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Encyclopedia > Radharani

Radharani, or Radha is the consort of Krishna and have a prominent position in a number of the Vaishnava schools of Hinduism, especially in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. She is considered His adi (original) shakti, the Supreme Goddess. Other gopis are considered to be Her expansions. Her connection to Krishna is of two types: svakiya-rasa (married relationship) and parakiya-rasa (unmarried, amorous relationship). The second type is considered more exalted. Radha refers to either one of two figures in Hindu religion. ... Lord Krishna Krishna (कृष्ण, Sanskrit for black. Also said to mean All Attractive), is, according to common Hindu tradition, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (i. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Gaudiya Vaishnavism, (Bengal) Vaishnavism, is a sect of Hinduism founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. ... This article is about the Hindu religious concept. ... In Hinduism a gopi is one of the several cow herding girls who had pure devotion (bhakti) to Krishna. ...


One of Her names, Hara (mentioned in Narada-pancaratra 5.5.59), in vocative Hare, forms a part of the Mantra#Hare_Krishna_Maha_Mantra, one of the most popular mantras in India, known around the world mainly through the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). This mantra invokes Radha and Krishna as the Supreme Brahman. In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is a new religious movement based on Bengali, or more specifically Gaudiya, Vaishnavism founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, referred to by followers as His Divine Grace, in New York in 1966. ... Here the underlined vowels carry the Vedic Sanskrit udātta pitch accent. ...


She is mentioned in Vedas, Upanisads, Puranas and Vaishnava tantras. The Vedas are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... The Puranas are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss devotion and mythology. ... Tantra (Sanskrit: loom), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ...

Contents


Glory

Radha's love for Krishna is seen by Vaishnavas as the most perfect because it is endless and without conditions. She is a cowherd-girl (gopi), who has a simple and pure-hearted nature that enchants Krishna greatly. Thus She is the most important consort of Krishna, His heart and soul, and His hladini-shakti (spiritual pleasure potency). Similarly, the shakti of Shiva is Parvati or the shakti of Narayana is Lakshmi. Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (Catursana, Narad, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Hayasirsa, Hamsa, Prsnigarbha, Rsabha, Prithu, Narasimha , Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Vamana, Parasurama, Raghavendra, Vyasa, Balarama, Krishna, Buddha, Kalki) is worshipped as the supreme God and is a monotheistic... Lord Shiva. ... In Hinduism, Parvati (alt. ... Vinchai in Tamil means that, The instructions which is to be followed.(see also: Vinchai to Vaikundar). ... Lakshmi - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...


In the devotional (bhakti) traditions of Gaudiya (Bengali) Vaishnavas, a part of orthodox Hinduism, Her worship has a special emphasis. It is especially prominent in Vrindavan, the place where Krishna is said to have lived over 5000 years ago. Her importance surpasses the importance of Krishna. This is because it is said by some that nobody can approach Krishna directly, but He is easily attainable through the mercy of Radharani. This mode of worship is also adopted by the International Society For Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a Gaudiya Vaishnava branch, as it was instructed by Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, incarnation of Krishna as His devotee in the mood of Radharani. Bhakti is a Tamil or Sanskrit term from Hinduism that means devotion to god. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Vrindavan, in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh is a town on the site of the original forest of Vrindavana. ... Deities of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (right) and Sri Nityananda (left) at Radha-Krishna temple in Radhadesh, Belgium Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Chaitanya) (1486 - 1534), was an ascetic Hindu monk and social reformer in 16th century Bengal, India (present-day West Bengal and Bangladesh). ...


Festivals

Radha's birthday is celebrated as Radhastami.


Vaishnava traditions

In the orthodox Vedic tradition Srimati Radharani is considered to be the eternal consort of Krishna.


RADHARANI THE MOST IMPORTANT GOPI OF KRSNA The Padma Purana mentions eighteen thousand cowherd-girls among whom 108 are most important. Among those 108, eight are considered more important. Among the eight, two have a special position, Candravali and Radharani. Between the two, Padma Purana tells us Sri Radha is the foremost and without Her presence no one of the gopis can really satisfy Krsna. In the Bhagavatam, Candravali herself admits this truth. Thus the Bhagavatam is dedicated to explaining the importance of Sri Radha as no other Purana has done.


THE POSITION OF RADHARANI According to Vedic scriptures Radharani is Krishna's pleasure potency. She is described to be the greatest devotee of Krishna, and although Krsna is said to be all-knowing, still He cannot understand Her quality of devotion. Krsna means "all-attractive," but Radharani because of Her devotion can easily attract Krishna. One of the prayers to Her says:


tapta kancana gaurangi radha vrndavanesvari vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye


"Radharani, You are so dear to Krsna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You."


To the Vaisnavas, or worshipers of Krishna, Radharani is of great importance. They consider that only by Her mercy they can easily approach Krishna. Therefore in Vrindavana – the place where Krishna spent His childhood pastimes - it is very common to hear devotees chanting Radharani's name. They even greet one another, "Jaya Radhe!” - All glories to Radharani." Why is this so? Because they consider Srimati Radharani the Mother of bhakti or devotion. When there is a connection with the source of the devotional flow, Srimati Radharani, then the living entity can perform his normal and natural function in relationship to Krishna.


