Devanagari
आसामहो चरणरेणुजुषामहं स्यां
वृन्दावने किमपि गुल्मलतौषधीनाम् ।
या दुस्त्यजं स्वजनमार्यपथं च हित्वा
भेजुर्मुकुन्दपदवीं श्रुतिभिर्विमृग्याम् ॥ ६१ ॥
Verse text
āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu-juṣām ahaṁ syāṁ
vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām
yā dustyajaṁ sva-janam ārya-pathaṁ ca hitvā
bhejur mukunda-padavīṁ śrutibhir vimṛgyām
Synonyms
āsam
—
of the gopīs
;
aho
—
oh
;
caraṇa
—
reṇu — the dust of the lotus feet
;
juṣām
—
devoted to
;
aham syām
—
let me become
;
vṛndāvane
—
in Vṛndāvana
;
kim api
—
any one
;
gulma
—
latā — oṣadhīnām — among bushes, creepers and herbs
;
yā
—
they who
;
dustyajam
—
very difficult to give up
;
sva
—
janam — family members
;
ārya
—
patham — the path of chastity
;
ca
—
and
;
hitvā
—
giving up
;
bhejuḥ
—
worshiped
;
mukunda
—
padavīm — the lotus feet of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa
;
śrutibhiḥ
—
by the Vedas
;
vimṛgyām
—
to be searched for .
Translation
The gopīs of Vṛndāvana have given up the association of their husbands, sons and other family members, who are very difficult to give up, and they have forsaken the path of chastity to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers or herbs in Vṛndāvana, because the gopīs trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The gopīs of Vṛndāvana have given up the association of their husbands, sons and other family members, who are very difficult to give up, and they have forsaken the path of chastity to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers or herbs in Vṛndāvana, because the gopīs trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet.
KB 10.47.61
“Therefore I wish to take birth as one of the plants or creepers in Vṛndāvana, who are so fortunate that the gopīs trample them. The gopīs have so lovingly served Kṛṣṇa, Mukunda Himself, the giver of liberation, who is searched after by great sages and saintly persons. For His sake they left everything—their families, their children, their friends, their homes and all worldly connections.”
Uddhava appreciated the exalted position of the gopīs and wished to fall down and take the dust of their feet on his head. Yet he dared not ask the gopīs to offer the dust from their feet; perhaps they would not be agreeable. Therefore, to have his head smeared with the dust of the gopīs’ feet without their knowledge, he desired to become only an insignificant clump of grass or herbs in the land of Vṛndāvana.
The gopīs were so much attracted to Kṛṣṇa that when they heard the vibration of His flute they instantly left their homes, families, children, honor and feminine bashfulness and ran toward the place where Kṛṣṇa was standing. They did not consider whether they were passing over the road or through the jungles. Imperceptibly, the dust of their feet was bestowed on small grasses and herbs of Vṛndāvana. Not daring to place the dust of the gopīs’ feet on his own head in this life, Uddhava aspired to have a future birth in Vṛndāvana in the position of a clump of grass or herbs. He would then be able to have the dust of the gopīs’ feet.
Purport
The word meanings and translation for this verse are taken from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s English rendering of
Caitanya-caritāmṛta
(
Antya
7.47)
.
Śrī Uddhava here shows the perfect Vaiṣṇava attitude of humility. He does not pray to be equal to the
gopīs
in their exalted stage of love, but rather to take birth as a bush or creeper in Vṛndāvana so that when they walk upon him he will get the dust of their feet and thus be blessed. The shy
gopīs
would never agree to give such blessings to a great personality like Uddhava; therefore he cleverly sought to get such mercy by taking birth as a plant in Vṛndāvana.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"As it has been proved that the gopis love is the most rare to attain, it would be improper to have desire for it. Therefore it was with lack of judgement that I have said 'that mahabhava which those desiring liberation, those liberated and devotees like me desire' in verse 58. But now with consideration, let me express my desire for that mahabhava anyway. I desire to be born as some low shrub, creeper or grass upon which the gopis place their feet."
"But what is that supreme excellence of their worship, that you desire their foot dust, rather than that of Laksmi and others?"
" I have never seen such intense worship, in which they give up all consideration of social custom, shyness and sense control. Every night, giving up social restraints which are as hard as thunder bolts, they go to meet Krsna, and returning, do even consider what is the correct route. If I remain as grass on the path, their feet will touch my head. If I beg pitifully a thousand times, they will not put their foot dust on my head. Therefore my life will be successful if I am born as a blade of grass."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Uddhava desires to follow the gopīs who served the feet of Kṛṣṇa, difficult to attain by the Vedas, and whose attachment led them to transgress regular dharma, since they were actually eternal associates who were not aware of birth pastimes by the arrangements of yogamāyā. Deciding to obtain their foot dust, he desires to become a shrub in Vraja which receives that dust.
Ah (aho)! This expresses lamentation for an unobtainable desire. He desires to be a shrub (gulma) in Vṛdnāvana since that is where the gopīs wander close by. He does not want to become a tree, since they are too high. They do not receive the gopis’ foot dust. He mentions shrubs, creepers and grasses in that particular order because they are successively lower to the ground, and more capable of receiving the foot dust. His strongest desire is to be grass. It also shows his humility. The plants are successively lower. This shows his lowly position. He prays ultimately to be grass. In the last half of the verse he sings their glories. The one method of attaining his feet was previously mentioned: their rūḍha-bhāva. The word Mukunda means “he who awards liberation.” This indicates that their rūḍha-bhāva was more difficult to attain than liberation. The Lord is stingy in giving prema. Muktiṁ dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam: the Lord gives liberation but not bhāva-bhakti. (Sb 5.7.18) Those feet are sought by the Vedas as the highest human goal.
