1. Maidservants of Krsna

    The gopis are maidservants. The Laksmis are maidservant. You will find this description in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krsna book, that all the queens of Krsna, they were discussing with Draupadi female talk. Draupadi was asking, “How you were married?” So they were narrating the incidence, how [s]he was married to Krsna. But the conclusion is there: every queen was speaking, “In this way, I have been maidservant of Krsna.” Nobody says that “I have become queen,” although they were queen. They were also coming from royal family, very good family. Krsna had to conquer such queen by fighting. They’re not ordinary wife. But still, they say that “In this way I have become maidservant.”

    From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.43 — July 24, 1975, Los Angeles