āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu-juṣām ahaḿ syāḿ
vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām
yā dustyajaḿ sva-janam ārya-pathaḿ ca hitvā
bhejur mukunda-padavīḿ śrutibhir vimṛgyām
asam -- of the gopis; aho -- oh; carana-renu -- the dust of the lotus feet; jusham -- devoted to; aham syam -- let me become; vrindavane -- in Vrindavana; kim api -- any one; gulma-lata-oshadhinam -- among bushes, creepers and herbs; ya -- they who; dustyajam -- very difficult to give up; sva-janam -- family members; arya-patham -- the path of chastity; ca -- and; hitva -- giving up; bhejuh -- worshiped; mukunda-padavim -- the lotus feet of Mukunda, Krishna; srutibhih -- by the Vedas; vimrigyam -- to be searched for.
The gopis of Vrindavana 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, Krishna, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers or herbs in Vrindavana, because the gopis trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet.
The word meanings and translation for this verse are taken from Srila Prabhupada's English rendering of Caitanya-caritamrita (Antya 7.47).
Sri Uddhava here shows the perfect Vaishnava attitude of humility. He does not pray to be equal to the gopis in their exalted stage of love, but rather to take birth as a bush or creeper in Vrindavana so that when they walk upon him he will get the dust of their feet and thus be blessed. The shy gopis 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 Vrindavana.
