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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 18]
The Supreme Lord, who can award liberation to anyone, showed more mercy toward the  gopīs  than to Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva or even the goddess of fortune, who is His own wife and is associated with His body. Similarly,  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  (10.47.60) also states:
nāyaṁ śriyo 'ṅga u nitānta-rateḥ prasādaḥ svar-yoṣitāṁ nalina-gandha-rucāṁ kuto 'nyāḥ rāsotsave 'sya bhuja-daṇḍa-grhīta-kaṇṭha- labdhāśiṣāṁ ya udagād vraja-sundarīṇām
“The  gopīs  received benedictions from the Lord that neither Lakṣmīdevī nor the most beautiful dancers in the heavenly planets could attain. In the  rāsa  dance, the Lord showed His favor to the most fortunate  gopīs  by placing His arms on their shoulders and dancing with each of them individually. No one can compare with the  gopīs , who received the causeless mercy of the Lord.”
In the  Caitanya-caritāmṛta  it is said that no one can receive the real favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without following in the footsteps of the  gopīs . Even the goddess of fortune could not receive the same favor as the  gopīs , although she underwent severe austerities and penances for many years. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu discusses this point with Vyeṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa in  Caitanya-caritāmṛta  ( Madhya  9.111-131): “The Lord inquired from Vyeṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, ‘Your worshipable goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, always remains on the chest of Nārāyaṇa, and she is certainly the most chaste woman in the creation. However, My Lord is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, a cowherd boy engaged in tending cows. Why is it that Lakṣmī, being such a chaste wife, wants to associate with My Lord? Just to associate with Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī abandoned all transcendental happiness in Vaikuṇṭha and for a long time accepted vows and regulative principles and performed unlimited austerities.’
“Vyeṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa replied, ‘Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Nārāyaṇa are one and the same, but the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are more relishable due to their sportive nature. They are very pleasing for Kṛṣṇa’s  śaktis . Since Kṛṣṇa and Nārāyaṇa are both the same personality, Lakṣmī’s association with Kṛṣṇa did not break her vow of chastity. Rather, it was in great fun that the goddess of fortune wanted to associate with Lord Kṛṣṇa. The goddess of fortune considered that her vow of chastity would not be damaged by