SB 3.4.10
tasyanuraktasya muner mukundah
pramoda-bhavanata-kandharasya
asrnvato mam anuraga-hasa-
samiksaya visramayann uvaca
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
Maitreya Muni was greatly attached to Him [the Lord], and he was listening in a pleasing attitude, with his shoulder lowered. With a smile and a particular glance upon me, having allowed me to rest, the Lord spoke as follows.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
Although both Uddhava and Maitreya were great souls, the Lord’s attention was more on Uddhava because he was a spotlessly pure devotee. A jñana-bhakta, or one whose devotion is mixed with the monistic viewpoint, is not a pure devotee. Although Maitreya was a devotee, his devotion was mixed. The Lord reciprocates with His devotees on the basis of transcendental love and not on the basis of philosophical knowledge or fruitive activities. In the transcendental loving service of the Lord, there is no place for monistic knowledge or fruitive activities. The gopis in Vrndavana were neither highly learned scholars nor mystic yogis. They had spontaneous love for the Lord, and thus He became their heart and soul, and the gopis also became the heart and soul of the Lord. Lord Caitanya approved the relationship of the gopis with the Lord as supreme. Herein the Lord’s attitude towards Uddhava was more intimate than with Maitreya Muni.