(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 23 September 2012, Durban, South Africa, Radhastami Lecture)
Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (4.11), ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham, ‘As you surrender unto Me, I will reward you accordingly.’ But with the gopis Krsna says, ‘I don’t know what to give them! With them, my promise falls short because I have nothing to give them in exchange for their service.’ If I give you something very valuable, you also have to give back something valuable. Therefore, Krsna was thinking, ‘I have nothing in my possession that can match the value of what the gopis are offering. Therefore let their own service stand as the reward and speak of their glory.’ In this way, we remember how Krsna is just taken by surprise! He does not know how to deal with these gopis. They show a level of love, which goes beyond what he can comprehend. It bewilders his mind and of all the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the most outstanding!