168
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 10, Ch. 9]
footsteps of devotees who are in a direct relationship with Kṛṣṇa, especially the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, one can reach the supreme position of associating with Kṛṣṇa. As it is said,  vṛndāvanam parityajya padam ekam na gacchati : Kṛṣṇa does not leave Vṛndāvana even for a moment. The  vṛndāvana-vāsīs —mother Yaśodā, Kṛṣṇa's friends and Kṛṣṇa's conjugal lovers, the younger  gopīs  with whom He dances—have very intimate relationships with Kṛṣṇa, and if one follows in the footsteps of these devotees, Kṛṣṇa is available. Although the  nitya-siddha  expansions of Kṛṣṇa always remain with Kṛṣṇa, if those engaged in  sādhana-siddhi  follow in the footsteps of Kṛṣṇa's  nitya-siddha  associates, such  sādhana-siddhas  also can easily attain Kṛṣṇa without difficulty. But there are those who are attached to bodily concepts of life. Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, for example, have very prestigious positions, and thus they have the sense of being very exalted  īśvaras . In other words, because Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva are  guṇa-avatāras  and have exalted positions, they have some small sense of being like Kṛṣṇa. But the pure devotees who inhabit Vṛndāvana do not possess any bodily conception. They are fully dedicated to the service of the Lord in sublime affection,  premā . Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore recommended,  premā pum-artho mahān : the highest perfection of life is  premā , pure love in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And mother Yaśodā appears to be the topmost of devotees who have attained this perfection.
TEXT 22
कृष्णस्तु गृहकृत्येषु व्यग्रायां मातरि प्रभुः । अद्राक्षीदर्जुनौ पूर्वं गुह्यकौ धनदात्मजौ ॥२२॥
kṛṣṇas tu gṛha-kṛtyeṣu vyagrāyām mātari prabhuḥ adrākṣīd arjunau pūrvam guhyakau dhanadātmajau
kṛṣṇaḥ tu—in the meantime; gṛha-kṛtyeṣu—in engagement in house-hold affairs; vyagrāyām—very busy; mātari—when His mother; prabhuḥ—the Lord; adrākṣī—observed; arjunau—the twin arjuna trees; pūrvam—before Him; guhyakau—which in a former millennium