Radha is the principal god ofworship in theNimbarka Sampradaya, asNimbarka, the founder of the tradition, declared that Radha and Krishna together constitute the absolutetruth. Radha is the most important gopi inRaas (Special kind ofdance) with Lord Krishna. Radha is reverred as the goddess of love, compassion and devotion. Radha along with Krishna forms the "Ardhnareshwar form" of God where in left, half part is of Radha's and in right, other half part is of Krishna's. Radha is also calledVrindavaneshwari as she is considered as the queen ofVrindavan. Radha's love for Krishna is so divine and selfless that it is believed that the Krishna who attracts the whole world, himself gets attracted towards Radharani.
Radha was an ordinary village belle (gopi), but such was thepassion and intensity of herlove anddevotion to the Lord that she has come to occupy a position of unrivaled to adoration in theHindu pantheon.
When Radha and Krishna descended on the Earth, Radha became the wife of another gopa (who himself was the part of Krishna) but always remained the mostbeloved of Krishna’s consorts and his constantcompanion. In thebhakti (devotional) movement ofVaishnavism, the female, Radha, symbolizes the humansoul and the male, Krishna, thedivine.
Thiseternallila is the eternaltruth, and, therefore, its this eternal lila - the playful love-making of Radha andKrishna, which theVaishnavapoets desired to enjoy. If we analyse theGitagovinda ofJayadeva we shall find not even a single statement which shows the poet'sdesire to have union with Krishna as Radha had,- he onlysings praises the lila of Radha and Krishna and hankers after a chance just to have peep into thedivine lila, and this peep into the divine lila is the highestspiritual gain whichpoets could think of.
Thesky isclouded; and the wood resembles The sky, thick arched with a black tamala boughs; Oh Radha, Radha! Take thissoul that trembles Inlife's deep midnight, to thy Golden house. So Nanda spoke -- and led by Radha’sspirit, The feet of Krishna found the road aright; Wherefore, inbliss which all highhearts inherit, Together taste theylove'sdivinedelight.
Beautiful Radha,Jasmine bosomed Radha, All in theSpring-time waited by the wood For Krishna fair, Krishna the all-forgetful, - Krishna withearthlylove'sfalsefire consuming – And some one of her maidens sang thissong.
Beautiful Radha,Jasmine bosomed Radha, All in theSpring-time waited by the wood For Krishna fair, Krishna the all-forgetful, - Krishna withearthlylove'sfalsefire consuming – And some one of her maidens sang thissong.
Then she, the maid of Radha, speaks again; And pointing far away between the leaves Guided herlovely Mistress where to look, And note how Krishna wantoned in the wood Now with this one, now that; hisheart, her prize; Panting with foolishpassions, and hiseyes Beaming with too muchlove of those fair girls -- Fair, but not so as Radha; and shesang
But may he guide us all toglory high who laughed when the Radha glided, hidden, by, An all among those damsels free and bold Touch Krishna with a softmouth, kind and cold; And like the others leaning upon his breast, Unlike the others, left theirLove’s unrest; And like the others, joining in hissong, Or like the others, made him silent long. -Jayadeva.
But may he guide us all toglory high who laughed when the Radha glided, hidden, by, An all among those damsels free and bold Touch Krishna with a softmouth, kind and cold; And like the others leaning upon his breast, Unlike the others, left theirLove’s unrest; And like the others, joining in hissong, Or like the others, made him silent long.
There is also mention of Radha inBhagavata inVishnu Purana,but not inHarivansha or theMahabharata. Today Radha is the most important element in theKrishna-worship. Now, Krishna’s name is always paired with Radha. There is no Krishna-temple without Radha in it. And inVaishnava literature, Radha has even a greater significance than Sri Krishna himself.
All the ancient books that refer toSri Krishna, the name of Sri Radha occurs in:-Brahmavaivarta Purana, Garg Sanhita,Agni Purana,shiv purana,Srimad Devi Buagavatam purana| mahatmya and in the Gita- govindam works ofpoet [ [Jaideva|Jaidev] ] ,in Jagannathastakam [ [ Sri Adi-Shankaracharya] ] , in RadhikopanishadRig Veda, Some scholars have brought in Radha again and again in their discourses on “Bhagavata”, even though there is no mention of Radha in the original book.
Mihir Jha in: "Was there a salacious dimension in Radha-Krishna relationship: An Open Letter to Swapan Dasgupta".
