In the bhakti platform there are different stages. Spiritually, there is no difference. One in dasya-rasa and one in madhurya-rasa, there is no difference. But a devotee likes to serve the Supreme Lord according to his inclination. Some wants to love Him in santa-rasa, some wants to love Him in dasya-rasa, someone in friendly, then paternal love, then conjugal love. So there is no difference between these different phases of loving affair, but great devotees and learned scholars, they have given their decision that the loving affairs of Krsna in the conjugal platform between husband and wife, or above that, between lover and beloved... That is very much prominent in the Western countries, friend - boyfriend, girlfriend. In the spiritual world that platform of remaining as friend without marriage, that is considered as the highest. And whatever we see here: a perverted reflection of that loving affairs. Just like perverted reflection...
It is described in the Bhagavad-gita, urdhva-mulam adho-sakha asvattham prahur avyayam. This material world has been described as having its root up, urdhva-mulam adho-sakha, and the branches down. We have several times explained this urdhva-mulam adho-sakha. In the material world this is a shadow. Unless it is shadow, how the mulam, or the root, can be upwards? We have got experience: a tree on the bank of a river. The tree is reflected adho-sakha, on the root upwards, shadow. So this is shadow. Real thing is in the spiritual world. Therefore it is called adho-sakha. Sakha. In the spiritual world the topmost part is this conjugal love, and here, the same thing, when pervertedly reflected, it is the lowest abominable. We should know this, that in the spiritual world, to remain as girlfriend and boyfriend, that is the topmost pleasure, and in the material world, the same thing is the most abominable thing. Therefore it is adho-sakha.
We cannot imitate the loving affairs of Krsna and Radharani unless we understand the real fact. The real fact is described here, that radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini saktih. Saktih means potency. So from Vedas we understand that the Lord, the Supreme Person, has got multi-energies.