
110 O Visakha! You are fortunate because you can express the pain and anguish of your heart to your girlfriends and thus gain a little relief.
But unfortunately I have no one here in Mathura to express My heart to.
111 O Syama, even now my heart is throbbing due to the remembrance of your sweet intoxicating words enveloped in Your gentle patience-destroying laughter.
112 O Padma! You will remember that, one day when I was pretending to sleep in the lata-kunja, You had tried to steal My flute.
At that time I had again and again pulled at Your clothes with both hands, when I remember what pastimes we enjoyed on that day, My heart is torn asunder.
113 My dear Lalita! In a lonely place You used to enjoy embracing and other love sports with Me. You must be rolling in the dust due to intense feelings of separation in that enfeebled, melancholy state, how are You remaining alive?
114 O beautiful Bhadra, Your beloved Krsna to whom You rendered heart wining wonderful service every night in the kunjas of Vrndavana is now being served in Mathura by new persons who are bereft of pure love.
I am unhappily quietly accepting their services.
115 O Saibya, You please try to tolerate the strong influence of cupid. I will return in two or three days to satisfy all your conjugal desires.
Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter seventeen vipralambha (17.12)
116 O Uddhava! When You have in a polite and captivating way presented My message to those lotus eyed gopis, they will be relieved of their grief and distress.
Next You may kindly approach Radharani who resides in the temple of My heart, She is feeling tormented and helpless.
117 In that splendid Vrndavana Radharani must be lying on a bed of fresh lotus leaves surrounded by Her maid servants, continuously crying. Her body will have become very skinny but You will understand that Her life force is still present by the flickering vibration of Her neck.
Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter thirteen vyabhicari (13.47).
118 That madhavi creeper (Radha) must be very restless and surviving with great difficulty since Madhava (spring, Krsna) has gone.
At the time I when I was coming to Mathura that virtuous Lady Radha looked very lonely and dejected. I had promised Her I would return quickly. She is alive due to that hope.
119 O Uddhava! You please take this ever-fresh flower garland of five colours (Vaijayanti). Radha is lying in a state of unconsciousness close to death. This garland has the power to bring lotus eyed Radha back to consciousness.
120 Due to the fragrance of this garland Radha will come to external consciousness and with tears in Her eyes start looking here and there.
Then very humbly you should approach Radha who will manifest ecstatic symptoms.
121 Holding the garland in your hand you should approach that bed of lotus petals with a pure heart after first taking permission from Radha's maid servants with your eyes, you should sit down next to the bed and give My message to Radharani.
122 O patient one (Radha)! That person who You consider more dear than all Your relations. That same person who considers You more dear than all His relations, who is more dear to you than Your life, to whom You are more dear than His life, O devi (Radha) that Krsna's heart is burning due to separation from You.
123 I know the sun of separation has dried up the lake of Your heart and the fish of Your life force is gasping for breath in Your throat. But what am I do here! The wind of my relations is stopping Me from coming close to You and thus I am drowning in the ocean of My desire (to meet You).
Note: Krsna is comparing Himself to a cloud here which is being blown to the wind's desire. One of Krsna's names is Ghanasyama.
124 O Vidhumukhi! The meeting which takes place every night between You and Me is not a dream. I am suffering due to not getting any sleep because You have knowledge of some power for pulling forcefully Me away from the Yadavas.
Note: Krsna is enjoying every night with Radha who thinks she is dreaming. Here Krsna is accusing Radha of having some power to forcefully take Him every night to Her, thus He is unable to sleep.
125 The son of Nanda Maharaja is agitated with love for You, humbly requests You not to look upon that madhavi-kunja on Govardhana Hill which witnessed our first conjugal pastimes.
Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter 10: vibhavonuddipanah (that which stimulates ecstatic love: 10.89)
126 O Radha, very soon I will appear before Your eyes with My flute placed in My mouth and decorated with the red pigment of Nandisvara Hill. At that time I will relieve You of Your distress and drive away the pain You are feeling in all Your limbs and shower You with love.
127 Due to intense love rising within Me tears will flow from My eyes and under the strong influence of cupid I will kiss Your cheeks which become yellow and tightly embrace Your shimmering neck. Thus I will definitely cause You to enjoy a festival of love.
128 O highly intelligent Uddhava! You are the foremost of learned persons. So kindly in this way deliver My glorious message to those blue-lotus-eyed gopis and show them the shore of that ocean of separation.
Please stay for some days in Vraja to bring happiness to everyone.
129 O My friend! Your going to Nanda Maharaja's Nandagram will not just serve My purpose but you will attain the topmost benefit when you see the spontaneous loving mood of the Vrajavasis towards Me.
And when you remember these sweet words of Mine, you will understand their mood.
130 He who always relishes Krsna's transcendental Vraja pastimes and who dances in great ecstasy all over Mathura mandala, whose lotus feet Rupa Gosvami eternally takes shelter of.
May this poem cause that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's heart to overflow with ecstatic love.
131 That most merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, Who enjoys childhood pastimes with Sridama and the other cowherd boys, Who dances with the young beautiful gopis and also playfully destroys many demons, should be remembered for He will deliver you to the other shore of the ocean of birth and death.
