93 - Conversation between Radha and Uddhava 

Narayana said- On listening to the stotra of Uddhava, Radha regained consciousness, then convincing Uddhava as Krishna she spoke to him.

Radhika said- О son, who are you? What is your name? Who has sent you, where from have?  you arrived? And what is the purpose of your arrival here? You tell me.

All of your limbs resemble those of Krishna. I therefore, believe what you happen to be the courtier of Krishna, therefore you let me know about the welfare of Krishna and Baladeva. You also tell me as to how is Nanda staying there?  Would Krishna ever come to this charming Vrundavana, when I would be able to have a look at his moon like face? Shall be able to enjoys the divine dance with him in the Rasamandala, shall I again have the chance of enjoy the water-sport with my friends? Would I be able to plaster the sandal-paste on the body of Krishna? 

Uddhava said- О beautiful faced one, I am a Kshatriya and my name are Uddhava. Krishna the supreme soul has deputed me to convey the news about his welfare. I happen to be the courtier of the lord, that is why I have arrived here.  Currently Krishna, Baladeva and Nanda are quite well in Mathura. 

Radhika said- The bank of Yamuna is present here, the fragrant wind is blowing, the kadamba tree is also available for his sports. The beautiful and auspicious Vrundavana is also there, the cuckoos are issuing sweet notes, the bed with sandal-paste is also there, all the, four types of eatables and the honey is also there. That wicked god of love, who always causes pain is also there. The lamps of gems are burning in the Rasamandala, the pleasure house is also there which has been built with the best of gems. The cowherdesses are there, the full moon is there, the flower bed painted with sandal-paste is also there issuing fragrance. The betel with champhor  is also there which is consumed after performing  the love-sport, the fragrant garland of jasmine  flower is also there, the white fly-whisks is there,  beside, the mirror made of gems, the garland of  gems, the pool for with the water sport  surrounded by charming gardens is also there,  the garden with fragrant flower is also there, the  lines of beautiful lotus flowers are there. Thus, all the pleasures are available but where is the lord of my life? О Krishna, О Saranatha, О lord of my life, where are you? what is the fault of the slave girl like me or otherwise the fault of the slave girl is visible at every step. Thus, speaking she again fainted.

Thereafter, Uddhava somehow brought her to senses again and he was immensely surprised. At that point of time the seven female friends of Radha where moving white fly-whisks on her. Three lakhs of cowherdesses remained in attention, always to serve Radha. She was surrounded by a hundred crores of cowherdesses throughout the day and night. Some of them carried the collyrium in their hands, some of them carried the garland of flowers.

Some carried vermilion in their hands, while others carried gorocana, while still others carried the vases of sandal-wood in their hands, some of them carried the mirrors, some of them carried Kumkum and others carried vases of kasthuri.

Someone carried the vase of champaka flowers while others carried the vases of honey filled with gems. Some of them carried the fragrant oil, some of them carried fragrant oil, some of them carried the betels with the fragrance of champhor, while others carried the scented water. Some of them were attending to the dancing puppets.

Some of them carried the balls, some of them carried the gem-studded ornaments while others carried invaluable garments sanctified by fire, some of them carried the eatables. Some of them were inserting the flowers in the hair of Radha, while others were carrying the combs. Some of them carried the red paint for the feet and some of them carried the essence of myrobalan and were standing in panic at a distance, someone feeling panicky was praying while someone was grief-stricken and crying, some of the intelligent cowherdesses were addressing sweet words to Radha, who was burning with separation. Someone was looking at Radha, who was lying at the beautiful bed and was trying to remove the grief of separation. Someone of them was trying to lay Radha on the bed of lotus leaves. Finding Radha in such a condition Uddhava felt panicky and he. Spoken words which were sweet like nectar to Radha.

Uddhava said- I know you fully well, you happen to be the foremost of all the gods and goddesses or affectionate, Siddhayogini, the form of the entire prowess, Mulaprakruti, Ishvari and the  damsel of Goloka, you have incarnated on the  earth because of the curse of Sridama, О goddess, you happen to be the beloved of Sri  Krishna and always reside in his heart. 

