Srimati Radharani: Most Beloved Worshipable Diety of Gaudiya Vaishnavas

By: Nandgopal Jivan das

(Narender Nolakha)

durad apasya svajanam sukham-artha-kotim
sarveshu sadhana-varesu ciram nirasah
varsantam eva sahajadbhuta-saukhya-dharam
sri radhika carana renu aham bhajami

“Abandoning Family and Friends, Material Pleasures, Wealth and all other Spiritual paths, finding them distasteful. I take on my head and worship the Dust of the Lotus Feet of Sri Radhika, which is shower of Wonderful Transcendental Bliss!!”

Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the Svetasvatara Upanishad (6.8) "The Supreme Lord has multipotencies, which act so perfectly that all consciousness, strength and activity are being directed solely by His will". The material world, where we are now living, is called bahir-anga-sakti, the external energy of Krishna. Apart from the material, external energy, there is another energy - the internal energy. As the material world is manipulated under the external energy, the spiritual world is conducted by the internal potency. That internal potency, called the Hladini Sakti, is Srimati Radharani.

In CC Adi-lila 1.5 it is said "The loving affairs of Sri Radha and Krishna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord's internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Radha and Krishna are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally". Srimati Radharani, as the highest devotee of Sri Krishna, derives the greatest pleasure in serving Him.

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is in fact a prayer to Srimati Radharani. The word 'Hare' is derived from 'Hara' which denotes the internal energy or Hladini Sakti of Krishna. This is none other that Srimati Radharani. When one is chanting the maha-mantra, one is saying: "O Krishna ! O Radha !! Please engage me in your devotional service". Krishna is difficult to approach directly, but He is bhakta-vatsala, always eager to please His devotees. Thus the mood of a devotee is to invoke the compassion of Srimati Radharani Who then recommends the devotee to Sri Krishna. Since Krishna is easily pleased by Srimati Radharani, He then readily accepts the devotee in His service.

Lord Krishna appeared on this planet on the Astami of bhadra month in Dvapura-Yuga, in the 28th millennium of Vaivasavat Manvantra. After 15 days Srimati Radharani appears on the Astami Day which is known as Radha Astami. Radharani is not an ordinary girl or woman. She is fully transcendental in nature. Lord Krishna is the energetic and Radharani is the energy. They cannot be separated just like the sun and sunlight.

Understanding the mellows of the relationship between Krishna and Radha is impossible from the mundane perspective. Understanding madhurya-rasa (devotion at the platform of intimacy), which is the highest level of relationship of a devotee with Krishna, is only possible in the most elevated stages of bhakti where there is not even a tinge of material contamination. Therefore Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has written: "The loving affairs of Radha and Krishna are not ordinary, material loving affairs, although they appear like that. Rascals and fools misunderstand Krishna to be an ordinary man. They do not know Krishna's transcendental nature. They try to imitate Krishna's rasa-lila, His dancing with the Gopis". There is no offense greater than this. Devotees starting on the path of bhakti must carefully avoid such offenses. They must simply pray to Srimati Radharani, as their most compassionate Mother, for mercy, for bhakti and for an opportunity to serve Sri Krishna.

One has to be regulated in spiritual practices and become free from material contamination to understand Radha and Krishna. Krishna is the enjoyer and He wants to enjoy. Just try to understand. Krishna hasn’t got to seek external things for His pleasure. Radharani is the expansionof His pleasure potency. Millions of Devotees are trying to achieve that Brahman pleasure and in order to achieve that Brahman pleasure they are neglecting and kicking off all this material pleasure. Do you think that Brahman pleasure is ordinary? So if, for tasting a little Brahman pleasure, all materialistic pleasures are to be given up, do you think that the Supreme Brahman, Lord Sri Krishna, is enjoying this material pleasure?? Hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune (gopis) are engaged in His service. Do you think that these lakshmis are material women? How Krishna can take pleasure in the material women? No. …Don’t take that Radharani is an ordinary women like we have our wife or sister or mother. No. She is the pleasure potency of Krishna. And the birth of Radharani was not from the womb of any human being. Her father found Her in a field. So, Radharani is an expansion of Krishna.

Srimati Radharani is known as the Queen of Vrindavan, Vrindavaneshvari. Everyone chants her name in Vrindavan. Devotees beg Her for mercy. Sri Radha is the original form of Ganges River. She is the original form of the holy Tulasi plant. She is the original form of Yamuna River. She is the original form of Saraswati River. She is the original form of the Bhogwati river (the Ganges flowing in the Patal region.). She is the absolute manifestation of total beauty. She is humbly bowed to by all the Lord Brahmas and Lord Sivas in the countless millions of universes created by Lord Vishnu. Her toe nails glow with the radiance of boundless mystic perfection and opulent prosperities.

She is the Goddess of Vedic sacrifices, all pious activities, all that is natural and spontaneous, of all the demigods and goddesses, of all the knowledge of three Vedas, of the enforcement of universal law, of fortune, of forgiveness, of the most pleasurable forest of Vrindavan. She is situated at the topmost level of ecstatic love. The above transcendental qualities attract Krishna fully. Her spiritual body is molten gold complexion. Laxmi and Durga are Her expansions. Brhad-gautamiya-tantra also says (as quoted in CC, Adi-lila 4.83): “The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord.”

