When out of sorrow, the gopis’ hopes for Krsna’s return grew dim, and they became eager for death, Uddhava made them happy by speaking different, very confidential matters. That is the signifiacance of the word "After that" (tatah). They were relieved of the fire of separation by other messages, which were not different from the previous confidential messages. Then they became satisfied. Though Sukadeva has not described those messages, one can understand them by the results they had on the gopis. "O women most dear to my life! Close your eyes in front of Uddhava, who has been sent by me. Just as the cowherd boys closed their eyes and were delivered from the forest fire, closing your eyes, I will deliver you from the fire of separation. Just see my power of yoga!" Hearing this, they closed their eyes. In a flash of a second, yogamaya brought forth millions of years of time, and in that expanse of time, Krsna performed his rasa dance, playing dice, drinking liquor, water pastimes, and swing pastimes, so that they forgot the pain separation completely. Seeing that they were filled with bliss, Uddhava said, "Now ladies, open your eyes." They opened their eyes and recognized that they had taken a new birth through the bestowal of a thousand fold bliss when they had closed their eyes ( adhah=downward aksa=eyes ja= birth: adhoksajam). They then worshipped Uddhava. "O women filled with prema! If you still are trying to give up your life, just listen. Do not doubt that hearing of your death, I also will give up my life. Swearing a thousand times, I say that you should remain alive. Though I am trying to go to Vraja at every moment, I am unable to go. I fear that it is because of the time, karma , prema, whose characteristics have been explained, or some obstacle." By such messages, their pain of separation, caused by their thinking that Krsna had no love for them, was dissolved completely (vyapeta). They recognized Krsna (adhoksaja) as similar to themselves, being afflicted by pain of separation (atmanam), or they recognized Krsna as their very life (atma (own) + anam (breathe or prana)= atmanam), and then they worshipped Uddhava. "O Uddhava, you have spoken well. Even though it is difficult, we will remain alive. If you had not given this message, we would have died, and everything would have been destroyed. You have done a good act by fulfilling our desire to protect everyone, and thus we worship you." The external meaning, that the gopis accepted Paramatma adhoksaja as jivatma (atmanam) is another case of a statement used to bewilder the asuras. For the prema bhakta, oneness of the lord and jiva is insipid. What to speak then how repulsive it would be for the crown jewel among of devotees to think such a thing? Sridhara Swami, knowledgeable of the purports of the scriptures has said, "Any person who has become mad with bliss in the nectarean ocean of topics of Krsna thinks of the four goals of human life as insignificant, like grass." It can be seen that it is not possible that full developed prema ever can become covered by a strong dose of atma jnana.. When Vasudeva and Arjuna saw the mahaisvarya aspect of the lord, their parental and friendly relationships were covered by dasya bhakti, but not by brahma jnana. It has been seen that the inhabitants of Vraja were merged in brahma jnana, but this was only to show that they no taste for brahma jnana. "Krsna brought them to the lake of brahman and after merging them in it, brought them out." The words "brought them out" or "delivered them" is used. Just as the jivas are all delivered from the ocean of samsara, the inhabitants of Vraja were delivered from the repulsive Brahman. If the gopis had developed monistic atma jnana, then they would not have spoken to Balarama in the way they did when he later returned to Vraja. "The gopis respectful on seeing Balarama, asking him while laughing, "Is Krsna, dear to the women of Mathura, happy there?" (SB 10.65. 10) Other gopis said, "It is astonishing that the intelligent women of Mathura have faith in the words of the ungrateful, fickle hearted Krsna. " Other gopis said, "They must have developed faith in his words by an increase in lust through his sweet, laughing glances." (Sb 10.65.13) Such future words spoken by the gopis, indiciating their ignorance (of atma or Brahman) and jealousy, could not be possible, if they had attained the stage of brahma jnana.

