The Song of the Bee (Bhramara Gita)

In the forty seventh chapter Uddhava hears the ten types of citra jalpa from the mouths of the gopis. He then gives the message sent by Krsna to them. Praising them, he returns to Mathura.

The gopis smiled on seeing Uddhava whose dress reminded them of Krsna (suci smita). There is another reading suvismita, which means that they were surprised, wondering how Uddhava had obtained Krsna’s yellow dhoti and his used lotus garland.

“Who is this person who appears so handsome? Where has he come from? Which family does he belong to?” Saying this, the gopis became excited, with the possibility of obtaining news about Krsna.

They bowed their heads out of humility. Being naturally bashful, they covered their heads with their veils. This bashfulness suddenly appears on its own when they meet any respectable person. Thinking that Uddhava must be an intimate friend of their beloved, they smiled, and looked at him with open eyes, and greeted him with welcoming words, and worshipped him with footwash and other items (adi) suitable to the place. They then asked Uddhava questions in private, unseen by outsiders. By his coming promptly to such a place, they understood that he was bearing news about Krsna, the master of Laksmi.

Sukadeva, siding with the gopis, showed some bitterness towards Krsna by addressing Krsna as the husband of Laksmi. “In order to make Krsna happy, Laksmi will be coming Mathura. So what purpose could he have in sending messages to the cowherd women?”

“We know who you are, so we do not have to ask. You are follower of the lord of the Yadus. Though Krsna was of cowherd origins, now he is living as king of the Yadus. With such a big post, how is it possible that he will personally come here again? Therefore it seems, O Uddhava, that he has sent you. And he sent you, not for us, but to pacify his mother and father. But what use has he for a father and mother who are cowherd people? He is sending you here just out of fear of general criticism that he is busy ruling in Mathura while Nanda and Yasoda are crying themselves to death. O charming fellow! The most intelligent one has sent you to pacify Nanda and Yasoda. Having come, here, go to Nanda and Yasoda. Receiving you, they will blissfully forget about Krsna. His sharp intelligence has come in handy!”

In this way, in their words there are many such implications of criticism, hidden in words of false praise.

“We do not see anyone else worthy of remembrance in Vraja. But if he disrespects even his father and mother Nanda and Yasoda, whom he is remembering, how is it possible that we or persons like us can have a place in his memory at all? Even those who take sannyasa find it hard to give up relationship with father and mother. But Krsna very easily has given up relationship with countless wives of others whom he enjoyed. What severe sense of renunciation Krsna has!”

“Because he has no use for mother, fathe, brother,or anyone, he should not have possessiveness of them. But because he has a use for you women, since he is lusty, he should be remembering you all the more.”

This verse answers.

“Friendship with those other than parents is motivated. Without those motives, the relationships do not exist. Thus they should be condemned. Those who make friendship, those who are the object of friendship and those who assist in bringing about friendship are all to be condemned because of the selfish motivation. There is friendship where there is motive, and there is no friendship where there is no motive. The friendship of man with woman is the same. The relationship of a man with a woman, who, like a flower, possesses beauty, fragrance, softness and sweetness, and is even with steady heart, is condemned. It is like the bee making friendship with the flower. The bee, drinking once the honey from the flower endowed with so many good qualities, gives up the flower and goes elsewhere. In the same way, the man gives up the woman after enjoying her, though she is worthy of enjoyment, endowed with good qualities and is faithful. In this case there is motivation, but no friendship at all. That relationship is considered even more despicable.”

7-8.The last verse explained that friendship do not exist without motivation . This verse illustrates that statement by listing a series of examples (dipaka nyaya).

“The prostitute gives up the penniless man. As long as the man has money, she does not give him up. The citizens give up the king who cannot protect them. The priest gives up the sponsor once has given a donation. The bird gives up the tree once the fruit have rotted. A paramour gives up a woman though she is eager enjoyment. As long as she is young he does not give her up. Where the motivation no longer exists, the friendship ceases. Since Krsna has fulfilled his goals with the women of Mathura, how is it possible that we are worthy of his remembrance?” Therefore they indicate that Krsna did not have love for the gopis.

In this verse woman in the singular and paramours is in the plural form. This implies that it is alright to reject a woman who is involved with many men out of lust. “However we are many, and we have only one male object of love. ( And it is not impelled by lust since we had prema for him since childhood.) Yet still he does not show us love. By neglecting so many of us, he shows unprecedented cruelty in his heart.”

Revealing through their own mouths their unfaithfulness to their husbands, they then gave up consideration of social criticism. While repeated singing Krsna’s balya and kaisora pastimes, they began to cry. During Krsna’s baby pastimes, their prema was pure, nirupadhika, or unconditional, but during Krsna’s kaisora age their prema was kamopadhika motivated by lust.

Someone (kacit) (the daughter of Vrsabhanu) endowed with seventh stage of prema called mahabhava (prema, sneha, mana, pranaya,raga anuraga, bhava, mahabhava?), the embodiment of essence of the hladini sakti, imagining through meditation Krsna’s relationship with the women of Mathura, became angry.

“Beloved Krsna has sent this messenger here to pacify me.”

Imagining in this way, she then began to speak to a bee which had just flown in front of her. Or on the pretext of the bee, she was actually directing her words to Uddhava.

Seeing the bee buzzing around greedily for the fragrance of her lotus feet, Radha, possessed of divine madness (divyonmada), began to speak.

“O bee, friend of the deceitful one! (kitava bandho)” She then enumerates the reasons why Krsna should be called a cheater. “Krsna said, ‘For my sake you all have given up everything to come here filled with attraction, and I have given you up. Please forgive me for this injustice I have done.’ 10.32.21. He also said, ‘You have surrendered yourselves to me with the highest attraction, and it is impossible for me to repay you.’ Sitting on the chariot of Akrura, Krsna sent a servant’s message to the gopis, who ere pained by the impeding separation from Krsna, and said, ‘I am coming quickly from Mathura.’ 10.39.35

“Because these statements by Krsna are false, Krsna can be called a cheater. O bee you are a friend of that cheater! As a friend you are playing the role of a messenger. Do not touch my feet!"

The bee, making a buzzing sound, seemed to say, “What is this? Will you not let me offer obeisances to you?”

Radha said, “Oh one who drinks liquor (madhu pa), by contact with intoxicants, my feet will become impure. If you just want to offer obeisances, do that from far off.”

The bee seemed to reply, “Why are you accusing me of being drunk, when I have no fault?”

Radha said, “This is not just an accusation, it is true. Do not touch me with your whiskers tinged by the kumkuma of the garland from another woman’s breasts which has been crushed by contact with Krsna’s chest (or the garland worn by Krsna which has been crushed by another woman’s breasts.)”

Radha here puts blame on the natural color of the bee’s yellows hairs thinking them to be tinged with kumkuma.

“That you have come to praise me when I am in a state of anger without even washing your whiskers, shows that you are without judgement, that you did drink some liquor. Any intelligent person will understand that seeing you in that condition will only increase my anger, not decrease it.”

As the bee continued to hum, Radha thought that he was again speaking. “Whatever the case, you should be happy.”

Radha answered, “O protector of the liquor (madhu palaka), go to Mathura, protect the liquor to be drunk by your master, and drink it yourself. That is a good job for you, because you are unsuitable to be a messenger, being so stupid.”

Humming, the bee began to fly around. He seemed to be saying,”I see you are finding many faults. Why should I hear all these words? Now I am going to Mathura. Let Krsna himself come and make you happy.”

Radha said, “Now he is sitting as the king of the Yadus. Though a cowherd, born to the queen of Vraja, by some good fortune, he has become a ksatriya. Let him give happiness to those women who regard him as a ksatriya. All the cowherd women mean nothing to him now. Let him continuously satisfy them.”

