We should understand that Kṛṣṇa is very merciful—causelessly merciful. Then why didn’t He return to Vṛndāvana? There are many reasons. One reason is that Jarāsandha, wicked Kaṁsa’s father-in-law, was repeatedly waging war on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s party in Mathurā. If Jarāsandha would learn that Kṛṣṇa was in Vṛndāvana with His mother and father and near and dear ones, then, instead of attacking Mathurā, he would attack Vṛndāvana. Also, He wanted to teach the glories of the prema of the Vrajavāsīs and especially that of the gopīs. He wanted to show the world how much happiness the gopīs feel when meeting with Him and how they feel pain in separation from Him.
By hearing these topics we develop greed, and from greed realization develops. Moreover, if these topics are heard by those who already have realization, those hearers will get direct experience and become gopīs themselves. By one activity Kṛṣṇa can accomplish five or six other activities at the same time.
August 29, 2003 Mathurā