Devanagari
श्रीउद्धव उवाच
विद्रावितो मोहमहान्धकारो
य आश्रितो मे तव सन्निधानात् ।
विभावसो: किं नु समीपगस्य
शीतं तमो भी: प्रभवन्त्यजाद्य ॥ ३७ ॥
Verse text
śrī-uddhava uvāca
vidrāvito moha-mahāndhakāro
ya āśrito me tava sannidhānāt
vibhāvasoḥ kiṁ nu samīpa-gasya
śītaṁ tamo bhīḥ prabhavanty ajādya
Synonyms
śrī
—
uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said
;
vidrāvitaḥ
—
is driven away
;
moha
—
of delusion
;
mahā
—
andhakāraḥ — the great darkness
;
yaḥ
—
which
;
āśritaḥ
—
was taken shelter of
;
me
—
by me
;
tava
—
Your
;
sannidhānāt
—
by the presence
;
vibhāvasoḥ
—
of the sun
;
kim
—
what
;
nu
—
indeed
;
samīpa
—
gasya — for one who has come into the proximity
;
śītam
—
cold
;
tamaḥ
—
darkness
;
bhīḥ
—
fear
;
prabhavanti
—
have power
;
aja
—
O unborn
;
ādya
—
O primeval Lord .
Translation
Śrī Uddhava said: O unborn, primeval Lord, although I had fallen into the great darkness of illusion, my ignorance has now been dispelled by Your merciful association. Indeed, how can cold, darkness and fear exert their power over one who has approached the brilliant sun?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Uddhava said: O unborn, primeval Lord! My great ignorance has now been dispelled by your merciful association. Indeed, how can cold, darkness and fear exert their power over one who has approached the brilliant sun?
The great darkness of illusion which I was under—considering that Dvārakā along with my Lord and all the Yādavas was limited and temporary—has been destroyed by you. After asking questions to the Lord in the Third Canto, Kṛṣṇa had replied, giving to Uddhava the knowledge to elucidate the secret concerning himself which could not be understood by others. This was indicated in the following verse:
ity āvedita-hārdāya mahyaṁ sa bhagavān paraḥ
ādideśāravindākṣa ātmanaḥ paramāṁ sthitim
When I asked the lotus-eyed Lord what I desired in my heart, he explained to me his supreme position. SB 3.4.19
The present verse refers to Uddhava’s receiving those answers, which dispelled his dark illusion (though the Third Canto description occurred after the explanation of philosophy described in this chapter). This is similar to Maitreya mixing the stories of Varāha who appeared in two different Manvantaras. [Note: The narration in the Third Canto actually occurs after Uddhava and Kṛṣṇa speak this chapter in the Eleventh Canto. Uddhava departed and then returned and asked the questions in the Third Canto.]
Purport
Although Śrī Uddhava feared separation from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, he now understands that in a fundamental sense the Lord is everything. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can never be threatened or diminished for one who has taken full shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.