Gopī-bhāva

tatra harau snehādhikāḥ—
ahaṁ harer iti svānte gūḍhām abhimatiṁ gatāḥ |
anyatra kvāpy anāsaktyā sveṣṭāṁ yūtheśvarīṁ śritāḥ ||
manāg evādhikaṁ snehaṁ vahantyas tatra mādhave |
tad-dūtyādi-ratāś cemā harau snehādhikā matāḥ ||
yāḥ pūrvaṁ sakhya ity uktās tās tu snehādhikā harau ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 8.126–127, 130)

“Therein, those of greater affection for Hari [are described]—
Those who have the hidden identity in their hearts, ‘I am Hari’s,’ are sheltered in the yūtheśvarī desired by themselves [i.e., in the yūtheśvarī whose bhāva suits their own] without attachment anywhere else [i.e., to any other yūtheśvarī], possess slightly greater affection for Mādhava, and act as messengers for him, are considered to be of greater affection for Hari. … Those previously described as sakhīs [in verse 4.51, i.e., the group among the five classes of Śrī Rādhā’s sakhīs whose members are called (simply) sakhīs] are of greater affection for Hari.”

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parama-preṣṭha-sakhyas tu lalitā sa-viśākhikā |
sa-citrā campakalatā tuṅgavidyendulekhikā |
raṅgadevī sudevī cety aṣṭau sarva-gaṇāgrimāḥ ||
āsāṁ suṣṭhu dvayor eva premṇaḥ parama-kāṣṭhayā |
kvacij jātu kvacij jātu tad-ādhikyam ivekṣate ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 4.54–55)

“The eight parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs—Lalitā, Viśākhā, Citrā, Campakalatā, Tuṅgavidyā, Indulekhā, Raṅgadevī and Sudevī—are the foremost amongst all the groups [of sakhīs]. By virtue of the superlative level of their prema for the two of them [i.e., Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa], an aptly greater degree thereof [i.e., greater degree of prema] is as if seen sometimes for one and sometimes for another [i.e., either for Śrī Rādhā or for Kṛṣṇa].”

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atha sama-snehāḥ—
kṛṣṇe sva-priya-sakhyāṁ ca vahantyaḥ kam api sphuṭam |
sneham anyūnatādhikyaṁ sama-snehās tu bhūriśaḥ ||
tulya-pramāṇakaṁ prema vayantyo’pi dvayor imāḥ |
rādhāyā vayam ity uccair abhimānam upāśritāḥ |
parama-preṣṭha-sakhyaś ca priya-sakhyaś ca tā matāḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 8.135, 137)

“Now, those of equal affection [are described]—
Those who possess indescribable, vivid affection neither lesser nor greater for both Kṛṣṇa and their own dear sakhī are [known as] those of equal affection and highly numerous. … Those who, although they possess prema of equal measure for the pair [i.e., for both their dear sakhī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa], strongly foster the identity, ‘We are Rādhā’s’ are considered to be the parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs and priya-sakhīs.”

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asamaṁ ca samaṁ ceti snehaṁ sakhyaḥ svapakṣagāḥ |
kṛṣṇe yūthādhipāyāṁ ca vahantyo dvividhā matāḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 8.124)

“Sakhīs situated in one’s own group are considered to be of two types: those who possess either unequal or equal affection for Kṛṣṇa and their yūtheśvarī [i.e., group leader].”

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