What did they do to obtain those feet? They gave up the family rules and the scriptural rules which were difficult to give up. As previously mentioned, Lakṣmī and others cannot give them up. They obtained his feet with the understanding that this was the highest goal for all persons mentioned in all the scriptures. The cause was not just having greater attachment than others but having unparalleled attachment. Those feet are sought by the Vedas. This indicates the eternal nature of their bhāva and its supreme position. The gopīs obtained (bhejuḥ) those feet. They quickly obtained them. He could not free himself. This is an eternal relationship between Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, since Uddhava, a confidential devotee, prayed for a birth related to the gopīs’ feet. He thought that this was possible in Vṛndāvana alone. This indicates the Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs were attached to Vṛndāvana.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Having glofiried the superiority of the gopis over all others, Uddhava desires their service attitude, but thinks it is rare. He desires only a particle of dust from their lotus feet. Aho indicates lamentation, with greed for something very rare. He desire to be a shrub, creeper or grass of Vṛndāvana, where the gopīs walk. Trees are too tall to take the dust from their feet. Creepers are lower and grasses are even lower. This indicates his extremely humble position. Finally he desires to be a blade of grass. Since this is a song glorifying the gopīs, he again sings with zeal. They gave up husbands and sons who should not be given up and with devotion (bhejuḥ) followed after (padavīm) he who gives prema to his devotees (mukunda). Or they served (bhejuḥ) his path of coming and going (padavim) by going out in the morning and evening to see him when he departed or arrived in Vraja. This shows their great prema for Mukunda.
“Giving up family and the path of dharma is against the Vedas. Those who are respected by the devotees should not give these up.” The Vedas also strive for his path but do not attain it. To attain something which the Vedas, which teach dharma and jñāna, cannot attain, it is proper to give them up. One should not be dependent on them. Dharma depends on the Vedas. Giving up dharma and the Vedas, one should worship only the Lord with special bhāva. Even now the Vedas strive to attain him.
tad bhūri-bhāgyam iha janma kim apy aṭavyāṁ
yad gokule ’pi katamāṅghri-rajo-’bhiṣekam
yaj-jīvitaṁ tu nikhilaṁ bhagavān mukundas
tv adyāpi yat-pada-rajaḥ śruti-mṛgyam eva
My greatest possible good fortune would be to take any birth whatever in this forest of Gokula and have my head bathed by the dust falling from the lotus feet of any of its residents. Their entire life and soul is the Lord, Mukunda, the dust of whose lotus feet is sought even today by the Upaniṣads. SB 10.14.34
The gopīs attained the Lord. They are thus superior to the Vedas.
athaitat paramaṁ guhyaṁ śṛṇvato yadu-nandana
su-gopyam api vakṣyāmi tvaṁ me bhṛtyaḥ suhṛt sakhā
O beloved of the Yadu dynasty! Because you are my servant, well-wisher and friend, I shall now speak to you who listen well the supreme secret. SB 11.11.49
vāsudevo bhagavatāṁ tvaṁ tu bhāgavateṣv aham
kimpuruṣānāṁ hanuman vidyādhrāṇāṁ sudarśanaḥ
Among those entitled to the name Bhagavān, I am Vāsudeva, and indeed, you, Uddhava, represent me among the devotees. I am Hanumān among the Kimpuruṣas, and among the Vidyādharas, I am Sudarśana. SB 11.16.29
Kṛṣṇa says that Uddhava is the best of the devotees and is qualified for direct service and mercy of the Lord. Why should he pray in this manner? I have not attained such bhakti since I did not give up my relatives. “Householders should not give up their families. That is against the Vedas.” But the Vedas also strive to attain a similar state. Brahmā, guru of the devotees and the śrutis, gurus which give knowledge, did not attain him. Giving up the Vedas to attain him, following the gopīs, I should take birth as a shrub to touch the dust from their lotus feet. By such a prayer recited by Uddhava, realizing their glories, the gopīs supreme position is made clear.
tad bhūri-bhāgyam iha janma kim apy aṭavyāṁ
yad gokule ’pi katamāṅghri-rajo-’bhiṣekam
yaj-jīvitaṁ tu nikhilaṁ bhagavān mukundas
tv adyāpi yat-pada-rajaḥ śruti-mṛgyam eva
My greatest possible good fortune would be to take any birth whatever in this forest of Gokula and have my head bathed by the dust falling from the lotus feet of any of its residents. Their entire life and soul is the Lord, Mukunda, the dust of whose lotus feet is sought even today by the Upaniṣads. SB 10.14.34
But Uddhava’s prayer is different from Brahmā’s. Brahmā does not have the service attitude of Uddhava. Since he has four heads, he cannot remain in Vraja for long. Thus he prays for a birth as some grass to attain the dust of the feet of anyone in Vraja. Uddhava however prays for a service attiude like the gopīs, with special bhāva for Kṛṣna, for great sweetness, not being fully satisfied after special bhāva had arisen, with a wealth of mercy for the inhabitants of Vraja by staying there a long time and serving. This he suitably expresses in this verse.