Uddhava visits vrindavana
Uddhava visits vrindavana
Srila Shukadeva Goswami
"these are oUr wives"
Disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Uddhava and nanda Maharaja
Sri Srimad Gaur Govinda Swami
Sri Kamadä Ekädaçé Issue no: 233 19th April 2024
Uddhava visits vrindavana
Srila Shukadeva Goswami
Shukadeva Gosvami said: The supremely intelligent Uddhava was the best counselor of the Vrishni dynasty, a beloved friend of Lord Sri Krishna and a direct disciple of Brihaspati. The Supreme Lord Hari, who relieves the distress of all who surrender to Him, once took the hand of His fully devoted, dearmost friend Uddhava and addressed him as follows.
[Lord Krishna said:] Dear gentle Uddhava, go to Vraja and give pleasure to Our parents. And also relieve the gopis, suffering in separation from Me, by giving them My message. The minds of those gopis are always absorbed in Me, and their very lives are ever devoted to Me. For My sake they have abandoned everything related to their bodies, renouncing ordinary happiness in this life, as well as religious duties necessary for such happiness in the next life. I alone am their dearmost beloved and, indeed, their very Self. I personally sustain such devotees, who for My sake give up all worldly duties. My dear Uddhava, for those women of Gokula I am the most cherished object of love. Thus when they remember Me, who am so far away, they are overwhelmed by the anxiety of separation. Simply because I have promised to return to them, My fully devoted cowherd girlfriends struggle to maintain their lives somehow or other.
Shukadeva Gosvami said: Thus addressed, O King, Uddhava respectfully accepted his master’s message, mounted his chariot and set off for Nanda-gokula. The fortunate Uddhava reached Nanda Maharaja’s pastures just as the sun was setting, and since the returning cows and other animals were raising dust with their hooves, his chariot passed unnoticed. Gokula resounded on all sides with the sounds of bulls in rut fighting with one another for fertile cows; with the mooing of cows, burdened by their udders, chasing after their calves; with the noise of milking and of the white calves jumping here and there; with the loud reverberation of flute-playing; and with the singing of the all-auspicious deeds of Krishna and Balarama by the cowherd men and women, who made the village resplendent with their
wonderfully ornamented attire. The cowherds’ homes in Gokula appeared most charming with their abundant paraphernalia for worship of the sacrificial fire, the sun, unexpected guests, the cows, the brahmanas, the forefathers and the demigods. On all sides lay the flowering forest, echoing with flocks of birds and swarms of bees and beautified by its lakes crowded with swans, karandava ducks and bowers of lotuses.
As soon as Uddhava arrived at Nanda Maharaja’s home, Nanda came forward to meet him. The cowherd King embraced him in great happiness and worshiped him as nondifferent from Lord Vasudeva. After Uddhava had eaten first-class food, been seated comfortably on a bed and been relieved of his fatigue by a foot massage and other means, Nanda inquired from him as follows.
[Nanda Maharaja said:] My dear most fortunate one, does the son of Shura fare well, now that he is free and has rejoined his children and other relatives? Fortunately, because of his own sins, the sinful Kamsa has been killed, along with all his brothers. He always hated the saintly and righteous Yadus. Does Krishna remember us? Does He remember His mother and His friends and well-wishers? Does He remember the cowherds and their village of Vraja, of which He is the master? Does He remember the cows, Vrindavana forest and Govardhana Hill? Will Govinda return even once to see His family? If He ever does, we may then glance upon His beautiful face, with its beautiful eyes, nose and smile. We were saved from the forest fire, the wind and rain, the bull and serpent demonsfrom all such insurmountable, deadly dangersby that very great soul, Krishna.
