The Gosvāmīs also taught us like that. He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he kṛṣṇa kutaḥ (Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 8). They, in the Vṛndāvana, remained authorized persons. They were also searching after Kṛṣṇa. They never said that, "We have got Kṛṣṇa." Never said. He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ śrī-govardhana-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ, ghoṣantāv iti khedair mahā-vihvalau. Simply khedair mahā-vihvalau. They were lamenting in separation. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.
So this is the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's worship. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was falling down on the water, "Oh, I could not see Kṛṣṇa." When He was gṛhastha, He was simply consulting with mother, "Mother, I could not realize Kṛṣṇa. What shall I do? Where shall I go?" Mother said: "My dear son, why You are impatient? Everything will be all right in due course." Caitanya Mahāprabhu was giving indication that "I must leave home." Mother was also understanding that, "This boy wants to leave us." That was another perplexed position.
So that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching:
- yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa
- cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam
- śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ
- govinda-viraheṇa me
- (CC Antya 20.39, Śikṣāṣṭaka 7)
Govinda-viraheṇa. "In separation from Govinda I am thinking one moment as twelve years." Some of you or all of us have got this experience. If we want something very, very eagerly, then every moment becomes a long time, "Oh, it is not yet received. It is not yet received. It is not yet done." Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa. Nimeṣa, a moment, a twinkling of an eye, that is called nimeṣa. That appears to be twelve years. The gopīs could not tolerate even twinkling of eyes. They were condemning the creator, that "Creator does not know the art of creating. Why he has created this twinkling of eyes so that it is disturbing us from seeing Kṛṣṇa?" Seeing Kṛṣṇa, and the twinkling of eyes, that is natural. So the gopīs did not like it that, "Why he has created this? He does not know the art of creation."