dṛṣṭvaivam-ādi gopīnāḿ
kṛṣṇāveśātma-viklavam
uddhavaḥ parama-prītas
tā namasyann idaḿ jagau
drishtva -- seeing; evam -- such; adi -- and more; gopinam -- of the gopis; krishna-avesa -- their total absorption in thought of Krishna; atma -- consisting of; viklavam -- the mental agitation; uddhavah -- Uddhava; parama -- supremely; pritah -- pleased; tah -- to them; namasyan -- offering all respect; idam -- this; jagau -- sang.
Thus seeing how the gopis were always disturbed because of their total absorption in Krishna, Uddhava was supremely pleased. Desiring to offer them all respect, he sang as follows.
Viklava, "mental disturbance," should not be confused here with ordinary material distress. It is clearly stated that Uddhava was supremely pleased, and he felt this way because he saw that the gopis had attained the highest state of loving ecstasy. Uddhava was an exalted member of the court in Dvaraka, an important minister in world political affairs, and yet he felt the spiritual urge to offer his obeisances to the glorious gopis, although externally they were mere cowherd girls in an insignificant village called Vrindavana. Thus, to explain his feelings he sang the following verses. Srila Jiva Gosvami states that Uddhava sang these verses daily while he was in Vrindavana.
