The best method of worship of Krsna was exhibited by the gopis. Now what were the worshipable method of the gopis? They were not very learned scholars or Vedantists. Or theosophists or mental speculators. None. They were ordinary village girls. And that also, not coming of a very high royal family or brahmana family. They were cowherdsmen. So their fathers were not very rich, but they had several cows, that’s all. So the gopis’ method of Krsna worship was that they could not forget Krsna even for a moment. That was their qualification. There are many verses about the mental situation of the gopis. I shall just try to explain you about their mentality, how they are loving Krsna. Krsna used to take His cows to the forest for pasturing. And the gopis, when Krsna was away from the village, the gopis were thinking, “Oh, Krsna’s, I mean to say, foot is so soft, and He’s walking barefooted on the stones and chips of stones, and they are pricking His foot. Oh, how much He’s suffering!” In this way they were thinking and crying. Krsna is away from the village and is walking in the forest, and the gopis were thinking at home that, “How much troublesome the walking is that He has gone out.” In this way there are so many. So while they were at home, while they were cooking or they were feeding their children, always they were thinking of Krsna. That was their qualification. That’s all. They were so much absorbed in thoughts of Krsna that not a single moment were without Krsna consciousness.

So therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. There is no better method of worship than it was conceived by the gopis. And what was that? The gopis were twenty four hours, they were always Krsna conscious. They were requesting Krsna, “My dear Krsna, many, many yogis, many, many saintly persons, they go to the forest and meditate upon Your lotus feet. But they cannot fix up. They meditate Your lotus feet, but still, they think of something else. They are not perfect. Their meditation fails. But in our case Your lotus feet is so much fixed up in our heart that we are thinking of You and we cannot discharge our family duties. So kindly get out of our heart.” Just see. “Please excuse. Kindly go out of our heart so that I, we can do our duties.” That was their prayer. Therefore that is Krsna consciousness, ideal Krsna consciousness. You have to mold your life in such a way that you cannot think of Krsna, you cannot think but Krsna, only. The gopis were doing their duties. They were household…, housewife, girls. They had their husbands, children. But in spite of all these things, they were thinking of Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada; March 16, 1968