In kṛṣṇa-līlā, some pastimes of the Lord are seen from a distance. The mood of separation is seen from a distance and not from near. The separation the gopīs felt from Kṛṣṇa and the separation Kṛṣṇa felt from the gopīs and Vrajavāsīs can only be seen from a distance. Therefore, ordinary people cannot initially understand the glories of this love. When Prabhupāda was present in this world, some people opposed him. They thought of him as an ordinary personality. Nonetheless, after Prabhupāda left this world, they understood him to be a mahā-puruṣa—an extraordinary personality. They remarked, “After so many years, a personality had appeared who spread the teachings of Mahāprabhu all over the world.” These people, and even god-brothers of Prabhupāda, could not initially understand how glorious he was.
October 07, 2000 Mathurā