Without Lakshmidevi, the whole Raasakreeda was impossible. Because for Krishna to even touch the Gopikas, they need Lakshmi Sannidhana within them. The Gopikas themselves admit that Lakshmidevi had made Vrindavana, Her residence, in the Gopi Geetam.
गोप्य ऊचुः
जयति तेऽधिकं जन्मना व्रजः श्रयत इन्दिरा शश्वदत्र हि ।
दयित दृश्यताम् दिक्षु तावकास्त्वयि धृतासवस्त्वां विचिन्वते ॥ १ ॥
The Gopis said: "O Beloved! By Your advent, the land of Vraja flourishes exceedingly, so much so that Indira (Goddess Lakshmi) has made it her eternal abode. But look at us, Your maidservants, who belong entirely to You. We sustain our very life-breath only for Your sake, yet we search for You anxiously in every direction. Please, reveal Yourself to us!"
[Srimad Bhagavatam, Dashama Skandha, Gopi Geetam]
SriVaadiraja Swamiji, in the Rukmineesha Vijaya, says that when Krishna came to Nanda Gokula, Lakshmidevi had already come there. She was doing ananda tandava there because Her husband had come to Nanda Gokula. When Krishna went to Vrindavana, Lakshmidevi too came there and made it her residence. She entered everything in Vrindavana that Krishna used. Even when Krishna was playing His flute, Lakshmidevi would enter the flute holes.
Krishna would place His lips, which resembled the bimba fruit, on the front hole of the flute. Lakshmidevi would occupy that very place and kiss the lips of Lord Krishna. Nobody is allowed there except Lakshmidevi, because She is His wife. She would be the sweet music coming out of the flute. Even before Raasakreeda, the Gopikas worshipped Kaatyayani Durgadevi to get Krishna as their husband. That Kaatyayani is Lakshmi only.
They pray to Kaatyayani Devi, “O Devi! We offer you these flowers, so that in the future, Krishna will put flowers in our hair buns like this and be with us. We offer you SriGandha so that in the future, Krishna will also apply the SriGandha He applied on His body to us,” and like this. Because, to please Krishna, we need the grace of Lakshmidevi, and without the grace of Lakshmidevi, Krishna, being Narayana, doesn’t bless. So, for this Lakshmi Kataksha, the Gopikas were doing the Kaatyaayani Vrata.
Lakshmidevi had entered the Gopikas, and hence they had the sannidhana of Lakshmidevi within them. And SriJagannatha Dasa says that whatever was the name of the Gopika, by that same name Lakshmidevi was present in them. So, there is not a single point in the Vraja leela where Lakshmidevi wasn’t present. Isn’t Krishna the same Narayana, who has Lakshmidevi in His heart? Yes. And ultimately, even during the raasaleela, Krishna actually did the real raasaleela only with Lakshmidevi, giving ananda to Her, and hence making the Gopikas too experience the ananda of the Raasaleela.
But there is a thing which Bhagavata says: ‘The Gopikas got the ananda which even Sri, the goddess of fortune, also didn’t get.’ But one must note that this is told metaphorically and not literally. It describes the level of ananda which the Gopikas experienced by doing Raasakreeda along with Krishna. Even during Narasimhavatara, Lord Narasimha says to Prahlada that He loves Prahlada even more than Brahma, Shiva, and Lakshmidevi. Does He literally mean it? No, because these devatas, especially Lakshmidevi, who is even superior to Brahma and Shiva, are infinitely greater than Prahlada in Bhakti. So, it is being said metaphorically and not literally.
Plus, it is impossible that Lakshmidevi cannot attain that ananda which Gopikas attain. She is present in the heart of Lord Vishnu. And that very Lord Vishnu is Lord Krishna. Lakshmidevi, as Yogamaya, had incarnated as the daughter of Yashoda, but hadn’t incarnated in Vraja as a Gopika. The Bhagavata Purana itself tells about Lakshmi’s incarnation as Rukmini Devi. Why would the Bhagavata remain silent about the incarnation of Lakshmidevi as a Gopika in Vraja? So, all the Gopikas present there were Apsara Strees who had done penance to experience the sanga of Krishna before their upanayana.
So, as per that boon, they were born as Gopikas, and with the sannidhana of Lakshmidevi within them, they were able to do Raasakreeda with Lord Krishna. So, Lakshmidevi was present in each leela of Bhagavan. At the beginning, She as Yogamaaya, assisted Bhagavan. She incarnated as the daughter of Yashoda and Nandagopa. When Krishna came to Nanda Gokula, Lakshmi entered everything. She was present in the ornaments Krishna wore, His flute, His peetambara, His heart. She was present in the Gopika Strees.
After Krishna came to Mathura and then went to Dwaraka, She was present with Krishna as Rukmini and Satyabhama. The rest of the queens had the presence of Lakshmidevi within them. Even during the Kurukshetra Yuddha, She was present behind Arjuna’s chariot, in the form of Durgadevi. As Durgadevi, She blesses Arjuna with victory as Arjuna prays to Her. So, like this throughout the Krishnavatara, She was always present with Krishna, and mainly She is present in the heart of Lord Krishna literally every time, everywhere, and in every second.
Hope this helps!
Jay SriRam!
SriLakshmiramana SriKrishnarpanamastu!