{Srimad Bhagwat Mahatmay (the greatness of Srimad Bhagwat)}
(Second Chapter)
The sages asked- Sut ji! Now please tell us that after Shandilya Muni returned to his ashram, how did King Parikshit and Vajranabha carry out the orders given to them and what kind of tasks did they perform?
Sut ji said- In the course of time, King Parikshit summoned thousands of wealthy merchants from Indraprastha (Delhi) and made them settle in Mathura. The eminent king Parikshit, also invited the Brahmins and ancient Vanaras (monkeys) of the Mathura Mandal, who were great devotees of Lord Sri Krishna, and asked them to settle in the city of Mathura with due respect. In this way, with the help of King Parikshit and the grace of Maharishi Shandilya ji, Vajranabha gradually discovered all the places where Lord Sri Krishna performed his various leelas (divine play) with his beloved gop and gopis. When the exact locations of the Lord’s leelas were ascertained, he named each place accordingly and established the idols of Sri Krishna’s leela and established many villages in those places. He executed various other tasks like digging wells and ponds and naming them after Sri Krishna, and made gardens and orchards. He also established the sacred idols of Lord Shiva and other deities, along with the idols of Lord Vishnu naming them as Govinda, Hari etc. with great devotion. Through all these auspicious deeds, Vajranabha preached the message of devotion towards Lord Sri Krishna throughout his kingdom and was very delighted. Even the people of his (Vajranabha) kingdom were very gratified and immersed in the delight of singing the saccharine devotional songs and reciting the eternal leelas (divine plays) of the Lord, and eulogized Vajranabha’s prosperous kingdom.
One day, driven by the anguish of Lord Sri Krishna’s separation, sixteen thousand of his beloved queens, seeing Sri Krishna’s fourth queen Kalindi (Yamuna ji) delighted, without any jealousy in their heart, asked her with genuine concern, “O Kalindi! Just as we are Sri Krishna’s wives, so are you. We all are suffering and burning in the fire of His separation, our hearts are in deep distraught, but you are not driven by this state. You seem to be very ecstatic and content. We all implore you to tell us the reason behind this. Please tell us”.
Upon hearing them, Yamuna ji smiled, her heart was filled with compassion and empathy. Thinking of them as her own sisters, she said the following words.
Yamuna ji said- Lord Sri Krishna is known as Aatmaram because of him being delighted and content with his own soul. His soul is Radha ji. I serve Radha ji like a humble sevak, which is why, separation and the suffering coming from it never engulfs me. All the wives of Sri Krishna are partial incarnations (anshavatara) of Radha ji. Lord Sri Krishna and Radha are always with each other, they have an eternal union. Therefore, even the wives of Sri Krishna, who are a part of Radha ji, also experience the divine presence, the eternal union of Sri Krishna.
Sri Krishna is only Radha, and Radha is only Sri Krishna. Their love is the flute, and Radha’s dear friend Chandravali is also known as ‘Chandravali’ because she remains devoted to serving the moon-like nails of Sri Krishna’s feet. She has great desire and dedication to serve Sri Radha and Sri Krishna, therefore, she does not assume any other form. I have seen the inclusion of Rukhmini and the other wives within Radha herself. You all are oblivious of the eternal verity that you haven’t really separated from Lord Sri Krishna, which is why you all are so distressed. Likewise, previously, when Akrur ji brought Sri Krishna from Nandgaon to Mathura, the perception of separation experienced by the gopis was not actual separation, it was only a semblance of separation. They were all grieved until Uddhav ji comprehended this ultimate truth to them. If you all get the blissful chance to meet Uddhav ji and receive his divine words, then all of you can also attain the bliss of experiencing the divine presence of Sri Krishna.
Sut ji said- O Sages! When Yamuna ji illustrated the eternal verity to them, the hearts of the wives of Lord Sri Krishna were filled with the strong desire to meet Uddhav ji, so that they could attain the good fortune of experiencing the heavenly presence of the Lord. They now again spoke to Yamuna ji, who was immersed in the delight of Lord.
