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Lord Shiva is a great devotee of Supreme Lord Krishna and he wanted to join the rasa dance, but he was stopped, because he had a male body. He needed a gopi body for this. He became very sad and started to meditate on the bank of Brahma-kunda, crying. He wanted to become a gopi. He stopped eating, sleeping, was only crying and crying.

Finally Srimati Vrinda-devi felt pity for him and she gave him her blessings. She said: "Go to Mana-sarovara and take a bath there."

He went there and took a bath. When he came out of the water he found that his body had been transformed into gopi body- Siva gopi- Gopisvara.

He was very happy and when in the night he heard that Krishna was playing his flute under his Vamsi-vat tree, he ran there as all other gopis did. When Krishna saw the new gopi, he was very pleased and greeted her with sweet words: "O what a beautiful new gopi! Come to me! I will give you a name! After reflecting moment said: "Your name will be Gopisvara."

Hearing this, Srimati Radhika, who was standing close by, became disturbed and said " What? Krishna! How can You call her Gopisvara? That is my name! I am Gopisvara I am the most important gopi! But now You call her gopisvara?"

Krishna tried to pacify Her, saying "Don't worry, this is very special gopi." But Radhika still felt disturbed.

After a short time of rasa dancing another difficulty appeared. Lord Shiva keeps a snake around his neck, his guru, whom he will never leave and even with his gopi body he was carrying his guru in form of snake around his neck, which was very impractical for dancing.

Krishna after the first such experience of dancing with gopi with the snake around her neck said, "Please come Gopisvara, I have a special service for You. You will go to the entrance of rasa dance. I will put You in charge of protecting it from all disturbances. This will be Your service. Make sure that no unqualified person enters."

So Gopisvara is protecting the rasa dance and according to the scriptures no one can enter the rasa dance without the blessing of Gopisvara, who is protector. All the great Vaisnavas are praying to Gopisvara Mahadeva because without his mercy no one can reach lotus feet in Vrindavan to enter this transcendental lila.