As we remember the wonderful deeds Krishna performed, His playful sidelong glances, His smiles and His words, O Uddhava, we forget all our material engagements. When we see the places where Mukunda enjoyed His sporting pastimesthe rivers, hills and forests He decorated with His feetour minds become totally absorbed in Him. In my opinion, Krishna and Balarama must be two exalted demigods who have come to this planet to fulfill some great mission of the demigods. Such was foretold by Garga åñi. After all, Krishna and Balarama killed Kamsa, who was as strong as ten thousand elephants, as well as the wrestlers Chanura and Mushtika and the elephant
Kuvalayapida. They killed them all sportingly, as easily as a lion disposes of small animals. With the ease of a royal elephant breaking a stick, Krishna broke a powerful, giant bow three talas long. He also held a mountain aloft for seven days with just one hand. Here in Vrindavana, Krishna and Balarama easily destroyed demons like Pralamba, Dhenuka, Arista, Trinavarta and Baka, who had themselves defeated both demigods and other demons.
Shukadeva Gosvami said: Thus intensely remembering Krishna again and again, Nanda Maharaja, his mind completely attached to the Lord, felt extreme anxiety and fell silent, overcome by the strength of his love. As mother Yashoda heard the descriptions of her son’s activities, she poured out her tears, and milk flowed from her breasts out of love. Uddhava then joyfully addressed Nanda Maharaja, having clearly seen the supreme loving attraction he and Yashoda felt for Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
[Sri Uddhava said:] O respectful Nanda, certainly you and mother Yashoda are the most praiseworthy persons in the entire world, since you have developed such a loving attitude toward Lord Narayana, the spiritual master of all living beings. These two Lords, Mukunda and Balarama, are each the seed and womb of the universe, the creator and His creative potency. They enter the hearts of living beings and control their conditioned awareness. They are the primeval Supreme. Anyone, even a person in an impure state, who absorbs his mind in Him for just a moment at the time of death burns up all traces of sinful reactions and immediately attains the supreme transcendental destination in a pure, spiritual form as effulgent as the sun. You two have rendered exceptional loving service to Him, Lord Narayana, the Supersoul of all and the cause of all existence, the great soul who, although the original cause of everything, has a humanlike form. What pious deeds could still be required of you?
Infallible Krishna, the Lord of the devotees, will soon return to Vraja to satisfy His parents. Having killed Kamsa, the enemy of all the Yadus, in the wrestling arena, Krishna will now surely fulfill His promise to you by coming back. O most fortunate ones, do not lament. You will see Krishna again very soon. He is present in the hearts of all living beings, just as fire lies dormant in wood. For Him
no one is especially dear or despicable, superior or inferior, and yet He is not indifferent to anyone. He is free from all desire for respect and yet gives respect to all others. He has no mother, no father, no wife, children or other relatives. No one is related to Him, and yet no one is a stranger to Him. He has no material body and no birth. He has no work to do in this world that would oblige Him to take birth in pure, impure or mixed species of life. Yet to enjoy His pastimes and deliver His saintly devotees, He manifests Himself. Although beyond the three modes of material naturegoodness, passion and ignorance the transcendental Lord accepts association with them as His play. Thus the unborn Supreme Lord utilizes the material modes to create, maintain and destroy. Just as a person who is whirling around perceives the ground to be turning, one who is affected by false ego thinks himself the doer, when actually only his mind is acting. The Supreme Lord Hari is certainly not your son alone. Rather, being the Lord, He is the son, Soul, father and mother of everyone. Nothing can be said to exist independent of Lord Achyuta nothing heard or seen, nothing in the past, present or future, nothing moving or unmoving, great or small. He indeed is everything, for He is the Supreme Soul.
While Krishna’s messenger continued speaking with Nanda, the night ended, O King. The women of the cowherd village rose from bed and, lighting lamps, worshiped their household deities. Then they began churning the yogurt into butter. As they pulled on the churning ropes with their bangled arms, the women of Vraja shone with the splendor of their jewels, which reflected the lamps’ light. Their hips, breasts and necklaces moved about, and their faces, anointed with reddish kuëkuma, glowed radiantly with the luster of their earrings reflecting from their cheeks. As the ladies of Vraja loudly sang the glories of lotus-eyed Krishna, their songs blended with the sound of their churning, ascended to the sky and dissipated all inauspiciousness in every direction. When the godly sun had risen, the people of Vraja noticed the golden chariot in front of Nanda Maharaja’s doorway. “Who does this belong to?” they asked. “Perhaps Akrura has returnedhe who fulfilled Kamsa’s desire by taking lotus-eyed Krishna to Mathura. “Is he going to use
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our flesh to offer funeral oblations for his master, who was so satisfied with his service?” As the women were speaking in this way, Uddhava appeared, having finished his early-morning duties.