By the use of the plural manininam, those who regard him as a ksatriya, she indicates the unlimited number of women in Mathura whom he should enjoy. “But when he satisfies one of them, others become angry. When he satisfies that women, another becomes angry. Thus he will have to continuous satisfy them one after the other. Thus he will have no opportunity to come to see us.”

The bee seemed to say, “You are an ocean of good fortune for him. You should not speak like this. If he did not keep you in his mind, why would he send me here as a messenger?”

She answered, “You, as his servant, are carrying the clues of his love affairs. And he, exhibiting those clues, will be scorned in the assembly of Yadus. When the news of his transgressions with the Yadu women becomes known, the husbands will throw abuse on him. (Or, with such a messenger as you, all the assembly of Yadus will get scorned in all countries by other ksatriyas, because their women were enjoyed by a cowherd man.) And sending a messenger like you with the clues of his illicit affairs, he must certainly be intoxicated, being the master of liquor (madhu pati).”

All the words used in this verse arise from the emotions experienced by Radha. The word "cheater"iarises from her indignation (asuya). The word “co wife,” another woman, arises from jealousy (irsya). “Do not touch my feet” arises from pride (mada). “Let him deliver to them” comes from her desire to disrespect (avadhirana).. “Scorned in the assembly of Yadus” arises from the urge to spit out harsh words. This constitutes prajalpa.

“To spit out rude words towards the beloved, with expressions of disrespec, tindignation, jealousy, and pride is called prajalpa.”

The bee seemed to say, “This yellow color is my natural color as a bee. It is not the kumkuma from Krsna’s alliance with another woman. What offense has Krsna committed? He thinks only of you, and does not see another woman in Mathura even while dreaming. Why you become so angry?”

“After making us drink the nectar of his lips just once, he has given us up. That is his offense.” Though Krsna had actually kissed the gopis many times, by saying that he kissed them only once she expresses her extreme thirst, out of attachment to him.

“And because his lips are nectar, in spite of our suffering we do not die. Krsna previously considered, 'If they all die of such torment, then who will be left that I can torture?' Thus he has made us drink the nectar of his lips so that this does not happen." That is the meaning of her words.

“Then after giving us a taste, he immediately leaves us. You should consider that if he really wanted to give us happiness, he would have forcibly made us drink the nectar repeatedly.”

The buzzing bee said, “But how could you chaste women become so desirous of him?”

Radha said, “That nectar destroys our intelligence. By tasting that nectar our hopes in this and next life have all been destroyed. Krsna does not consider the saying, ‘One should not cut down with ones own hand even a poisonous tree that one has planted and raised oneself.’ What he likes and dislikes is astonishing. Just as Visnu made the devatas drink nectar churned from the ocean, Krsna has made us drink nectar yet he abandons us just as someone like you (bhavadrk), a bee, abandons a jasmine flower. ”

The bee said, “ But when he abandons you, are you at fault or is he?”

Radha answered, “He gives us up, like the bee gives up the jasmine. You should consider whose fault that is. We are also famous in Vraja as sumana, being like the jasmine (sumanasa) in fragrance, softness, purity and attractiveness, and because we have splendid minds (su manas), whereas he is famous as being fickle like the bee, only interested in his own pleasure. I am not just reciting poetry. The bee, because of his fickleness, after giving up many jasmine flowers, becomes attracted or attached to inferior flowers. Why should we not become angry with Krsna, just as we would with the bee?”

The bee argued, “It is well known from the scriptures that Krsna is without fault. Garga, knowledgeable of scriptures, has said that he is equal to Narayana.”

Radha answered, “Well, that may be, but how can that cover up what we see in real life-such as the way he cheats others?”

Pondering this, she found a reason why Laksmi serves him. “Laksmi serves him, because her mind is attracted to the glorification given to Uttama sloka (he who is glorified) by his own men. Laksmi however is very simply whereas we have been endowed by the creator with skill, intelligence, slyness, and beauty. How can we be like her?”

“By making us drink, we lose our intelligence” shows Krsna’s deceptive nature. “He instantly gives them up” indicates his mercilessness. “Like you the bee (bhavadrk)” indicates Krsna’s fickleness. By revealing Laksmi as simple, Radha indicates her own cleverness. All the words indicate Krsna’s ungrateful nature and lack of love for them. This verse is an example of parijalpa.

The symptoms of parijalpa are mentioned in the Ujjvala Nilamani: “When a person reveals indirectly their own cleverness while enumerating another’s faults of mercilessness, craftiness and fickleness, and other qualities (ungratefulness, love of love) it is called parijalpa.”

Seeing the bee constantly buzzing due to his nature, Radha thought, “Agitated by my criticism, he is singing his own glories.”

She then spoke. “Why are you singing this to us gopis? The songs of an ignorant bee will not please the gopis. Again and again you are singing. And as well, in those songs you are publicizing the glories of the leader of the Yadus. You are doing that in front of us-who were made by Krsna to give up our homes and are now sitting at the edge of the forest. We cannot give you even a fistful of chickpeas in charity.”

“Then just give me the old clothing and garlands from your body.”

“You are completely ignorant of this. I will not give you anything. Reciting the Puranas you are trying to prove that Krsna is the lord of the Yadus. O six legged creature, 1.5 x a normal four legged animal, 1.5 times more unintelligent , you do not know where you should sing. Being an animal, how do you know the Puranas? And how can you receive charity? But since you are an animal, we are not angry with you. We will give instructions on where you should sing to support your existence.

"You should sing in front of the girl friends of that friend of yours who is preeminently victorious or defeated by them in the battle of love (vijaya sakha). You should sing all about those victories and defeat in love.”

Vijaya sakha can also mean the friend of Arjuna who is also known as Vijaya. Previously Krsna was known as the friend of Subala, but after he left Vraja, he became known as the friend of Arjuna. Radha therefore refers to Krsna in the future.

“These women of Mathura, relieved of the pain in their breasts, being respected by you by your letting them hear your songs, will fulfill your desires.”

The second half of the verse shows indignation concealing beneath deep seated anger. In all of the verse there are leering inferences, mocking Krsna. This is an example of vijalpa.

Leering statements directed towards Krsna with explicit envy, hiding within them signs of deep anger are called vijalpa, according to Ujjvala Nilamani.

Hearing the bee buzzing, Radha thought he was saying, “Crown jewel of the dearmost of Krsna! In Mathura, Krsna is meditating on you day and night, pierced by the arrow of love. If you are pleased, then he is delivered from his pain.”

Radha then speaks with envy. “Who is difficult for Krsna to attain in svarga, martya and patala?” The meaning is “I know very well that Krsna cannot pass his time without the presence of young women. If there are no women in Mathura, then let he meditate on us, satisfy us, and send a messenger such as you to bring us there. Do not tell us that the Ksatriya women will not accept a person of cowherd birth, for there is no one unavailable to him in all the three worlds. If he goes to svarga there are the divine women, if he goes to rasatala there are the wives of the nagas. They all give up their husbands for him. What to speak then of the women of Mathura? For obtaining women he does not have to depend on punya. Being deceptive, with his dancing eyelashes and charming smile who can resist him? They no longer belong to their husbands. For the price of his deceptive smile they have been purchased, giving up their husbands. He is deceptive because, though attaining them, once he enjoys them he gives them up and goes after new women. What to speak of the heavenly women, even Laksmi, situated on the chest of Narayana, serves Krsna’s lotus feet in order to get his association. (prayers of kaliya’s wives). We have heard that from the mouth of Paurnamasi. Therefore how can we remain unaffected? We are only humans, morever simple cowherd women, moreover cowherd women of Vrndavana.”

These humble words reveal jealousy latent with pride through the inflection of her voice and nodding of her head. Through that jealousy she reveals thoughts of her superiority to Laksmi in prema, beauty, and similarity of caste.

"His is supposed to favor the miserable. He who is merciful to the suffering and fallen is called Uttama sloka. But as Krsna lacks this quality, that name is a lie.”