Thus sings Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati:

“Essence of Beauty and Relationship, Quintessence of Bliss and Compassion, Embodiment of Sweetness and Brilliance, Epitome of artfulness, Graceful in Love: May my mind take refuge in Radharani, Quintessence of all essences.”

As explained in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (Nectar of Devotion), Krishna possesses sixty-four transcendental qualities. Srimati Radharani has twenty-five transcendental qualities, but She can control even Krishna by them. Her transcendental qualities are as follows: (1) She is sweetness personified; (2) She is a fresh young girl; (3) Her eyes are always moving; (4) She is always brightly smiling; (5) She possesses all auspicious marks on Her body; (6) She can agitate Krishna by the flavor of Her person; (7) She is expert in the art of singing; (8) She can speak very nicely and sweetly; (9) She is expert in presenting feminine attractions; (10) She is modest and gentle; (11) She is always very merciful; (12) She is transcendentally cunning; (13) She knows how to dress nicely; (14) She is always shy; (15) She is always respectful; (16) She is always patient; (17) She is very grave; (18) She is enjoyed by Krishna; (19) She is always situated on the highest devotional platform; (20) She is the abode of love of the residents of Gokula; (21) She can give shelter to all kinds of devotees; (22) She is always affectionate to superiors and inferiors; (23) She is always obliged by the dealings of Her associates, (24) She is the greatest amongst Krishna's girl friends; (25) She always keeps Krishna under Her control.

Krishna means 'all attractive', since He attracts every one to Him. But Srimati Radharani attracts even Krishna. Although Krishna says vedaham samatitani - "I know everything" - He fails to understand Radharani. Krishna is acyuta (inconceivable), but for Him Radharani is inconceivable. Radharani is so great. Krishna thought, "I am full. I am complete in every respect, but still I want to understand Radharani." This question obliged Krishna to accept the propensities of Radharani to understand Himself. So five hundred years ago Krishna appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the mood of Srimati Radharani and with Her golden complexion, as His own greatest devotee. Krishna did this to understand the depth of devotion of Srimati Radharani.

The mahabhava (ecstasy of love) experienced by the other gopis cannot be compared to that of Sri Radha. Radharani is the very form of ecstatic love for Sri Krsna who says: “The happiness I feel when meeting Radharani is a hundred times greater than the happiness I get from meeting others”. (CC Adi 4.258) “Srimati Radharani is the beloved consort of Krsna, and She is the wealth of Krsna’s life.” (CC Adi 4.214)

Srimati Radharani is the ideal maha-bhagvat. As the greatest devotee, She is also the most compassionate. She is unable to bear the suffering of the souls trapped in the material world. The word "aradhaya" (prayers) is derived from "Radha" and means "worshippable". Similarly the word "aparadha" (offenses) means "against Radha". When one performs devotional service, one is pleasing Srimati Radharani and when commits Vaishnava aparadha against Krishna or His devotees, one is offending Radharani. Srimati Radharani is the guardian, the mentor and the benefactor of all aspiring devotees. When a soul starts to inquire about Krishna, Srimati Radharani is most pleased and takes charge of his devotional advancements. As one makes progress, one continues to invoke the mercy of Srimati Radharani and when She is pleased, Krishna is automatically pleased.

Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode Thakur Sings:

atapa-rahita suraja nahi jani
radha-virahita krsna nahi mani

"Just as there is no such thing as sun without heat or light, i do not accept a krsna who is without Sri Radha!!"

So, We should always pray for Her mercy for without Her Merciful glance over all of us, its impossible for us to attain the goal of our life- Krishna prema! We must pray to Her:

"O Radharani, I have fallen into the horrible ocean of birth and death and am frightened, but I am seeking Your shelter. O queen of the demigods, please free me from all fears."

"O Radhike, please give me transcendental devotional service to Your lotus feet, which are worshiped by Lord Brahma and Lakshmi, and which are served even by Lord Krishna."

"O Srimati Radharani, You are the exalted form of mahabhava, therefore You are the most dear to Krishna. O Goddess, You alone are able to bestow pure love for the Supreme Lord; therefore I offer my humble obeisances unto You."

Srimati Radharani is so glorious that Lord Siva also sings Her glories in the Urdhvamnaya-tantra as follows:


Before whom Laksmi, the goddess of millions of unlimited Vaikunthas, stoops to bow with all humility; from whom Sati, Saci and Sarasvati receive favours; endless riches, supernatural powers, perfection and liberation are attained within the light of Her small toenail. O when will She shower upon me Her sidelong glance of over flowing grace?

O Goddess Supreme, who presides over all sacrifices, rites and oblations and over the hosts of demigods and saintly persons. O Goddess Supreme, who provides the force to the Vedic utterances and to all arguments of law and logic; O Supreme Mistress of Laksmi and Bhu; O Queen of the celestial gardens of delight; Queen of Vraja, O Sovereign Mistress of Vrndavana, Srimati Radhika, I prostrate before Thee!

May the Daughter of King Vrsabhanu, thus, on hearing this wonderful hymn of Her glories, be pleased to always shower on Me Her sidelong glance of over-flowing grace. Then may the threefold forms of karma, accumulated over many births, be immediately annihilated and may I be granted entrance into the eternal realm of King Nanda's divine son.

All glories to Srimati Radharani !!