Srimad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum
Bonum » Chapter 45 » Verses 1–50 » Translations by Disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
"these are oUr wives."
Disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
According to Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti, although the gopis of Vrindavana were apparently married, their husbands actually had no contact whatsoever with their supremely attractive qualities of form, taste, fragrance, sound, touch and so on. Rather, their husbands merely presumed, "These are our wives."
In other words, by Lord Krishna's spiritual potency, the gopis existed entirely for His pleasure, and Krishna loved them in the mood of a paramour. In fact, the gopis were manifestations of Krishna's internal nature, His supreme pleasure potency, and on the spiritual platform they attracted the Lord by their pure love.
Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yashoda, Lord Krishna's parents in Vrindavana, had also attained a most exalted state of love for Krishna, and they too could barely maintain their lives in His absence. Thus Uddhava would also give special attention to them.
Srimad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum Bonum » Chapter 46 » Verse 6 » Purport by Disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Uddhava and nanda Maharaja
Sri Srimad Gaur Govinda Swami
On his way from Mathura, Uddhava was thinking of Nanda Maharaja. He had marked how many times Krishna was shedding tears and speaking about His beloved father and mother. Uddhava came to give them consolation. Uddhava thought, “If someone is crying due to having
lost their son in this material world, what will you say to give them consolation? ‘Don’t cry. This material son and material relationship is temporary. Why are you crying for temporary relationships and a temporary material son? That is not real.’ But how can I tell Nanda Maharaja not to cry? He is crying for Krishna. If someone has to cry, and that crying is for Krishna, how can I say, ‘Don’t cry?’ Then it will be açästriya, contrary to çästra All the shastras say, ‘Cry for Krishna.’ I have no words. How can I console Nanda Maharaja?”
Uddhava is çästra-jïa. He knows çästra. He is a pandit and also a bhakta. He knows very well that the supreme perfection of life is to get Krishna Bhagavan. And how can one get Krishna unless he cries? He cannot. Those who are crying for Krishna are rare personalities. They are very fortunate. In the material world many are crying for material wealth, name, fame, prestige, adoration, enjoyment, and opulence. Who is crying for Krishna? Is there anyone? Such a person is very rare. Crying for Krishna is the supreme perfection of human birth.
Even if Uddhava does tapasya or sädhana for crores of lives such crying will never arise in his heart. Uddhava’s heart is hard because of çästra-jïäna. Jïäna is like the light of the sun. When the sun is in the sky, the polestar and the saptarishis are not visible. This message is there in every page of Bhägavata. Uddhava’s heart is very hard because of dry çästra-jïäna. It will never be possible for the heart of Uddhava to cry for Krishna. But Uddhava developed the desire, “How can I get love like Nanda Maharaja has? His heart is full of such pure, unmixed love. How can I get it? I will give up everything and undergo very severe austerities to get it." Such a desire arose in the heart of Uddhava.
Cry More!
Uddhava was thinking, “The love possessed by Nanda Maharaja cannot be compared in unlimited universes. How can I tell Nanda Maharaja, ‘Don’t cry?’ If I say this then all of the çästras will come and shut my mouth. The çästras say that crying for Krishna is the ultimate goal of life.” Uddhava is the embodiment of çästra. He is thinking
according to çästra. “How can I speak contrary to çästra? Rather I should say to Nanda Maharaja, ‘Cry more, cry more, cry more! Cry yuga after yuga, millennium after millennium! Go on crying, go on crying! Shed more and more tears!’ But alas, this is not consolation. If I give some consolation then it will be contradictory to çästra. Why have I come here? It is quite impossible for me to give him consolation. Uddhava understood çästra-jïäna. Çästra says, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja — Abandon all varieties of dharma and just surrender unto Krishna. Always think of Krishna and cry for Krishna. So how can I tell Nanda Maharaja not to cry for Krishna? That would be a sinful activity on my part. How can I commit such a sin? Even after coming to Vrajabhumi, shall I commit such a sin?“ Uddhava understood, “It is quite impossible for me to console Nanda Maharaja.”
