tasyÄnuraktasya muner mukundaḥ
pramoda-bhÄvÄnata-kandharasya
Äśṛṇvato mÄm anurÄga-hÄsa-
samÄ«ká¹£ayÄ viÅ›ramayann uvÄca
tasya - his (Maitreya's); anuraktasya - although attached; muneḥ - of the sage; mukundaḥ - the Lord who awards salvation; pramoda-bhÄva - in a pleasing attitude; Änata - lowered; kandharasya - of the shoulder; Äśṛṇvataḥ - while thus hearing; mÄm - unto me; anurÄga-hÄsa - with kind smiling; samÄ«ká¹£ayÄ - particularly seeing me; viÅ›ra-mayan - allowing me complete rest; uvÄca - said.
Although both Uddhava and Maitreya were great souls, the Lord’s attention was more on Uddhava because he was a spotlessly pure devotee. A jñÄna-bhakta, or one whose devotion is mixed with the monistic viewpoint, is not a pure devotee. Although Maitreya was a devotee, his devotion was mixed. The Lord reciprocates with His devotees on the basis of transcendental love and not on the basis of philosophical knowledge or fruitive activities. In the transcendental loving service of the Lord, there is no place for monistic knowledge or fruitive activities. The gopÄ«s in Vá¹›ndÄvana were neither highly learned scholars nor mystic yogÄ«s. They had spontaneous love for the Lord, and thus He became their heart and soul, and the gopÄ«s also became the heart and soul of the Lord. Lord Caitanya approved the relationship of the gopÄ«s with the Lord as supreme. Herein the Lord’s attitude towards Uddhava was more intimate than with Maitreya Muni.