Uddhava arrived in Vrindavan with news from Mathura. Krishna had sent him to speak with the people of Vraja. Radha was surrounded by her friends. They could see her pain in separation. Uddhava addressed her gently and with respect. She heard his voice and looked toward him. In the quiet, she first asked who he was.
Radha wanted to know where the messenger came from. She asked who had sent him to Vraja. Something in his appearance reminded her of Krishna. So her questions quickly became personal. Was Krishna well in distant Mathura? How was Balarama, and what news was there of Nanda? Uddhava received each question attentively.
He told her his name and his errand. Krishna had sent him to bring word of His welfare. He said that Krishna and Balarama were well. His words held neither haste nor reproach. But Radha sought more than news of their health. She wanted to know when she would see His face again. She asked whether He would return to Vrindavan.
She spoke of the Yamuna, which still flowed. She spoke of the flower-scented breeze. The kadamba trees still stood in their places. The birds' song had not left the forest. Gardens, lamps, and paths were waiting for Him. Everything familiar remained in Vraja. Yet without Krishna its joy sounded different.
Her friends listened as she named those places. One held a flower garland ready for her. Another tended the bed of lotus leaves. Their service was quiet and steady. Uddhava saw how deeply memory lived there. He did not try to diminish it with easy words. He stayed beside Radha while she spoke.
Then Uddhava brought hope of a return. He told her of duties Krishna was completing. According to his news, Nanda was in Mathura. After the ceremonies, he said, they would meet again. Radha listened closely to the promise. She asked him to repeat it honestly and plainly. For her, truthfulness was part of comfort.
Uddhava affirmed what he had told her. He asked her to set aside worry for a moment. She welcomed him as guest and messenger. She offered honors and gifts in gratitude. But her most important request was simple. When he returned, he must speak to Krishna of her. He must not forget the sorrow of Vraja.
Radha entrusted him with words for Mathura. She remembered the woods and earlier meetings. She could not look at those same paths indifferently. The flute remained present in her memory. But she longed to hear Krishna Himself again. Uddhava understood the weight of the message. He listened as a witness, not as a judge.
Hope and longing met in their conversation. Uddhava brought news, yet also received a task. He had to carry truth in both directions. Radha showed him the value of a presence. Vrindavan had no shortage of flowers or song. It missed the one for whom they rejoiced. Thus even a small report carried great meaning.
At last Uddhava prepared for his journey. Radha asked him to listen a little longer. His departure would carry her message onward. Through him her words would reach Krishna. In Vraja remained the hope of another meeting. This account preserves the tenderness of their exchange. It reminds us that comfort begins by listening.