Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 27
Uddhava Meets the Gopīs: Bhramara-gītā and Kṛṣṇa’s Message of Separation
सर्वात्मभावोऽधिकृतो भवतीनामधोक्षजे । विरहेण महाभागा महान्मेऽनुग्रह: कृत: ॥ २७ ॥
sarvātma-bhāvo ’dhikṛto bhavatīnām adhokṣaje viraheṇa mahā-bhāgā mahān me ’nugrahaḥ kṛtaḥ
最有福德的牧女们啊！你们理当享有对超越主阿多克沙阇的全心之爱；你们在与奎师那分离中显露此爱，实已对我施以大恩。
The gopīs showed not only Uddhava but the whole world the joy of love of Godhead, and thus they bestowed their mercy on everyone. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, because their loving devotion was executed in an appropriate way, their love brought the Supreme Lord under their control. Still, to show the intensity of their love, He apparently left them. But now He again manifested Himself among them, becoming spiritually present through their intense devotion.
FAQs
This verse teaches that separation from Kṛṣṇa can deepen devotion to its highest form—where the devotee experiences the Lord as the very Self—and that such separation is itself a form of divine mercy.
While consoling the gopīs in Kṛṣṇa’s absence, Uddhava recognizes their unparalleled devotion and admits that witnessing their love in separation has benefited him spiritually, as if Kṛṣṇa has shown him special grace.
When one feels distance from God, instead of despairing, one can intensify remembrance through nāma-japa, kīrtana, prayer, and service—transforming longing into steady, self-giving devotion.