Delivering the Message of Krsna to the Gopis 307
service was achieved by the gopis because they did not care to know
anything but Krsna. It is confirmed in the Vedas, yasmin eva vijitate sar-
vam eva vijidtam bhavanti. This means that simply by knowing Krsna all
other knowledge is automatically acquired.

Krsna continued: “Transcendental knowledge of the Absolute is no
longer necessary for you. You were accustomed to love Me from the very
beginning of your lives.” Knowledge of the Absolute Truth is specifically
required for persons who want liberation from material existence. But one
who has attained love for Krsna is already on the platform of liberation. As
stated in the Bhagavad-gita, anyone engaged in unalloyed devotional service
is to be considered situated on the transcendental platform of liberation.
The gopis were not actually feeling any pangs of material existence, but
they were feeling the separation of Krsna. Krsna therefore said, “My dear
gopis, in order to increase your superexcellent love for Me, I have purposely
separated Myself from you. I have done this so that you may be in constant
meditation on Me.”

The gopis are in the perfectional stage of meditation. The yogis are
generally more fond of meditation than the execution of devotional ser-
vice to the Lord, but they do not know that the perfectional stage of
devotion is the attainment of the perfection of the yoga system. This
constant meditation on Krsna by the gopis is confirmed in the Bhagavad-
gita to be the topmost yoga. Krsna knew very well the psychology of
women. When a woman’s beloved is away, she thinks of him meditatively,
and he is present before her. Krsna wanted to teach through the behavior
of the gopis. One who is constantly in trance like the gopis surely attains
the lotus feet of Krsna.

Lord Caitanya taught people in general the method of vipralambha,
which is the method of rendering service unto the Supreme Personality of
Godhead in the feeling of separation. The six Gosvamis also taught worship
of Krsna in*the feeling of the gopis in separation. The prayers of Srinivasa
Acarya about the Gosvamis explain these matters very clearly. Srinivasa
Acarya said that the Gosvamis were always absorbed in the ocean of
transcendental feelings in the mood of the gopis. When they lived in
Vrndavana they were searching for Krsna, crying, “Where is Krsna? Where
are the gopis? Where are You, Srimati Radharani?”’ They never said, “We
have now seen Radha and Krsna, and therefore our mission is fulfilled.”
Their mission remained always unfulfilled; they never met Radha and
Krsna. At the time of the rasa dance, those gopis who could not join the
rdsa-lila with Krsna gave up their bodies simply by thinking of Him.
Absorption in Krsna consciousness by feeling separation is thus the
