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Radha

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Radha 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 philosophy of today's Gaudiya Vaishnava religions.

A Rajastani style painting of Sri Radha

Contents

Mahabharata: Radha the gopi

In the story of Krishna, as told in the Srimad Bhagavatam, and the Mahabharata, Radha is one of the gopis (cow-herding girls) of the forest of Vrindavan. In the original story she is briefly mentioned as one of the gopis who Krishna plays with during his upbringing as a young boy.

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.

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 Krsna is in separation. The love the gopis feel for Krishna is primarily in separation (as oppossed 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).

Birth & Religious significance

Radharani was born in 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. Wherin 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."

Caitanya Mahaprabhu

The famous Bengali saint Caitanya 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, Caitanya 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 Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Festivals

Radha's birthday is celebrated as Radhastami.

The topmost of the Gopis

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

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.

Radharani's other Names

Radharani has many names according to Her qualities and characteristics. Some of the names that Radharani is known by include :

Quotations regarding Sri Radha

Information regarding Srimati Radharani is very scarce amongst general Vedic literature. Apart from a brief mention in Mahabharata and 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.

See also

Further reading

External links

General Information

Festivals

The Names of Srimati Radharani

Further Resources


Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa

Male Deities: Shiva | Brahma | Vishnu | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Kartikeya | Hanuman | Lakshman | Indra | Surya |
Female Deities: Gayatri | Saraswati | Lakshmi | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Vaishno Devi | Radha |
Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata
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