After speaking many things, Nanda Maharaja became humble. He said, “Uddhava, I have no qualification to be the father of Krishna. Krishna is not an ordinary boy. When Gargamuni came here for the näma-karaëa-saàskära, the name-giving ceremony, he said, ‘Nanda Maharaja, your Krishna is like Narayan, the Supreme Lord. All of the great sages and munis are meditating on these two boys Krishna and Balaram.’ Sometimes it comes to my mind and I think, ‘Yes, what Gargamuni said is true.’ O Uddhava, you saw with your own eyes. Kamsa was such a powerful demon, and his strength was equal to ten thousand elephants, yet Krishna killed him very quickly. With just one kick from Krishna he fell down to the ground and died.”
“Not Your Son”
Conditioned souls must reap their karma-phala, the result of their karma. Therefore there is birth and death. But Krishna has no karma-phala, no birth and death. Hearing this, one may question, “Then why did Krishna come here?” kréòärthaà so ’pi sädhünäà pariträëäya kalpate — He came here to play, kréòärtha, and to deliver the sadhus, pariträëäya sädhünäà. Krishna has described this in the Gétä, and it’s also said in the tenth canto of Bhägavata Bhakta-gaëa-rakñaëa — Krishna comes here to protect His dear devotees and to manifest His pastimes.
The bhakta is sädhu. The bhakta is so dear to Krishna! Krishna’s dharma is to protect sadhus, sädhu-rakñya. If there is any impediment in His bhakta’s bhajana, then Krishna drives away that impediment and makes all arrangement for favorable circumstances. If some bhakta wants to get Bhagavan as his son, as his friend, or as a husband, then Krishna appears in that form. Actually He is not the son of anyone. In the mood that one does their bhajana, Krishna appears in that particular form with them. Uddhava told Nanda Maharaja:
yuvayor eva naiväyam ätmajo bhagavän hariù sarveñäm ätmajo hy ätmä pitä mätä sa éçvaraù
The Supreme Lord Hari is certainly not your son alone. Rather, being the Lord, He is the son, soul, father and mother of everyone. “O Nanda Maharaja, it is true from one angle of vision that Krishna is your son. However, from another angle of vision it is not true.” Uddhava is a pandit philosopher, speaking philosophy. “Because your heart is filled with very deep vätsalya-rasa, therefore He is your son. Ye yathä mäà prapadyante, täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham — By this logic He is your son. Krishna has promised, ‘In whatever mood one does My bhajana I will appear in that form to reciprocate with him.’ Your heart is filled with very deep vätsalya-rasa, therefore in that vision Krishna is your son. But if you think of Krishna as other general people think of their sons and daughters, in a father and son relationship — janya-janaka-sambandha, that is not true at all. Krishna is the soul of all souls. He is dear to everyone. He is the father and mother of everyone. He Himself has said, pitäham asya jagato mätä dhätä pitämahaù — ‘I am the father, mother, and creator of this jagat, this world. I am the grandfather of everyone.’ This is tattva, kåñëa-tattva. According to your vätsalya-rasa, Krishna is your son — that is your abhimäna, your conception. However, in all of the unlimited universes there is nothing but Krishna. Whatever you hear, whatever you see, everything in the past, everything in the present, and whatever will be in the future, moving, non-moving, great, or minute is not different from Krishna, because He is paramätmä, the Supersoul. He is param-äçraya, the
shelter of everything and everyone, sarva-svarüpa. Uddhava told Nanda:
dåñöaà çrutaà bhüta-bhavad-bhaviñyat sthäsnuç cariñëur mahad alpakaà ca vinäcyutäd vastu taräà na väcyaà sa eva sarvaà paramätma-bhütaù
Nothing can be said to exist independent of Lord Achyuta — nothing heard or seen, nothing in the past, present or future, nothing moving or unmoving, great or small. He indeed is everything, for He is the Supreme Soul. Nanda’s Blindness By saying all of these things Uddhava painted a nice picture of kåñëa-tattva and held it before Nanda Maharaja.
