The Gopis said, “O Uddhava! You are a good friend of Krishna. Please come with us and see for yourself the places where we had been with Shree Krishna.” Uddhava visited the sacred places in the company of the love-torn Gopis:
(The Gopis took him to the sacred meadow where Krishna used to man his grazing cows. They took him then to the other places where they had occasions with Shree Krishna.)
The Gopis said, “O Uddhava! Krishna used to graze his cows here at the meadow. He used to stand over there, cross-legged, playing the sweet music of his flute. Here is the bank of river Jamuna, where he used to pull our chunaris, and there at that place he broke our pots of fresh curd. Uddhava! There is the holy tree of Kadamba. He is still there on that branch and calls to us to join in raas sports with him. Look at him, look carefully. Look back and see Shree Krishna chasing us.”
“O Uddhava! When will there be a time again to enjoy such happy occasions? When will he come to meet us?” Uddhava thinks deep about his own self and finds himself in somewhat a tight spot. He had spent his whole life preaching the eternal knowledge of the supreme consciousness. He had preached repeatedly about the omniscient and omnipresent Lord, but the omniscience and omnipresence were experienced fully by the Gopis, not by him! This was a confusing riddle for Uddhava.
Great Yogis spend years in penance and meditational trance to forget and renounce the world, but they cannot forget it. They cannot renounce it from their innermost. These pastoral ladies have forgotten the world forever. They have not forgotton Krishna, for even a moment. Krishna pervades their heart and soul. Sadguru Nishkulanand Swami sings:
(Shree Krishna has captured my heart and soul. He dwells there firmly. I saw him and at once, I liked his mischievous ways. He dwells in my heart. I cannot forget him even if I try my best. I have surrendered to him - Lord Krishna.)
The Gopis said, “O Uddhava! Shree Krishna has played here with us the divine sports of Raas Leela:
(He played his flute at this place and here at this place he played raas with us. Here at this spot he deserted us and ran away to leave us in grief and sorrow.)
The Gopis said, “O Uddhava! We are not capable of narrating the charms of Raas Leela. Gods and deities had come down upon the earth in guise of human beings to play raas with Him. Cool fragrant breeze and pleasant atmosphere were most conductive for devotional love and affection. We were all lost in Raas Leela and engrossed in the blissful music of His flute. But all of a sudden, he disappeared. The clever Gopi Radha had however gone with him. Raas had halted abruptly.”
Radha walked further into the forest with Shree Krishna. She was a bit tired and was not able to walk further. She said to Krishna, “Krishna! I am tired. I cannot walk anymore. Please carry me on your shoulder.” Shree Krishna consented to her request and carried her on his shoulder. Krishna carried Radha but Radha then thought herself to be most fortunate, because Shree Krishna loved her the most. Such thought gave air to her ego.
Shree Krishna is all knowing. He thought that such ego and pride would not be good for Radha. Shree Krishna said to her, “Radha! O Radha! I am hurt with a thorn and it has pierced deep in the sole of my foot. Please hold tight the tree branch above you. I am bending down to pull out the thorn.”
“As soon she held the branch, Shree Krishna disappeared from there.”
Uddhavji asks them with laughter, “Then what happened to her?”
The Gopis said, “O Uddhava! We Gopis found them both missing in the Raas. Radhaji was hung to a branch, screaming madly to help her. We went to her following the footprints of Krishna. We saw her there clung to the branch of a tall tree. We helped her down to the ground.” The Gopis cried profusely by remembering that incident:
(They showed him those places. Past memories made them weep. They looked helplessly at Uddhava and asked him to show a means to stop the tears of pain.)
Uddhava cried on listening to these divine episodes. The Gopis saw Shree Krishna everywhere with their eyes and heart.
The Gopis said, “O Uddhavji! You have been with him for the last three or four months. But we Gopis have been his slaves and servants for the past many births. We are poor villagers with a pastoral background. What can we say to such an enlightened and well-read person such as you! You are a scholar of philosophy. We are illiterate and ignorant.”
Pada - 9
(Krishna has deserted us. O Uddhava! He has snatched away his benign shelter to leave us alone and without support. Shree Krishna has left us. He is now master and lord of Kubja.)
The Gopis said, “O Uddhava! Bhagwan has forgotten us. He dwells in Mathura as the darling of Kubja.