Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya: "Srila Ramananda Raya composed a drama named Jagannatha-vallabha-nataka, and he engaged two young girls who were professional dancers and singers to demonstrate the ideology of the drama. Such girls, who are called deva-dasis, are still employed in the temple of Jagannatha, where they are called maharis. Sri Ramananda Raya engaged two such girls, and because they were meant to play the parts of gopis, he taught them how to awaken thoughts like those of the gopis. Because the gopis are worshipable personalities, Ramananda Raya, who considered the two girls gopis and himself their maidservant, engaged in their service by massaging their bodies with oil to cleanse them completely. Because Ramananda Raya always placed himself in the position of a maidservant of the gopis, his rehearsal with the girls was actually on the spiritual platform."