The gopis are always liberated souls because they are fully in Krsna consciousness. They only pretended to be entangled in household affairs in Vrndavana. Because of their separation from Krsna, He might have asked them to return with Him to His capital city, Dvaraka. But the inhabitants of Vrndavana, the gopis, were not interested in the idea of going with Krsna to Dvaraka. They wanted to remain busy in Vrndavana and thus feel the presence of Krsna in every step of their lives. They immediately invited Krsna to come back to Vrndavana. This transcendental emotional existence of the gopis is the basic principle of Lord Caitanya’s teaching. The Ratha-yatra festival observed by Lord Caitanya is the emotional process of taking Krsna back to Vrndavana. Srimati Radharani refused to go with Krsna to Dvaraka to enjoy His company in the atmosphere of royal opulence, for She wanted to enjoy His company in the original Vrndavana atmosphere. Lord Krsna, being profoundly attached to the gopis, never goes away from Vrndavana, and the gopis and other residents of Vrndavana remain fully satisfied in Krsna consciousness.

From Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna Book ch. 82: Lord Krsna and Balarama Meet the Inhabitants of Vrndavana