FolioCorpusBhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu .1.295

sanātanaṁ mitram iti tasyāpy autpattikaḥ katham |
[sanaatanam mitram iti tasyaapy autpattikah katham |]
sneho ’smāsv iti caiteṣāṁ nitya-preṣṭhatvam āgatam ||295||
[sneho ’smaasv iti chaiteshaam nitya-preshthatvam aagatam ||295||]
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sanātanaṁ mitram iti tasyāpy autpattikaḥ katham |
sneho ’smāsv iti caiteṣāṁ nitya-preṣṭhatvam āgatam ||295||
One can understand that the inhabitants of Vraja are eternal associates by the words “eternal friend” in verse 293 and “how is it that He is so spontaneously attracted to us?” in verse 294.

All of the residents of Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā—namely, the cowherd men and the members of the Yadu family—are eternally perfect devotees of the Lord. As the Lord descends by His causeless mercy upon this planet, so, in order to help in the pastimes of the Lord, these devotees also come here. They are not ordinary living entities or conditioned souls; they are ever-liberated persons, associates of the Personality of Godhead. And just as Lord Kṛṣṇa behaves like an ordinary man when He descends to this planet, so the members of the Yadu dynasty and the residents of Vṛndāvana execute activities just like ordinary men. But they are not ordinary men; they are as liberated as Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 2.1