KRISHNA’S AND RADHARANI’S MANIFESTATIONS It is not mentioned in the Bhagavat Purana or any other scripture that Radharani ever went to Dvaraka to meet Krsna, yet Raghunatha dasa Gosvami is saying that She did go there. So how to understand this? The answer is that just as there are many different manifestations of Krsna, such as, Vrndavana-Krsna, Mathura-Krsna, and Dvaraka-Krsna, and They are all separate, similarly Radharani who went to Kuruksetra was one particular Radharani, Radharani who went to Dvaraka was another, and the Radharani in Vrndavana is yet another. This concept of different expansions and manifestations from the primeval Divinities is not unusual because according to the description of the Vedic scriptures the Supreme Divinities are all-powerful. Radharani is in the category of Supreme Goddess and thus She has many expansions and manifestations just like Krishna. NOTE: She is a Supreme Goddess but acts as a devotee.


SRIMATI RADHARANIS EXALTED QUALITIES Srimati Radharani has unlimited transcendental qualities, of which twenty-five are principal. These include: 1) She is very sweet. 2) She is always freshly youthful. 3) Her eyes are restless. 4) She smiles brightly. 5) She has beautiful, auspicious lines. 6) She makes Krishna happy with Her bodily aroma. 7) She is very expert in singing. 8) Her speech is charming. 9) She is very expert in joking and speaking pleasantly. 10) She is very humble and meek. 11) She is always full of mercy. 12) She is cunning. 13) She is expert in executing Her duties. 14) She is shy. 15) She is always respectful. 16) She is always calm. 17) She is always grave. 18) She is expert in enjoying life. 19) She is situated in the topmost level of ecstatic love. 20) She is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula. 21) She is the most famous of submissive devotees. 22) She is very affectionate to elderly people. 23) She is very submissive to the love of Her friends. 24) She is the chief gopi. 25) She always keeps Krishna under Her control. In short, She possesses unlimited transcendental qualities, just as Lord Krishna does. (Ujjvala-nilamani, Sri-radha-prakarana 11-15)


THE BEAUTY OF SRIMATI RADHARANI Her beauty is glorified in many poetic compositions. Writing, reciting and hearing about Her equally benefits everybody. Here are two examples:


"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)


External links

  • [http://www.stephen-knapp.com/radharani.htm
  • More details
  • Sri Radha Sahasra Nama (1000 names)
  • Srimati Radharani's Appearance
  • Krsna and Radha, Goloka - references
  • Sri Radha's name in Srimad Bhagavatam
  • More resources
Topics in Hinduism
Shruti (primary Scriptures): Vedas | Upanishads | Bhagavad Gita | Itihasa (Ramayana & Mahabharata) | Agamas
Smriti (other texts): Tantras | Sutras | Puranas | Brahma Sutras | Hatha Yoga Pradipika | Smritis | Tirukural | Yoga Sutra
Concepts: Avatar | Brahman | Dharma | Karma | Moksha | Maya | Ishta-Deva | Murti | Reincarnation | Samsara | Trimurti | Turiya
Schools & Systems: Schools of Hinduism | Early Hinduism | Samkhya | Nyaya | Vaisheshika | Yoga | Mimamsa | Vedanta | Tantra | Bhakti
Traditional Practices: Jyotish | Ayurveda
Rituals: Aarti | Bhajans | Darshan | Diksha | Mantras | Puja | Satsang | Stotras | Yajna
Gurus and Saints: Shankara | Ramanuja | Madhvacharya | Ramakrishna | Vivekananda | Sree Narayana Guru | Aurobindo | Ramana Maharshi | Sivananda | Chinmayananda | Sivaya Subramuniyaswami | Swaminarayan | A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Denominations: List of Hindu denominations
Vaishnavism | Saivism | Shaktism | Smartism | Agama Hindu Dharma | Contemporary Hindu movements | Survey of Hindu organisations

  Results from FactBites:
 
Radharani (1870 words)
To explain further, Srimati Radharani is also the source of the other goddesses, who are expansions of Her.
The Lakshmis are partial manifestations, or plenary portions, of Srimati Radharani, while the queens in Vaikuntha and in Dvaraka are reflections of Her image.
In describing Srimati Radharani, it is also said in the Vidagdha-madhava (1.32) by Rupa Gosvami, "The beauty of Srimati Radharani's eyes forcibly devours the beauty of newly grown blue lotus flowers, and the beauty of Her face surpasses that of an entire forest of fully blossomed lotuses.
Krishna.com :: Srimati Radharani's Appearance (410 words)
Srimati Radharani is the eternal consort of Lord Krishna.
"Srimati Radharani is the mother of the universe, the spiritual mother of all souls.
In the Krishna consciousness movement, devotees carefully worship Srimati Radharani as the bestower of devotional service to Krishna, by attentively chanting her name in the maha-mantra, by worshiping her deity form, and by following the instructions of the most merciful Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the combined form of Radha and Krishna.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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