Radha

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A Rajastani style painting of Sri Radha
A Rajastani style painting of Sri Radha

Radha (Devanagari: राधा) is a famous female personality from Hindu, (Vedic) tradition, also known as Radharani, prefixed with the respectful term 'Srimati' by devout followers. Radha is almost always depicted alongside her paramour Krishna, and has a highly prominent feature within the theology of today's Gaudiya Vaishnava religions who believe Radha to be the original goddess Lakshmi.

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[edit] Mahabharata: Radha the gopi

In the story of Krishna, as told in the Srimad Bhagavatam, Radha is one of the gopis (cow-herding girls) of the forest of Vrindavan. Within the Bhagavatam Radha is not mentioned by name but is alluded to within the Tenth Canto of the text as one of the gopis who Krishna plays with during his upbringing as a young boy.

[edit] Karna's foster mother - Radha

There is also another person named 'Radha' in the Mahabharata, who is not to be confused with Radha the Gopi (Radha is a traditional Indian name). The other Radha mentioned is the wife of the charioteer Adiratha, who found an abandoned new-born boy, whom he named Karna. Adiratha and Radha became his foster parents. Hence, and because Karna as an adult expressly stated his loyalty to his "lowly" foster mother, as opposed to his royal biological mother Kunti who had abandoned him soon after he was born, he is sometimes called Radheya, meaning Radha's son.

[edit] Radha the Gopi in Vaishnava traditions

In the Vaishnava devotional or bhakti traditions of Hinduism that focus on Krishna, Radha is Krishna's consort. For some of the adherents of these traditions, Her importance approaches or even exceeds that of Krishna. She is considered His adi (original) shakti, the Supreme Goddess (feminine aspect or power of God). Other gopis are usually considered to be her maidservants, with Radharani having the prominent position of Krishna's favour.

Her connection to Krishna is of two types: svakiya-rasa (married relationship) and parakiya-rasa (a relationship signified with eternal love). However, according to tradition Radha is never officially married to Krishna, because the Vedas do not inform us about whether Krishna marries in Vrndavana (although some stories do hint at a hidden ceremony), but He does so later in life in Dwaraka with Rukmini and His other Queens.

Rukmini is known to be in the svakiya rasa and Radha in vraja-bhava-dasya rasa, which means that Radha's love for Krishna is in separation. The love the gopis feel for Krishna is primarily in separation (as opposed to in union) and not within marriage. The love of the Gopis for Krishna is described to be of an esoteric nature on the platform of spontaneous love of God (not of a mundane sexual nature).

[edit] Birth & Religious significance

Vaishnava tradition states that Radharani was born in either Varshana, or Rawal, a village about 8 kilometeres from Vrindavan, near present day New Delhi in India. There are a number of accounts of her parentage. According to one of the common ones, her father is the leader (sometimes regarded as king) of cowherds called Vrishabhanu, and her mother is called Kamalavati, or Kirtida.

One of her names, Hara (mentioned in Narada-pancaratra 5.5.59), in vocative Hare, forms a part of the Hare Krishna 'Maha-Mantra', one of the most popular Vedic mantras, especially amongst Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Radharani's names hold a place of prime importance within Gaudiya Vaishnava religious practices, thus Her name is mentioned first in the maha-mantra before that of Krishna's. Her worship is especially prominent in Vrindavan, the place where Krishna is said to have lived over 5000 years ago. Wherein Her importance surpasses even the importance of Krishna. Radha's love for Krishna is held within Gaudiya Vaishnavism as the most perfect primarily because of its endless and unconditional nature. Thus she is the most important consort of Krishna, 'His heart and soul', and His 'hladini-shakti' (spiritual pleasure potency).

In the Brihad-Gautamiya Tantra, Radharani is described as follows: "The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord."

[edit] Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

The famous Bengali saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486 - 1534) is believed by many (see especially the modern-day ISKCON movement) to be an incarnation of both Srimati Radharani and Krishna in one simultaneous form. Throughout his life, Chaitanya lived as a devout devotee of Vaishnava tradition, but is said to have revealed His inner form to some of his closer associates.

For further information see Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

[edit] Festivals

Radha (right) with Krishna at Krishna-Balarama Temple in Vrindavan
Radha (right) with Krishna at Krishna-Balarama Temple in Vrindavan

Radha's birthday is celebrated as Radhastami.During this time devotees are allowed special sanctions not normally allowed. For example, Radharani's name is normally not chanted due to the possibility of committing offenses towards her. Neither are all devotees qualified to enter into her kunda, or lake, which is considered holy. On the festival day of the appearance of Radha Kunda (Radharani's lake), devotees wait up until midnight in order to bathe there. And there is much recitation of her holy names on her "appearance day" or "birthday". She is said to "appear" because she does not take birth or die, being an eternal associate of Krishna, both of whom are liberated. She is the most chaste woman, "married" to Krishna.