However, Uddhava doesn’t know that Nanda Maharaja is blind. What sort of blind man is he? Kåñëa-premändha, blind in kåñëa-prema. Everyone in this material world is blind for material enjoyment, bhogändha. But Nanda Maharaja is kåñëa-premändha. So although Uddhava painted a nice picture of kåñëa-tattva and held it before Nanda Maharaja, because Nanda Maharaja is blind he could not see it. Here in this world we see all objects by the help of sunshine. We cannot see in deep darkness. Çästra and jïäna are like sunshine. In that sunshine everything is clear. All truth is revealed. At that time bhrama, the tendency to commit mistakes, and pramäda, the tendency to be illusioned, are dispelled like darkness. Nanda Ma-
haraja is crying for Krishna. Uddhava knows that one cries because of delusion, moha. “Oh, my son has gone away.” Everyone in this world cries due to delusion. Delusion comes because of ignorance. If someone gets tattva-jïäna then their delusion is dispelled. When ignorance is dispelled, delusion is gone, and then you will never cry again. Uddhava tried to present the sunlight of çästra-jïäna before Nanda Maharaja. Uddhava is a jïäna-sädhaka, jïäné-bhakta. He is the embodiment of çästra. He knew very well that with the help of jïänäloka, the enlightenment of jïäna, one can see the real truth. But there are some things that are only visible in the darkness. Only when the sun sets and darkness comes are the innumerable stars visible. If someone has made a lifelong vow to only look at the polestar with unblinking eyes, then the sunshine will be a great obstruction. It will be detrimental for upholding his vow. This is not an easy thing to understand. This message is revealed in every page of Çrémad-Bhägavatam
“Krishna is my son.” Goparaj, Nanda Maharaja, is always looking with unblinking eyes in the northern direction to the polestar in the form of kåñëa-rüpé dhruva-nakñatra — the polestar in the form of Krishna. So for him çästra-jïäna, the enlightenment of çästra, çästra-sürya, the sunlight of çästra, is an obstruction. Uddhava is a çästra-sädhaka, a strict follower of the rules and regulations of çästra, whatever he says before Nanda Maharaja about çästra-jïäna and kåñëa-tattva is very, very difficult for Nanda Maharaja to understand. For
Nanda Maharaja it is aväntara-kathä — irrelevant talk.
Nanda Maharaja’s abhimäna is, “I am the father of Krishna.” This is the inner feeling in the heart of Nanda Maharaja. Where is the scope for any other thought to enter into the heart of Nanda Maharaja? “You are a Boy, Uddhava” Uddhava gave a very long speech on kåñëa-tattva. Uddhava is the embodiment of çästra, and that speech was anavadya, faultless, but it was not understandable for Nanda Maharaja. Hearing all this tattva-kathä, Nanda Maharaja said, “Uddhava, in age you are a boy. In my heart I had some faith you were very old in intelligence. But now I see you are not only a boy in age, but in intelligence you are also a boy. You spoke so many things, but you don’t know who you are speaking to. You told my wife and I that we are very, very bhägyavän, fortunate. If you have any intelligence how can you utter this with your mouth? We are the most unfortunate persons in this world! One who loses his son is unfortunate. But one who loses a son like Krishna is most unfortunate! Most unfortunate! Most unfortunate! We are most unfortunate and you tell us we are very, very fortunate! You have no intelligence what to speak to whom. Many people get a son, but does anyone get a son like Krishna? In the past has anyone gotten a son like Krishna? In the future will anyone get a son like Krishna? Has anyone gotten a son who is so beautiful, so sweet, with such a smile, who is so loving, and so fickle? Has anyone gotten a son who plays such nice flute and has such loving words? In the whole universe, is there or will there ever be someone who has lost such an invaluable treasure? You are telling those who are crying due to having lost such an invaluable treasure, “You are very fortunate.” You are ridiculing us, Uddhava. If you had said that there is no one in the world as unfortunate as us, then I would have been very pleased and happy with you. Then my distress due to this fire of separation would have been extinguished to some extent. But you have made this fire more ablaze by telling us we are most fortunate.
