This verse and the previous one were spoken by the ladies of Mathura, and because Mathura is only five miles from Vraja, sometimes the spiritual greed of the devotees of Vraja would find its way to Mathura. Besides Uddhava, sometimes tradesmen and others would travel back and forth between Vraja and Mathura, and in this way the residents of Mathura would be able to understand something of the bhava of Vraja; but those who lived far away from Vraja understood nothing of it.
Even in separation from Krsna, the gopis were always meeting Him. While looking after their children, milking the cows, churning yoghurt, applying candana, and doing housework, they always received His direct darsana through singing about Him, and therefore kirtana is the best devotional activity. Singing in unison in a soft morning raga, they saw Krsna with the eyes of bhava, even though not abandoning their duties. Similarly, a sadhaka will observe all the rules and regulations of vaidhi-bhakti, but internally his bhava should be of raganuga-bhakti. Externally he will appear to be the same, but internally his bhava will be different. The greed of raganuga will take one to Vraja, whereas vaidhi-bhakti will take one only to Vaikuntha. Because the ladies of Mathura are in close proximity to Vraja and therefore the bhava of Vraja, they are praying that they will also experience the bhava of the gopis.
Excerpted from "Bhakti Rasayana" page 104
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