Vaiṣṇava – “Bābā, some say that the verses in Śrīmad-bhāgavata glorifying the gopīs’ good fortune as being greater than that of Lakṣmī to be mere glorification, as Kṛṣṇa carries Lakṣmī on His chest in the form of the Śrīvatsa mark, also during the Rāsa-līlā performance, while there are verses in Śrīmad-bhāgavata saying Lakṣmī is doing tapasya for entry into Rāsa-līlā - yad-vāñchayā śrīr lalanācarāt tapaḥ (Śrīmad-bhāgavata 10.16.36) and nāyaṁ śriyo'ṅga u nitanta-rateḥ prasādaḥ (Śrīmad-bhāgavata 10.47.69).”
Advaitadās – “Yes, in one way it is mahimā kīrtana (glorification), like the Devahūti-verses about the chanting dog-eater being qualified to perform fire sacrifices (Śrīmad-bhāgavata 3.33.6-7), but in the rasa-viewpoint it is also an actual truth. It is true about Śrīvatsa being on Kṛṣṇa’s chest during the Rāsa-līlā performance but the bhāva of the gopīs is definitely missing in Her. Let me explain - the Panca Pāṇḍava ghāṭa is there at Śyāmakuṇḍa. The Pāṇḍavas have no adhikāra for mañjarī bhāva at all, so they do tapasya there out of respect for Kṛṣṇa. Similarly there can be a crore Śrīvatsas on Kṛṣṇa's chest in the Rāsa-līlā but that does not qualify Lakṣmī devī for gopī-bhāva - it is not a matter of physical location at all. Reversely, Śrīman Mahāprabhu did rāga bhakti in Jagannātha Puri, which is Vaikuṇṭha dhāma.”
Vaiṣṇava – “Radhika is Lakṣmī and vice-versa, isn’t it?”
Advaitadās – Yes, but quality vs quantity is also there. They are one in quantity but not in quality. Radha is mādhurya Lakṣmī and Lakṣmī is aiśvarya Lakṣmī. There is bhedābheda (difference and non-difference) in everything, also in this. Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmīpāda says: siddhāntas tvabhede’pi śrīśa-kṛṣṇa svarūpayoḥ rasenotkṛṣyate kṛṣṇaṁ (Bhakti-rasāmṛta Sindhu 1.2.59) “Though philosophically (ontologically) there’s no difference between Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is more excellent in rasa” – the same thing goes for Lakṣmī and Rādhā.”