“Krishna Is Not God”
“Oh Uddhava, you have discussed bhägavata-tattva before me. I don’t know çästra, but I have heard from sadhus and I have this faith that there is one Bhagavan and He is the guru and controller of the universe. He is the müla-käraëa, the original cause of puruña and prakåti, the living entities and material nature. He is anädi, beginningless. That Bhagavan is sarveçvara, the supreme controller. I know that Bhagavan is Narayan. He is present in our house in the form of çälagräma. Uddhava, because you are a mere boy you have said that Narayan is our Gopal Krishna. I excuse you. I have not read çästra, but I have heard from the mouths of mahatmas that Narayan is God, the Supreme Lord. I know to some extent what symptoms are there in Narayan. But those symptoms are not even a single drop with Krishna. How can you say my Gopal Krishna is Narayan? I excuse you because you are a boy. You don’t know what you speak. You have said that Narayan is the cause of all causes, the cause of the whole universe. But my Krishna is a simple, milk-fed child. Narayan is pure. Narayan is peaceful, Narayan is apäpa-vidha, sinless. But my Krishna is very fickle, greedy, and angry. Where is the symptom of Narayan in Krishna? Narayan is pure and free from contamination, çuddha-sattva-guëa-maya. My Krishna is a thief and a liar, abhimäné. Narayan is the shelter of the whole world, but my Krishna is dependent on us. Where is the symptom of Narayan in my Krishna? Uddhava, what shall I say? There is no sädåçya, similarity of Narayan to my son Gopal. Narayan is satya-saìkalpa, truthful, but my Krishna is very expert in speaking lies. I have heard that Narayan is äpta-käma, self-satisfied. He never needs anything. He is beyond hunger and thirst. But I have seen with my own eyes how my Gopal Krishna cries when He becomes hungry. He becomes restless when He is hungry and thirsty. Uddhava, Narayan is worshipable by everyone, but I have seen my Gopal carrying my wooden sandals on His head. Where is the similarity with Narayan? I may commit a mistake, but Bhagavan never commits a mistake. If Krishna is Bhagavan, how can He commit a mistake? If Krishna is Bhagavan, why will He call us baba and ma, father and mother? You say He has no baba, and ma. Krishna is always dependent on us. He feels completely asahäya, helpless, when He cannot get our help. Where
is the symptom of Narayan in Krishna, in my Gopal? You are a boy, Uddhava. You are a boy. You have no intelligence at all. In your intelligence you are also a boy. Therefore I excuse you. I have never seen such symptoms in Krishna. It is a fact that by the unlimited mercy of Narayan we have gotten a son like Krishna. I know very well that Krishna is our son. This is the very, very deep-rooted feeling in my heart, Uddhava. Uddhava, how can you say it is not true?
“You listen, Uddhava. There is another thing. Suppose your words are true and Krishna is not an ordinary person, that He is Bhagavan. If you say that Krishna is Bhagavan, and that He is not an ordinary person, how can such words soothe our hearts? By hearing your kåñëa-tattva the blazing fire of separation from Krishna that is burning my afflicted heart has increased thousands and thousands of times. Uddhava, you cannot extinguish it. Rather you only make it more ablaze. We only thought that we had lost a son, but then hearing from you that Krishna is müla-bhagavän, then I understand we have not lost an ordinary son, we have lost Bhagavan! I thought I had lost a piece of copper. Now hearing from you I realize I have lost a piece of diamond! Uddhava, by hearing from you, the blazing, acute fire of separation that we
have been burning in has become more and more ablaze. You are a boy, you are a boy. Therefore you cannot extinguish this fire. Are you trying to extinguish this fire by pouring ghee into it? Uddhava you are a boy. Therefore I excuse you.”
Saying this Nanda Maharaja’s voice became choked up and tears rolled down from his eyes like torrential rain.
