Shloka 43
Devas in Dvārakā, Brahmā’s Petition, and Uddhava’s Appeal
Prabhāsa Departure Set-Up
नाहं तवाङ्घ्रिकमलं क्षणार्धमपि केशव । त्यक्तुं समुत्सहे नाथ स्वधाम नय मामपि ॥ ४३ ॥
nāhaṁ tavāṅghri-kamalaṁ kṣaṇārdham api keśava tyaktuṁ samutsahe nātha sva-dhāma naya mām api
โอพระเกศวะ นายเหนือหัว ข้าพเจ้าไม่อาจละทิ้งพระบาทดุจดอกบัวของพระองค์ได้แม้ชั่วขณะ โปรดพาข้าพเจ้าไปยังสวธามของพระองค์ด้วยเถิด
Uddhava understood that Kṛṣṇa was going to withdraw the Yadu dynasty, and thus he begged the Lord to take him along to the Lord’s abode. He had no desire to merge into Kṛṣṇa’s impersonal effulgence; instead he wanted to go to the Lord’s spiritual abode and continue associating with Kṛṣṇa as His dearmost friend. Kṛṣṇa is the Personality of Godhead and can do whatever He likes, but the devotee begs the Lord for the chance to serve Him. Although the Lord manifests within the material world His various abodes, such as Vṛndāvana, Dvārakā and Mathurā, and although these are certainly nondifferent from their counterparts in the spiritual world, the most advanced devotees, overwhelmed with desire to personally serve the Lord, are very eager to go to the Lord’s original spiritual planet. As stated by Lord Kapila in the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the pure devotees have no desire for liberation. Because of their eagerness to render service, they urge the Lord to appear before them. The six Gosvāmīs, due to their intense eagerness to serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, urgently searched after Them, calling out Their names in the forests of Vṛndāvana. Similarly, Uddhava is urging the Lord to take him to His own abode so that Uddhava’s personal service to the Lord’s lotus feet will not be interrupted even for a moment.
FAQs
This verse shows the pinnacle of bhakti: the devotee feels incapable of separation from Krishna even for a moment and seeks only His shelter.
Sensing Krishna’s imminent departure from the world, Uddhava expresses exclusive dependence on Krishna and prays to accompany Him rather than remain without His direct presence.
Cultivate steady remembrance—daily japa, prayer, and service—so that decisions and emotions return to Krishna’s shelter, reducing anxiety born from separation and uncertainty.