Radha’s elevated status, her role as acosmic queen equal to or superiorKrishna giving her a central role in thecosmogony in theBrahma Vaivarta Purana...Ascreator of theuniverse we find Radha playing a role that is extremely atypical of her earlierhistory, the role of a mother. In the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, however, she is often called by names that suggest that her motherly role, vis-à-vis the createdworld. She is called mother ofVishnu, mother of the world, and mother of all.
Every one of her forms is specifically female – most distinctly as Radha,Sita andRukmini who are consorts of various forms ofVishnu. She isprithvi the divine feminine embodied as motherearth... the gods proclaim: You exist as little girls in theirchildhood, As young women in theiryouth, And as elderly women in theirold age.
It is aclassical dance [Odissi], danced mostly by women...It originated in the temples where the composers, singers, and the dancers came together. It centered on the celestial love of Krishna and Radha. At one time it was performed by theDevadasis dedicated to the temples but now it has spread out to the homes and cultural institutions. But the purity is maintained and the essentials are always kept in view.
Whether you accept Rādhā and Krishna, or not, please do accept their attraction for each other. Try to create that same yearning in yourheart forGod. Yearning is all you need in order to realize Him.
InCaitanya Charitamrta (Adi-Lila 4.56), Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami says, "Radha Krishna Ek Atma, Dui Dui Dehadari, Anyaoone Vilase Rasasvadana Kori". This means that bothRadha andKrishna are one soul who take the form of two individual bodies so that they can cherish different mood of love (rasa).
God becameKrishna and Râdhâ — Love flows in thousands of coils. Whoso wants, takes it. Love flows in thousands of coils — The tide of love and loving past, And fills thesoul withbliss andjoy!
Kama (lust) is blind and leads tohell. Prema islove, it leads toheaven. There is no idea of lust orsympathy in the love ofKrishna and Radha. Radha says to Krishna, "If you place your feet on my heart, all lust will vanish".
InGod allnatures are possible. But we can see Him only through human nature. We canlove Him as we love a man—as father, son. The strongest love in theworld is that between man and woman, and that also when it isclandestine. This is typified in the love betweenKrishna and Radha.
Kama (lust) is blind and leads tohell. Prema islove, it leads toheaven. There is no idea of lust orsympathy in the love ofKrishna and Radha. Radha says to Krishna, "If you place your feet on my heart, all lust will vanish".
Krishna thebeautiful aspect ofGod.Love crystallises into blueness. Blue colour is expressive of intense love. Solomon saw "Krishna". Here Krishna came to be seen by all. Even now, when you get love, you see Radha. Become Radha and be saved. There is no other way.
Take the story of Râdhâ andKrishna inRâsalilâ. Thestory simply exemplifies the truespirit of a Bhakta, because no love in theworld exceeds that existing between a man and a woman. When there is such intenselove, there is nofear, no other attachment save that one which binds that pair in an inseparable and all-absorbing bond. But with regard to parents, love is accompanied with fear due to thereverence we have for them. Why should we care whetherGod created anything or not, what have we to do with the fact that He is ourpreserver? ... -Swami Vivekananda.
Take the story of Râdhâ andKrishna inRâsalilâ. Thestory simply exemplifies the truespirit of a Bhakta, because no love in theworld exceeds that existing between a man and a woman. When there is such intenselove, there is nofear, no other attachment save that one which binds that pair in an inseparable and all-absorbing bond. But with regard to parents, love is accompanied with fear due to thereverence we have for them. Why should we care whetherGod created anything or not, what have we to do with the fact that He is our preserver? He is only ourBeloved, and we shouldadore Him devoid allthoughts of fear. A man loves God only when he has no otherdesire, when he thinks of nothing else and when he ismad after Him. That love which a man has for his beloved can illustrate the love we ought to have for God. Krishna is the God and Radha loves Him; read those books which describe that story, and then you can imagine the way you should love God. But how many understand this? How can people who arevicious to their very core and have noidea of whatmorality is understand all this?
The madness ofLove—God intoxicated man Theallegory of Radha misunderstood The restriction more increase— Lust is thedeath of love Self is the death of love individual to general.
There is not the least necessity forteaching thedivineLove of Râdhâ andKrishna. Teach them puredevotion toSitâ-Râm andHara-Pârvati. See that no mistake is made in this respect. Remember that the episodes of the divine relationship between Radha and Krishna are quite unsuitable for young minds.
Radha fell madly inlove with Krishna and becameimmortal. Now herimage can be seen side by side with Krishna in most of the temples.In all thestories ofKrishna'syouth Radha is given the most prominent place and indances, known asRaas-lila dances. Radha is invariably shown dancing together with Krishna while all other cowgirls are only seen moving in circle around the two.