Impenetrable Love
When Krishna showed the universal form to Arjuna, Arjuna’s sakhya-rasa became slackened. Therefore Arjuna begged excuse, tat-kñamasva, “You are so great!” When Devaki and Vasudev saw that the four-handed form of Vishnu, appearing as their son, had become two-handed, they offered prayers. Their vätsalya-rasa became slackened. After the killing of Kamsa, when Krishna and Balaram went to offer obeisances to Vasudev and Devaki, they became afraid to accept obeisances from Krishna. Even after meeting their son after such a long separation, still they couldn’t have such vätsalya-préti. Rather, they were afraid of accepting obeisances, pranamas, from Krishna. Uddhava had thought, “If I speak kåñëa-tattva into the heart of Nanda Maharaja then he will become weak like Vasudev and Devaki.” But Uddhava saw that he
couldn’t get the result he had expected by speaking çästra-jïäna to Nanda Maharaja.
Hearing the bhagavattä, the glories of Krishna, Nanda Maharaja’s vätsalya-préti never slackened. Rather, his vätsalya-sneha, parental love, became much, much deeper. Nanda Maharaja’s kåñëa-vätsalya is far, far beyond the ordinary vätsalya of ordinary persons. So Uddhava’s tattva-kathä could not check it. If anuräga [deep attachment] becomes melted, then you will be able to thrust aiçvarya-préti, jïäna or aiçvarya into it. But if it becomes much deeper, more and more condensed, then how can you thrust jïäna and aiçvarya into it? Water is liquid, therefore you can thrust your hand into it. But can you thrust your hand into a log of wood? You cannot because it is not liquid. With the help of a hammer you can thrust a nail into it. Nanda Maharaja’s kåñëa-préti is harder than a log of wood. Even an iron nail cannot enter it.
“Have Patience”
Jïäna and aiçvarya simply cause pain in the heart of Nanda Maharaja. They were completely unsuccessful and unable to penetrate the heart of Nanda. Jïäna and aiçvarya were able to penetrate in the sakhya-préti of Arjuna and the vätsalya-préti of Vasudev and Devaki. But it is not possible in the heart of Nanda Maharaja. Only the thought of Krishna is there in his heart, nothing else. Therefore, Uddhava was not able to touch the vätsalya-préti, the anuräga that Nanda Maharaja had in his heart. Nanda’s realization is not with Uddhava. How can he understand? Uddhava develops bhakti towards Krishna by knowing Him to be Bhagavan. This is a general thing. Of course, it is very good, it is wonderful — knowing Him to be the Supreme Lord one should develop bhakti for Bhagavan. But the vätsalya-rati, vätsalya-prema of Nanda Maharaja is very deep. There is no tinge of jïäna or aiçvarya there at all. He only knows Krishna as his son. Now he is hearing from Uddhava that his son is Bhagavan. Hearing this, Nanda Maharaja’s anuräga does not become slackened. Rather, it becomes much, much harder and more and more condensed.
Çästra-vidhi, scriptural injunction, teaches that one should develop bhakti towards Bhagavan. Uddhava’s kåñëa-préti, affection for Krishna, is
according to çästra-vidhi. But Nanda Maharaja’s kåñëa-préti is far beyond çästra-vidhi. The hetu, cause, for Uddhava’s kåñëa-préti, is that he knows Krishna is Bhagavan. But Nanda Maharaja’s kåñëa-préti is ahaituké, causeless, without cause. It is svayam-siddha, perfect in itself. Can you touch the far-distant horizon by stretching out your hand?
Nanda Maharaja’s kåñëa-anuräga is like that. Uddhava could not understand it. Uddhava stretched out his çästra-like hand to touch it, but failed. He could not touch it. This is very deep philosophy. Uddhava said, “O Nanda Maharaja, don’t lament. Your love will drag Him here. All your desires will be fulfilled.”
ägamiñyaty adérgheëa kälena vrajam acyutaù priyaà vidhäsyate pitror bhagavän sätvatäà patiù
Infallible Krishna, the Lord of the devotees, will soon return to Vraja to satisfy His parents. He uttered this verse, saying, “Nanda Maharaja, please don’t be so duùkhare-kätara, broken-hearted, because of your deep distress. Have patience. Consider this from all sides. You are the leader of Vrajabhumi. If you become so impatient, who will console the others? This is my request to you. Your Gopal is a milk-fed boy. But He is also the shelter of all the jivas of the whole universe.”
Mathura Meets Vrindavana » From the lectures of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja » Translations and purports preceding each lecture are by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Edited by Madhavananda Dasa.
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