[edit] The topmost of the Gopis

The Padma Purana describes 18,000 cowherd-girls (gopis) among whom it says 108 are the most important. Among those 108, eight are considered more important still, and among the eight, two have a special position - Candravali and Radharani. Between the two, the Padma Purana tells us that Sri Radha is the foremost and without Her presence no one of the other gopis can really satisfy Krishna. In the Bhagavata Purana, Candravali herself admits this truth.

[edit] Radha's names and epithets

Radha has many names according to her qualities and characteristics. Some of the names and epithets by which she is known include:

  • Govinda-anandini - She who gives pleasure to Govinda (Krishna)
  • Govinda-mohini - She who mystifies Govinda
  • Govinda-sarvasva - the all-in-all of Govinda
  • Shiromani Sarva-kanta - the crown jewel of all Krishna's consorts
  • Krishnamayi - the one who sees Krishna both within and without
  • Radhika - Her worship of the Krishna consists of fulfilling His desires
  • Aradhana - The root name of Radharani, meaning one who excels in worshiping Krishna
  • Sarva-lakshmi - The original source of all the goddesses of fortune
  • Sarva-kanti - all beauty and luster rest in Her body & all the desires of Krishna rest in Her.
  • Madan-Mohan-Mohini - the enchanter of the enchanter of Cupid. Krishna is said to be the enchanter of, and more beautiful than Cupid, the master enchanter. But Radha is the enchanter of Krishna, Madan-Mohan-Mohini.
  • Vrshabanu-nandini - daughter of Vrshabanu
  • Vrndavaneshvari - Queen of Vrndavana
  • Lalita-Sakhi - friend of the gopi (cowherdgirl) Lalita
  • Gokula-Taruni - She whom all young girls of Gokula (Vrndavana) worship
  • Damodara Rati - She who dresses herself to please Damodara [Krishna]

[edit] Quotations regarding Sri Radha

Information regarding Srimati Radharani is very scarce amongst general Vedic literature. Apart from a brief mention in the Srimad Bhagavatam her story is largely unmentioned in written detail until medieval times. Traditionalists give for reason for this being the esoteric nature of her position, thus details of her topmost devotion to Krishna was a closely guarded secret within Vaishnava circles.

  • "Although the effulgence of the moon is brilliant initially at night, in the daytime it fades away. Similarly, although the lotus is beautiful during the daytime, at night it closes. But, O My friend, the face of My most dear Srimati Radharani is always bright and beautiful, both day and night. Therefore, to what can Her face be compared?" (Vidagdha-madhava 5.20)
  • "When Srimati Radharani smiles, waves of joy overtake Her cheeks, and Her arched eyebrows dance like the bow of Cupid. Her glance is so enchanting that it is like a dancing bumblebee, moving unsteadily due to intoxication. That bee has bitten the whorl of My heart." (Vidagdha-madhava 2.51)
  • "Just as Srimati Radharani is most dear to Krishna, Her bathing pond is similarly dear. Of all the gopis, She is the most beloved of the Lord." (Padma Purana)
  • "The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord." (Brihad-gautamiya-tantra)
  • "Among all persons, it is Sri Radha in whose company Lord Madhava is especially glorious, as She is especially glorious in His." (Rig-parisishta)

[edit] Husband of Radha

In many traditional stories, although Radharani's first love is Krishna, officially she is the wife of Ayanaghosha, or Abhimanyu, son of a woman from Brij called Jatila. One source for this information is Sri Sri Camatkara Candrika by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. Other traditions give the name of the husband of Radha as 'Chandrasena' and others follow the belief that Radharani never married, or was married to Krishna secretly in Vrindavan forest.

[edit] Temples dedicated to Radha

[edit] See also

[edit] Further reading

  • Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead (ISBN 0-89213-354-6) by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
  • Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions (ISBN 81-208-0379-5) by David Kinsley

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] General Information

[edit] Festivals

[edit] The Names of Srimati Radharani

[edit] Further Resources


Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Indian epic poetry
Female Deities: Saraswati | Mariamman | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Gayatri | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more...
Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Murugan | Hanuman | Ayyanar | Indra | Surya | more...
Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | Rigveda
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