Radha

For other uses, see Radha (disambiguation).

Radha
Mūlaprakriti, Primordial Goddess,[1][2]
Mother Goddess,[3]
Hladini shakti ("blissful energy"),[4]
Goddess of Love, Compassion and Devotion[5]
Supreme Goddess in Krishnaism[6][7]
Member of Panch Prakriti[8]
Radha at ISKCON Temple, Pune
Other namesMadhavi, Keshavi, Shreeji, Shyama, Kishori, Radharani, Rahi
Devanagariराधा
Sanskrit transliterationRādhā
Venerated inRadha Vallabh Sampradaya, Nimbarka Sampradaya, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Pushtimarg, Mahanam Sampradaya, Manipuri Vaishnavism, Swaminarayan Sampradaya, Vaishnava-Sahajiya, Haridasi Sampradaya[9]
Affiliation
Abode
Mantra
  • Om hreem Radhikaye namah
  • Om Radhaye svaha
  • Om hreem shreem Radhikaye svaha
[10]
SymbolGolden Lotus
DayFriday
TextsBrahma Vaivarta Purana, Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Naradiya Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana, Shiva Purana, Gita Govinda, Gopala Tapani Upanishad, Garga Samhita, Brahma Samhita, Chaitanya Charitamrita
GenderFemale
Festivals
Genealogy
Avatar birthRaval, Barsana (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India)
Parents
ConsortKrishna
DynastyYaduvamsha-Chandravamsha
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Closeup of Vishnu, seated in the lotus position on a lotus. From depiction of the poet Jayadeva bowing to Vishnu, Gouache on paper Pahari, The very picture of devotion, bare-bodied, head bowed, legs crossed and hands folded, Jayadeva stands at left, with the implements of worship placed before the lotus-seat of Vishnu who sits there, blessing the poet.
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Radha (Sanskrit: राधा, IAST: Rādhā), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi[12][13] and also as the Mūlaprakriti, the Supreme goddess, who is the feminine counterpart and internal potency (hladini shakti) of Krishna.[1][14][15][16][17] Radha accompanies Krishna in all his incarnations.[18][19] Radha's birthday is celebrated every year on the occasion of Radhashtami.[20][21]

In relation with Krishna, Radha has dual representation—the lover consort as well as his married consort. Traditions like Nimbarka Sampradaya worship Radha as the eternal consort and wedded wife of Krishna.[22][23][24][25] In contrast, traditions like Gaudiya Vaishnavism revere her as Krishna's lover and the divine consort.[26][24]

In Radha Vallabh Sampradaya and Haridasi Sampradaya, only Radha is worshipped as the Supreme being.[27] Elsewhere, she is venerated with Krishna as his principal consort in Nimbarka Sampradaya, Pushtimarg, Mahanam Sampradaya, Swaminarayan Sampradaya, Vaishnava-Sahajiya, Manipuri Vaishnavism, and Gaudiya Vaishnavism movements linked to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.[28]

Radha is described as the chief of Braj Gopis (milkmaids of Braj) and queen of Goloka and Braj including Vrindavan and Barsana.[24] She has inspired numerous literary works, and her Raslila dance with Krishna has inspired many types of performance arts.[29][30][26][31]

  1. ^ a b Diana Dimitrova (2018). Divinizing in South Asian Traditions. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-8153-5781-0. Radha is mentioned as the personification of the Mūlaprakriti, the 'Root nature, that original seed from which all material forms evolved Cite error: The named reference "Diana Dimitrova 2018" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ Vemsani 2016, p. 222: "The Devibhagvata purana and Padma purana describe Radha's cosmological role as Prakriti and Shakti"
  3. ^ David R. Kinsley (1986). Hindu Goddesses. Motilala Banarsidass. p. 91. ISBN 978-81-208-0394-7. Radha is called mother of the world and Krishna father of the world
  4. ^ Prafulla Kumar Mohanty (2003). "Mask and Creative Symbolisation in Contemporary Oriya Literature: Krishna, Radha and Ahalya". Indian Literature. 2 (214). Sahitya Akademi: 182. JSTOR 23341400. Radha is the power of joy, the Hladini shakti of Krishna
  5. ^ Guy Beck (2005). Alternative Krishnas: Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity. SUNY Press. pp. 64–81. ISBN 978-0-7914-6415-1. Radha is goddess of love to Krishna
  6. ^ Edwin Francis Bryant (2007). Krishna: A Sourcebook. SUNY Press. p. 443. ISBN 978-0-19-803400-1. Significant manifestation of feminine in Vaishnavism...the supreme goddess Radha, the favourite Gopi of Krishna
  7. ^ Roy C Amore (1976). "Religion in India". Journal of the American Academy of Religion. 14 (2): 366. Radha as Prakriti comes to supreme prominence, assuming epithets of transcendence - Brahmasvarupa, Nirguna...
  8. ^ Ludo Rocher (1988). "The Purāṇas (A History of Indian Literature". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 51 (2): 355.
  9. ^ Vemsani 2016, pp. 222–223.
  10. ^ Ved Vyaas. Brahma Vaivarta Purana. Gita Press, Gorakhpur. p. 297.
  11. ^ Menzies 2006, p. 54.
  12. ^ Jones, Naamleela Free (2015). "From Gods To Gamers: The Manifestation of the Avatar Throughout Religious History and Postmodern Culture". Berkeley Undergraduate Journal. 28 (2): 8. doi:10.5070/B3282028582.
  13. ^ Gokhale, Namita; Lal, Malashri (10 December 2018). Finding Radha: The Quest for Love. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5305-361-1. Like Sita, Radha is also a manifestation of Lakshmi.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Bryant, Edwin Francis (2007). Krishna: A Sourcebook. Oxford University Press. p. 551. ISBN 978-0-19-514892-3.
  16. ^ Kar, Nishamani (2001). "Sriradha: A Study". Indian Literature. 45 (2 (202)): 184–192. ISSN 0019-5804. JSTOR 23344745.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Vyasadeva (18 June 2015). Narada Pancaratra Part 2. p. 448. Whenever Sri Hari appears in this world, Sri Radhika appears with him
  19. ^ Farquhar, J. N. (1926). "The Narada Pancharatra". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (3): 492–495. ISSN 0035-869X. JSTOR 25221011.
  20. ^ Vemsani 2016, p. 223.
  21. ^ Mohanty, Prafulla Kumar (2003). "Mask and Creative Symbolisation in Contemporary Oriya Literature: Krishna, Radha and Ahalya". Indian Literature. 47 (2 (214)): 181–189. ISSN 0019-5804. JSTOR 23341400.
  22. ^ Farquhar, J. N. (1926). "The Narada Pancharatra". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (3): 492–495. ISSN 0035-869X. JSTOR 25221011.
  23. ^ Bhattacharya, Sunil Kumar (1996). Krishna-cult in Indian Art. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 13. ISBN 978-81-7533-001-6. Radha is the eternal consort and wedded wife of Krishna, who lives forever with him in Goloka.
  24. ^ a b c Lochtefeld 2002, p. 542.
  25. ^ Jones & Ryan 2007, p. 341, Radha.
  26. ^ a b "Radha". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  27. ^ White 1977; Snell 1991, chapter1; Rosenstein 1998; Beck 2005; Vemsani 2016, p. 222.
  28. ^ Hawley & Wulff 1982, pp. xiii–xviii; Dalal 2010, pp. 321–322; Hayes 2005, pp. 19–32; Vemsani 2016, p. 221.
  29. ^ Archer 2004.
  30. ^ Hawley & Wulff 1982, pp. xiii–xviii.
  31. ^ Pintchman 2005, pp. 46–47.