45 / Uddhava Visits Vrndavana

Nanda Maharaja returned to Vrndavana without Krsna and Balarama.
He was accompanied only by the cowherd boys and men. It was certainly
a very pathetic scene for the gopis, mother Yasoda, Srimati Radharani and
all the inhabitants and residents of Vrndavana. Many devotees have tried
to make adjustments to Krsna’s being away from Vrndavana because
according to expert opinion, Krsna, the original Supreme Personality of
Godhead, never goes even a step out of Vrndavana. He always remains
there. The explanation of expert devotees is that Krsna was actually not
absent from Vrndavana; He came back with Nanda Maharaja as promised.

When He was going to Mathura on the chariot driven by Akrira and the
gopis were practically blocking the way, Krsna assured them that He was
coming back just after finishing His business in Mathura. He told them not
to be overwhelmed, and in this way He pacified them. But when He did
not come back with Nanda Maharaja, it appeared that He either cheated
them or could not keep His promise. Expert devotees, however, have
decided that Krsna was neither a cheater nor a breaker of promises. Krsna,
in His original identity, returned with Nanda Maharaja and stayed with the
gopis and mother Yasoda in His bhava expansion. Krsna and Balarama
remained in Mathura, not in Their original forms, but in Their expansions
.as Vasudeva and Sankarsana. The real Krsna and Balarama were in
Vrndavana in Their bhava manifestation, whereas in Mathura They ap-
peared in the prabhava and vaibhava expansions. This is the expert
opinion of advanced devotees of Krsna. But when Nanda Maharaja was
preparing to return to Vrndavana, there was discussion among him, Krsna
and Balarama as to how the boys could live in separation from Nanda.
The conclusion to separate was reached by mutual agreement.

Vasudeva and Devaki happened to be Krsna and Balarama’s real parents.
They wanted to keep Them now because of the death of Kamsa. While

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