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@sundaralekhan Day 6 + Day 7: Pride + Creator's Choice

Combinging my free day with the Day 6 prompt. Anyone who has interacted with my content in the past year would probably already get why.

For the last prompt, I'm choosing to highlight Uddhav Sandesh by Surdas and the subculture and plethora of works it inspired. This scene is specifically based on Uddhav Shatak by Jagannath Das Ratnakar — an anthology of 100+ couplets in Braj Bhasha from 1874 about Uddhav's journey from Mathura to Braj with Krishna's letters to his parents, Radha, and the gopis.

Illustration is based on specifically these couplets by Ratnakar, after Uddhav's return from Braj:

ब्रज-रजरंजित सरीर सुभ ऊधव कौ धाइ बलबीर ह्वै अधीर लपटाए लेत । कहै रतनाकर सु प्रेम-मद-माते हेरि थरकति बाँह थामि थहरि थिराए लेत ॥ कीरति-कुमारी के दरस-रस सद्य ही की छलकनि चाहि पलकनि पुलकाए लेत । परन न देत एक बूँद पुहुमी की कौंछि पौंछि-पौंछि पट निज नैननि लगाए लेत ॥

(Rough) Translation :

Bathed in the rajas (guna) of Braj Uddhav's body becomes pious. Krishna embraces him impatiently. Says Ratnakar look at the one intoxicated with love, shaking arms are held (by Krishna) and (Uddhav) is steadied. Seeing the glorious maidens (Uddhav's) eyes wish to shed (tears of) joy. (Krishna) doesn't let one drop fall to the earth, (he) dabs (Uddhav's tears) and applies them to his own eyes.

Surdas' Uddhav Sandesh details the very same trip, Uddhav's travel from Mathura to Braj with letters for Yashoda, Nanda, Radha, and the gopis from a very distraught Krishna worried about their well being and their pain of separation from him. Uddhav questions their sadness, proposes they part with their despair born from 'worldly love' and instead meditate on the formless Supreme Being, since Krishna is very much that. However, his preaching of devotional love does not please or satiate the gopis who just want their Kanha back and they end up changing Uddhav's mind, gaining his empathy.

This episode can be and has been written with varying takes. In Ratnakar's work, Krishna and Uddhav are more touchy feely than they are in the Surdas version, which largely uses heavy symbolism and metaphor for the pairing (eg: Krishna is the lotus and Uddhav is the bee who will get stuck in the mud the lotus is growing in just to have a chance at the nectar.) However, in all versions, Krishna's polyamory and Uddhav's unconventional takes on love, and Uddhav-Gopi banter concluding in 'all love is valid' are constant. You cannot split the queer undercurrent from the narrative. Note that Surdas wrote his work in the 15th-16th century. Ratnakar is one of the last ones to write a retelling of the work in 19th century. Separated by about 400 years, Uddhav Sandesh and its derivatives are filled with a legacy of continued acceptance of love in all forms and going beyond devotional love for the 'god' that's right there regardless of gender or identity. This, to me, as a queer South Asian, is a matter of Pride and echoes 'we're here, we're queer'.

#sundaralekhan #sundaralekhan 2026 #uddhav #uddhav madhav #uddhava #uddhavposting #uddhav shatak #jagannath das ratnakar #ratnakar #uddhav sandesh #surdas #original art #fanart #my art #if you think this is long know that i can write 4 thesis length works on uddhav sandesh lol #also note that there is an awadhi version by tulsidas and a sanskrit version by madhav kavindra #i am not mentioning the puranic version here but i also have comparative thoughts on those #in the bhagavat purana everyone is a caricature #in the brahmavaivarta purana radha keeps fainting and infodumping #uddhav cries in bvp but krishna doesn't console him when he says 'they're so sad! please go visit them! otherwise I'll come off as a liar'#but krishna says 'its ok to lie to women sometimes :)'#they are still gay sure #but the theme isn't love wins in the puranas #the theme is dharma wins. cause it's the puranas #anyway

Translation of Uddhav Sandesh by Surdas

Uddhav ko Braj Bhejna/Sending Uddhav to Braj (Part 1)

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(Translation notes under the cut.)

Note : I am a native hindi speaker but do not speak Braj Bhasha! If you notice a translation error please feel free to send in a correction as a polite ask or a DM.

Devanagari verse is followed by a romanized transliteration (in italics) and then an English translation.

