Gītā-mālā

(1)
pañca-sakhī madhye cāra, nitya-siddha rādhikāra
sei sakale sādhana nā karila
sakhī bali’ ukta yei, sādhana-prabhāve sei
vraja-rāja-pure vāsa pāila

Among the five divisions of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s sakhīs, four of those groups are nitya-siddha, eternally perfected associates. They did not attain their position by any process of sādhana. The group referred to as ‘sakhīs’ are those who, by the influence of sādhana, attain residence in the realm of the King of Vraja.

(2)
sei sakhī dvi-prakāra, sādhanete siddha āra
sādhana-para bali’ gaṇana
siddha bali’ ākhyā tāṅra, gopī-deha haila yāṅra
kari’ rāge yugala-bhajana

Those sakhīs are again of two kinds – those still engaged in sādhana and those who have become siddhas (perfected). Those who are called siddha attain a gopī form and worship the Divine Couple in spontaneous love.

(3)
kṛṣṇa-kṛṣṭa muni-jana, tathā upaniṣad-gaṇa
ye nā laila gopīra svarūpa
sādhana āveśe bhaje, siddhi tabu nā upaje
vraja-bhāva-prāpti aparūpa

There are many sages and devotees, as well as the personified Upaniṣads, who are attracted to Kṛṣṇa, yet who have not accepted the gopī-svarūpa as their ultimate identity. Although they worship the Lord absorbed in sādhana, perfection does not fully manifest in them, for attainment of the mood of Vraja is extremely rare and wonderful.

(4)
ye ye śruti-muni-gaṇa, gopī haya su-bhajana
karila sakhīra pada dhari’
nitya-sakhī-kṛpā-bale, tat-sālokya-lābha-phale
sevā kare śrī rādhā-śrī hari

But it is said that some śruti-personified sages, by taking shelter of the feet of a sakhī and worshipping in the mood of the gopīs, attain, by the mercy of a nitya-sakhī, residence in her own realm, where they render service to Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Hari.

(5)
devī-gaṇa sei bhāve sakhīra sālokya-lābhe
kṛṣṇa-sevā kare sakhī haiyā
vraja-vidhi ei haya gopī vinā āra keha
nā pāibe vraja-yuva-dvaye

Thus, even the demigoddesses, attaining residence in the realm of a sakhī, render service to Kṛṣṇa as sakhīs. This is the law of Vraja: without the gopīs, no one can attain the Divine Couple of Vraja.