Another abusive implication is: “If he did not make miserable people like us suffer in the first place, then how could get that name?”

The first half of the verse describing Krsna's attraction to all women, shows his trickery. The third line indicates jealousy (irsa) filled with pride (garva). The last line shows abuse (apeksa) mixed with indignation (asuya). This is called ujjalpa.

Abusive, indignant speech which reveals Krsna’s trickery with jealousy filled with pride is called ujjalpa.

While the bee was flying around it landed on Radha’s foot, out of greed for her fragrance, and still buzzing seemed to say, “O lady, worshipable by millions of Laksmis! Truly Krsna has made offense to you. I say, you should forigive him.”

Thinking that the bee was offering her his respects, she said, “Why are you touching your head to my foot. Please go away! I know you. You cannot cheat me like you cheat Laksmi and others. You have got lessons from Mukunda. He is very skilful at humble entreaties, sending messages with sweet words. You have learned it all from him. I know your character! I know you!”

“O mistress! What is the use of fighting with him, who is more dear to you than millions of lives? Rather you should make peace with him through me.”

“For his sake, we gave up chindren, husands, mothers and fathers, and he gave us up and left. The gopis who were prevented from going to the rasa dance gave up their children and went to meet him. We gave up husbands. The unmarried girls gave up their mothers and fathers. He, who is ungrateful (akrta cetasah), gave up all these women. Should one make peace with such a cruel hearted person? No, never."

The first half of the verse shows sarcastic abuse and the second half shows the lover's ungratefulness and other qualities (adi) like mercilessness, treachery and lack of love. This verses illustrates sanjalpa.

Ujjvala Nilamani describes sanjalpa as "utterances about Krsna’s ungratefulness and other bad qualities, through deeply sarcastic, harsh words."

The bee seemed to say, “O Radha, tender hearted Krsna meditates on you in Mathura. I have seen it with my eyes.”

“You are new to Mathura, so you do not know the truth. Not only in this life has he been cruel hearted, but in previous lives also. I have heard this from Paurnamasi. When he appeared as a ksatriya in the form of Rama, he gave up ksatriya dharma and like a hunter kills a dear, he killed Vali, the king of the monkeys mercilessly, by hiding behind a tree.

"In the events of this story there is more impiety, for he transgressed the rules of the hunter. The hunter does not kill monkeys because their flesh is inedible and cannot even be sold to anyone. Hear about some more of his impiety. The woman Surpanakha, overcome with lust, desired Rama, but Rama disfigured here by cutting off her nose, so that no one else would want to enjoy with her. That was simply because of his cruel nature. He did not do this cruel act because he was protecting his vow of celibacy while wearing matted locks and dress of a renunciate, because at that time he also was living with Sita, conquered by love for her (stri jitah).

"Similarly, he appeared as Vamana, as a brahmana, he rejected the qualities of the brahama such as peacefulness and straightforwardness, and after enjoying the offerings made by the pious king Bali, threw him from his rulership of the three worlds (pisthapat aksipat), into a hole in the earth.”

Alternative reading is avesthayat dhvanksavat instead of pisthapat. In that case the meaning is: “He, like a crow, bound him up by trickery. Just as the crow, after devouring offerings meant for worship, calls other crows and surrounds a woman, Vamana called his own people who surrounded Bali, and tormented him. Enough with friendships with that black complexioned man! Not one of many types of friendship of us gold complexioned women with that black complexioned man has proved auspicious.And because he has impure heart (asita), one should be wary of him. What use have we of such a person?”

“The bee seemed to say, “Do those who go around criticizing others constantly have pure hearts?”

Radha said, “Talking about his activities in past lives is hard to give up, though it gives us sorrow. Though we should not be discussing about him, we cannot give up discussing, whether we criticize him or not.”

Another meaning: “Though we have given him up, we cannot stop talking about him.” As the subject is not mentioned in this phrase dustyas tat katharthah, it infers the even for the best of munis it is difficult to give up speaking about Krsna.

Killing Vali indicates his ruthless nature, being controlled by woman indicates his lust, accepting offerings indicates fraud, and friendships with the black fellow indicates fear, malice (irsya), and unsuitableness of attachment,. This is an example of avajalpa.

"Statements which show that attachment to him is unadvisable because of his hard nature, his lust and cheating behavior, along with expressions of malice and fear is called avajalpa."

“But what is so remarkable about our suffering after establishing a relationship with him. Discussion of his pastimes gives sorrow to the whole world. The pastimes which he performed at every moment (anucaritam) are nectar for the ears, the sound itself gives joy, what to speak of the joy on understanding the meaning. By tasting just one drop, just once, friendship between men and women (dvandva dharma) is immediately cut (vidhuta). If a wife hears, then she gives up affection for her husband. If a husband hears, he gives up affection for his wife. If a son hears, he gives up affection for mother and father. If a mother hears she gives up affection for her son. In this way each person attains complete destruction (vi=visesa nasta).

"It is not the same suffering as in renunciation, but worse. The proof is the common people. Though the people who develop a taste for Krsna’s pastimes are soft hearted, they also become hard hearted, merciless and ungrateful, on hearing the pastimes of hard hearted Krsna. Just on hearing about him, they give up fathers and mothers, in laws who are suffering because, having no other means of support, they do not have enough money for the next day’s food; or they give the family members suffering due to separation as if they were dead people. What to speak of wife and children dying, even they themselves cannot be happy. They are penniless (dinah), for, having left home with disturbed mind, they have forgotten to tie up in their cloth even a few coins. This is not the case of one man, or two , or three or four people. This has been the case with hundreds and hundreds of people.”

If the alternate reading dhirah (instead of dinah) is taken, it means that in spite of seeing the wife cry, they are unmoved or hard hearted.

“How do they maintain their lives?”

“Like (iva) birds, they survive on grains by begging, not by some big donation.”

Sometimes alternate reading "iha" is seen instead of "iva." In that case it means: “They come and beg here, in Vrndavana, the place of suffering and suffer even more in our association.”

"Krsna lila is like a poisonous mixture of sugarcane juice and powered seeds of the dhatura plant. The speaker of his pastimes is a murderer in the dress of a saint. The puranas are a net. The speaker may be seen wandering from forest to forest with the puranas under his arm. Vyasa and others are the makers of the net which teaches that Krsna is Supreme. This is accepted by Krsna, who then thinks, 'I will make all people like the gopis fall in the ocean of suffering.' Seeing others suffering is his happiness. So he must bear the consequence of giving others such misery, not Vyasa or anyone else"

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In this way, there are thousands of implications in this verse. In this verse, through indirect praisethrough condemnation, the excellence of bhakti is established.

Remorseful statements to give up Krsna because of his inflicting pain on innocent people who suffer like birds is called abhijalpa.

Ujjvala Nilamani gives the same definition.

The bee seemed to say, “Why did such intelligent ladies establish friendship with such a person as Krsna?”

Radha said, “'You have offered yourselves to me with the highest attachment. If I had the lifetime of the devatas, still I could not repay you.'(sb 10.32.22) We fools had faith in this cheaters statements, just as the wives of the black deer have faith in the song of the hunter. As the deer 'saw' his song (saw the result-- the striking of the arrow), so we also experienced the sharp pangs of love with the touch of his nails. Not once, but many times, the deer, out of ignorance, have been shot. This shows their extreme stupidity. And we also, repeatedly suffering in the mind from relationship with him, are also extremely stupid. Therefore o jester, speak of other things, which will make us happy, for news of Krsna simply brings us suffering."

This verse is an example of ajalpa, which contains descriptions of Krsna’s crooked nature, stating that topics about him give sorrow, and other topics give happiness.

Ujjvala Nilamani says, "Where there is discussion of his crooked nature with disgust, and how that gives sorrow, where as other topics give happiness, it is called ajalpa."