Source

अंतरजामी कुंवर कन्हाई । गुरु गृह पढ़त हुते जहँ विद्या, तहँ ब्रज-बासिनि की सुधि आई ॥ गुरु सौं कह्यौ जोरि कर दोऊ, दछिना कहौ सो देउँ मँगाई । गुरु-पतनी कह्यौ पुत्र हमारे, मृतक भये सो देहु जिवाई ॥ आनि दिए गुरु-सुत जमपुर तैं, तब गुरुदेव असीस सुनाई । सूरदास प्रभु आइ मधुपुरी, ऊधौ कौं ब्रज दियौ पठाई ॥1॥

Antarjami kunwar kanhai. Guru grih padhat hute jahan vidya, tahan braj-basini ki sudhi aai. Guru saun kahyon jori kar dou, dachhina kahau so deun mangai. Guru-patni kahyau putra hamare, mritak bhaye so dehu jivai. Aani diye guru-sut jampur ten, tab gurudev asees sunai. Soordas prabhu aai madhupuri, Udhau kaun braj diyau pathai. (1)

The omniscient young Lord Krishna. What guru learns by reading the planets, (a) dweller of braj already knows. Guru says this emphatically, (they) ask for donations/dakshina. Guru's wife says my son, can bring a dead man back to life. When the guru and his son arrive in Yampur, then the guru preaches. Surdas says the Lord comes to Madhupuri*, (and) sends Uddhav to Braj. (1)

जदुपति जानि उद्धव रीति । जिहिं प्रगट निज सखा कहियत, करत भाव अनीति ॥ बिरह दुख जहँ नाहिं-नैकहूँ, तहँ न उपजै प्रेम । रेख, रूप न बरन जाकैं, इहिं धर्यौ वह नेम ॥ त्रिगुन तन करि लखत हमकौं, ब्रह्म मानत और । बिना गुना क्यौं पुहुमि उघरै, यह करत मन डौर ॥ बिरस रस के मंत्र कहुऐ, क्यौ, चलै संसार । कछु कहत यह एक प्रगटत, अति भर्यौ अहंकार ॥ प्रेम भजन न नैंकु याकौं, जाइ क्यौं समुझाइ । सूर प्रभु मन यहै आनी, ब्रजहिं देउँ पठाइ ॥2॥ Jadupati jani Uddhav riti. Jihin pragat nij sakha kahiyat, karat bhav aneeti. Birah dukh jahan naahin-naikahoon, tahan na upajaye prem. Rekh, roop, na baran jaanke, ihin dharyau wah nem. Trigun tan kari lakhat humkon, brahma maanat aur. Bina guna kyaun puhumi ugharai, yah karat man daur. Biras ras ke mantra kahuye, kyau, chale sansar. Kachu kahat yah ek pragatat, ati bharyau ahankar. Prem bhajan na nainku yakaun, jai kyaun samujhai. Soor prabhu man yahai aani, brajahin deun pathai. (2)

Yadupati (Krishna) knows Uddhav's manner/ways The moment (Uddhav) appears (Krishna) calls him personal friend, loves him not adhering to the ways of the world. One who doesn't know the despair of separation, cannot cultivate love. One without lines, form, or colour, is the one who holds this form. (They) write me as a a body bestowed with the three guna**, others regard me Brahma. Without guna why does the world strip away, is what my mind ponders. Flavourless flavourful chants, why, make the world function. Whatever says manifests one (thing), extreme pride. One who doesn't know love hymns, why make them understand. Soor's lord's heart comes here, (he) sends it to Braj. (2)

संग मिलि कहौं कासौं बात । यह तौ कहत जोग की बातैं, जामै रस जरि जात ॥ कहत कहा पितु मातु कौन के, पुरुष नारि कह नात । कहाँ जसोदा सी है मैया, कहाँ नंद सम तात ॥ कहँ बृषभान-सुता सँग कौ सुख, वह बासर वह प्रात । सखी सखा सुख नहिं त्रिभुवन मैं, नहिं बैकुंठ सुहात ॥ वै बातें कहियै किहिं आगै, यह गुनि हरि पछितात । सूरदास प्रभु ब्रज महिमा कहि, लिकी बदत बल ब्रात ॥3॥

Sang mili kahaun kasaun baat. Yah tau kahat jog ki baatain, jamai ras jari jaat. Kahat kahaa pitu matu kaun ke, purush nari kah naat. Kahaan jasoda si hai maiya, kahan nanda sam taat. Kahan brishbhan-suta sang kau sukh, vah basar vah praat. Sakhi sakha sukh nahin tribhuvan main, nahin baikunth suhaat. Vai baaten kahiyau kihin aagai, yah guni hari pachitat. Soordas prabhu braj mahima kahi, liki badat bal braat. (3) Many sayings mesh together. They talk of yoga, where all flavour goes away. It says, what of a father or who's mother, man, woman, or what lord. Where is a mother like Yashoda, where is a father like Nanda. Where is the pleasure of companionship of Vrishbhanu-suta (Radha), that morning, that dawn. No pleasure of friends in the three realms, doesn't achieve Vaikunth. Saying these words, this guni Hari regrets. Surdas' lord speaks thus of the glory of Braj. (3)

