Srimati Radharani
| Radha | |
|---|---|
| Goddess of Kindness, Love and Beauty | |
Krishna and Radha at Mayapur temple
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| Devanagari | राधा |
| Sanskrit transliteration | Rādhā |
| Affiliation | Vaishnavism, avatar of Lakshmi, Shakti |
| Abode | Goloka, Barsana, Vrindavan, Braj Dham |
| Symbol | Golden Lotus |
| Texts | Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Gita Govinda, many others |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Vrindavan, Kingdom of Surasena (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Consort | Krishna |
| Parents |
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Radha (IAST: Rādhā), also called Radhika, Radharani, and Radhe, is a Hindu goddess popular in the Vaishnavism tradition. She is a milkmaid (gopi), the lover and the most represented companion of the Hindu god Krishna in the medieval era texts. She is also a part of Shaktism – the Hindu goddess tradition, and considered an avatar of Lakshmi.
Radha is worshipped in some regions of India, particularly by Vaishnavas in West Bengal, Assam, Manipur and Odisha. Elsewhere, she is revered in the Nimbarka Sampradaya and movements linked to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Chandidas.
Radha is considered a metaphor for soul, her longing for Krishna theologically seen as a symbolism for the longing for spirituality and the divine. She has inspired numerous literary works, and her Rasa lila dance with Krishna has inspired many types of performance arts till this day.
The Sanskrit term Rādhā (Sanskrit: राधा) means “prosperity, success”. It is a common word and name founded in various contexts in the ancient and medieval texts of India. Of these the most celebrated is the name of the Gopi who was the beloved of Krishna. Both Radha and Krishna are the main characters of Gita Govinda of Jayadeva. Radha in this context is considered the avatar of Lakshmi, just like Krishna is considered an avatar of Vishnu.
The term is related to Rādha (Sanskrit: राध), which means "kindness, any gift but particularly the gift of affection, success, wealth". The word appears in the Vedic literature as well as the Epics, but is elusive and not as a major deity. In some Vedic contexts, states Sukumar Sen, it could mean "beloved, desired woman" based on an Avestan cognate. However, Barbara Stoller and other scholars disagree with the Avestan interpretation. They state that the better interpretation of Radha in these ancient texts is "someone or something that fulfills a need". Starting with the Bhakti movement and particularly with Jayadeva's composition, her profile as a goddess and constant companion of Krishna became dominant in Krishna-related Vaishnavism.
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