Though the bee was buzzing around that place, Radha out of the madness of prema, could not find him. Not seeing him for a moment, she began to consider. “Because of my sharp words, that messenger, being afflicted, has gone off to Mathura, and must have told everything to Krsna. Now he has become indifferent to me.”

Considering this Rahda gave up her quarrelsome mood, and staring at the path said, “Perhaps my beloved, the ocean of love, and crown of good qualities, will again send his messenger here.”

Suddenly seeing him, she said respectfully, “O friend of the dearmost of my life! Though wounded by the arrows of my words, by your own good qualities, you have forgotten my offenses and returned here. Can I understand that my dearmost, has sent you here again, not considering my thousands of offenses? If that is so, then you should pray for one boon from me. What do you desire? I will fulfill your request. O bee, if you say, 'I want you to go to Mathura' then I will answer, 'Yes, I will go to Mathura.'

After saying that she thought, “If I see my beloved surrounded by other women in Mathura, I will get uncontrollable jealously.” So she said, “Why are you taking me to Krsna, who cannot give up loving affairs?”

“I swear that he is alone in Mathura.”

“O one of pure intelligence! Laksmi is by his side. Not only that, she is constantly there. Not only that, she is on his chest, taking shelter of the Lord.”

As Laksmi has the power to take many forms, when Krsna enjoys with other women, Laksmi sits on his chest as a golden line. But when other women are not present, she gives up the form as a golden line and and taking the form of a young woman, enjoys with him.

Although she respects the bee in this verse, after acceptings the bee’s statements, she rejects them after showing how they are inappropriate. This is an example of prati jalpa.

The qualities of prati jalpa are explained in the ujjvala nila mani. "Humble statements expressing respect for the messenger, but with refusal to meet Krsna because of his relationships with other women is called pratijalpa."

21.”Oh, in my madness I have been talking, but did not ask the questions I should have.” With repentence she spoke with respect. “Is the noble son in Mathura now? Just as he left Vraja, will he also leave Mathura? “ By this she hints that he may develop the desire to come here, because it is not so far from Mathura. She did not ask if he was happy there, but simply asked if he were there. This revealed her thoughts.

“Because he was cheated by the Yadus, the son of noble, devoted Nanda, suffering there in remembrance of our love, is residing there in great difficulty. He is thinking, 'Even my father cannot bring me to Vraja. By what means can I go to Vraja?' Not tolerating his own delay, he has sent you here as a messenger. Therefore there is no fault if he is still in Mathura, because he is the son of Nanda. Nanda is noble, simple minded, and without keen foresight of the consequences. Who could know that such a father could leave such a son and return to Vraja empty handed? If she had known, the queen of Vraja Yasoda would have climbed up on Akrura’s chariot, sat there, hugging her child, and gone off to Mathura. The gopis would have followed after him. The father's good nature has been the cause of our destruction.

"Does Krnsa remember all the houses of Nanda? When the cheater Vasudeva snatched away the son of simple hearted Nanda, Nanda returned to Vraja and remained in a stunned state. Does Krsna sometimes remember those rooms, the storeroom, the kitchen, the bedroom, which now are empy, uncleaned, and filled with grass, dust, leaves and spider webs? Does he remember his friends like Subala who now remains stunned in other houses?

"Sometimes, when other women cannot please him by their service, and they cannot understand how to make him happy, and they ask what will make him happy, does he speak about us servants to them? Does he say,'You cannot please me as do my gopis in Vraja, in stringing flower garlands, smearing ointments, putting on ornaments, preparing betel nut, playing the vina, creating wonderful melodies and beats, in singing and dancing, in beauty and youthfulness, in exchanging questions and answers, in union, and in all the stages of prema, sneha, mana and pranaya. Oh Yadu women, therefore you should go to your husbands. I do not need you at all. I will go to Vraja tomorrow morning.'

"Saying this, when will he come here, when will he hold our heads in his arms, fragrant with aguru. He will console us saying, 'O gopis dear to my life, I make this vow before you. I will never give you up and go elsewhere. I have not found even a particle of anyone like you in the three worlds.'

The first line of the verse shows simplicity. The second line shows gravity in not mentioning oneself, the third and fourth line show humility, unsteadiness and eagerness. This verse is an example of sujalpa.

"Sujalpa refers to asking about Krsna with simplicity, gravity, humility, unsteadiness and eagerness."

These ten types of divya unmada or transcendental madness are together called citra jalpa. These ten types of madness appear in Radha in her manfestation of mohana, the most excellent part of mahabhava.

"Mohana arises primarily in Radha, and reaches an indescribable state, resembling delusion. It is then called divyonmada. It has many varieties such as udgirna and citrajalpa. This ecstatic talk, induced by seeing a friend of ones beloved, and filled with covered anger, culminates in extreme eagerness. The ten types of citra jalpa are: prajalpa, parijalpa, vijalpa, ujjalpa, sanjalpa, avajalpa, abhijalpa, ajalpa, pratijalpa and sujalpa."

Some say that Krsna assumed the form of the bee in order to drink the sweetness of Radha’s citrajalpa.

23."Indeed (sma) you, whose minds are offered in this way to the Lord, are certainly successful. Other devotees also offer their minds to the Lord, but we do not see their minds offered in this way."

Devotion to Krsna is produced by various processes (sadhana) such as giving. In the case of bhakti, giving (dana) must refer to giving to vaisnavas. Vrata must refer to vaisnava vratas like ekadasi. Tapah must refer to giving up objects of enjoyment for krsna’s sake (krsanrtha bhoga tyagadi-see nectar of devotion angas). Homa refers to vaisnava homas and japa refers to chanting visnu matras. Svadyaya refers to recitation of the gopala tapani upanisad and other text concerning Krsna. Other auspicious practices refers to those actions which are angas of bhakti (producing bhakti). That is because other practices, such of dana, tapa etc., in themselves are incapable of producing bhakti. That has been explained before.

“Your bhakti is very different from other types This is the supreme form of bhakti (anuttama), which has not existed before. However, following after your ragatmika bhakti, raganuga bhakti will be spread as a practice in the future. This is for the good fortune of the people in general (distya)."

"It is my good fortune that you have given up sons etc who are the objects of extreme attachment, and accepted the form of the Supreme Lord named Krsna as the enjoyer of yourselves."

“How is it auspicious for you, if we have given up wealth and family and accepted Krsna?”

"Prema unto Krsna, who cannot be perceived by anyone’s senses (adhoksaje), is so much rarer than that. But you have mahabhava, that bhava filled completely with its essential qualities, (sarvatma bhava). Just as the sun spreads to all by transference of heat and the moon spreads itself to all people by transference of coolness, so mahabhava spreads itself to all people by transference of its own nature. In this verse, the combination of the words sarvatma (complete) and bhava (emotion) reveals the characteristics of mahabhava. Ujjvala Nila mani gives the definition of mahabhava. When anuraga (after sneha, pranaya mana, etc.) attains states of being conscious of only itself, of its own taste, clearly manifests sattvika bhava symptoms, and reaches its maximum possible state, it is called maha bhava. (ujjvala nila mani 109). This bhava or mahabhava is the seventh manifestation of prema. It manifests in you and in no one else, not even Laksmi. What is it like? It is a special privilege or right which has been given by the Lord to you women alone, and not given to anyone else (adhikrtah). By your manifestation of love in separation, you have been merciful to me, showing all the varieties within mahabhava such as citra jalpa and divyonmada. If you had not experienced separation from Krsna , he would not have sent me here, and I would not have observed this great wonder". In this way he describes the extent of his good fortune.

“O Uddhava! In speaking about mahabhava, what is the use of praising us and yourself? You have come here to pacify us. Do you have some message of Krsna which can remove our sorrow? If you have, please tell us.”

He answers with this verse. “Please hear the message of your beloved which will bring you happiness, which, I, carrying out his confidential work, have brought here.”