तबहिं उपंग-सुत आइ गए । सखा सखा कछु अंतर नाहीं, भरि भरि अंक लए ॥ अति सुन्दर तन स्याम सरीखो, देखत हरि पछिताने । ऐसे कैं वैसी बुधि होती, ब्रज पठऊँ मन आने ॥ या आगैं रस-कथा प्रकासौं, जोग-कथा प्रगटाऊँ । सूर ज्ञान याकौ दृढ़ करिकै, जुवतिन्ह पास पठाऊँ ॥4॥

Tabahin upang-sut aayi gaye. Sakha sakha kachu antar naahin, bhari bhari ank laye. Ati sundar tan syaam sareekho, dekhat hari pachitane. Aise kain vaisi budhi hoti, braj pathaun man aane. Ya aangain ras-katha prakasaun, jog-katha pragataun. Soor gyaan yaakau dridh karikaye, juvatinh paas pathaun. (4) Just then arrives Upangasuta/Uddhav. The two friends don't look any different, they are drawn similarly. Extremely pretty darkskinned body, sees Hari and asks. Someone with a mind like this, my heart would like to send to Braj. His limbs illuminate with tasteful speak, talks of yoga I summon. Soor says preparing (him) with knowledge, I send to the maidens. (4)

हरि गोकुल की प्रीति चलाई । सुनहु उपँग-सुत मोहि न बिसरत, ब्रज बासी सुखदाई ॥ यह चित होत जाऊँ मैं अबहीं, इहाँ नहीं मन लागत । गोपी ग्वाल गाइ बन चारन, अति दुख पायौ त्यागत ॥ कहँ माखन-रोटी, कहँ जहँ जसुमति, जेंवहु कहि-कहि प्रेम । सूर स्याम के बचन हँसत सुनि, थापत अपनौ नेम ॥5॥

Hari gokul ki priti chalai. Sunahu Upang-sut mohi na bisarat, braj basi sukhdai. Yah chit hot jaaun main abahin, ihaan nahin man lagat. Gopi gwal gai ban charan, ati dukh payau tyagat. Kahan makhan-roti, kahan jahan Jasumati, jevahun kahi-kahi prem. Soor syam ke bachan hansat suni, thapat apnau nem. (5) Hari grows fond of Gokul. Listen Upangsut (Uddhav) I can't forget, the happiness Braj dwellers provided me. This heart wants to go (there) right now, the heart does not stick here. Gopis, cowherds, cows grazing forests, I'm extremely saddened leaving those behind. Where is my makhan-roti, where there is Yashomati (Yashoda), where there is love everywhere. Soor listens to Shyam's speech smiling, there lives my form***. (5)

#uddhav #uddhav sandesh #translations #braj bhasha #english translation #long post #uddhav sandesh translations #surdas #my translations

I wonder why Surdas uses upangsut to refer to Uddhav. I read harivamsha and Uddhav's parentage is mentioned as Krishna's first cousin, which, I think is a Vaishnava patch for vrishni lore assimilation and I discard it. There wasn't a mention of Upang in Harivamsha. So I would really like to know if there's more information or folklore about this

#uddhav #uddhavtag #thoughts #im being a little incoherent but I'm also not expecting anyone to read it so who cares lmao

Meditating on his Makara Kundala

#uddhav #uddhavposting #uddhav madhav #uddhava #fanart #my art

न्हात जमुना मैं जलजात एक दैख्यौ जात

जाको अध-उरध अधिक मुरझायौ है ।

आए भुजबंध दये ऊधव सखा कैं कंध

डग-मग पाय मग धरत धराये हैं ।

कान्ह गये जमुना नहान पै नए सिर सौं

नीकै तहाँ नेह का नदी मैं न्हाइ आए हैं ॥

illustration from Jagannath Das 'Ratnakar's Uddhav Shatak, India Press, 1931. Coloured by me.

Original under the cut.

#uddhav #uddhav shatak #jagannath das ratnakar #'ratnakar'#jagannath das 'ratnakar'#colouring #digital colouring #recolor #uddhav madhav #uddhava #uddhavposting #fanart #my coloring

Illustration and doodles for my fic The Yogatma of Dwarka and his Professor Bandhu on ao3

#uddhav madhav #uddhav #uddhava #yoga teacher au #pariverse #madhavan #ramu anna #samkarshanan #v madhavan #v samkarshanan #uddhav madhavan #uddhav yadav #doodles #modern au #radhika #rukmini #original art #my art

An assortment of doodles over the past few months

#doodles #patal inc pvt ltd #uddhavposting #uddhav madhav #uddhava #uddhav #dukhe #yoga teacher au #original art #chitragupt #fan art #my art #i say over the past few months as if i didn't just enter a frenzy and draw about three of these in the past four hours

Doodle of a scene from my fic Harshollasa. Drawing template below the cut

#uddhav #uddhava #uddhavfics #uddhavposting #harshollasa #harshoddhav #fanart #original art #my art