su-dustyaja-sneha-viyoga-kÄtaro
na Å›aknuvaá¹s taá¹ parihÄtum Äturaḥ
ká¹›cchraá¹ yayau mÅ«rdhani bhartá¹›-pÄduke
bibhran namaskṛtya yayau punaḥ punaḥ
su-dustyaja - impossible to give up; sneha - (from Him) in whom he had reposed such affection; viyoga - because of separation; kÄtaraḥ - beside himself; na Å›aknuvan - being incapable; tam - Him; parihÄtum - to abandon; Äturaḥ - overwhelmed; ká¹›cchram yayau - he experienced great pain; mÅ«rdhani - upon his head; bhartá¹› - of his master; pÄduke - the slippers; bibhran - carrying; namaská¹›tya - bowing down to offer obeisances; yayau - he went away; punaḥ punaḥ - again and again.
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.
According to the ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (3.4.5), while Uddhava was enroute to BadarikÄÅ›rama he heard about the Lord’s journey to PrabhÄsa. 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.