O goddess, you be attentive and listen to me  with your cowherdesses, I have come here to  convey a good news to you which is desired by  you and pleases the heart and would be serve as  the rain to extinguished the fire of separation or  serves the medicine for the person ailing from  separation. 

Vasudeva has invited Nanda to remain in Mathura till the performing of the thread ceremony of Krishna. Therefore, Nanda is quite happy thereafter the completion of those festivities, Nanda accompanied by Krishna. and Baladeva would delightfully return to Gokula.

At that time Sri Krishna would be delightful, bow in reverence to the mother and would return to Vrundavana in the night. 

О chaste lady you would surely have a look at the lotus-like face of Sri Krishna and would be relieved of the pain of separation. 

О mother, you composer yourself and clad yourself in the divine garment sanctified by fire you adorn yourself with gem-studded ornaments and apply the paste of kasthuri, Kumkum and sandal-paste over your body. Decorate your hair  with the garland of jasmine flowers, О virtuous  one, now you adorn yourself with the best of  costumes and have your cheeks suitably painted  and the pasting of hair would be adorned with  kasthuri and sandal-paste, applying the spot of  vermilion over your forehead and the red paste  over the soles of your feet. You now get up and occupy the gem-studded lion-throne, you discard the dirty bed of the lotus leaves.

You consume the sweet beverages, devoting your mind towards Krishna. You consume the fragrant betel and water, enjoy the charming bed delightfully which is having a bed sheet of fine cloth sanctified by fire and is also decorated with the garlands of jasmine flowers kasthuri, lilies, champaka flowers and sandal-paste. Issuing divine fragrance, it is decorated with the garland of jasmine flowers from all sides, is decorated by several precious gems and the Jewels and the pillow is made of the best of auspicious flowers, O goddess, all the cowherdesses serve you some of your dear friends are moving the white fly- whisks uninterruptedly, but I want that you should be lodged over the lion throne which is built of the best of the gems and all the cowherdesses should serve at your feet. O sage, thus speaking Uddhava adored the lotus-like feet of Radha which are adored by Brahma and all other gods daily with reverence. After thus speaking, Uddhava kept quiet.

On hearing the words of Uddhava, the smiling and chaste Radha offered to him a ring which was invaluable, beautiful and studded with gems and was made by Vishvakarma. She then offered him the two ear ornaments in which one could look his own reflection. They were yellow in colour, were unprecedented and were shining like the lamp. These kundalas were handed over by lord Agni to Krishna in the Rasamandala. Thereafter she also gave him several gem- studded ornaments and the costumes sanctified by fire, the garland of gems which had been handed over by Varuna to Krishna in the earlier times, she also handed over the Syamantaka gem to Uddhava which was handed over by Surya to Krishna. The same gem was presented by Krishna to Radha.

Thereafter the goddess Radha handed over the lion-throne studded with best of gems which was presented to Sri Krishna by Mahendra quite delightfully. She also gave him the chatra which was made of the best of gems and diamonds. A garland of diamonds decorated it and several lotus flowers of gems were engraved over it- She also gave the mirror of gems which was handed over to Krishna by Brahma in the Rasamandala. This was also handed over to Uddhava by Radha.

Thereafter she also gave him a garland of china-rose flower in which the best of gems was studded and which was given in earlier times by Siva to Krishna and was invaluable, auspicious, remover of deaths birth and old age, beside the ailment. She also handed over the Chandrakanta gem which was given to Krishna by the moon was an excellent gem and had the lustre of the full moon.

She also handed over the pure imperishable vase of honey which was handed over to Krishna by Dharmaraja.

She also gave Uddhava, the gold vase which were quite auspicious and were used for taking food and water, she also served the sweet and delicious dishes to him including payasam. She than offered him the betel sanctified by champhor beside the garland of flowers besides, the garland of flowers with soaked in sandal-paste. 

