Shloka 5
Uddhava Sent to Vraja: Consolation to Nanda-Yaśodā and the Gopīs’ Separation
मयि ता: प्रेयसां प्रेष्ठे दूरस्थे गोकुलस्त्रिय: । स्मरन्त्योऽङ्ग विमुह्यन्ति विरहौत्कण्ठ्यविह्वला: ॥ ५ ॥
mayi tāḥ preyasāṁ preṣṭhe dūra-sthe gokula-striyaḥ smarantyo ’ṅga vimuhyanti virahautkaṇṭhya-vihvalāḥ
อุทธวะผู้เป็นที่รักเอ๋ย สำหรับสตรีแห่งโคกุล เราคือผู้เป็นที่รักยิ่งเหนือสิ่งใด ดังนั้นเมื่อพวกนางระลึกถึงเราผู้ห่างไกล ก็ย่อมสับสนมึนงงด้วยความกระวนกระวายแห่งการพรากจาก
Whatever is dear to us becomes an object of our possessiveness. Ultimately the most dear object is our very soul, or our self. Thus things in a favorable relationship to our self also become dear to us, and we try to possess them. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, among countless millions of such dear things, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the most dear of all, even dearer than one’s own self. The gopīs had realized this fact, and thus they were stunned in separation from the Lord because of their intense love for Him. Although they would have given up their lives, they were kept alive by the Lord’s transcendental potency.
FAQs
This verse shows that remembrance of Kṛṣṇa in separation can become so intense that the gopīs are overwhelmed—highlighting viraha as a powerful, love-filled form of bhakti.
Kṛṣṇa is describing the gopīs’ condition in Vraja to Uddhava to convey the depth of their love and the urgency and sensitivity required in delivering His message to them.
Practice steady remembrance of God through japa, kīrtana, and prayer—transforming feelings of distance or longing into sincere devotion rather than distraction.