Krishna, theAvatar ofVishnu isworshipped throughoutIndia in many ways. The actual meaning of Krishna is “The Dark One”. Krishna’s popular consort’s name is Radha.
In: p. 106.
In the later centuries' accounts probably during the tenth and twelfth century, a cowherd girl named Radha came into great prominence as the constantlover andcompanion ofKrishna. She was the daughter of Vrishbhanu and Kirtida. This woman fell madly inlove with Krishna and becameimmortal. Now herimage can be seen side by side with Krishna in most of the temples.
In: p. 184.
In all thestories ofKrishna'syouth Radha is given the most prominent place and indances, known asRaas-lila dances. Radha is invariably shown dancing together with Krishna while all other cowgirls are only seen moving in circle around the two.
In: p. 184.
These days this episode is given aphilosophical meaning stating that Radha represents thesoul whileKrishna representsGod. Thus Radha' slove means yearning of the soul for merger with theAlmighty.
In: p. 184.
She [Lakshmi] isreincarnated with each of his otheravatars — thus besideRama she becomesSita, said to have been born from a furrow, and with Krisna she is first Radha, thenRukmini.
In: p. 197.
Radha emerges fully as a goddess from the twelfth century AD onwards and she is one of the central figures in thepoetry ofVidyapati, who places her as acosmic queen. One of thecreation accounts describes how Krishna divides himself into two parts, one of which is Radha.
In literature, Radha emerged fully as a goddess from the twelfth century AD onwards and she is one of the central figures in thepoetry ofVidyapati, who places her as acosmic queen. One of thecreation accounts describes how Krishna divides himself into two parts, one of which is Radha. They makelove for an age and their sweat and heavy breathing become theworld'soceans andwinds. Radha gives birth to the goldenegg of theuniverse, which floats on the primal waters for a year until the godVishnu emerges.
In: p. 259.
Sri Gayatri Mantrartha Dipika - Illuminations on the Essential Meaning of Gayatri
Among the eternal associates of the Lord thegopis are the most exalted, and among the gopis Srimati Radharani is the best. It has been mentioned in the narration of theSkanda Purana that out of many thousands of gopis, 16,000 are prominent. Out of these, 108 are important, and out of 108, eight are principal. Out of eight gopis, Radharani and Candravali are chief, and out of these two Srimati Radharani is superior.
Roman alphabet (IAST):ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami.
English translation: I worshipGovinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm,Goloka, with Radha, resembling His ownspiritual figure, the embodiment of theecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhis], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissfulspiritualrasa.
English translation: Thetranscendentalgoddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krsna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses offortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord.
In: Brhad-gautamiya-tantra
Radha Kund - Just as Srimati Radharani is most dear to Sri Krisna, Herbathing place known [Radha-kunda] is also dear to Him. Among all the gopis, Srimati Radharani is supermost and very dear to Lord Krisna.
Roman alphabet (IAST):inhara madhye radhara prema--'sadhya-siromani' yanhara mahima sarva-sastrete vakhani.
English translation: Among the loving affairs of the gopis, Srimati Radharani'slove for Sri Krishna is topmost. Indeed, the glories of Srimati Radharani are highly esteemed in all revealedscriptures.
English translation: Just as Srimati Radharani is most dear to Sri Krisna, Herbathing place known [Radha-kunda] is also dear to Him. Among all the gopis, Srimati Radharani is supermost and very dear to Lord Krishna.
Roman alphabet (IAST):anayaradhito nunam bhagavan harir isvarah yan no vihaya govindah prito yam anayad rahah
English translation: When thegopis began to talk among themselves, they said, 'Dearfriends, the gopi (Sri Radha) who has been taken away by Krishna to a secluded place must have worshiped the Lord more than anyone else.'
...these two [Krishna and Radha], and Sri Radha in particular, are sowonderful. Who can understand them? Even Krishna is bewildered by Radharani, what then canAnantasesa and others know about Her (muhyanti yat surayah)? Land (mrt) turns intowater and flows, while water (vari) takes on the character of land and becomes stunned upon hearing theflute of Sri Krishna, which He plays only to attract Sri Radha, whoseeffulgence (tejah) dims thelight of thestars andmoon,tejo vari mrdam yatha vinimayo. Among the gopis there are three kinds, those who favor Radha (headed by Lalita), those who serve in the opposition's side (headed by Candravali) and those who take sometimes the side of Radha and sometimes the side of Krishna (headed by Visakha).
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