Out of extreme love the gopis gave up all duties. That is expected. But how could they give up their husbands and fathers? Though the husbands tried to stop their wives and the fathers tried to stop the unmarried gopis, they could not dissuade them from going, because their very souls had been stolen by Govinda, what to speak of their fear, bashfulness and control, and they were thus in trance, mohitah, like puppets controlled by strings. But how could the husbands tolerate letting their wives go elsewhere in a weakened state, fearing danger to their bodies? That is true, and therefore yogamaya allowed this to happen. She did this by producing replica bodies of the gopis who returned their husbands’ houses, while the original gopis left for the forest.

They gave up shyness which was hard to give up because of their natural chastity, though their relatives made them aware of external reality by force. Though they were blocked by husbands and others who said, “Where are you going at night outside?” they could not be prevented and they went. Why? They had lost power of discrimination. What was the cause? Their hearts had been stolen by Govinda. The husbands became slack because of the strength of their devotion to Kṛṣṇa which destroyed all obstacles. Some were prevented by husbands who were at home. Others were prevented by parents, since they were not married. rakṣet kanyāṁ pitaḥ prauḍhāṁ patiḥ putras tu vārdhake Abhāve jātayas tv evaṁ na svātantryaṁ kvacit striyaḥ Women should be protected by the father before marriage and by the husband when they are married and by the son when they are old, or the absence of these by other relatives. Women should never be independent. Yājñavalkya Smṛti 1.85

Though reminded by their relatives, they lost all sense of discrimination because of attraction to the Lord. Though they were all prevented by their husbands and others, by showing them dharma and by holding their hands, they could not be stopped. They went. Why? They had lost all discrimination. Why? Because of the king of Gokula (govinda) or “he who rules over the senses.” Those who were scant in materials were robbed by he who was greatest in ownership. Since their minds had been internally stolen by the internal lord, who was most attractive and ruled their lives, they could not be stopped, just as a boat swept away by the current cannot be brought to the shore by persons on the boat or by the captain. Their souls (ātma) had been stolen by Govinda. As a pun, they were thus without life (nivṛtta, nyavartanta). They were without purpose in living. The husbands are mentioned first since they were the chief participants in the auspicious or inauspicious actions of their wives. Then fathers are mentioned, since they had affection, and would be blamed for the irregular conduct of their daughters. Then brothers with special affection, and fear of infamy. Friends were worried about faults to the family. rakṣet kanyāṁ pitaḥ prauḍhāṁ patiḥ putras tu vārdhake Abhāve jātayas tv evaṁ na svātantryaṁ kvacit striyaḥ Women should be protected by the father before marriage and by the husband when they are married and by the son when they are old, or the absence of these by other relatives. Women should never be independent. Yājñavalkya Smṛti 1.85 Four protectors are mentioned in the Bhāgavatam verse. Sons are not mentioned, since the gopīs had not given birth to sons. The order of the list is from most important to less important since the later persons have less control over the relationship. Thus the husbands were the most active in preventing them from leaving, but all were involving since they were all family members. Or in rejecting the first membes, the others feared that gopīs would take shelter of them, and thus they also prevented them. Or some were prevented by husbands who were at home. Others were prevented by parents, since they were not married.