anyāś ca tad-anudhyāna
nivṛttāśeṣa-vṛttayaḥ
nābhyajānann imaḿ lokam
ātma-lokaḿ gatā iva
anyah -- others; ca -- and; tat -- on Him; anudhyana -- by fixed meditation; nivritta -- ceased; asesha -- all; vrittayah -- their sensory functions; na abhyajanan -- they were unaware; imam -- of this; lokam -- world; atma -- of self-realization; lokam -- the realm; gatah -- those who have attained; iva -- just as.
Other gopis entirely stopped their sensory activities and became fixed in meditation on Krishna. They lost all awareness of the external world, just like those who attain the platform of self-realization.
The gopis were in fact already on the platform of self-realization. The Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya 20.108) states, jivera svarupa haya krishnera nitya-dasa: "The self, or individual soul, is an eternal servant of Krishna." Thus because they were rendering the most intense loving service to the Lord, the gopis were situated at the highest stage of self-realization.
