This Kartik, Help Us Restore Sakhi Kunda
When walking on the parikrama path around Govardhana to pass Sakhi Kunda, also called Lilavati Kunda.
Here is one of several places where Uddhava gave Krishna’s messages to the gopis.
Here many gopis meet with Krishna to sport with him in his divine pastimes.
Sakhi Kunda is one of the most sacred bathing pools around Govardhan Hill. It is here where the gopis (cowherd maidens) would bathe and pick flowers for the divine couple, Radha and Krishna. It is also here where Uddhava shared Krishna’s pastimes in Dvaraka with the maidens of Vraja.
During Uddhava’s visit to Vrindavana, he would sometimes sit beneath a large tree by the banks of Sakhi Kunda, and gopis from every group would come to hear him talk of Krishna’s pastimes. Uddhava would describe the opulence of Krishna’s city, palaces, and queens and also of Krishna’s constant longing for Vraja and the gopis. When the girls heard of Krishna’s sorrow, they all cried together.
Day after day the gopis spent their time in this way — hearing from Uddhava the messages Krishna had sent to them and hearing of their Lord’s many pastimes in the far-off metropolis of Dvaraka. Although loving ecstasy awoke many contrary emotions within the gopis — sometimes critical of Krishna, sometimes sympathetic to him — they could not stop hearing about their beloved. Even as the gopis denounced Krishna for punishing the evil Vali and Surpanaka, though allegedly willing to give up his friendship, they couldn’t give up talking about him.
Many devotees who, having heard Krishna’s pastimes just once, give up their comfortable homes and affectionate families to live in Vrindavana even in great austerity. Likewise, the gopis could not give up hearing about Krishna’s qualities and pastimes, even if that hearing constantly reminded them of their separation from him and the misery they felt as a result.
At first Radharani was reluctant to hear anything from Uddhava. In fact, She openly revealed her doubts,
“O friend! I do not know what good will come from the mouth of this youth. Once, he approached my rivals, spoke my name, and confirmed to them that I was the queen of Krishna’s life. Now I fear this messenger will tell us that Krishna’s love for me is no more. O friend! I will not hear anything he has to say, nor will I ask him any questions about Krishna. Indeed, I will not stay at this place a moment longer. Let us return to our homes at once.”
To reassure the milkmaids that Krishna had not forgotten them — but quite the opposite, that he was thinking of them at every moment — Uddhava raised both his hands for emphasis. Having caught their attention, Uddhava spoke these amazing words,
“O gopis, separated from Krishna! Your good fortune is most rare. While perfected yogis meditate on the transcendental form of the Supreme, that same Supreme constantly meditates on you.”
A wave of satisfaction swept through the gopis’ hearts as they heard Uddhava’s declaration, and they exchanged cheerful smiles. But Radha’s friend remained troubled, and so she addressed him,
“Since the day of Krishna’s departure Radha continually cries, and the tears that wet her face will not allow her to rest. O wise one! Can you tell us what Radha can do to get even a moment’s sleep?”
Uddhava knew that Radha could only find solace in the messages he had brought from Krishna if there was some hope that Krishna would return to Vrindavana, and so he addressed her directly.
“O beautiful Radha!” said Uddhava. “Don’t stain Your moonlike face with tears. Lord Hari, who is an ocean of mercy, will be merciful to you again. He will return to you. Do not fear!”
These words comforted Srimati Radharani, and she settled down amongst the cowherd girls of her own group. Then Uddhava, as requested by Krishna, read a message to her. Taking up a palm-leaf letter penned by Krishna, Uddhava looked straight at Radha to tell her this message was specifically for her. Then, his hands and voice trembling slightly, he read the contents.
“O my beloved! On the day we first met, your love appeared suddenly and without cause. I now live in the hope that your love has neither diminished by my offences, nor increased by my prayers. I live by the memory of your love, which is always full of nectar and which destroys the miseries of the three worlds, but after such a long time I cannot quite describe your intense feelings for me. Separated by a great distance, the possibility of our conversing directly is distant. So be it! The possibility of my embracing your transcendental body is also distant. So be it! However, again and again I bow down before your lotus feet and beg: O girl with beautiful eyebrows! Please always count me amongst your followers and please send me a letter written by your own hand.”
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