She than blessed him variously and bestowed him with the divine knowledge which was imparted by lord Krishna himself to Radha in Rasamandala of the Goloka, she than blessed him that the Lakshmi would not depart from his house up to a hundred generations, beside bestowing the knowledge of Yashaskari, wide spread popularity, spotless, glory, all the siddhis, the slave hood of the lord, the infallible devotion to the lord, beside becoming the best of the courtier of the lord. This delightfully handing over all these things and pronouncing the blessing on him, Radhika got up and she clad herself in the divine costumes sanctified by fire adorned herself with the best of gem-studded ornaments, garland of diamonds and also applied the spot of vermilion over her forehead besides the collyrium in the eyes. She wore long garland of flowers. She applied sandal-paste on her body and then adored Uddhava who was seated on the gem-studded lion throne. At that point of time the complexion of the body of Radha resembled that of the molten gold and her lustre exceeded hundreds of moons. She was surrounded by a hundred crores of cowherdesses, thereafter, she delightfully adored Uddhava who was seated on the gem-studded lion-throne. 

Radhika said- Will Krishna really come back you tell me truthfully, he is deprived of deceit-fullness, you speak out the truth in this vast assembly because the step-well is better than a hundred wells and a yajna is better than a hundred step wells, a son is better than a hundred yajnas and truthfulness is better than a hundred sons. There is no sin greater than the falsehood. Uddhava said- О beautiful one, the lord would surely come and you would truthfully meet him and your suffering would come to an end at the sight of the lotus-like face of lord.

O virtuous one, the pain of separation from which you had been suffering has disappeared with my meeting you, you shed away all the worries which are always troublesome and enjoy all the pleasures of life. 

I am returning to Mathura and shall surely send the lord back to Gokula. He would complete all the unfinished tasks. О mother, let me take leave of I shall go to the lord and reaching there, I shall to him convey news about you.

Radhika said- O son, in case you have to go to the pleasant city of Mathura, then you stay here for some more time and listen to my painful story. I am badly suffering from the pain of separation. Therefore, you do not forget me reaching there. You tell my beloved everything and send him here without fail.

Otherwise, who can reach the mind of a damsel, a learned person can create anything according to the scriptures but when even the Vedas are unable to recite his glory then what could the scriptures do. Therefore, O son, I shall speak everything to you which you should convey to lord Krishna.

Because of the pain of separation, I am unable to distinguish between the human being and an animal between the water and the earth or the day or night, I have indeed forgotten myself and am unmindful of the rising of the sun and the moon or their setting. I have regained consciousness simply in order to receive the news about the welfare of the lord, during all the time I only visualise the form of the lord or to listen to the sweet notes of his flute. Discarding the traditional shame and fear, I always get engrossed at the lotus-like feet of the lord. No doubt I achieved the lord of universe who is beyond Prakruti but I could not achieve the true knowledge because of his illusion. I understood him only as the lord of cowherdesses whose feet are adored by Brahma and all other gods beside the Vedas. I denounced him in anger. This fact is paining my heart like a thorn. O Uddhava, the time I spent while serving at his lotus-like feet, reciting his glory and adoring him is considered to be quite auspicious and delightful moment and my entire life is dedicated to him, now in separation from him my heart always remains painful. Because of this, I shall not have the fortune to enjoy his love sport-in the secluded place like this.

I shall not be able to go to the Vrundavana anymore. I would not be able to plaster his body with sandal-paste nor would I be able to adorn his neck with garland of flowers nor would I be able to have a look at his lotus-like face. I would not be able to visit the jasmine, the lilly and champaka flowers forests or the Rasamandala any further. The visit of the charming sandal-wood forest with Hari, the peaks of gems of the Malaya mountain, the Madhavi forest, the Madhuvana which is quite secretive and charming, the Khanda-vana, the beautiful and charming Chandrasarovara, the Nandana-vana of the gods, the forest of Pusphabhadraka and Bhadraka cannot be visited by me any further without company of the lord. Where is the beautiful Madhavi creepers laiden with flowers in the spring season? Where is the night of the spring season? Where is the spring season? And Alas, where has Madhava gone? Thus, speaking Radha started devoting her mind at the lotus-like feet of the lord, she felt emotional and fainted while crying.