Originally posted by: varaaliTrue to their nature, Sagar Pictures have distorted the character of Uddhava also.
Let us see what Srimad Bhagavatham has to say about Uddhava...
We first encounter Uddhava in the 3rd Skanda, when Vidura meets Uddhava, on the banks of Yamuna. This is after the Yadava annihilation, of which Vidura is not aware. Vidura courteously inquires about all the prinicpal Yadavas.
At first, Uddhava is unable to speak, because the very thought of Krishna has transported him to a devotional trance. While informing Vidura about the Yadava fratricide, Uddhava recounts the exploits of the Lord which forms the basis of the next two chapters.
In the next few of slokas we come to know that1)Uddhava was Krishna's companion even at the age of five and2) his devotion to Krishna only increased with age.
In the course of their dialogue, Vidura observes that Uddhava had reached the pinnacle of devotion.
Uddhava's nature comes out even better in the 4th Chapter of the 3rd Skanda where the Lord Himself certifies his character
Uddhava was one of the few to witness Krishna during his last few moments on Earth and he describes the scene (to Vidura) in a choking voice. Krishna had already warned Uddhava about the impending disaster and advised him to go to Badarikarshram, but Uddhava could not even think of leaving Lord's presence. As the Lord took his final abode under a tree, He observed Uddhava standing nearby and asked him to sit near Him. (See, this was Uddhava... he won't even sit in front of Krishna unless specifically asked to do so...Such was his reverence)I know we'll probably discuss this more later while discussing the discrepancies b/w the different works of Rishi Vyasa & his disciples, but for now, one thing that struck me about the above was Vidura being alive in the first place after the Yadava fratricide and Krishna's passing.In the Mahabharata, 15 years after the Ashwamedha Yagna, Dhritarashtra went into exile w/ Gandhari, Sanjaya, Vidura & Kunti. Around 2-3 years later, the Pandavas visited them, and during that time, Yudhisthir had his last encounter w/ Vidura, who passed away after finally witnessing him. Since he was living the life of a sanyasi, he was buried, rather than cremated.So 18 years after the war, Vidura died, and 36 years after the war, Krishna passed on. It's therefore very curious that Vidura was around to discuss Krishna's passing w/ anybody.Originally posted by: varaaliThe Lord reveals that Uddhava had attained the present birth after a lot of tapas and this would be his last birth. The very fact that Uddhava alone ventured to visit Krishna in His final moments on Earth, spoke volumes of his devotion and was enough to assure him of a place in Vaikunth.
Uddhava, knowing that separation from his beloved Lord was inevitable (albeit temporarily) requests him to impart the Supreme knowledge which the Lord Himself had narrated to Brahma. (This discussion is narrated in greater detail in the 11th Skanda.)
Parikshit then questions Sage Sukhdev, when all the Yadavas disappeared, why did uddhava alone remain behind?
Sukhdev then answers, that in His final moments, The Lord deemed only Uddhava fit to propagate the divine knowledge which He had imparted to Uddhava. Sukhdeva says that "the Lord did not consider Uddhava any different from Himself, since Uddhava is also above the three gunas i.e Saatva, rajas and tamas"In the Mahabharata, no mention is made of Udhav in Mausala Parva. After the death of all the Yadava menfolk, Krishna send Daruka to Hastinapur to fetch Arjun, and was going to hand over responsibility of the women & kids to Babhru, except that the latter was killed right then & there in front of him w/ one of those macelets (can't think of a better term for them). Krishna then asked Vasudev to take care of them until Arjun arrived.Thing that strikes me is that if Udhav was alive & well, Krishna could well have handed over control to him, and asked him to wait for Arjun and take everyone back north, to Indraprastha/Mathura/Vrinavan/Gokul/Martikavat or wherever they chose to ultimately settle down. Udhav could have well been a major stabilizing factor in future Yadava society, while Vajra was still learning the ropes. Somehow, it's interesting that the Mahabharata describes events like the enmity b/w Somdatta & Sini, but doesn't touch on Udhav.
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