Hare Kṛṣṇa,
In his lecture on CC Adi 7.1, Srila Prabhupada, referring to Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, “”By the order of superior authority, I (Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī) am trying to describe Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” And what is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Prema-bhakti-vadānyatā. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is preaching prema, means love of Godhead. That is the only necessity to understand in human form of life. Premā pumartho mahān.”
The highest goal of human life is attaining pure love of Kṛṣṇa (Kṛṣṇa-prema). And there is a certain process to attain this goal.
The first process is recommended by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī – hearing about Kṛṣṇa from a Vaiṣṇava, and not from avaiṣṇava. Hearing from a non-Vaiṣṇava is compared to milk touched by the lips of a serpent, thereby rendering it poisonous. It is advised to hear from a pure Vaiṣṇava who is surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His talks are spiritually potent because his speech is managed by Kṛṣṇa Himself from within the heart. Just as Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya is empowered to speak by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (CC Madhya 8.200 Purport)
The second process is to follow in the footsteps of the gopis. Why? This is because the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are very confidential and exoteric. Only the gopīs have the right to appreciate these transcendental pastimes, and only from them can these pastimes be expanded. Without the gopīs, these pastimes between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa cannot be nourished. Only by their cooperation are such pastimes broadcast. It is their business to taste the mellows. (CC Madhya 8.201-203 Purport)
Texts 204-205: “Without the help of the gopīs, one cannot enter into these pastimes. Only one who worships the Lord in the ecstasy of the gopīs, following in their footsteps, can engage in the service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in the bushes of Vṛndāvana. Only then can one understand the conjugal love between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. There is no other procedure for understanding.”
Since the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are in madhurya-rasa, only Their assistants who are imbued with similar rasa can delineate it for us.
“To attain such service, one has to follow in the footsteps of the gopīs in the ecstasy of sakhī-bhāva. Then only can one understand the transcendental mellow of conjugal love. One who expands the conjugal love of Kṛṣṇa and His enjoyment among the gopīs is called a sakhī. Such a person is a confidential gopī in the conjugal affairs. Such assistants are like jewels in the form of Kṛṣṇa’s confidantes.” (CC Madhya 8.204-205 Purport)
Besides being the most confidential servants of the Divine Couple, why are the gopis the best examples to follow? This is because of their pure selflessness. The gopīs never want to enjoy themselves with Kṛṣṇa personally. (CC Madhya 8.207) Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the gopīs are not interested in their personal happiness derived from association with Kṛṣṇa. Rather, they become happy by seeing one another associate with Kṛṣṇa. In this way their dealings are further nourished by love of Godhead, and seeing this, Kṛṣṇa is very pleased. (CC Madhya 8.214 Purport) Among the gopīs, there is not a pinch of desire for sense gratification. Their only desire is to give pleasure to Kṛṣṇa, and this is why they mingle with Him and enjoy with Him. (CC Madhya 8.218) They are so absorbed in the well-being of Kṛṣṇa that even His walking bare feet gives them pain as demonstrated in the verse below.
SB 10.31.19: [All the gopīs said:] ‘Dear Kṛṣṇa, we carefully hold Your delicate lotus feet upon our hard breasts. When You walk in the forest, Your soft lotus feet are pricked by small bits of stone. We fear that this is paining You. Since You are our life and soul, our minds are very much disturbed when Your lotus feet are pained.’
Therefore, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ramya kacid-upasana vrajavadhu-vargena ya kalpita. The highest and most pleasing type of worship of Krishna is done by the Vraja gopis.
The result of following the gopis is that one attains the shelter and service of the Divine Couple.
CC Madhya 8.220-221: “One who is attracted by that ecstatic love of the gopīs does not care about popular opinion or the regulative principles of Vedic life. Rather, he completely surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa and renders service unto Him. If one worships the Lord on the path of spontaneous love and goes to Vṛndāvana, he receives the shelter of Vrajendra-nandana, the son of Nanda Mahārāja.”
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Krsna Katha 