Kṛṣṇa had said “You are never actually separated from me” (SB 10.47.29). He also said, “Because your minds are totally absorbed in me and free from all other engagement, remembering me always, you will very soon have me again in your presence eternally.” (SB 10.47.36) By this message which acted like a great mantra, the gopīs were relieved of their agitation and great suffering arising from separation. But the message did not remove the separation which could only be relieved by his coming. They worshipped Uddhava in a way befitting a guest to the best of their ability in that condition. Previously they had begun to worship him, but it was faulty because of their grief. Now they worshipped him properly. “How could their fever of separation be annulled simply by instructions?” Kṛṣṇa is described as jñātvātmānam adhokṣajam. The first meaning is as follows. According to the principle of not speaking the unknown without first speaking the known, the meaning is: they understood from the teachings that Kṛṣṇa (adhokṣaja) was Paramātmā. Ātmā in this interpretation means the ātmā of all beings (sarvātmā). Adhokṣaja by conventional meaning in the context means Kṛṣṇa. The etymological meaning is “the owner of all the senses.” In verse 29 Kṛṣṇa used the word sarvātmanā in reference to himself. Figuratively this means the impersonal feature propounded by the Māyāvādīs. However sarva can also mean parama. Thus it can refer to the supreme form propounded by the advocates of acintya-śakti. Though this is the particular meaning, this is combined with the word me, meaning mayā (by me). Thus it specifically refers to Kṛṣṇa according to the context. kṛṣṇam enam avehi tvam ātmānam akhilātmanām jagad-dhitāya so ’py atra dehīvābhāti māyayā You should know Kṛṣṇa to be the soul of all living entities. For the benefit of the whole universe, he has, out of his causeless mercy, appeared as an ordinary human being by the strength of māyā. SB 10.14.55 The first line of the above verse establishes Kṛṣṇa as supreme shelter of prema for all beings by his very nature. The phrase dehīva (like an ordinary person) indicates that he is actually different from the jīvas. With a desire to start worship of Govardhana, Kṛṣṇa preached karmavāda. In the present chapter, taking the first meaning of his words, Kṛṣṇa preaches impersonalism in order to destroy the time that the gopīs would spend in suffering from separation by creating detachment from him and to cover the other two meanings which were very confidential. The gopīs considered this meaning first. However from hearing again, they understood that the meaning was Kṛṣṇa (not impersonal Brahman), since Kṛṣṇa alone was present in his sphūrti at all times everywhere by very nature of his outstanding love, which they could understand since he was inspiration of all their senses. Thus Kṛṣṇa who was already known to them is explained in terms of ātmā and adhokṣaja on the strength of the order of the words. (Kṛṣṇa is mentioned first.) If they had been absorbed in advaita-vāda, they would not have worshipped Uddhava since there would be no distinction of worshipper and worshipped object. The second meaning is as follows. They understood that just as Kṛṣṇa realized them, they (ātmānam) realized him. They considered there was a union between him and themselves because of the sphūrti with his inherent qualities. The third meaning is as follows. They understood themselves and Kṛṣṇa according to what he taught: mayy āveśya manaḥ kṛtsnaṁ vimuktāśeṣa-vṛtti yat anusmarantyo māṁ nityam acirān mām upaiṣyatha Because your minds are totally absorbed in me and free from all other engagement, remembering me always, you will very soon have me again in your presence eternally. SB 10.47.36 The fourth meaning is as follows. According to what he taught, they firmly believed (jñātvā) that they would attain him very soon, and (ca) he would attain us very soon. The word ca is absent, but should be understood as in the phrase brahmeti pramātmeti bhagavān (SB 1.2.11). The order of the phrases should however be changed: tatas tāḥ kṛṣṇa-sandeśair jñātvātmānam adhokṣajam vyapeta-viraha-jvarāḥ uddhavaṁ pūjayāṁ cakrur On realizing that they would attain him and he would attain them, by means of Kṛṣṇa’s instructions, they gave up the pain of separation and worshipped Uddhava. Similarly Nanda is described on seeing Garga: taṁ dṛṣṭvā parama-prītaḥ pratyutthāya kṛtāñjaliḥ ānarcādhokṣaja-dhiyā praṇipāta-puraḥsaram When Nanda Mahārāja saw Gargamuni present at his home, he was most pleased. He stood up and received him with folded hands. Seeing him like the Supreme Lord he worshipped him by offering respects in front of him. SB 10.8.2 Similarly on seeing Uddhava it is said: tam āgataṁ samāgamya kṛṣṇasyānucaraṁ priyam nandaḥ prītaḥ pariṣvajya vāsudeva-dhiyārcayat As soon as Uddhava, the dear devotee of Kṛṣṇa, arrived at Nanda Mahārāja’s door, Nanda came forward to meet him. The cowherd King embraced him in great happiness and understanding that he was nondifferent from Vāsudeva, they worshiped him SB 10.46.14 The above statement is reasonable since the gopīs saw Uddhava as the follower of Kṛṣṇa and very dear to him.

After lamenting and falling on the ground unconscious for a moment, they recovered a little. At that time (tataḥ), they then worshipped Uddhava. Because Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone, hearing his messages attracted their hearts. Kṛṣṇa was beyond knowledge of the material senses and also brought back to life after being under the axel of the cart (adhokṣajam). He pervades everywhere (ātmanam). Knowing this, with their internal and external pain arsing from separaton dissipated by the message about Kṛṣṇa, they worshiped Uddhava, the direct form of joy because of bringing the message and the best devotee, by praising and respecting him, in order to please him, or to please Kṛṣna, or to dissipate their lamentation. Or having dissipated their pain, they then accepted Kṛṣṇa to be everywhere (adhokṣajam), and then worshipped Uddhava. This is a statement to pacify Parīkṣit. Or understanding that they would see their lover (ātmanam) the son of Nanda (adhokṣajam) now, according to his message “You are never actually separated from me” (SB 10.47.29) their pain was dissipated and they worshiped Uddhava.