Devanagari
सुदुस्त्यजस्नेहवियोगकातरो
न शक्नुवंस्तं परिहातुमातुर: ।
कृच्छ्रं ययौ मूर्धनि भर्तृपादुके
बिभ्रन्नमस्कृत्य ययौ पुन: पुन: ॥ ४६ ॥
Verse text
su-dustyaja-sneha-viyoga-kātaro
na śaknuvaṁs taṁ parihātum āturaḥ
kṛcchraṁ yayau mūrdhani bhartṛ-pāduke
bibhran namaskṛtya yayau punaḥ punaḥ
Synonyms
su
—
dustyaja — impossible to give up
;
sneha
—
(from Him) in whom he had reposed such affection
;
viyoga
—
because of separation
;
kātaraḥ
—
beside himself
;
na śaknuvan
—
being incapable
;
tam
—
Him
;
parihātum
—
to abandon
;
āturaḥ
—
overwhelmed
;
kṛcchram yayau
—
he experienced great pain
;
mūrdhani
—
upon his head
;
bhartṛ
—
of his master
;
pāduke
—
the slippers
;
bibhran
—
carrying
;
namaskṛtya
—
bowing down to offer obeisances
;
yayau
—
he went away
;
punaḥ punaḥ
—
again and again .
Translation
Greatly fearing separation from Him for whom he felt such indestructible affection, Uddhava was distraught, and he could not give up the Lord’s company. Finally, feeling great pain, he bowed down to the Lord again and again, placed the slippers of his master upon his head, and departed.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Pained by separation caused by indestructible affection, Uddhava was overwhelmed, and he could not give up the Lord’s company. Finally, feeling great pain, he bowed down to the Lord again and again, placed the shoes of his master upon his head, and departed.
When the Lord gave him his shoes by his mercy, Uddhava put them on his head. Since the Lord’s order was insistent, he offered repeated respects and then left. While going to Badarikāśrama, according to the story in the Third Canto, he returned and saw the Lord alone. He asked about doubtful matters and, after gaining the conclusive truth concerning the Lord’s pastimes from understanding the Lord’s answers, as expressed in verse 37, on the order of the Lord, he again left. This should be the understanding.
Purport
According to the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(3.4.5)
, while Uddhava was enroute to Badarikāśrama he heard about the Lord’s journey to Prabhāsa. Turning back and following Lord Kṛṣṇa from behind, he saw the Lord alone just after the withdrawal of the Yadu dynasty. After being again mercifully instructed by the Personality of Godhead (along with Maitreya, who had just arrived), Uddhava felt his knowledge of the truth reawaken, and then, by the order of the Lord, he went on his way.