Kṛṣṇa Sends His Messenger
When Kṛṣṇa departed from Vṛndāvana to go to Mathurā, the hearts of the gopīs, the cowherd men, and especially Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, were broken. The one who had filled every breath of their lives had suddenly vanished from their sight. Day and night, Rādhā and the gopīs wept, their only comfort being the remembrance of His smile, His flute, and His loving words.
In Mathurā, though surrounded by opulence and admiration, Kṛṣṇa’s heart remained restless. He could not forget the simplicity and pure love of the Vrajavāsīs. To console them, He sent His intimate friend, Uddhava, to deliver a message of love and reassurance.
Uddhava’s Arrival in Vṛndāvana
Uddhava was wise, eloquent, and spiritually advanced—Kṛṣṇa’s most trusted companion. Riding in a chariot that glowed with royal splendor, he entered Vṛndāvana. The villagers saw him and exclaimed, “He looks just like Kṛṣṇa!” Some, in their ecstasy, mistook him for the Lord Himself and fell at his feet.
Uddhava dismounted and greeted Nanda Mahārāja and Mother Yaśodā. They embraced him with tears, thinking of their absent son. Nanda said, “O Uddhava, you are most fortunate, for you remain near Kṛṣṇa. Please tell us—does He ever remember His father and mother? Does He still think of the cowherd boys and the cows?”
Uddhava, seeing their love, was moved beyond words. He tried to console them, but when he spoke of Kṛṣṇa’s glory, their tears flowed even more. “Our Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord,” said Nanda, “yet our hearts cannot rest without Him. We remember His footprints in the dust and cry all day.”
After speaking with Nanda and Yaśodā, Uddhava went to Nanda-grāma, where the gopīs lived. He had heard of their devotion but had not imagined its depth.
The Meeting with Rādhārāṇī and the Gopīs
When Uddhava arrived near the grove where Rādhā and the gopīs were sitting, he saw a scene beyond anything he had witnessed. Rādhārāṇī was pale and weak from separation, Her eyes red from crying. The gopīs surrounded Her, fanning Her gently and singing songs of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes to soothe Her heart.
Uddhava offered respects and said humbly, “O most blessed ones, I bring a message from Kṛṣṇa.”
At the sound of His name, Rādhārāṇī’s face lit up with life. She rose slightly and said, “O friend of Kṛṣṇa, tell us—is He well? Does He ever remember His poor maidservants of Vṛndāvana? Does He still play His flute? Does He ever speak our names?”
Uddhava, seeing Her pure love, was overwhelmed. He delivered Kṛṣṇa’s message: “My dear gopīs, you are never separated from Me. Though I am in Mathurā, I dwell always within your hearts. Your love is so pure that no time or distance can diminish it. I am bound by your affection and will return when the right time comes.”
As Uddhava spoke, Rādhārāṇī listened with tears streaming down Her cheeks. Then She said softly, “O Uddhava, we do not care for philosophy or liberation. We only wish to see Kṛṣṇa again, to serve Him as before. Tell Him that even if He forgets us, we cannot forget Him. Our lives are like lamps without oil—burning with longing until they fade away.”
Rādhārāṇī’s Vision and Uddhava’s Realization
As Rādhārāṇī spoke, Her words carried such spiritual power that Uddhava saw visions of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes appear before his eyes—Rādhā dancing in the rāsa-līlā, Kṛṣṇa playing the flute, and the gopīs circling Him like stars around the moon.
A deep realization dawned within Uddhava: The love of the gopīs is the highest form of yoga. Even knowledge and renunciation cannot compare to their devotion. He fell to the ground, offering obeisances, and said, “O Rādhā, O gopīs of Vṛndāvana, your love is the crown jewel of all spiritual achievements. I have come as a messenger, but I leave as your student.”
Uddhava’s Prayer and the Blessing of the Dust
Before returning to Mathurā, Uddhava prayed, “O Rādhā, O gopīs, please bless me that I may take birth as a blade of grass in Vṛndāvana, so that I may be blessed by the dust of your feet. The fragrance of your devotion purifies even the liberated souls.”
Then he bowed before them and departed, his heart transformed. When he returned to Kṛṣṇa, he said, “My Lord, I have seen Your greatest opulence—not Your strength, nor Your wisdom, but the love of the Vrajavāsīs, especially Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. I cannot describe its depth. Even You are conquered by it.”
Reflection
This sacred story reveals the supreme position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s love. Her devotion is not a product of knowledge or ritual—it is spontaneous, total surrender of the heart. Even Uddhava, a learned sage and yogī, became humbled before Her love.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the gopīs represent the purest form of bhakti—without motive, without pride, without expectation. They live only for Kṛṣṇa’s happiness. Rādhārāṇī’s love is so complete that She feels Kṛṣṇa’s absence as more real than His presence, yet through that pain, She remains forever united with Him.
For us, this story teaches that love for God begins when we stop thinking of what He can give and start thinking of how we can serve. Rādhā’s tears are the jewels of devotion—the heart fully offered, even in separation.
Let us pray:
“O Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, please bless me with a drop of Your love for Kṛṣṇa. Let my heart long for Him as You do. May I serve Your servants and honor the dust of Your devotees’ feet, as Uddhava did. May my life’s only goal be to remember and glorify You and Śyāmasundara forever.”
