Shloka 23
Kṛṣṇa Comforts His Parents, Restores Ugrasena, Studies with Sāndīpani, and Returns the Guru’s Son
यात यूयं व्रजं तात वयं च स्नेहदु:खितान् । ज्ञातीन् वो द्रष्टुमेष्यामो विधाय सुहृदां सुखम् ॥ २३ ॥
yāta yūyaṁ vrajaṁn tāta vayaṁ ca sneha-duḥkhitān jñātīn vo draṣṭum eṣyāmo vidhāya suhṛdāṁ sukham
Dear Father, all of you return to Vraja. After granting happiness to your well-wishing friends, We shall soon come to see your relatives, who suffer in separation from Us.
The Lord here indicates His desire to satisfy His dear devotees in Mathurā — Vasudeva, Devakī and other members of the Yadu dynasty — who for so long had been separated from Him during His stay in Vṛndāvana.
FAQs
This verse acknowledges that the Vrajavāsīs are “snehaduḥkhitān”—pained due to loving attachment—and Krishna expresses concern for them, indicating that such separation-born longing is a profound form of devotion.
Krishna asks Nanda to return to Vraja, while He stays to first arrange the welfare and happiness of His friends and well-wishers in Mathurā, promising to come later to see His grieving relatives in Vraja.
It teaches balancing heartfelt relationships with responsible duty: care for those who depend on you, fulfill necessary obligations, and do not neglect loved ones who may be suffering—especially those bound by sincere affection.