The first message gives instructions on knowledge, whose purpose is to reveal the unassailable strength of prema to the most intellegent, and to cover the glories of prema from the dull minded.

"See, through Uddhava I am teaching the gopis the nectar of knowledge, and that could not extinguish the fire of their love. Rather that knowledge got consumed by heat of the fire of their love. Their prema has been proven the strongest, because it has rendered useless jnana yoga taught by me, the lord of mind and yoga.”

It is just as, at the beginning of the rasa dance, his instructions of karma yoga revealed the strength of prema to the confidential devotees. The supreme lord, benefactor of all, taught jnana for liberation to the gopis, even though they are filled with the highest prema,.in order to hide the greatest secret, the glories of prema from the ignorant people who think they are learned. In this way, he nourished the devotees with the nectar of prema and cheated the non devotees by giving some intoxicant. Like Mohini, the verse reveals two functions equally, in relation to the devotees and the demons.

Now let us continue with the explanation of the verse. This is the speech of Uddhava, spoken in the past tense, but the text says “The Lord said.” The reason is as follows. “ Though I have great love for the Lord, I find it difficult to understand the meaning of his words. Therefore I will reveal his message as if he were saying it, keeping the ambiguity of his words intact.”

“O gopis! You never have any separation from me. Therefore why do you want to die with so much crying?”

"How are you never separate from us?"

“Because I am the supersoul pervading all beings. All the scriptures, Garga muni and the devatas such as Varuna say this. I am present as the supersoul with your bodies, and therefore you are always united with me."

In this statement, as with Krnsa’s instructions on dharma at the beginning of the rasa dhance, there are hidden instructions on conjugal dealings in order to prevent the gopis criticizing him later. On a day following the rasa lila, the gopis criticized Krnsa saying, “O jewel among lusty boys! Why did you give us instructions on morality on the day of the rasa dance?”

Krsna then replied, “O ignorant girls! On that day I gave instructions on how to enjoy conjugal rasa with me. How did you foolish girls ever conclude that I was teaching about moral principles?” Krsna then told them another meaning to his words of instruction before the rasa dance.

In the same way, after being absent for a long time, at their future meeting the gopis might say, “O lord of our life! Why did you give us instructions on knowledge through Uddhava when we were suffering in separation?” Anticipating that, Krsna says, “O unintelligent girls, I taught you through Uddhava all about prema. How did you conclude that I was teaching about jnana?”

He then proceeds to give another explanation of the present verse which indicates prema not jnana.

“Your separation from me is not in all my forms but one only, the body (na sarvatmana) (since atma refers to body, soul, mind and intelligence). Certainly prema is the very nature of my atma and thus my soul, senses and intelligence (atma) all l reside in you. I took one body only (atma) to Mathura. As well, your senses, intelligence and mind (atma) reside with me in Mathura. Only your bodies are stiuated in Vraja.

"But all the scriptures have said also that I am dependent on prema. I am not independent in my prema. Thus the separation between you and me, who have a bond of prema, existing only in the separation of our bodies, gives rise the the sentiments of suffering in separation. Prema now, using that vehicle of separation, desires to increase to the extreme. Thus, even though I have great longing, how can I immediately bring my body to Vraja? But when that prema, once reaching its desired level and exhibiting full separation, ascends to the state of meeting, I can then bring that body to Vraja, being dependent on that prema. In this way the separation of bodies will disappear."

The external meaning of the second part of the verse is as follows.

"But as the source of all matter, I exist in all things. As all the elements, earth, water, fire air and ether exist in all moving and non moving creatures, I am the shelter of all, the final cause of all causes (guna) and effects (mana). Wherever they exist, I exist."

For the gopis the meaning of this part of the verse is as follows: "Having taken shelter of the minds, life airs, intelligences, senses, qualities and words of you who meditate constantly on me with love, I remain there always, appearing in my wonderful form."

"I am the subject doing action, the location of action and the object of action. Within me, the support (atmani), I (subject), create the universe which is myself (object)."

“But you are saccid ananda, and this universe appears to be different from you.”

“The universe is a result of my maya sakti. I create the elements by that sakti. Being my external energy, the maya sakti, though one of my forms, is not my svarupa."

For the gopis the meaning is as follows. “I make my appearance (atmanam srjami) in your minds (atmani) eby my own effort (atmana). For enjoyment, I maintain that form for a moment (anupalaye), and then I make that form disappear (hanmi)."

"By what effort?"

"By the power of yogamaya (atma maya anubhavena)."

"What is your self (atmanam) that you make appear?"

"That form with all my limbs (bhutani); my senses (indriya) such as eyes'; my qualities (guna) such as beauty, sweetness and cleverness; and intelligence (atma)".

Taken as one element the compound is expressed in the singular form.

The first meaning of the verses is as follows.

“How can the people of this world know your form?”

“My form is beyond the gunas, called the paramatma, perceived everywhere. I am Paramatma (atma), knowledge (jnana maya) beyond maya-- in other words, cit--and have no relation with the gunas, though I am the creator, due to my acintya sakti (suddha). Though existing within the bodies, I am separate (vyati rikta). Though I am the controller of the gunas, I have no relation to the gunas. But that paramatma can be inferred through the material functions of the mind during waking, sleeping and dreaming."

Bhagavatam supports this elsewhere. “You can be inferred from the gunas.” (Sb.10.2.25) “The supreme Lord is perceived in all living entities through perception and inference by intelligence.” (Sb 2.2.35).

The meaning for the gopis is as follows.

"I (atma), being full of knowledge (jnanamaya), though residing in Mathura, am always conscious of you, and never forget you. Though I stay in Mathura, I remain uncontaminated by association with those women (suddha), because saddened by your sorrow of separation, how could I get pleasure from other women? Thus I remain separate from them (vyatirikta), for I continue to dwell on your qualities such as beauty and sweetness (guna anvayah). Similarly I can be perceived by you with your mental faculties, during sleeping, dreaming and waking states. In deep sleep you can perceive my general form and qualities as paramatma. In dreams you can perceive my particular form and qualities. In waking state you can perceive me directly, in sweet meetings with you, with laughing and dancing and other pastimes."

Jnana yoga bears fruit when the mind is restrained. This verse deals with restraining the mind. By the mind a man in waking state meditates on material objects. In dream as well, by mind he meditates on dream objects, even though they are false. Thus, mind and the senses should be restrained. The careful person (vinidrah) acting in this way, gained knowledge. Previous conduct is testified as true by this statement.

For the gopis the following meaning is given.

"Waking from a swooning condition, a person like you rejects the mind which dwells on objects of the senses such as seeing and touching me, tasting the nectar of my lips, and embracing me, which though real (because they come from my actual appearance in this world) appear false as in a dream state. Because of that, without sleep, you appeared with eyes and other senses devoid of anjana, sandalwood and color. I know that though I gave you all sorts of enjoyment, you, blinded by attraction, pained by separation, losing all discretion, consider all that enjoyment false. This gives me great unhappiness. I have therefore sent this message to you to say that your enjoyment with me is true."

"All the methods in all the scriptures have as their purpose control of the mind." That is the import of this verse.

"The final subject of the Vedas is control of the mind. Astanga yoga, the discrimination of soul and non-soul (sankhya), though they have different methods, they all lead to control of the mind, just as all rivers lead to the ocean."

For the gopis the meaning is as follows. "Just as by control of the mind one can pass over the material ocean, so you can pass over the pain of separation from me by mind control. That is because the uncontrolled mind makes you think that association with me, which is actually true, is false."

The meaning of the words is the same in both these interpretations.

