Shri Radha Rani

Shri Radha Rani

Sri Radha is the most baffling among all the female deities in the Hindu pantheon. The Godhead in female form, she is the divine feminine energy or shakti implying a divine energetic source or shaktiman. The maha-mantra is a prayer to Shri Radha, to engage us in Lord Krishna’s service. As Krishna is the source of all manifestations of God, Sri Radha his consort is the source of all shaktis or feminine manifestations of cosmic energy.Shri Radha-Krishna are in essence single entity who manifest as two distinct individuals for the sake of interpersonal romantic exchange. Krishna tells Radha, "Know that prakriti, the power of the earth, and purusha, the power of heaven are the same. We have two bodies but the soul is identical...I created you for the sake of joy."

Her origins are obscure; she neither features in the Shrimad Bhagavatam nor in the Mahabharata. 

Shri Radha, Consort of Shri Krishna in Golok

iBrahmavaivarta Purana, composed later, describes Radha as a consort of Krishna’s in the heavenly sphere called golok who due to a curse was destined to come to earth reborn as a milkmaid and be re-united with Krishna. Radha is foremost of the gopis able to please Krishna with little more than a glance. Other interpretations reveal, just as Vishnu appeared in the incarnation of the human hero Krishna to save the earth, his consort Laxmi also came with him in the incarnation of Radha.

 

Shri Radha Enchants dark-hued Krishna

We can not savour the romantic sentiment without the beloved as love requires not only the self but equally the object of love for its expression, which is Kishori Radha. Lord Krishna enchants the world but she enchants even Him. Radha is acknowledged as the supreme deity for she controls Krishna with her love and perfect spiritual life is unattainable without her grace.

'Gita Govind' by Jayadeva

In the sensuous lyrics of ‘Gita Govinda’ by Jayadeva, Sri Radha is exalted as Lord Krishna’s hladini shakti or blissful energy. In this position it is Sri Radha who is the principal idol of devotion and the symbol of divine love. There is no greater symbol to denote the longing of the soul in its quest for the divine than the characterization of Sri Radha. Her sentiment expresses the longing of the nayika for her beloved; experienced through madhura rasa or sweet romance.

Shri Radha, the Goddess of Love

Sri Radha becomes the goddess of love in Bengali folklore, religious rituals and kirtans. Of course worshipped along with Sri Krishna, Sri Radha is remembered more in her role as a romantic lover all over Bengal.

Shringara Rasa

Devotees are required to savour the shrinagara rasa of Sri Radha by smarana or living through the countless legends of the playful dalliance of Sri Radha-Krishna. Lord Krishna is conceived as the sole purusha, the supreme male and the human soul striving for spiritual evolution is therefore conceived as a woman, a celestial energy of the divine.

Madhurya, the Key to Understanding Shri Radha-Krishna's Prema

Shringara Bhakti whether of the Pushti Margis or the Gaudiyas is suffused with madhurya or sweet love, the key to understanding and celebrating the love of Shri Radha-Krishna and in doing so get a glimpse of one’s own transcendental self. As madhurya translates into ananda comes the realization that everyone is ultimately a nayika searching for Krishna.

Shri Radha Was Born in Barsana

Sri Radha was born in Barsana, a suburb of Mathura as the daughter of Vrashbhanu and Kirti, some 5000 years ago. The festive occasion is celebrated as Radha-Ashtami throughout the country with dedicated devotion and joyous abandon; 15 days after Lord Krishna's Janmashtami, on the sacred eighth day of the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar, in the waxing phase of the moon somewhere between (August-September).

Shri Radha-Krishna are a Single Entity

Lord Krishna and Sri Radha are in essence a single entity who manifest as two distinct individuals for the sake of interpersonal romantic exchange. To express his charm as an amorous lover, Shri Krishna manifested himself in the Radha form. Two bodies and one soul are Sri Radha-Krishna and Surdas sings ecstatically of their passionate union. Shri Radha is Lord Krishna’s power of pleasure, delighted in her beloved’s joy. Radha above all the other cowherdesses and all other souls of the world, ultimately emerges as the supreme object of Krishna’s passionate love. Braj’s highly revered Shri Usha Bahenji’s experiences throw light on the pivotal concept of madhurya or sweet love, taking us to the very heart of the love of Radha and Krishna.

Raja Suchendra born as Vrashbhanu, the cowherd in Braj and his wife Kalavati born as Kirtida, the cowherdess, in Vrashbhanupur were blessed with Shri Radha as their daughter. On her incarnation a wave of rejoicing swept the place with auspicious songs being sung.

Baby Radha Rani Mandir, Rawal

The site of her manifestation is famed as Rawal with a temple on the banks of the Yamuna citing this miracle. Born at her grandparents’ house, she later came to Vrashbhanupur. Baba Vrashbhanu came to Vrashbhanu Sarovar on ashtami of the Bhadra month and spotted a small girl atop a lotus flower, swimming in the pond and attracting his gaze. It is said she was Sri Radha herself.