"In relationship with the Yadus and Pandavas, the Lord acted sometimes as their master, sometimes as their advisor, sometimes as their friend, sometimes as the head of their family and sometimes even as their servant. Krsna once had to carry out an order of Yudhisthira's by carrying a letter Yudhisthira had written to Duryodhana regarding peace negotiations. Similarly, He also became the chariot driver of Arjuna. This illustrates that in bhakti-yoga there is a relationship established between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the devotee. Such a relationship is established in the transcendental mellows known as dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya. If a devotee wants simple liberation, he gets it very easily from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed by Bilvamangala Thakura."

Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi lila 8:19

"Nanda-kisora is Krsna. So this is full surrender. "My dear Nanda-kisora, whatever I have got, now I am offering everything to You." What I have got? Manasa deho geho: "I have got my body, I have got my mind, and a so-called home or a wife or a few children. What I have got? So everything is offered to You." Manasa deho geho jo kichu mor. This is full surrender. Now he says, marobi rakhobi jo iccha tohara: "I am surrendering to You everything. Now if You like You can save me, or if You like You can kill me." This is full surrender. So these Pandavas are the best example, and better than the Pandavas, there are other devotees. And the topmost surrendered devotees are the gopis."

Srila Prabhupada Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam, 09-13-76, Vrindaban

"In the city of Dwarka the following devotees are known as Krsna's close associates: Uddhava, Daruka, Satyaki, Srutadeva, Satrujit, Nanda, Upananda and Bhadra. All of these personalities remain with the Lord as His secretaries, but still they are sometimes engaged in His personal service. Among the Kuru dynasty, Bhima, Maharaja Pariksit and Vidura are also known as close associates of Lord Krsna. It is said, “All the associates of Lord Krsna have lustrous bodily features, and their eyes are just like lotus flowers. They have sufficient power to defeat the strength of the demigods, and the specific feature of their persons is that they are always decorated with valuable ornaments.”

When Krsna was in the capital Indraprastha, someone addressed Him thus: “My dear Lord, Your personal associates, headed by Uddhava, are always awaiting Your order by standing at the entrance gate of Dwarka. They are mostly looking on with tears in their eyes, and in the enthusiasm of their service they are not afraid even of the devastating fire generated by Lord Siva. They are souls simply surrendered unto Your lotus feet.”

Out of the many close associates of Lord Krsna, Uddhava is considered the best. The following is a description of him: “His body is blackish like the color of the Yamuna River, and it is similarly as cool. He is always decorated with flower garlands first used by Lord Krsna, and he is dressed with yellow silk clothing. His two arms are just like the bolts of a door, his eyes are just like lotus flowers, and he is the most important devotee among all the associates. Let us therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Uddhava’s lotus feet.”

Uddhava has described the transcendental qualities of Sri Krsna as follows: “Lord Sri Krsna, who is our master and worshipable Deity, the controller of Lord Siva and Lord Brahma, and the controller of the whole universe as well, accepts the controlling orders of Ugrasena, His grandfather. He is the proprietor of millions of universes, but still He begged a little land from the ocean. And although He is just like an ocean of wisdom, He sometimes consults me. He is so great and magnanimous, yet He is engaged in His different activities just like an ordinary person.”

Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 36
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.