"O Uddhava, by this news, you have doubled our pain. What can we say about messengers who are ignorant of time, place and person? What can we say about you, who have no sense of discretion? You have brought this burden of brahma jnana this far, but who will buy it in Vraja? Can the gopis, who from birth have been drinking the nectar of Krsna’s beauty, now drink the bitter juice of brahma jnana? In time of great famine, better that the women give up their lives in starvation than eat grass. Hear this great fool! This brahma jnana is certainly medicine for the sickness of material existence, lying in the hearts of great saintly physicians. But can it be the cure for the great sickness of Krsna prema? Did those doctors ever research this disease? Learning the scriptures on diagnosis and cure from Sandipani Muni, Krsna has taught you, and sent the medicine to relieve the fever of prema. You can now be our messenger. Take this medicine and go back to its sender. Drinking it, he will extinguish his fever of prema for us. Make him drink it so that no trace of fever remains. But may our fever from prema remain for a hundred births! We will not touch that medicine. Is it possible for torrents of water that could extinguish the forest fire to extinguish the fire of the lightning bolt? If we find within his message something a little favorable to us, is that his intention or is it just an accident? We have no faith in him."

When the gopis began to speak in this angry mood, Uddhava spoke to them.

“O ladies, just hear a moment with attention. As well as braham jnana, I have also brought some other message.” After speaking this, he then began to offer to them Krsna‘s words, as they listened eagerly, with faith.

The general meaning of the message is as follows.

“Though dear to your eyes, I am now far from them. The reason for this is that I desire that you continually meditate on me. By that meditation your minds get closer to me. Therefore, now I am very close to your minds.”

Another meaning for the gopis is as follows.

“Though you are dear to my eyes, you are now situated far away from my eyes. But you are near my mind. From this it should be understood that if one is withinin eyesight, then one is far from that person’s mind. And if one is close to someone’s mind, one is far from their sight. Since between the two, the mind is more important, I desire that you remain close in my mind. May that be your desire also.”

This verse considers the relative importance of feeling with the heart and seeing with the eyes. Ca indicates that this example holds good for men as well as women. The heart becomes more absorbed in the beloved when the beloved is far away, than when the loved one is present and within sight.

"Oh Uddhava, That message also you should keep in the treasure box of your heart. Though now Krsna is enjoying with the women of Mathura, sometime in the future he will be far from their eyes. At that time you can give this message to them. But right now, this message is unacceptable in Vraja. Previously, even when Krsna was present in Vraja and visible to our eyes, and then was absent of a moment, that moment felt like a hundred yugas. During that period of separation appearing like one yuga, the gopis would have brought Krsna near with their mind thousands and thousands of times!"

When the gopis spoke irreverently in this way, Uddhava replied.

“O women if this message does not appeal to you, then hear another message from me. I have brought many messages."

Again he distributed Krsna’s words to them.

"As you have completely rejected (vi =visesena muktah) objects like house and husband, your minds concentrate upon me, Krsna, and you constantly remember me. Because of this you will very soon attain my personal presence."

This verse raises as proof Krsna's personal presence when some gopis were locked in their houses by their husbands on the night of the rasa dance, as described in a previous verse.

"Some gopis did not attain the rasa dance with me, as I engaged in amusements (kridata maya) on the night of the rasa lila in Vrndavana. Why was that? Because they remained in Vraja; being kept forcibly in their houses by their husbands (vraje asthitah). Though they wanted to die because their desires were not fulfilled and they experienced great pain in separation from me, they attained auspiciousness (kalyanyah); that is, they remained alive. By thinking of the rasa dance and other pastimes of mine, they attained me. Situated in their houses in Vraja, they were with me, because I personally appeared in their houses. After that, on other nights, they also were able to attend the rasa dance on the bank of the Yamuna."

Those gopis who were the subject of the previous verse, and were restrained by their husbands, now speak to Uddhava in this verse.

"It is true! We were with Krsna who was enjoying on that night." When they heard Uddhava, they remembered their own experiences, which were proof of his words. They became satisfied with Uddhava and began to speak to him politely.

"It is good (distya) that the enemy (ahitah) has been killed."

Some gopis, other than those who were prevented from going to the rasa lila, then spoke with bitterness. Gada was the son of Devaraksita, the daughter of Devaka and one of the wives of Vasudeva. They address Krsna as the elder brother of Gada, indicating that Krnsa thinks of himself as the son of Devaki and elder brother of Gada, and his relationship with those in Gokula has weakened.

"We worshipped him with our pleasing, shy smiles and generous glances. Is he now stimulating the love of the women of Mathura with his bold glances? Is he worshipping them? O Siva! Siva! His worshippable by us, but he is worshipping them. It is our great misfortune!”

“O foolish women, are you asking this same question again? You should have not doubt about this.” In this way other gopis began to speak sarcastically with inner anger.

“Because Krsna knows everything about love affairs, he has become the darling of the women of Mathura. How can he not become attached? Being constantly honored by their words and services (anubhajitah), Krsna will respond to them, or will be forced to render service to them also. We village women do not desire to give any love to that madman. We don’t know skilful use of words and gestures. We have concluded correctly that he has given us up on attaining the women of Mathura." That is the sense of the question they ask in this verse.

“ Dear sir, certainly we deserve to be rejected, therefore we were abandoned by him. But we ask you, though we are the lowest in this world, does he sometimes think of us women that he has rejected after enjoying, whether it is our good points or bad points? Does he remember us uncouth women (avidagdhah) in casual talks--in singing, joking, writing poetry, in making riddles? 'O women of Mathura, the women of my village know very little of the songs you sing.' 'They do not know anything about this, because they are from the village.' Does he mention us even in this way?”

“O dear gopis! What is the use of criticizing Krsna and the women of Mathura with crooked words? Why don’t you instead speak about other people's good qualities?”

"By our misfortune Krsna may forget us, but how can he forget the place where he lived?” In this way some gopis speak while crying.

“He enjoyed with his dear gopis at the rasa arena in pleasant Vrndavana, which resounded with the sounds of ankle bells, whose river banks were filled with the white splendor of lotus, jasmine and moonlight. His attractive conversations were praised by the heavenly women riding in their airplanes. Do the vile women of Mathura know any such conversations with him? Where is there such a river bank in Mathura? Where else is the music, song and dance so pleasing to Krsna? Who in Mathura knows how to make the crowns, unguents, garlands, and betel nuts preparations? By remaining in Mathura, Krsna's happiness has completely disappeared. We will die just thinking of his lack of bliss. If there were some woman in Mathura like us who could please him, then he could enjoy with her dancing, playing the flute, and other pastimes. If we heard that such a woman existed, then we could remain in Vrndavana happily, even though separate from him.” This is the implication of their words.

One gopi among them then spoke. “O friends! Because Krsna is unhappy, he will immediately return here.”

Another gopi, believing this, then spoke. “Will he really come to Vraja and revive us, who are burning up with grief because of him, by showing us his beautiful limbs?”

Hearing this, one obstinate gopi of the vamya nature spoke. “O friends! Foolish women, you do not know at all what happiness Krsna gets during the rasa dance. Hear from me what type of happiness he likes!” Then she speaks this verse with crooked words.

“ Why will he come to Vraja? Here, herding the cows is full of difficulties. There in Mathura, he has obtained a kingdom. Here, he can enjoy with cowherd women, and there he can enjoy with so many women. Here, he is cowherd, there he is a king. At some time he will get married." (In the Puranas when it is mentioned that Krsna married Rukmini in Mathura, it should be understood to be an incident from a different yuga cycle.In the gopala tapani upanisad it is said, “Having gone to Mathura, the Lord live there happily along with Balarama, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Rukmini.”}

“O friends! Give up spite and envy towards Krsna, even if he is without love for us.” One gopi thus spoke about Krsna’s indifference towards everything.

“Because he is the husband of Laksmi, does he have love for her or not? Since he, having completeness (krtatmanah), is filled with his desired objects already (apta kamah), what need does he have for Laksmi? Therefore there is no girl suitable to marry him.” By this, the gopi indicates some esoteric truths to Uddhava.

