Radha
Radha: is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna in the Bhagavata Purana, and the Gita Govinda.
Gopi: is used more commonly to refer to the group of cow herding girls famous within Vaishnava Theology for their unconditional devotion (Bhakti) to Krishna as described in the stories of Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literatures. Of this group, one gopi known as Radha holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions.
Krishna and Radha
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(Krishna and Radha in Love) The story of Krishna and Radha's love in many ways developed out of the famous poetic work the Gitagovinda. The poem opens with a description of the occasion when Radha andKrishna first join in love together. In this way the love of Radha and Krishna arises. The poem then leaps a period of time and when the drama opens, a crises has occurred. Radha, after long enjoying Krishna’s passionate embraces, finds herself abruptly abandoned. Radha‘s friend, Sakhi, tells her of Krishna’s amorous play with the other gopies, his feet stroked by one of them, his head cushioned on the bosom of another whose “heaving breasts are tenderly outspread to pillow it” (Miller 76). One beautiful damsel murmurs sweet words of praise into his ear, others care for him tenderly. He himself embraces one of them, kisses another and fondles a third (Archer 93). As Radha broods on his behaviour, she is filled with bitter sadness; Radha’s yearning and lamenting in a faltering voice choked by heavy tears made even the water birds weep sorrowfully (Miller 1975: 659-665). Yet her love for Krishna is so strong she cannot bring herself to blame him. As Radha sits longing for him in misery, Krishna suddenly repents, is filled with remorse and abruptly goes in quest of her. He does not know, however, where to find her and as he wanders he expresses his grief. Seated alone in his arbor of love, Krishna dwells on the thought of his devotee, Radha, and presently Sakhi comes to him to assure him of her passionate love for him. Without him she cannot bear to live, for every moment is filled with suffering and misery. Surely he, the source of love, will respond to her need. It is well into the evening, the crescent moon in the sky. It looks as if Krishna will spend the night alone in misery. Then, well into the darkness of the night, Sakhi finally convinces Radha to overcome her jealousy and pride which have been keeping her apart from her beloved. Sakhi coaxes Radha to enter the bower of Krishna who sits in anticipation. |
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(Krishna and Radha Together Again) |
Krishna is splendid in his brilliance. His gold and pearl jewellery, white floral garland, and the white of his eyes brighten the darkness and provoke Radha to come to him. Now, Radha becoming less timid raises her eyes to meet those of Krishna, and the lonely night ends with the ecstatic reunion (samyoga) of the lovers.
Excerpt from the Gita Govinda describing Radha's longing for Krishna :
IN HER SOLITUDE, she fancies that she sees you everywhere—
You sip the honey from her lips as though you’re really there;
Radha woefully awaits you, Lord Krishna,
in her hideaway. Eagerly she rushed out to tryst with you,
But stumbled and fell after just a step or two;
Radha woefully awaits you, Lord Krishna,
in her hideaway.
Although she’s made a bracelet of lotus stem and leaf,
Only your artful lovemaking can redeem her from her grief;
Radha woefully awaits you, Lord Krishna,
in her hideaway.
Gazing at her ornaments, toying with what is true, ../
“I am Krishna,” she declares, pretending she is you;
Radha woefully awaits you, Lord Krishna,
in her hideaway.
See Radha in the Devi post as well
