Krishna was a cowherd's boy, and with His friends, other cowherd's boy, He used to go with His cows in the pasturing ground the whole day. That was the system. Because people at that time were satisfied with land and cows, that's all. That is the means of solution of all economic problems. They were not industrial, they were not servant of anyone. Simply get production from the land and take milk from the cows, the whole food problem solved. So Krishna used to go to the pasturing ground, and the gopis at home… They were girls or women. Women or girls were not allowed to work.

That is the Vedic system. They should keep at home, and they should be given protection by the father, by the husband, or elderly sons. They were not meant for going out. So they kept themselves at home. But Krishna was, say, miles away in the pasturing ground, and the gopis at home thinking, "Oh, Krishna’s feet is so soft."

From Srila Prabhupada's lecture at Seattle on September 30, 1968