“Therefore you should give up all hopes of attaining him.”

“But we cannot give him up.”

“It is difficult for anyone to give up hope concerning Krsna. Pingala had desires for men other than Krsna, and therefore she could give up those desires”

"Though a greedy man may not attain his desired object, he cannot give up the desire for the object. Who has the ability to give up the beauty and sweetness of Krsna, Uttama sloka, once having attained it? No one can. Though Laksmi is ignored by Krsna, she does not give up the chest of Krsna, but remains there always as a golden line."

“When the memory of a desired object vanishes, the hopes for it also vanish. However, that will never happen with us. We can never forget him.” This is expressed in three verses.

"The rivers, hills, forests, cows and flute were served or used (arcitah) by Krsna. We cannot forget him, because of his footprints remaining in the earth and stone, marked with the thunderbolt, flag and other symbols."

“If you keep remembering him by looking at the rivers and mountains, then bind a cloth around your eyes, and then by directing the mind elsewhere by the intelligence , you can forget him.”

“How can we forget him? It is not possible because we have no intelligence. He has stolen it. O Uddhava, our hearts have been stolen by his sweet (madhvya) words.”

Then, ignoring Uddhava, the gopis, in extreme distress, turend towards Mathura and called out to Krsna in pitiful voices.

“O Krsna (in this text the first phrase is he krnsa he rama natha), you attract our minds, though we are unqualified! O lord of Laksmi (rama natha), you are the great treasure of wonderful sweet pastimes begged (nathyamana) even by Laksmi! O master of Vraja (vraja natha), Vraja should take shelter of you (natheti). O remover of suffering, previously lifting up Govardhana, you were the remover of the pain caused by Indra. By coming personally here, please deliver Gokula which will be destroyed today or tomorrow due to the ocean of most intense suffering caused by separation from you. O Govinda, protect the cows which you yourself tended. But what will happen if we send this message to him? Enough of this!"

When out of sorrow, the gopis’ hopes for Krsna’s return grew dim, and they became eager for death, Uddhava made them happy by speaking different, very confidential matters. That is the signifiacance of the word "After that" (tatah). They were relieved of the fire of separation by other messages, which were not different from the previous confidential messages. Then they became satisfied. Though Sukadeva has not described those messages, one can understand them by the results they had on the gopis.

“O women most dear to my life! Close your eyes in front of Uddhava, who has been sent by me. Just as the cowherd boys closed their eyes and were delivered from the forest fire, closing your eyes, I will deliver you from the fire of separation. Just see my power of yoga!"

Hearing this, they closed their eyes. In a flash of a second, yogamaya brought forth millions of years of time, and in that expanse of time, Krsna performed his rasa dance, playing dice, drinking liquor, water pastimes, and swing pastimes, so that they forgot the pain separation completely.

Seeing that they were filled with bliss, Uddhava said, “Now ladies, open your eyes.” They opened their eyes and recognized that they had taken a new birth through the bestowal of a thousand fold bliss when they had closed their eyes ( adhah=downward aksa=eyes ja= birth: adhoksajam). They then worshipped Uddhava.

“O women filled with prema! If you still are trying to give up your life, just listen. Do not doubt that hearing of your death, I also will give up my life. Swearing a thousand times, I say that you should remain alive. Though I am trying to go to Vraja at every moment, I am unable to go. I fear that it is because of the time, karma , prema, whose characteristics have been explained, or some obstacle.”

By such messages, their pain of separation, caused by their thinking that Krsna had no love for them, was dissolved completely (vyapeta). They recognized Krsna (adhoksaja) as similar to themselves, being afflicted by pain of separation (atmanam), or they recognized Krsna as their very life (atma (own) + anam (breathe or prana)= atmanam), and then they worshipped Uddhava.

“O Uddhava, you have spoken well. Even though it is difficult, we will remain alive. If you had not given this message, we would have died, and everything would have been destroyed. You have done a good act by fulfilling our desire to protect everyone, and thus we worship you.”

The external meaning, that the gopis accepted Paramatma adhoksaja as jivatma (atmanam) is another case of a statement used to bewilder the asuras. For the prema bhakta, oneness of the lord and jiva is insipid. What to speak then how repulsive it would be for the crown jewel among of devotees to think such a thing? Sridhara Swami, knowledgeable of the purports of the scriptures has said, “Any person who has become mad with bliss in the nectarean ocean of topics of Krsna thinks of the four goals of human life as insignificant, like grass.”

It can be seen that it is not possible that full developed prema ever can become covered by a strong dose of atma jnana.. When Vasudeva and Arjuna saw the mahaisvarya aspect of the lord, their parental and friendly relationships were covered by dasya bhakti, but not by brahma jnana. It has been seen that the inhabitants of Vraja were merged in brahma jnana, but this was only to show that they no taste for brahma jnana. “Krsna brought them to the lake of brahman and after merging them in it, brought them out.” The words “brought them out” or “delivered them” is used. Just as the jivas are all delivered from the ocean of samsara, the inhabitants of Vraja were delivered from the repulsive Brahman.

If the gopis had developed monistic atma jnana, then they would not have spoken to Balarama in the way they did when he later returned to Vraja. “The gopis respectful on seeing Balarama, asking him while laughing, “Is Krsna, dear to the women of Mathura, happy there?” (SB 10.65. 10) Other gopis said, “It is astonishing that the intelligent women of Mathura have faith in the words of the ungrateful, fickle hearted Krsna. “

Other gopis said, “They must have developed faith in his words by an increase in lust through his sweet, laughing glances.” (Sb 10.65.13) Such future words spoken by the gopis, indiciating their ignorance (of atma or Brahman) and jealousy, could not be possible, if they had attained the stage of brahma jnana.

The inhabitants of Vraja felt the time pass in moment in the presence of Uddhava. The name Uddhava means extreme bliss, and as well Krnsa had bestowed upon him his sakti to produce bliss. Thus the inhabitants felt time pass in a moment because of the extreme bliss, personified in Uddhava.

Having observed the transcendental madness (viklavah) of the minds (atma) absorbed in Krsna (Krsnavesa) of the gopis of such exalted qualities (evam adi), Uddhava proclaimed loudly (jagau) in the manner of (idam) mantras of respect (namasyan). According to Sridhara Swami he spoke loudly to show that it was not improper for one of Ksatriya birth to offer respects to the women of cowherd birth.

Five verses describe the outstanding glories of the gopis. The gopis alone, having mahabhava (rudha bhavah) which those striving for liberation (bhavabhiah), those who are liberated (munayah), and devotees such as myself (vayam ca) desire but cannot attain, have made a success of their birth (tanu bhrtah). For one who has attraction for things related to the lord (katha rasasya) , what is the use of the three births -physical, by upanayana, and by yajna-as a brahmana, or to be born as Brahma (brahma janmabhih), because attraction for topics of the Lord, and nothing else produces the highest qualities. Or, for one who does not have attraction for things related to Krsna, what is the use of his birth as a learned brahmana, for in the absence of attraction for the Lord and things related to the Lord, everything becomes fruitless.

Therefore bhakti is the cause of producing excellence among people, not austerity or knowledge. Though bhakti is the most excellent, it is not deemed so by the common people. Rrather they condemn it. In that position, it makes itself the most excellent, worshipable, the highest goal. Uddhava speaks about this with astonishment and hair standing on end in two verses.

"Where are these women (being in a low position by being born as women and as cowherds), who are criticized for their conduct as being sinful because they wander around in the forest (vanacari)? Where is their mahabhava for Krsna the source of all expansions, superior (parama) to his other form such as lord of vaikuntha?"

The use the word “where” (kva) twice indicates the impossibility of it existing. It seems most astonish that they could have such elevation, but on thinking a moment, it is not so astonishing.

