Uddhava Visits Vrndavana 293
his chariot were covered by the dust raised by the hooves of the cows. He
saw bulls running after cows for mating; other cows, with overladened
milkbags, were running after the calves to fill them with milk. Uddhava
saw that the entire land of Vrndavana was filled with white cows and their
calves. Cows were running here and there all over Gokula, and he could
hear the sound of milking. Every residential house in Vrndavana was
decorated for the worship of the sun-god and the fire-god and for the
reception of guests, cows, brahmanas and demigods. Every home was
illuminated with light and incense arranged for sanctification. All over
Vrndavana there were nice flower garlands, flying birds and the humming
sound of the bees. The lakes were filled with lotus flowers and with ducks
and swans.

Uddhava entered the house of Nanda Maharaja and was received as a
representative of Vasudeva. Nanda Maharaja offered him a place and sat
down with him to ask about messages from Krsna, Balarama and other
family members in Mathura. He could understand that Uddhava was a very
confidential friend of Krsna and therefore must have come with good
messages. ““My dear Uddhava, how is my friend Vasudeva enjoying life? He
is now released from the prison of Kamsa, and he is now with his friends
and his children, Krsna and Balarama. So he must be very happy. Tell me
about him and his welfare. We are also very happy that Kamsa, the most
sinful demon, is now killed. He was always envious of the family of the
Yadus, his friends and relatives. Now because of his sinful activities, he is
dead and gone, along with all his brothers.

“Please let us now know whether Krsna is remembering His father and
mother and His friends and companions in Vrndavana. Does He like to
remember His cows, His gopis, His Govardhana Hill, His pasturing ground
in Vrndavana? Or has He forgotten all these now? Is there any possibility
of His coming back to His friends and relatives so that we can again see His
beautiful face with its raised nose and lotus-like eyes? We remember how
He saved us from the forest fire, how He saved us from the great snake
Kaliya in the Yamuna, how He saved us from so many other demons, and
we simply think how much we are obliged to Him for giving us protection
in so many dangerous situations. My dear Uddhava, when we think of
Krsna’s beautiful face and eyes and His different activities here in Vrnda-
vana, we become so overwhelmed that all our activities cease. We simply
think of Krsna, how He used to smile and how He looked upon us. When
we go to the banks of the Yamuna and other lakes of Vrndavana or near
Govardhana Hill or the pasturing field, we see that the impressions of
Krsna’s footprints are still on the surface of the earth. We remember Him
