SRI HARI SENDS UDDHAVA TO VRAJA WITH A MESSAGE

[Guest guest]

SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA. Discourse XLVI

 

Sri Suka began again : A beloved friend and counsellor of Sri Krsna was

Uddhava, the most distinguished of the Vrsnis and a direct disciple of the sage

Bhraspati, the preceptor of the gods, and foremost in intelligence.

 

Clasping his hand with His own on a certain day, Lord Sri Hari, who alleviates

the suffering of those that flee to Him, spoke to Uddhava, who was most beloved

of and exclusively devoted to him : "Proceed you, gentle Uddhava, to Vraja, and

bring delight to Our parents, Nanda and Yasoda, and relieve in particular their

agony--caused by the separation from Me--of the cowherd women through My

messages. The latter have not only given their mind to me, but their very life

is centered in Me; they have renounced, for My sake, everything connected with

their body and have mentally taken refuge in Me alone, their beloved friend, the

highest object of their affection, their very Self.

 

I stand by those that have not only given up their interests in this, as in the

other, world, but have also set at naught their moral obligations for My sake,

the most beloved of their beloved objects--being at a distance from them, the

women of Vraja, O dear Uddhava, remain forgetful of everything, thinking of Me.

 

With their mind absorbed in Me, the cowherd women are, in most cases, somehow

propping up their life with great difficulty on My assurances of coming back to

Vraja.

 

Satchitananda

 

Kathy

[Guest guest]

Jaya Sri Radhey!

Thanks for the soul-melting message of Divine Beloved, Sri Hari.

 

Many Vraja Rasik Saints have composed numerous devotional songs

glorifying the 'Prema Bhakti', Selfless Divine Love of Vraja Gopikas

narrating the dialogue between the blessed Gopis and the Jnani

devotee Uddhava for the spiritual sadhana of seekers of Divine Love.

 

A few from the compositions of Saint Suradasji:

 

"SHYAMA is Our BODY.

SHYAMA is Our mind, Shyama is Our Wealth;

O Uddhava, ALL the twenty-four hours we are occupied, with SHYAMA,

SHYAMA is in Our heart, SHYAMA is the Breath of our Life,

without SHYAMA we can have NO satisfaction.

 

The Name SHYAMA is Our ONLY Support like the blind man's staff;

SHYAMA is our Refuge, SHAYAMA is our thought,

SHYAMA is the Lord of our Life.

Our Happiness lies in SHYAMA, WHO is the Bestower of ALL Happiness

and the Storehouse of ALL Beauty.

 

Uddhava, you are indeed, MAD that you came running with the Gospel of

Yoga.

Where shall we keep your KNOWLEDGE of 'Yoga'

When EVERY PORE of our body is filled with SHYAMA."

 

And their 'Maha Bhagavata-Uttama' GOD Realization attained

through Divine Love is declared in this bhajan.

 

"In the streets, on the bathing Ghats,

In the alleys, in the orchards,

In the trees, in the creepers,

In the door-ways, on the walls,

On the thresholds, on the windows,

In the diamonds, in the necklaces,

In the ornaments, in the body,

In the woodlands, in the bowers,

In the Gopis, in the cows,

In the flocks of cattle in Gokula,

In the lightning and in the clouds,

In whichever direction I look, I see nothing but SHYAM;

 

It is SHYAM, again, WHO is spread before MY EYES

and has settled in my MIND.

This LOVE OF SHYAM is something which cannot be

EXPRESSED through WORDS.

The sky, the water, earth, animate and inanimate creation,

ALL appear painted in the color of SHYAMA,

Brahman has vanished; Maya, too, has disappeared.

NO Jiva, NO Time.

Even ONE'S OWN SELF has been forgotten.

What REMAINS is the Darling Son of Nanda.

 

There is NO ONE left to confide the SECRET of the HEART.

As a matter of fact, NO such SECRET is LEFT."

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!

 

 

> Clasping his hand with His own on a certain day, Lord Sri Hari, who

alleviates the suffering of those that flee to Him, spoke to Uddhava,

who was most beloved of and exclusively devoted to him : "Proceed

you, gentle Uddhava, to Vraja, and bring delight to Our parents,

Nanda and Yasoda, and relieve in particular their agony--caused by

the separation from Me--of the cowherd women through My messages.

The latter have not only given their mind to me, but their very life

is centered in Me; they have renounced, for My sake, everything

connected with their body and have mentally taken refuge in Me alone,

their beloved friend, the highest object of their affection, their

very Self.

>

> I stand by those that have not only given up their interests in

this, as in the other, world, but have also set at naught their moral

obligations for My sake, the most beloved of their beloved objects--

being at a distance from them, the women of Vraja, O dear Uddhava,

remain forgetful of everything, thinking of Me.

>

> With their mind absorbed in Me, the cowherd women are, in most

cases, somehow propping up their life with great difficulty on My

assurances of coming back to Vraja.

>

> Satchitananda

>

> Kathy

[Guest guest]

Jaya Sri Radhey!

 

Lord Krishna's devotee-friend Uddhavaji returns to Mathura,

praising the Prema Bhakti of the Women of Vraja,

with a sense of the uselessness of all the other sadhanas

like specialsed austerities and subtle knowledge.

 

This 'pada' was composed by Saint Sura Das,

and translated by John S. Hawley.

 

"MADHAVA, GIVE EAR TO WHAT LOVE IS IN BRAJ.

 

I've studied it now for fully half a year,

the milkmaids' WAY OF LIFE,

 

And all the time, Syam, You and Balaram

REFUSE TO VACATE THEIR HEARTS.

 

THEIR TEARS ARE A TORRENT OF HOLY OBLATIONS,

their windblown saris the cooling WHISK;

 

For OFFERING VESSELS they tender their breasts,

their hands bear VOTIVE LOTUSES,

 

AND THEIR LIPS ARE ALIVE WITH HYMNS THAT RECALL

THE PLAYFUL DEEDS YOU DISPLAYED

 

THEIR HOMES AND EMOTIONS, THEIR PHYSICAL FRAMES

THEY OFFER TO YOUR LOTUSLIKE EYES.

 

SUR SAYS, ONE LOOK AT LOVE LIKE THEIRS

AND HOW TASTELESS IT SEEMS TO BE WISE."

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!