According to Acarya Sri Jiva Gosvami, the few srutis -- such as the Gopala-tapani Upanishad -- who identify the cowherd boy Krishna with absolute Brahman in its highest aspect had so far been patiently waiting for their turn to speak. But after hearing the other srutis offer prayers openly glorifying the Lord's personality, these intimate srutis could no longer contain themselves, and so they spoke out of turn in this verse.

Followers of the path of mystic yoga subdue their senses and minds by practicing breath control and severe austerities. If they succeed in thoroughly purifying themselves by this regimen, they may eventually begin to realize the Paramatma, the personal form of Brahman within the heart. And if they continue this meditation without deviation for a long time, they may in the end come to the point of true God consciousness. But the same objective achieved in this difficult and uncertain way was also attained by the demons who were killed by Lord Krishna during His pastimes on the earth. Obsessed with enmity toward Him, demons like Kamsa and Sisupala quickly obtained the perfection of liberation simply by His killing them.

Speaking for themselves, however, the personified Vedas here state that they would prefer to develop love of Godhead by learning to emulate the favorable surrender of Lord Krishna's confidential devotees, especially the young gopis of Vraja. Though they appeared to be simple women attracted conjugally to the Lord's physical beauty and strength, the goddesses of Vraja exhibited the highest perfection of meditation. The srutis wish to become just like them.

In this regard, Lord Brahma relates the following historical account in the supplement to the Brihad-vamana Purana:

brahmananda-mayo loko

vyapi vaikuntha-samjnitah

tal-loka-vasi tatra-sthaih

stuto vedaih parat-parah

"The infinite world of spiritual bliss is called Vaikuntha. There the Supreme Truth lives, being glorified by the personified Vedas, who are also present there."

ciram stutva tatas tushtah

paroksham praha tan gira

tushto 'smi bruta bho prajna

varam yam manasepsitam

"Once, after the Vedas had elaborately praised Him, the Lord felt especially satisfied and spoke to them in a voice whose source remained invisible: 'My dear sages, I am very satisfied with you. Please ask of Me some benediction that you secretly desire.'"

srutaya ucuh

yatha tal-loka-vasinyah

kama-tattvena gopikah

bhajanti ramanam matva

cikirshajani nas tatha

"The srutis replied, 'We have developed the desire to become like the cowherd women of the mortal world who, inspired by lust, worship You in the mood of a lover.' "

sri-bhagavan uvaca

durlabho durghatas caiva

yushmakam sa manorathah

mayanumoditah samyak

satyo bhavitum arhati

"The Lord then said, 'This desire of Yours is difficult to fulfill. Indeed, it is almost impossible. But since I am sanctioning it, your wish must inevitably come true.' "

agamini virincau tu

jate srishty-artham udite

kalpam sarasvatam prapya

vraje gopyo bhavishyatha

" 'When the next Brahma takes birth to faithfully execute his duties of creation, and when the day of his life called the Sarasvata-kalpa arrives, you will all appear in Vraja as gopis.' "

prithivyam bharate kshetre

mathure mama mandale

vrindavane bhavishyami

preyan vo rasa-mandale

" 'On the earth, in the land of Bharata, in My own district of Mathura, in the forest of Vrindavana, I will become your beloved in the circle of the rasa dance.' "

jara-dharmena su-sneham

su-dridham sarvato 'dhikam

mayi samprapya sarve 'pi

krita-kritya bhavishyatha

" 'Thus obtaining Me as your paramour, you will all gain the most exalted and steadfast pure love for Me, and in this way you will fulfill all your ambitions.' "

brahmovaca

srutvaitac cintayantyas ta

rupam bhagavatas ciram

ukta-kalam samasadya

gopyo bhutva harim gatah

"Lord Brahma said: After hearing these words, the srutis meditated on the Personality of Godhead's beauty for a long time. When the designated time ultimately arrived, they became gopis and obtained the association of Krishna."

A similar account can be found in the Srishti-khanda of the Padma Purana, which describes how the Gayatri mantra also became a gopi.

Regarding the development of bhakti, Lord Krishna further states in the Gopala-tapani Upanishad (Uttara 4), aputah puto bhavati yam mam smritva, avrati vrati bhavati yam mam smritva, nishkamah sa-kamo bhavati yam mam smritva, asrotri srotri bhavati yam mam smritva: "By remembering Me, one who is impure becomes pure. By remembering Me, one who follows no vows becomes a strict follower of vows. By remembering Me, one who is desireless develops desires [to serve Me]. By remembering Me, one who has studied no Vedic mantras becomes an expert knower of the Vedas."

The Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad (4.5.6) refers to the gradual steps in the process of becoming Krishna conscious: atma va are drashtavyah srotavyo mantavyo nididhyasitavyah. "It is the Self which must be observed, heard about, thought of and meditated upon with fixed concentration." The idea here is that one should realize the Supreme Self as directly visible in His full personality by the following means: First one should hear the instructions of a qualified representative of the Paramatma and take the words of such a spiritual master into one's heart by offering him humble service and striving in all ways to please him. One should then ponder the divine message of the spiritual master continuously, with the aim of dispelling all one's doubts and misconceptions. Then one can proceed to meditate on the Supreme Lord's lotus feet with total conviction and determination.

So-called jnanis may think that the Upanishads praise nirvisesha (impersonal) realization of the Supreme as more complete and final than sa-visesha (personal) worship of the Supreme Godhead. All honest Vaishnavas, however, join in adhering to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, always meditating with pleasure on His infinitely wonderful, variegated spiritual qualities. In the words of the sruti-mantras, yam evaisha vrinute tena labhyas/ tasyaisha atma vivrinute tanum svam: "To that person whom the Supreme Soul chooses, He becomes attainable. To that person the Supreme Soul reveals His personal form." (Katha Upanishad 1.2.23 and Mundaka Upanishad 3.2.3)

Srila Sridhara Svami concludes with the prayer,

carana-smaranam premna

tava deva su-durlabham

yatha kathancid nri-hare

mama bhuyad ahar-nisam

"O Lord, loving remembrance of Your lotus feet is very rarely achieved. Please, O Nrihari, somehow arrange for me to have that remembrance day and night."