The wives of Sri Krishna said- O Yamuna! Your life is indeed blessed, for you never have to experience the pain of separation from your beloved Lord. We have devoted ourselves to Sri Radha whose grace has fulfilled your desires. As you said earlier, all our desires can be fulfilled by meeting Uddhav ji. Therefore, O Kalindini (Yamuna ji)! Please tell us a way by which we can meet Uddhav ji instantaneously.
Sut ji said- When the wives of Lord Sri Krishna asked Yamuna ji to tell them, she, while contemplating the sixteen kalas (art forms) of Lord Krishna, began to say-
When Lord Sri Krishna was about to return to His divine abode, he said to his minister Uddhav, “Uddhav! The land of Badrikashram is a place for spiritual practices. Therefore, you should go there to complete your sadhana (spiritual practice).” Uddhav ji is currently present in Badrikashram in his true form and continues to impart the knowledge as instructed by the Lord to the curious seekers who visit there. The land of Vrindavan (Vajrabhumi) is the fruition of spiritual practices, and along with its mysteries, Lord Sri Krishna had already bestowed it upon Uddhav ji. However, with Lord Krishna’s return to his abode, this divine land of Vrindavan has transcended the physical realm and gone beyond the perception of the senses. That is why Uddhav ji is not visibly present here at this time.
Notwithstanding this, there is a place where it is possible to obtain the auspicious sight of Uddhav ji. It is the seraphic land near the Govardhan mountain, which is the abode of the gopis, with whom Lord Sri Krishna had performed various leelas (divine plays); and it is certain that Uddhav ji resides there in the form of saplings and little plants. Lord Krishna has also bestowed upon him (Uddhav ji) His (Lord’s) own festive form, and Uddhav ji cannot prevail from it; therefore, all of you, along with Vajranabha, should visit that place and stay near Kusum sarovar (a sacred pond). Aggregating the group of devotees, you all should commence a grand celebration, selflessly chanting Lord Hari’s name, listening to the divine stories of HIM, and singing the glories of His divine plays and songs praising His divine qualities along with playing various musical instruments like veena, flute, mrindang drums etc. Initiate the magnificent celebration with enchanting melodies. In this way, as the grand festival expands, it is certain that you will have the darshan (sight) of Uddhav ji. He is the only one who can help you all in your spiritual growth with consummate solicitude.
Sut ji said- The wives of Lord Sri Krishna were very delighted and pleased after listening to Yamuna ji. They offered their gratitude and respects to her and returned from there to narrate all the details to Vajranabha and Parikshit. Upon hearing everything, Parikshit was elated with supreme bliss. Along with Vajranabha and the wives of Sri Krishna, he departed for the place mentioned by Yamuna ji and initiated all the preparations for the Utsav.
Near Govardhan, within Vrindavan, is the beautiful Kusum sarovar, the playground of the gopis. It was there that the festival of Sri Krishna’s kirtan (devotional songs) began. When the seraphic leela bhumi (the land where many divine plays took place) of Vrishabhnandini (the daughter of Vrishabh) Sri Radha and Sri Krishna was adorned with the grandeur Kirtanotsav, all the devotees there were engulfed with sincere devotion and dedication, with their mind and thoughts being completely immersed in Sri Krishna. In the meantime, amidst the sight of everyone, emerging from the group of grass, shrubs and vines, Sri Uddhav ji appeared before them. His body was of a dark complexion, adorned with a yellow garment, a garland of forest flowers around his neck, holding a flute and continuously singing the gratifying leelas of Gopivallabh Sri Krishna.
With the advent of Uddhav ji, enhanced the grandeur of the Kirtanotsav multiple times. Just as the beauty of a crystalline dome is magnified when moonlight falls upon it, in the same way, the splendor of the Utsav increased significantly. At that moment, everyone became immersed in the ocean of joy, forgetting everything and losing themselves in the supreme bliss. After a while, when their consciousness descended from the divine realm, meaning when they regained their awareness, they saw Sri Krishna present in his divine form within Uddhav ji. Overwhelmed with the fulfillment of their desires, everyone became delighted and began to worship him.
Jai Jagannath.