"Certainly (nanu), o mind, the lord gives to such persons as this, not just to perfected persons, but even to persons without philosophical knowledge of atma and Brahman (avidusah), the most auspicious thing, a taste of his love, along with liberation from material misery, which is not given even to all the liberated person, just as nectar (agada rajah) when drunk gives a special sweet taste along with giving relief from all disease, even to the ignorant persons. Why then should the Lord not give mahabhava, rare even to all devotees such as Narada, to these gopis who were perfect in bhakti, eternally perfect, the highest of all, the most knowledgeable of Krsna’s form, qualities, glories and sweetness, who engaged their own intelligence, senses, limbs, youth and ornaments in his service?.

In Ujjvala Nilamani the characteristics of rudha bhava or mahabhava are described.

There are three types of deviation (vyabhicara) according to three types of women. 1. the woman who enjoys with both her husband and illicit lover. She is condemned by society and scripture. 2. the woman who abandons her husband and enjoys only with her illicit lover. She is condemned by society and scriptures but because she dedicates herself to one man, is praised in rasa sastra. 3. the woman who gives up her husband and enjoys with the Lord as her illicit lover. Though this is condemned by the ignorant, it is praised by the wise, being accepted by society and scripture. Though this third type is not deviant at all, it is classed as vyabhicara or deviant because of resemblance. Thus the women of Vraja should be described as having a resemblance of deviant women, since they were of the third category.

Just as Krsna, though he is the best of all avataras, performs acts criticized by society, such as herding cows, eating with the monkeys and cowherd boys, stealing yoghurt, and taking others wives, and achieves the most praiseworthy, highest position, so the gopis, the essence of the hladini sakti, criticized as being cowherd women, wandering in the forest, and being deviant in the eyes of the people of Vraja, achieved the highest position, higher than of even Laksmi. That is the intention of this verse.

"Oh, even Laksmi, situated on the chest of Narayana (ange), attained a position of enjoying with the Lord exclusively, did not ever get such mercy. The wives of Upendra and other avataras (svar yositam) endowed with the fragrance and beauty of the lotus, with all beauty and good qualities, did not get such mercy. What to speak of the wives of the lord in his other avatara forms."

In this verse the gopis are established in the supreme position as they achieved the rare mercy of being embraced around their necks by the arms of Krsna during the rasa dance. This implies that rasa lila is established in the supreme positionamong all auspicious events.

“As it has been proved that the gopis love is the most rare to attain, it would be improper to have desire for it. Therefore it was with lack of judgement that I have said 'that mahabhava which those desiring liberation, those liberated and devotees like me desire' in verse 58. But now with consideration, let me express my desire for that mahabhava anyway. I desire to be born as some low shrub, creeper or grass upon which the gopis place their feet."

“But what is that supreme excellence of their worship, that you desire their foot dust, rather than that of Laksmi and others?”

“ I have never seen such intense worship, in which they give up all consideration of social custom, shyness and sense control. Every night, giving up social restraints which are as hard as thunder bolts, they go to meet Krsna, and returning, do even consider what is the correct route. If I remain as grass on the path, their feet will touch my head. If I beg pitifully a thousand times, they will not put their foot dust on my head. Therefore my life will be successful if I am born as a blade of grass.”

He again glorifies the mahabhava of the Gopis which is rare to Laksmi and others in this verse.

"Certainly (vai) they relieved their mental anguish at the rasa arena (rasa gosthyam) by embracing to their breasts the lotus feet of Krsna, which Brahma, Laksmi and others worship in their mind only (atmani), and cannot directly touch those feet."

This is explained in such veres as “those feet which Laksmi, desiring to obtain, performed austerieties.” (sb.10.16.36)

After glorifying the gopis, Uddhava offers his respects in this verse.

"I offer my respects to the foot dust of the cowherd women of Vraja continuously. Not three or five times, but at every moment--as long as I do not get birth as a blade of grass, which would make it easy to get their foot dust. Their loud songs about the form, qualities and pastimes of Krsna purify the three worlds, removing the contamination of ignorance."

In relation to this section, Vyasa and other great commentators have concluded as follows. Among all the devotees, those who worship Krsna are the best, since Krsna is svayam bhagavan. Among those devotees, those who are his immediate assistants in his pastimes are more intimate, because of their loyalty in following him. Among these intimate associates Uddhava is the best, for it is said about Uddhava: "Among the devotees I am Uddhava” “Uddhava is not less than myself.” Uddhava, however, desired the gopis' mahabhava, and had the greatest regard for those gopis. He did not give higher regard to the queens of Krsna, otherwise he would have desired to follow their lotus feet. Among the gopis Sri Radha is the highest. Thus following her is the highest achievement. This is the opinion of Vaisnava Tosani.

Begging their permission (anujnapya), and having bid farewell by touching their hands (amantrya), Uddhava departed.

They held various gifts in their hands. During Krsna’s pauganda and kaisora ages, they had collected many jewels, gold coins, pearl ornaments etc, and during his youth, many clothes. In separation, they lost interest in keeping these things, and thus they offered them as gifts to Uddhava.

66-67."Long living Uddhava, though our son is endowed with the greats qualities and beauty, we have been most hard hearted to him. Even now that is so. We understand now that all the affection and fondling that occurred were insignificant, for in separation from him we remain live. There was one father, Dasaratha, and when he heard that his son had departed for a far off place, he died. We do not have even a trace of love for our son. Therefore that omniscient son, rejecting us as unqualified parents, and being inconceivable as God, took Vasudeva and Devaka as his father and mother. In some future birth let us have such love." In this way he prays in two verses.

"May our minds take shelter of Krsna’s feet". This is a reversal due to great love. Their mind and senses are always submerged in Krsna, but they pray in this way. This indcates the strength of the sancari bhava of dainya or humility.

It is the nature of intense madhurya, vatsalya and sakhya bhava that when there is a feeling of great lowness, springing from the disturbance of separation, and a recognition of their indifference to their object of love, their natural bhavas disappear, and dasya bhava appears. An example of sakhya turning into daysa is as follows. When Balarama, near the end of Brahma mohana lila, felt that he had not had enough confidence in Krsna until that day due to indifference, he developed dasya bhava and said, “This must be the maya of my Lord." Sb.10.13.37).

An example of dasya bhava in madhura rasa is as follows. Radha said, “O master, O enjoyer! Bring this miserable servant to you.” 10.30.40. And a gopi said, “Does Krsna coming back from the gurukula every speak about us, his servants?”sb 10.47.21. An example of dasya bhava in vatsalya is the present verse.

However, in the state of happiness, they would not give their relationship as is the case of Vasudeva and Devaki when overcome with aisvarya jnana. “You two children are not our sons.”

Though Uddhava was very attracted to Vraja, being fully devoted to Krsna , he returned to Mathura which was protected by Krsna. Sukadeva intends to criticize Krsna here, for if he is protecting Mathura, why does he not also protect Vraja by coming there?

Uddhava described how the inhabitants of Vraja had greater devotion than the residents of Mathura (vrajaukasam bhakty udrekam). "O Lord Krsna, you are controlled by devotion. You are attained by devotion. You are seen by devotion. This is the meaning of all scriptures. I have seen among the inhabitants of Vraja, the most intense devotion of all your devotees. This can be understood from the statement, 'The intensity of separation from you had turned all of the inhabitants of Gokula white. When Narada saw the place he though he was in svatadvipa.' Your father Nanda Maharaja was so much attracted to you that in confusion he prayed that their minds should concentrate on you. You can understand from this his overwhelming attraction. Your mother Yasoda was so choked up that she could not say anything."

Hearing this Krsna, losing control of his senses and mind, began to cry loudly in the midst of the assembly. In the evening, in a solitary place, Uddava revealed to Krsna the huge fire of prema of his beloved gopis. He briefly revealed the citrajalpa and divyonmada of Radha, the crown jewel of his dear gopis. Understanding that, Krsna spent the whole night burning with fever.